SPECIAL OFFER -SAVE £400 PER PERSON PAPUA NEW GUINEA THE Last Frontier Discover THE Wonders of PAPUA NEW GUINEA ABoard THE MS CALEDONIAN SKY 26TH SEPTEMBER to 14TH OctoBER 2018 Kitava, Trobriand Islands Traditional house, Sepik River Alim Island ew lands have such an exotic and mysterious allure as Papua New Guinea. Rabaul The world’s second-largest island sits off the north coast of Australia and is Garove Island F Sepik River home to more than 1,000 indigenous tribes — each with their own traditions — as Madang well as flamboyant birdlife, tropical forests rich with orchids, steepsided volcanoes, from Cairns PAPUA NEW pristine coral wonderlands and golden beaches. Our past travellers and field staff who GUINEA have visited this mysterious land, where nothing is contrived and every experience Lababia Trobriand Islands is truly authentic, have enthused about the spectacular scenery and truly astounding Tufi array of native cultures which are known to only a few privileged travellers. Port Moresby D’Entrecasteaux Islands Bonarua Travelling independently in Papua New Guinea can be difficult, with little infrastructure in to Cairns place to accommodate for tourists and information about getting around often scarce. This is of course what makes the region alluring to the genuine traveller, but also why travelling with just 100 passengers and our expert onboard team aboard the all-suite MS Caledonian Sky, is an ideal way to explore this fascinating part of the world in comfort. Afloat and ashore, our exploration will be filled with unforgettable images and we hope you will join us for this unparalleled opportunity to explore one of the most intriguing places on the map. What To Expect… Flexibility is the key to an expedition cruise; sometimes the whole Fergusson and Dobu, D’Entrecasteaux Islands: We could see as soon as we day’s schedule will be changed to maximise your experience, something came on deck this morning that this landscape is different: wooded islands that would not be possible on a large cruise ship. Each day holds with hills, ridges, and even low mountains, unlike the coral archipelagos something new and below are some extracts from the ship’s log from of the last few days. The D’Entrecasteaux group are volcanically active but a previous voyage in the region which will provide you with an idea of mostly domes of metamorphic rock which have been baked at great depth what to expect. and then thrust up above the earth. Our first destination after breakfast was to Fergusson to witness some of these volcanic features. Some of us Lababia: This morning we took to dugout canoes paddled by villagers, saw a whale on our approach, probably a Bryde’s whale, the most likely and set off up a wild river in convoy. The west side of this river has been rorqual species here in the tropics. Our Zodiacs raced us across a flat calm designated the Kamiali Wildlife Management Reserve, 27,000ha where bay to land at a tiny beach. Several guides were waiting to take us inland, no crops are grown, nor trees felled. It remains pristine rainforest and and we were soon past the coastal gardens and onto a gravel road. We because the only sound we were making was the plashing of canoe passed through a swamp forest, Eclectus Parrots and Imperial Pigeons flying paddles, we could hear the cicadas, falling leaves and the liquid calls overhead, dragonflies round the ponds, and a number of pretty flowers of many forest birds from the surrounding trees. On our way back there on the roadside, including the Sensitive Plant, whose leaflets shrivel when were lorikeets screeching overhead, swiftlets above the treetops, a touched. In the river was a steaming fumaroles with the characteristic smell of sulphur-crested cockatoo creaking to one side of the river, the huge sulphur. Further up were hot pits where the locals cook: two boys passed us dusky crested Palm Cockatoo in a tree on the other. At one point a with plantains boiled in steam vents just minutes before. Finally we came to Grey Goshawk swept across the river carrying a small bird in its talons, a strange salt pan and look out at a steaming set of terraces, bright orange and a kingfisher raced past us upstream. Once back at the river mouth, with crystallized salts. Up over a small rise and there were boiling pools of we walked past thatched wooden houses on stilts, to reach the central water, spurting geysers and clouds of steam issuing from the ground: classic square just back of the beach. Here the local primary school children volcanic fumaroles. Up on the hill above, friar birds were calling to each gathered to sing us the moving National Anthem, and then a fearsome other. After lunch we crossed to Dobu Island, a tiny neighbour with a big group of warriors with headdresses adorned with hornbill, cockatoo volcano in the middle, the flanks deeply grooved where rainwater has eroded and goshawk feathers leapt and stamped to the insistent beat of kundu the volcanic ash. It was raining as we came in to land but much was still going drums. What a spectacle, a performance enjoyed as much by the on at the school area, a volleyball game, a game of football and women villagers themselves as by our appreciative audience. By now the day demonstrating how they cooked their food in the old way. This school site was heating up so many returned to the cool haven of the ship while was where the first Methodist ministers landed in 1891; there was a line of the more active made for the snorkel Zodiac and enjoyed the soothing huge mango trees which must date from this time. There was time for the balm of clear coral reefs and their myriad fish shoals. After such an Zodiacs to ferry the keenest swimmers across to a beautiful clear water reef action-packed morning, the afternoon was a welcome respite, as the in the channel offshore for a last snorkel. This was the best set of corals and Captain hauled anchor and we headed south to a new destination. finest marine diversity we have encountered so far, a fitting fishy finale. The The afternoon was a quiet time to recuperate and attend two lectures evening was completed with a showing of “First Encounter”, black and white on offer: Tony on the Birds of New Guinea and Micronesia, and Ian on footage of the incredible Australian 1930 Leahy brothers expedition into the Coral Reefs and their fishes. heart of Papua New Guinea in search of gold. www.noble-caledonia.co.uk Hong Kong Tufi tribe Trobriand Islands The Itinerary Day 1 London to Hong Kong. Fly by volcanic ash. Enjoy Welcome Drinks or snorkel from the beach, join a occupation and subsequent scheduled flight. and Dinner as we moor overnight. Zodiac cruise to the mangroves or fighting. Our guided morning tour join our expedition staff for nature will include the Catholic Mission Day 2 Hong Kong. Arrive this Day 7 Rabaul. Rabaul had a spotting. and Coastwatchers Memorial afternoon and transfer to our significant role in World War Two Lighthouse and vibrant market. hotel for an overnight stay. The as a Japanese stronghold and on Day 10 Sepik River. At dawn we This afternoon we will continue our remainder of the day is free to our morning tour we will see some anchor at the mouth of the Sepik journey southwards. acclimatise under independent of the 700 kilometres of tunnels River which at 1100 kilometres, arrangements. built by the Japanese during the is the longest river in Papua Day 12 Lababia. Arrive at breakfast occupation which were used as a New Guinea. The river is central time in Lababia, our entry to the Day 3 Hong Kong to Cairns. hiding place for barges from enemy to life for the communities that Kamiali Wildlife Management Area. Enjoy a relaxing morning before aircraft and some of these can still live here being used for trade It is accessible only by boat and the an afternoon city tour of Hong be seen in the tunnels. We also in dugout canoes, fishing and area has been formally protected Kong including Victoria Peak and visit Admiral Yamamoto’s bunker cooking. We will rise early and use but is under the control of local Stanley Market. After the tour we from where he led the South Pacific our Zodiacs to explore the river landowners. It includes a wide will continue to the airport for our campaign. Return to the system surrounded by lush forest range of lowland and mid-montane scheduled flight to Cairns. MS Caledonian Sky for lunch and and birdsong. Later we will visit a rainforest, together with inshore spend the afternoon at sea. local village where we will receive marine areas including lush coral Day 4 Cairns, Australia. Arrive this a traditional welcome of song reefs, and has a rich array of plants, morning and transfer to our hotel Day 8 Garove Island, Witu Islands. and dance before exploring. See animals and ecosystems. We can for an overnight stay. Enjoy the rest Arrive this morning at the Witu the men’s house, the place where take a rainforest walk on the David of the day at leisure. Islands, a small group of volcanic important decisions regarding the Suzuki Trail, seeking hornbills, reef-ringed islands situated within village are made and initiation parrots and palm cockatoos or Day 5 Cairns. After breakfast the archipelago of Bismarck. We ceremonies take place, learn about enjoy time in the local village. at the hotel enjoy a full day in spend the day on the largest of the process of sago palms and see Return to the ship for lunch and Cairns.