Landmark· Ua Huka· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Vaipaee Craft Centre and Carvers (Ua Huka)
8° 55.8′ S · 139° 34.6′ W · approximate
Ua Huka's carvers are reputed to be among the best in the Marquesas, and each village keeps a craft exhibition-and-sales centre. Vaipaee's carvers sell rosewood and stone tikis, bowls and jewellery from their homes and through the centre in the airport festival complex.
Practical
Coordinate approximate: Vaipaee village centre; the craft outlet has moved, so ask at the mairie (phone 40 91 60 26; hours in 2023 6:30am-2:30pm, Friday until 1:30pm, verify locally). Noonsite: each village has an arts and crafts centre, and the best deals come from the artists themselves. Lonely Planet and French Wikipedia also say each of the three villages has a craft exhibition centre. Moon Rebel (Aug 2018): the museum and woodcarving workshop beneath Vaipaee's post office had closed and were said to have moved east. Chugach (Apr 2019): the small 'mall' built beside the airport for the 2013 festival has a centre artisanal where Vaipaee carver Pava exhibits and sells, and a carving school. Toa and Arii of Pension Mana Tupuna are also carvers. English Wikipedia: carvers compete each June to reproduce old objects so the techniques survive. Routard: tapa and monoi are other local crafts. Bring cash (XPF); there is no bank on Ua Huka.
Best for
Buying carvings direct from the carver
Nearby
- Vaipaee BakeryRight here
- Ua Huka Infirmaries (Vaipaee and Hane)0.1 NM away
- Ua Huka Matava'a 2025 (Marquesas Arts Festival)0.1 NM away
- Ua Huka Wild Horses and Horseback Tours0.1 NM away
- Vaipaee Church Sunday Choir0.1 NM away
- Vaipaee Village and Mairie (Ua Huka)0.1 NM away
- Magasin Brown Areni (Vaipaee)0.2 NM away
- Pension Alexis (Vaipaee)0.2 NM away