Sit with one of the last practicing tapa masters as she strips, beats, and paints mulberry bark into cloth using motifs found nowhere else in Polynesia.
What to expect
In an open-sided fare in Omoa, an artisan shows you banyan or breadfruit bark stripped, soaked, and beaten flat with a wooden mallet over hours, then painted freehand with pigments made from local earth and plants. Fatu Hiva's tapa is considered the finest in French Polynesia, and the designs are specific to the island's mythology. You can try beating a small section yourself. Most visitors leave with a small painted tapa piece.
Good to know
Arrange through the Omoa tourism committee a day or two ahead if possible; this is an informal, small-scale craft, not a ticketed attraction, so timing depends on the artisan's availability.
Sail there
Luxury cruises that call at Fatu Hiva — book through us, the fare is identical and your concierge stays on your side.