Melanesia & Beyond

08 May 27
Departs: 05:00 PM

A major seaport, Fiji's second-largest city, Lautoka is the main center of the sugar and timber industries. Towering royal palms march in a long, orderly row from the main street to the harbor and into the heart of the city. Although Lautoka grew up around the Fijan village of Namoli, it is a very Indian town today.

09 May 27
Arrives: 09:00 AM
Departs: 05:00 PM

Fiji's islands are often grouped into different regions, based on both geographical isolation from other groups, but also cultural similarities between islands. The Yasawa Islands are on Fiji's far western edge and are an excellent location for adventure, both on land and underwater. The Yasawa group is quite unusual, even by Fijian standards. The islands were actually closed to tourism until 1987 because the local king did not want visitors.

The saltwater caves of Sawa I Lau are turquoise pools made famous from the movie 'Blue Lagoon.' The entrance to the second cave is through a hidden underwater entrance carved by the sea into the limestone. The caves are steeped in myths and legends.

The small village of Nabukeru sits near the beach on an isolated and beautiful spot. Climate change and its impacts are being felt here, with coastal inundation and tropical cyclones bringing waves over the sea walls that once kept villagers safe.

INCLUDED EXPEDITION:

Yasawa Island
Venture into the majestic Sawa-I-Lau Caves to experience Fiji’s ancient limestone formations on this private tour aided by local guides to explore the secrets within. The limestone formations, carved by constant wave action are hidden within an attractive little island. The sacred Caves are also known as the resting place of the 10-headed ancient Fijian god, Ulutini. The first of the caverns is simply magnificent. Sun light filters through a hole in the ceiling, allowing a glamorous beauty of the underwater world reflects upon the surface of the water. If you are up for more excitement you can choose to enter a second cave which is more secretive, cavern via an underwater tunnel. Included as well is a visit to a nearby village of Tamusua - the traditional owners of the famous Sawa I Lau cave. Explorer and take advantage of the wonderful moment spent with the friendly villagers. Please bring underwater camera, reef friendly sunscreen, snorkel gear and reef shoes.

10 May 27 - At Sea
Arrives: 12:00 AM
Departs: 11:59 PM

11 May 27
Arrives: 08:00 AM
Departs: 01:00 PM

11 May 27
Arrives: 03:00 PM
Departs: 08:00 PM

As might be guessed, Pentecost Island was named by a European explorer who sighted it on the day of Pentecost, 22 May 1768. That explorer was the Frenchman Louis Antoine de Bougainville. A lush, mountainous island without any real towns, islanders are subsistence farmers and fishermen. The island is most famous for an activity that inspired bungee jumping. Originally a ritual called nanggol, or land-diving, men would construct tall towers, tie vines to their feet and jump off them. The purpose of the ritual was a fertility manhood ritual, and also to ensure a good harvest of yams. The vines tied to the ankles of the men were springy, and the lengths calculated just right so the men would brush the ground lightly and therefore survive the fall. Witnessing this ritual and filmed by the BBC in the 1950s, is believed to have led to the modern sport of bungee jumping.

INCLUDED EXPEDITION:
Visit ashore to see the seasonal ritual of Land Diving

12 May 27
Arrives: 06:00 AM
Departs: 05:00 PM

Espiritu Santo Island is the largest in Vanuatu and the seat of the provincial capital, in Luganville. The island's unusual name (for Vanuatu) dates back to a Spanish exploration of the region in the 17th century. The name given by the leader of the expedition, Portuguese Navigator Pedro Fernández de Quirós was Terra Austrialia del Espiritu Santo. The name 'Austrialia' was said to be a reference to the Hapsburg rulers of Spain (in Austria) and the yet-undiscovered southern continent referred to as Terra Australis.​

​During WWII, Luganville was the site of an Allied military installment. At the end of the war, instead of returning most of the supplies and equipment back to their origins, it was sent off into the ocean and left behind. This has contributed significantly to dive and snorkel tourism in the region, including an area called 'Million Dollar Point', for the amount money said to be scuttled there in wrecks under the sea.

13-15 May 27 - At Sea
Arrives: 12:00 AM
Departs: 11:59 PM

16 May 27
Arrives: 07:00 AM
Departs: 05:00 PM

Alotau, Papua New Guinea. Alotau is the capital of the Milne Bay province of Papua New Guinea, located on a peninsula in Milne Bay in the Coral Sea. The town and water comprise the site of the 1942 battle of Milne Bay, in which the invading Japanese army suffered its first decisive defeat in the Pacific Theater of World War II at the hands of Allied, mostly Australian forces. A War Memorial commemorates the battle. Today the area is largely given over the palm oil plantations. The local people keep their Tawala cultural traditions alive, with the exception of the long-past ritual cannibalism. In Bibiko Village, they will be pleased to show them off in displays of prowess with Kundu drum ceremonies and exhibitions of their impressive war canoes. At the Ahioma village of Dodobana, the many specialized skills of daily Melanesian life are demonstrated in a family-style setting, such as basket weaving, grass skirt making and gardening.

17-19 May 27 - At Sea
Arrive: 12:00 AM
Depart: 11:59 PM

20 May 27
Arrives: 07:00 AM
Departs: 04:00 PM

Along the remote southern coast of Papua, the Asmat region is defined by an intricate network of rivers, mangrove forests, and tidal lowlands where land yields to water. Villages rise on timber stilts above saturated ground, connected by narrow wooden boardwalks that serve as streets in a landscape shaped by tide and monsoon rain.

Arrival is by river, following winding waterways that lead inland through dense mangroves toward Per and the surrounding communities. Canoes remain an essential form of transportation across the region’s waterways, reflecting a way of life closely tied to river and sea.

Nearby, Agats—the largest town and administrative capital of the Asmat Regency—lies along the southern bank of the Asewets River near its mouth at the Arafura Sea. Established as a Dutch outpost in 1938, it became an early point of sustained contact between the Asmat people and the outside world.

The Asmat are internationally recognized for their woodcarving tradition. Ancestral figures, shields, drums, and towering bisj poles embody lineage, spirituality, and social structure—an artistic language that continues to shape community identity today.

21-22 May 27 - At Sea
Arrive: 12:00 AM
Depart: 11:59 PM

23-24 May 27
Arrives: 07:00 AM

​Capital of the Northern Territory (NT), with an estimated population of 150,000, Darwin is home to most of the Northern Territory population. The Darwin region, like much of the Top End, experiences a tropical climate with a wet and dry season and boasts a vibrant multicultural community, where Indigenous heritage blends seamlessly with the influence of diverse international populations.  Darwin's rich history provides an incredible background for the diverse cultural and historical activities. On the 9th September 1839, HMS Beagle sailed into Darwin harbor during its survey of the area. John Clements Wickham named the region “Port Darwin” in honor of their former shipmate Charles Darwin. The city has been rebuilt almost entirely four times, following cyclones and Japanese air raids in World War II.