Hike· Ahe· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Motu Manu Forest Trail to the Outer Reef (Ahe)
14° 26.4′ S · 146° 13.5′ W
Cleared trails wind through one of the last stands of native forest in the Tuamotus, with huge trees, ferns and orchids, then across the motu to an outer-reef sand beach where turtles nest.
Practical
Start is Pension Raita's picnic tables on Motu Manu (14°26.3688'S 146°13.4745'W, Jacaranda 2016); reach it by dinghy from the airport anchorage, or with a local boat from the village (Temarii, +689 87 39 68 83, took Elvira there in 2023). About an hour's walk; best in the heat of the day or in the evening when seabirds return to roost (Jacaranda). Locals collect soil here to grow vegetables, so stay on the trails and take nothing; it is a reserve. Turtles nest on the outer beach: keep off nests and do not use lights at night.
Best for
A forest walk on a coconut-palm atoll