Passage Through the Melanesian Arc - Small Ship Cruise

Enjoy one complimentary night at the Hilton Hotel Port Moresby before your voyage, then join your fellow passengers in the meeting room from 2:30pm for transfers to Coral Adventurer. Board at 4:00pm, where you will meet our expedition staff as they introduce you to the journey and the many experiences you will enjoy. This evening, join the Captain’s welcome drinks and meet your crew and fellow guests as the sun sets.

Enjoy onboard presentations about Melanesian culture and the fascinating anthropological history of how Austronesian and Papuan peoples populated these islands through the centuries.

Swim over a nearly intact Japanese Zero fighter plane in Deboyne Lagoon and connect with villagers maintaining traditional subsistence lifestyles. In the afternoon, explore limestone karst caves and snorkel at spectacular Panasia Beach.

Witness the traditional canoe-building mastery in this remote archipelago. Meet the friendly villagers of Bodaluna and learn about their subsistence gardening, fishing and participation in the ancient Kula Ring trading network.

Enter the Solomons Islands with clearance via Kennedy Island, where former President John F Kennedy swam ashore during WWII. Snorkel the crystal-clear waters of uninhabited Njari Island, teeming with colourful corals and marine life.

Participate in conservation efforts by helping to release turtle hatchlings from this important breeding sanctuary. Learn about loggerhead, green and hawksbill turtle protection in this 40,000-acre marine conservation area.

Explore one of the world’s largest double-barrier enclosed lagoons, a natural wonder proposed for World Heritage listing for fantastic snorkelling and diving opportunities.

Experience the mesmerising Ëtëtung water dance performed by women in hand-woven costumes. This soothing sonic and visual performance creates hypnotic rhythms through water while singing traditional songs. Here, the Marau people depend on their natural environment, practising subsistence farming and fishing.

Discover this small island famous for elaborate bone fishhooks and imaginative fishing floats. Walk through forests filled with colourful orchids and learn about the Austrian anthropologist who studied this community in 1932.

Sail towards Vanuatu while enjoying presentations about the volcanic islands ahead and their unique cultural practices, including cargo cults and traditional dance ceremonies. Enjoy the onboard program with lectures and cooking demonstrations.

As we enter Vanuatu, for divers, explore Million Dollar Point, where Americans sunk vehicles after WWII rather than sell them. Dive amongst wrecks turned into coral reefs, now home to diverse marine life and swim in the one of Malo Island’s mysterious ‘blue holes’.

Witness the famous Rom dance performed in the shadow of active Benbow and Marum volcanoes. This traditional ceremony connects men to the spirit world on Vanuatu’s ‘black magic’ island with its iconic black sand beaches.

Snorkel or dive in the Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area amongst stunning coral gardens, sea grass beds and mangrove forests. An optional, challenging hike to extinct volcano craters Mount Tapuora and Mount Marow is recommended for the very fit.

Take a 4WD trip to peer into active Mount Yasur volcano, whose glow attracted Captain Cook in 1774. Learn about the unique John Frum Cargo Cult and Tannese culture on this remarkably fertile island.

Disembark at 7:00am in Vanuatu’s capital. Reflect on the deep cultural connections you’ve made across Melanesia’s sacred islands, carrying with you a deeper understanding of these remarkable Pacific communities.

Itineraries are subject to change.