Chez Maurice et Delphine

The Marquesas


This pension has five very ramshackle but spacious bungalows on a little knoll in Hokatu, with sweeping views of Hokatu Bay and Motu Hane. Try to book the bungalow Mata Otemanu – lying on your bed you can see the bay and the motu. Meals are locally sourced and delicious; think: lobster, breadfruit and chicken soup and flambéed bananas for dessert.

The delightful hosts, Maurice, is a master carver (his living room looks like a sculpture museum) and he can teach you some of his techniques, while his wife Delphine (who can get by in English) keeps the whole operation together and also runs the Hokatu crafts centre.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Marquesas attractions

1. Hokatu

0.16 MILES

Tiny and scenic Hokatu, about 3km east of Hane, lies in a sheltered bay edged with a pebble beach pounded by azure seas with direct views of imposing,…

2. Hane

0.81 MILES

Experts believe that the first Polynesian settlement on the Marquesas was here, tucked away in a bay protected on the east by the impressive Motu Hane…

3. Meiaute

1.14 MILES

High up in the valley of Hane, the site of Meiaute includes three 1m-high, red-tuff tiki that watch over a group of stone structures, pae pae and me’ae,…

4. Arboretum

1.59 MILES

A wide variety of plants, including 200 species of citrus fruits, are cultivated in these botanical gardens halfway between Vaipaee and Hane. The species…

5. Te Tumu

2.15 MILES

Built for the 2013 Mini Marquesas Festival, this beautiful site holds a large performance area and the island's main museum. The Marquesas's largest tiki,…

6. Manihina

2.47 MILES

Near the airport, Manihina Beach is a wonderfully scenic pebbly beach framed by basaltic cliffs. Sadly there are lots of nono. It’s accessible by a dirt…

7. Vaipaee

3.39 MILES

The island’s main town is at the end of a very deep, narrow inlet, about 1km long and rightly named Invisible Bay. You'll find two stores, lots of fruit…

8. Vaikivi Petroglyphs

3.4 MILES

This little-visited archaeological site on the Vaikivi Plateau is well worth the detour, if only for the walk or horse ride to get there. A guide is…