Micronesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with Seabourn

Take a Seabourn expedition cruise through the remote reaches of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, where time stands still. Guy Dundas discovers the voyage first-hand. 

Though this is a polar-class vessel, there’ll be no frigid adventures involving icebergs, ice floes, ice plunges, calving glaciers, penguins, polar bears and high-vis weatherproof jackets. On this tropical expedition from Guam, we’re crossing the equator, exploring regions of the South Pacific not often glimpsed by tourists. This involves everything from uninhabited atolls of Micronesia that leave twitchers twitching, to visiting exuberant villagers on isolated islands of Papua New Guinea that will inspire xenomanic xenophiles.

We glide through surging seas a full day south of the US territory of Guam, arriving with pinpoint accuracy at a desperately small atoll in the remoteness of the Federated States of Micronesia. On uninhabited Gaferut, packet noodles are an offering to the island chief, a coconut crab with a peculiar diet, before we’re welcomed onshore, the beaches accessed by Zodiacs.

Witness the untouched wildlife of the South Pacific

In these warm Oceania climes, seaspray that slaps the skin is welcomed as we manoeuvre through rolling and opaque deep seas to weaving coral reefs and rocky outcrops of shallow aquamarine seascapes heading to solid ground.

Our landing is on a crunchy bed of chalk-white coral that encircles the atoll. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of terns shrill overhead on the atoll’s northern coast, hovering on the onshore thermals above low-level mangroves. I stare down an unassuming red-footed boobie nesting just out of reach, equally dumbfounded. An achromatic white tern, with its translucent wing plumage and black and blue bill, is also just as mesmerised by me as I am it. Several islanders from nearby Ifalik Island have paddled for more than three days in handmade canoes, setting up camp in the shelter of mangroves to source supplies such as fish, sea turtles and birds.

Further south in the Carolines, after a night at sea, a palm-dotted atoll interrupts the endless ocean vistas on the horizon. Secluded in the northern reaches of the South Pacific, this 1.5-square-kilometre island and its deep lagoon are home to four villages and some 650 people. Women and girls of all ages – sporting palm fronds and grass-woven garb, bright red, pink and yellow flower headpieces, their skin dusted in ochre chalk – serenade us in song and dance on the well-worn path through the village.

Visit cultures that have stood the test of time

Part of the expedition factor of sailing this region with Seabourn, and onwards to the remote reaches of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, is the culture shock. Here, time has indeed stood still. In our world where digital connectivity is viewed as vital, the primary ‘connection’ of these people is with the land, sea and community.

Our visits are greeted with celebration, drumming and dance in Hauwei where the school children of ‘Hawaii’ proudly show off their classrooms. Walls are covered from floor to ceiling in learnings from grammar to maths times tables, social studies and classroom rules.

Experience local tradition in Papua New Guinea

We pass volcanic Bam Island with a halo of cloud at its summit, en route to Kopar Village on the banks of the fast-flowing Sepik River, one of only two stops on PNG’s mainland. The people of the flooded caldera on Garove Island paddle out in their outrigger to welcome us in song. Here we are treated to another spectacle, a procession of tribes chanting as one to the beat of a kundu drum, re-enacting preparations for battle on the school oval.

Back on the mainland, we witness a moonlit fire dance by Baining men clad in large and elaborate animal masks. They extinguish a raging bonfire by kicking burning logs with their bare shins and feet – a ritual to celebrate new life, commemorate those who have passed and to initiate young men into adulthood.

We trek to the beautiful plateau on Kitava Island and ‘Franginpani Avenue’, a tree lined path that separates the shacks of the Kumwagea village people.

The Solomon Islands

In the Solomons, I visit sacred Skull Island by sea kayak in pristine Vona Vona Lagoon, where the temperature is a balmy 26°C in the water and out, and I snorkel in the sublime crystal-clear reefs off Hanawisi Island, marvelling at the aquatic life and coral.

Home onboard Seabourn Pursuit

After each cultural encounter, I return to the sanctuary of Seabourn Pursuit. For perspective, this vessel would fit snuggly, end-to-end, at the widest point of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The five-star ship has all the essentials for exploration, with daily briefings highlighting what we saw today and what to expect tomorrow.

There’s no casino or kids’ clubs, but a fabulous spa and wellness centre with sauna, two dining venues, three lounges and world-class cuisine. And as with Seabourn’s classic ocean ships, an extravagant caviar service is served anywhere, anytime. It’s a cultivated touch in the most remote of settings.