Austral Islands/Raivavae: Hiking in Tropical Forest
The most epic hike on Raivavae and possibly in the entire Pacific is to the top of Mount Hiro. But to get to the mountain top, you first need a steep climb through a tropical forest which is absolutely spectacular – green, dense, with strange flowers and plants and even mushrooms. And I even encountered a small coconut crab, the largest land crab in the world! The forest portion of the hike is only about an hour long and it’s tough going as you gain a lot of altitude in a very short time without a trail per se.
