Papua New Guinea & Indonesia by Luxury Yacht

As Your Tour Manager, Suzanne Higman Welcomes You On This Journey

Your Accompanying Tour Doctor For This Journey Is Dr Linda Harris

We prepare for our expedition cruise with a Welcome Dinner at the Hilton Port Moresby Hotel, where you will get to know your fellow travellers and Tour Host Team.

This morning, an economy class scheduled flight takes us north to the coastal town of Madang. Fringed by palm trees, the town sits along a remote peninsula that looks across crystal-clear waters. Almost 200 languages are spoken within the region, which reflects the overall diversity of Papua New Guinea as a whole. It is within this setting that we board our luxury vessel, the Paspaley Pearl. From here, our expedition voyage will see us cruising westward, following the remote coastlines of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

At the mouth of the vast Sepik River, we find Kopar Village. Here, the crocodile is venerated as a great spirit of the water and traditional ways remain a constant. Ceremonies are performed to appease the spirits and boys become men through a series of gruelling rites.

Those with a proclivity for water sports may know Vanimo for its various surf breaks. Its location, close to the border with Indonesia, also makes it an important centre of trade. The community frequently celebrates its diversity by hosting traditional events and festivals. Vanimo’s beaches offer tranquillity and seclusion in equal measure. 

Today we cross into Indonesia on our way to Jayapura City. The thriving metropolis is close to Lake Sentani, whose tropical waters teem with endemic fish species. The region is inhabited by the Sentani people, whose cultural heritage is evident through the proliferation of remarkable bark paintings.

Further west, we arrive along the Mamberamo River. Tropical rainforests make up part of the diverse ecosystems found along the edge of the river. As our vessel winds its way along this remote waterway, keep watch for the isolated communities whose traditional ways live on here.

Cenderawasih Bay represents the colossal gulf that lies between Papua and West Papua’s Bird’s Head Peninsula. And found gracefully gliding between deserted islands and colourful reefs is the world’s largest fish, the whale shark. Indonesia’s largest marine national park, Cenderawasih Bay also harbours the wrecks of World War II planes and ships.

We continue our cruise today, across the expansive blue waters of Cenderawasih Bay. Our nimble vessel gets us up close to the forested coastlines, colourful reefs and marine creatures that make up this beautiful and biodiverse region.