Divers and snorkelers will be entranced by the sea-eroded caves and underwater safari filled with hundreds of different life forms. Large fish, including vibrant parrotfish, groupers and red snappers, will swim amongst you. A glass bottom boat launched from the "New" World Discoverer will also reveal the splendors of the deep.
Samoa is dominated by rugged, forested mountains and punctuated by blowholes, lava fields and waterfalls. The Cook Islands whisper tales of the explorers and adventurers who were seduced by the charm of the South Pacific.
Departures:
- October 4 – October 20, 2001 (Nadi to Rarotonga)
- April 24 – May 11, 2002 (Rarotonga to Nadi)
Trip Length:
- 16 & 17 days
Price
- From $7,569 depending upon cabin accomodations. Please send us an email for detailed pricing.
PRICE INCLUDES: Pre- and post-cruise land programs as described in brochures, shipboard gratuities, select alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, shore excursions and port charges.
NOTE: Flights are not included in the cruise / land rates. Society Expeditions offers group flight schedules and special group rates. Single travelers may occupy categories B,C,D and E at 150% of published rate. Other categories are available upon request. The rate for a third person, occupying at stateroom with two full fare guests is available at 50% of published rate. Share accomodations can be arranged on request. Please send us an email for rates for the 2002-2003 season. All prices are in US dollars and do not include international airfare, unless otherwise noted.
Day by Day itinerary
| Day 1. | Nadi
and Lautoka, Vitu Levi Island, Fiji Today we will gather in Nadi in preparation for a late afternoon boarding of the "New" World Discoverer. A day room will be available for relaxation, hand baggage storage, and freshening up. Downtown Nadi is both colorful and culturally diverse. Local shops and marketplaces reflect the mélange of cultures present, including the sizable Indian population. Later we will enjoy a tour en route to Lautoka, where the "New" World Discoverer awaits. Settle in and meet your expedition team before enjoying the first of many gourmet meals onboard. |
| Day 2. | Sawa-i-Lau,
Yasawa Group, Fiji Prepare for an exceptionally warm greeting by the locals as we visit a remote and highly traditional Fijian island. Indigenous dances and easy hospitality will describe our village experience on this idyllic isle. Densely wooded limestone caves offer a multitude of possibilities for exploration. Today we will also have our first opportunity for snorkeling and diving (divers must be certified BEFORE the voyage in order to take part in diving expeditions). |
| Day 3. | Koro
Island and Savu Savu Bay, Vanua Levu Island, Fiji Today we visit remote Koro Island, where we will witness an entertaining turtle-calling ceremony performed by the indigenous islanders. We will also have opportunities for superb snorkeling and diving in the surrounding reef. We will then continue on to Savu Savu Bay on Vanua Levu Island. The waters off Vanua Levu offer some of the most spectacular diving in the world. The diving here is so superlative in fact, that oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the legendary Jacques Cousteau, chose Savusavu as a dive base. Diving, snorkeling, and glass-bottom boat tours are just some of our options for exploring this stunning underwater paradise. |
| Day 4. | Fulanga
Island, Southern Lau Group, Fiji Narrow Fulanga resembles a waning crescent moon embracing a galaxy of tiny islets. Its scenic beauty is truly unsurpassed. Fulanga’s islanders are renowned throughout Fiji for their exquisite carving skills, especially for their magnificent carved canoes. We may have the chance to purchase some of their handiwork during a visit to their charming community. |
| Day 5. | Ono-i-Lau
Island, Southern Lau Group, Fiji Today we will explore a village on the tiny island of Ono-i-Lau, where life is both laid back and traditional. The locals will welcome us with their legendary hospitality and perhaps include us in a kava-drinking ceremony. |
| Day 6. | Nuku’alofa,
Tongatapu Island, Kingdom of Tonga Our itinerary for today includes a visit to Tonga’s capital of Nuku’alofa. A bus tour of this small city will include a stop at the Victorian-style palace of His Majesty King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, Tonga’s reigning monarch (who once held the distinction of being the largest king in the world). Our tour may include a kava ceremony as well as souvenir-buying opportunities. |
| Day 7. | Pangai,
Lifuka Island, Kingdom of Tonga Though certainly quite small, Pangai is the largest settlement in the Lifuka Group. This friendly little village boasts a selection of shops and one of the king’s royal "palaces." We will enjoy a walk around Pangai, which may include flying fox sightings in the surrounding bush. |
| Day 8. | Niuatoputapu,
Kingdom of Tonga Named "island of the sacred coconuts" by the Tongans, Niuatoputapu boasts some of the finest white sand beaches in the South Pacific. The islanders are well known for their friendliness and fondness for visitors. Enjoy snorkeling and swimming from the beach as well as from anchored Zodiacs. Diving expeditions will be offered for certified divers. We will also have a chance to visit the small town of Falehau on the north shore. |
| Day 9. | Neiafu
and Nuku Islands, Vava’u Group, Kingdom of Tonga A slow-paced, relaxed South Seas attitude typifies the island-studded Vava’u Group. The "New" World Discoverer will wind through the dozens of tiny wooded islets that make up this picturesque group. We will snorkel from the beaches, take Zodiac excursions to view sea-eroded caves, and enjoy leisure time in the village of Neiafu. The villagers are part of the Vava’u cultural group, which is renowned for its highly developed art of basketry. Look for examples of their craft in the village. Divers may explore a nearby cave system or a pristine reef. |
| Day 10. | Niue
Island, Niue One of the world’s smallest countries, Niue is an uplifted atoll with some of the finest limestone cliffs, crevices and chasms in the Pacific. While on this unspoiled island, we visit Avaiki and Palaha Caves, Limu Reef and the great series of stone arches in Matapa Chasm. Our Zodiacs will demonstrate their unmatched maneuverability as we weave in and out of flooded chasms on a tour of this unique geological system. |
| Day 11. | At
Sea Join Society Expeditions lectures and naturalists on deck today as we search for seabirds and other local wildlife. A full program of lectures will be offered throughout the day. Today is also a good day to catch up on your journals and postcards, browse the "New" World Discoverer’s excellent reference library, or relax with your fellow passengers. |
| Day 12. | Palmerston
Island, Cook Islands Become a Marsters for the day as we visit this tiny island peopled almost exclusively by descendents of the nineteenth century settler William Marsters. According to local custom, there can be no strangers on Palmerston, so all visitors are dubbed honorary family members. Palmerston is extremely isolated, in fact, Society Expeditions’ guests are just about the only visitors they get all year. Diving and snorkeling expeditions will be offered along stunning reefs and a dramatic coral shelf. |
| Day 13. | Aitutaki,
Cook Islands More then 200 years ago, Captain Bligh became the first European to visit Aitutaki, considered part atoll and part volcanic island. The 28-mile triangular reef surrounding Aitutaki forms a spectacular lagoon with a living coral garden. Today we will be greeted by the island’s charming residents. We plan on spending the day on tour around the island including a snorkeling stop at One-Foot Island. A Polynesian barbecue lunch will be served on the beach of Motu Raku. Divers may explore the underwater world as well. |
| Day 14. | Rarotonga,
Cook Islands Disembark after breakfast and enjoy a tour of Rarotonga before checking into your hotel, where we will overnight for two days. |
| Day 15. | Rarotonga,
Cook Islands Explore the balmy beaches and other sites of this Cook Island capital on your own today. |
| Day 16. | Rarotonga,
Cook Islands to Los Angeles, California We depart Rarotonga for Los Angeles, where we will connect with homeward bound flights. |
Date: April 18, 1999
Location: Palmerston, Cook Islands
This morning we awoke to find a tiny speck on the horizon of the limitless azure sea. As we approached, this speck grew into an idyllic tropical isle. This was Palmerston, one of the most remote South Pacific atolls. Palmerston supports a tiny community descended from a nineteenth century Englishman named William Marsters and his five Polynesian wives. Evidence of Palmerston's isolation can be found in the archaic form of English spoken by the islanders, and in the fact that nearly all share the same last name. Aside from the twice-yearly mail boat, the World Discoverer is just about the only visitors the islanders get all year!
We arrived at Palmerston Atoll after a sumptuous breakfast. The World Discoverer stopped at the outer reef and was met by five men, all of whom were named Mr. Marsters. The scout boat was then piloted by one of the locals through the reef to a landing site on the main island, which is called Home. Home is the largest motu on the reef at Palmerston and is where the islanders live. It was incredibly neat and tidy and everywhere we went we were invited into the homes of the affable islanders.
Shortly after our arrival there was a welcoming ceremony with the mayor. Representatives of each of the three families descended from William Marster were present. Their joint welcome was warm and charming. Following the welcome, we presented a box of school supplies to the mayor. Afterwards we broke into groups and toured the island, including the small community. We also went diving and snorkeling from the Zodiacs anchored outside the lagoon along the spectacular reef, or explored the waters from the comfort of the glass-bottom boat. We even had the opportunity to take part in a delightful ecological project. The islanders had hatched over one hundred baby sea turtles, and were now ready to release them into the sea. Many of us took part in this heartwarming effort, agreeing that there are few things on earth more adorable than a baby sea turtle.
Meanwhile, our hotel manager, Connie mounted a tour de force in the form of a spectacular barbecue lunch on shore. The remainder of the day was spent beach combing and relaxing in the shade.
Back onboard, renowned Polynesian archaeologist Edmundo Edwards gave a talk entitled "Polynesian Origins." He indicated the movement of Polynesian settlers from the west to the east in the Pacific. It was truly a privilege to hear such a celebrated authority lecture on a subject so near to his heart.
Before dinner we gathered for recap. Sipping cocktails, we listened as our lecture team highlighted the events of the day. Tony, our ornithologist, spoke on the colonization of islands by various bird species. Nancy, our marine biologist, spoke on sea turtle biology. She discussed sea turtle conservation efforts, as well as the life cycle of the hatchlings.
Dinner tonight was an elegant affair that included a local treat of parrotfish purchased from the tiny fish market on Palmerston Island.