The most remote island in the Marquesas also has the distinction of being the wettest, lushest and most traditional of the islands in the group. It has no landing strip and is rarely visited by boats, but this makes for a travel experience into Polynesia as it once was. Thor Heyerdahl, of the famous Kon Tiki expeditions, spent a year and a half living on Fatu Hiva which provided the basis for his book Fatu Hiva, the Return to Nature. Mangoes, bananas, oranges and lemons thrive on the slopes of the island thanks to the plentiful rainfall. The island is home to some of the finest artisans in the Marquesas.

Due south of the Societies, and strung along the Tropic of Capricorn, are the Austral islands. The Australs are famous for their arts - elaborate woodcarvings and enormous stone tikis - although the missionaries succeeded in destroying the ancient techniques and today there are almost no traditional artisans. The Australs are quite varied, although they have none of the fecund vegetation of the Societies to the north, and feature limestone caverns, ruined temples (maraes) and hilltop fortresses (pas) on the territory's southernmost island, Rapa.

Not many travellers make it out to the remote Gambier islands, in the southeastern pocket of French Polynesia, and tourism has made virtually no impact here. French Polynesia's first Catholic mission was established here in 1834 and the entire population was quickly converted. Father Honoré Laval, the leader of the mission, quickly ensconced established himself as a despotic ruler of the region. Almost single-handedly he brought about the complete destruction of the native culture and customs - his memoirs speak of the delight he felt destroying heathen temples and icons. When he arrived the population was estimated at around 5000 or 6000. A census conducted 16 years after his eventual exile to Tahiti established that a mere 463 people survived the cruelties, diseases and cultural annihilation of his time. The enormous and highly decorated Cathedral of St Michael on Mangareva stands as a testament to Laval's obsession - it can accommodate 2000 of the faithful, four times the population of the island! Not much happens out here and chances are you'll have to stay a week or two since Air Tahiti only services Mangareva three times a month. This is truly a forgotten part of the world - don't bother bringing your credit card.