Duration
74 Nights
Journey Type
Sailing from Australia
Ports
55 Ports
20 August
Setting sail from Fremantle (Perth)
The capital of Western Australia, Perth sits in glorious isolation on the shores of the Indian Ocean, where the Swan River meets the sea. Laid back and relaxed, this must be one of the most easy-going capital cities in the world, with everything within easy reach. It's great for a short visit, or you can use it as gateway to Margaret River's glorious vineyards to the south, and to the great wilderness of the Kimberley to the north. Swim and surf from its extraordinary clean and uncrowded beaches - or just sit and watch the sunset.
Don't miss
Take a short ferry ride to Rottnest Island, separated from the mainland some 7,000 years ago with remains dating back 6,500 years, when the Nyungah Aboriginal people inhabited the area.
21-22 August
Australia: Abrolhos Islands
The Houtman Abrolhos archipelago, commonly known as simply the Abrolhos, is made up of over 100 islands and coral reefs off the coast of Geraldton, and provides a rich habitat for sea lions, green turtles, wallabies, carpet pythons and a fantastic array of bird life.
23-25 August
Australia: Cape Peron (Rockingham, Western Australia), North Muiron Island, Montebello Islands
26 August
Australia: Dampier Archipelago
Named after an English pirate and explorer, the Dampier Archipelago is an extraordinary and ancient place, in a region that is home to the greatest concentration of rock engravings on earth. As well as aboriginal heritage, the archipelago is home to wildlife including flatback and hawksbill turtles, ospreys, sea eagles and the Rothschild’s rock wallaby.
27 August
Australia: Rowley Shoals
28 August
Australia: Lacepede Islands
The Lacepede Islands, situated just off Australia’s Kimberley coast, are a fantastic destination for birding enthusiasts, supporting over 1% of the world’s population of brown boobies and roseate terns. Other bird species here include masked boobies, Australian pelicans and lesser frigatebirds, and it’s also a key breeding site for green turtles.
29 August
Australia: Horizontal Falls (Talbot Bay)
Talbot Bay is home to one of the world’s most unusual natural wonders, the ‘Horizontal Falls’. This amazing spectacle occurs when tidal movements force water through the narrow gaps in the ridges either side of Poulton Creek, with the water building up on one side quicker than it can flow through the gap, causing a spectacular waterfall effect.
30 August
Australia: Montgomery Reef
30 August - 1 September
Australia: Freshwater Cove, Adele Island, Ashmore and Cartier Islands
2 September
At sea
3 September
Australia: Swift Bay
4 September
Australia: Vansittart Bay
Vansittart Bay lies close to the northern tip of Western Australia, and is home to some interesting examples of aboriginal rock art. You can also take a trip across a lagoon to visit the intact wreckage of a C-53 aircraft that crash landed here during the Second World War.
5 September
Australia: Koolama Bay
6-7 September
Australia: Darwin
More of a large town than a city, Darwin is less about what’s contained within the city limits and more about the huge expanse of wild landscape that’s outside it. Closer to Jakarta than Sydney, the city really does feel remote in its tropical perch.
8 September
Indonesia: Pulau Nai
9 September
Indonesia: Triton Bay
The protected marine reserve of Triton Bay rivals Raja Ampat as one of Indonesia’s premier locations for snorkelling and scuba diving. The biodiversity here is remarkable, with species ranging from pygmy seahorses to mighty whale sharks, and it’s also a nesting site for green turtles.
10 September
Indonesia: Sebakor Bay
11 September
Indonesia: Misool
Misool is one of the main islands in the Raja Ampat archipelago, surrounded by some of the most spectacular coral reefs on earth. Snorkel, swim and kayak amongst these rich, biodiverse waters, and explore white sandy beaches, mangroves, lakes and jungle-clad limestone peaks.
12-14 September
Indonesia: Raja Ampat
Sparsely populated and spectacularly beautiful, the Raja Ampat archipelago is a treasure trove of jungle-smothered islands, white sand beaches and some of the best diving in the world. The crystal clear waters are teeming with tropical fish, while on land you can see parrots, hornbills and birds of paradise.
14-17 September
Indonesia: Pulau Ayu, Biak (Irian Jaya)
Papua New Guinea: Vanimo, Ali Island
18 September
Papua New Guinea: Madang
Madang, first settled by Germans during the 19th century, was once known as the ‘prettiest town in the Pacific’, and retains its charm despite significant damage during the Second World War. There is some great snorkelling and diving just offshore, while the city’s towering casuarina trees support a noisy population of flying foxes.
19 September
Papua New Guinea: Garove Island
Garove is a flooded volcanic caldera, with most of the inhabitants living on the outside of the volcano, and just one village inside the steep-sided caldera itself. Visiting ships are met by curious locals in outrigger canoes, and you may be welcomed ashore with a traditional ‘sing-sing’.
20 September
Papua New Guinea: Rabaul
Looming over Rabaul is smouldering Mount Tavurvur, an active volcano that buried much of the city when it erupted in 1994, and which still periodically belches smoke and ash. Rabaul is also an appealing destination for history buffs, with several World War II sites still scattered with rusting wreckage.
21 September
At sea
22-23 September
Solomon Islands: Kasolo Island
Tanzania: Mbili Island
24 September
Solomon Islands: Santa Ana
The lush island of Santa Ana, also known as Owaraha, is home to just three villages, and visitors are usually welcomed to the island with traditional songs and dances. You will find a few stalls where you can buy locally-made souvenirs, and you can also snorkel in the surrounding lagoon.
25 September
At sea
26 September
Vanuatu: Champagne Beach
Champagne Beach is a stunning stretch of perfect white sand on the east coast of Espiritu Santo, the largest of Vanuatu’s islands. The beach is named after a bizarre natural phenomenon, in which gas escaping from volcanic rocks on the sea floor causes the water to bubble and fizz at low tide.
27 September
Vanuatu: Ambrym Island
Ambrym is known as the ‘Black Island’ due to its dark volcanic soil, with two active volcanoes, Mount Marum and Mount Benbow. The island is also known for its magic and sorcery, and for its traditional Rom dances, when locals don elaborate masks and costumes.
28 September
At sea
29-30 September
Fiji: Lautoka
Lautoka is Fiji’s second largest city, known as the ‘Sugar City’ due to its important role in the local sugarcane industry. The waterfront area is pleasant enough, but we’d recommend using Lautoka as a jumping off point to visit some of the smaller surrounding islands, or the forests and waterfalls of the interior.
30 September
Fiji: Leleuvia
Leleuvia is a small coral island, home to a laid-back resort and not much else. The colourful reef is easily accessible from the island’s western beach, home to marine life including tuna, barracuda, manta rays and turtles, while bird species recorded here include sacred kingfishers, swallows and orange-breasted honeyeaters.
1 October
Fiji: Fulaga
2 October
Tonga: Uoleva
Close your eyes, imagine a South Pacific island, and you’re probably picturing somewhere like Uoleva. This quintessential desert island has no roads and no shops, just dazzling white sands, gently swaying coconut palms and shallow turquoise waters where you can snorkel amongst the thriving reefs.
3 October
Tonga: Neiafu
Neiafu is the second largest city in Tonga and the capital of the Vava’u group of islands, situated next to the deep water Port of Refuge. Humpback whales pass through here between June and November, while on land the ‘Ene’io Botanical Garden is well worth a visit.
4 October
Tonga: Niuatoputapu
5 October
At sea
6 October
Cook Islands: Aitutaki
The sleepy island of Aitutaki is big on natural beauty, thanks to its stunning reef-enclosed lagoon. It’s also a deeply spiritual place: in the village of Arutanga you’ll find the oldest church in the Cook Islands, dating back to 1829, and services here are a spellbinding spectacle, with hymns featuring unaccompanied four-part harmonies.
7 October
Cook Islands: Palmerston Island
Palmerston is a sleepy coral atoll with an unusual history, home to just three families, all descended from a single man. William Marsters, a ship’s carpenter from Gloucestershire, arrived on the island in 1863, and fathered a number of children with three different Polynesian wives.
8 October
At sea
9 October
French Polynesia: Bora Bora
Bora Bora is the very definition of idyllic, a diminutive Polynesian island dominated by rainforest-clad volcanic peaks, overlooking an electric blue lagoon ringed by coral reefs. The beaches and over-water bungalows are particularly popular with honeymooners, and the clear waters of the lagoon are perfect for snorkelling.
10-11 October
French Polynesia: Papeete
Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia, situated on the northwest coast of Tahiti. The port is not the most magical spot, so we advise venturing forth to luxuriate in the turquoise lagoons, relax on the white sand beaches fringed with palm trees, and explore the rugged mountain peaks.
11 October
French Polynesia: Rangiroa
The Rangiroa atoll is one of the biggest in the world, a ring of over 400 motu (islets) surrounding a vast lagoon. This stunning area is a popular destination for divers and snorkellers, and the waters are home to marine life including sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, hammerhead sharks and manta rays.
12 October
At sea
13 October
French Polynesia: Nuku Hiva
Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas, an island of towering basalt peaks, cliffs and canyons, carpeted with verdant jungle. From the pretty little capital, Taiohae, you can strike out into the unspoilt countryside in search of the island’s many archaeological sites.
14 October
French Polynesia: Omoa (Fatu Hiva)
Remote and unspoilt Fatu Hiva is the southernmost of the Marquesas island group, known for its tapa bark paintings and wood carvings. There are just two settlements on the island: the village of Omoa has a church and a small museum, while Hanavave lies on the staggeringly beautiful Bay of Virgins.
14 October
French Polynesia: Hanavave (Fatu Hiva)
Remote and unspoilt Fatu Hiva is the southernmost of the Marquesas island group, known for its tapa bark paintings and wood carvings. There are just two settlements on the island: the village of Omoa has a church and a small museum, while Hanavave lies on the staggeringly beautiful Bay of Virgins.
15 October
French Polynesia: Tahuata
15 October
French Polynesia: Atuona (Hiva Oa)
Hiva Oa is the last resting place of the artist Paul Gauguin, who spent the final years of his life here, and the Gauguin museum in Atuona documents his time in the South Pacific. This beautiful island is also home to some evocative archaeological sites, including ancient petroglyphs and stone tiki statues.
16-18 October
At sea
19-20 October
Pitcairn Islands: Pitcairn Island
The remote South Pacific island of Pitcairn was settled by a party of British sailors and Tahitians following the famous mutiny on the HMS Bounty in 1789, and their descendants still live on the island. The tiny capital, Adamstown, has a population of around 50 people.
21-23 October
At sea
24-25 October
Chile: Hanga Roa (Easter Island)
The enigmatic moai statues of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) remain one of the world’s most intriguing archaeological mysteries. Descendants of the Polynesian settlers who carved them still live here, though these days the island belongs to Chile, despite being separated from the mainland by over 2,000 miles of Pacific Ocean.
26-29 October
At sea
30 October
Chile: Alexander Selkirk
31 October
Chile: Robinson Crusoe Island
Situated 400 miles off the coast of mainland Chile, Robinson Crusoe Island is part of the Juan Fernández archipelago, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The sailor Alexander Selkirk was marooned here from 1704 to 1709, and his story is thought to have inspired Daniel Defoe’s famous novel.
1 November
At sea
2 November
Arriving in Valparaíso
Characterful, colourful and a little chaotic, the port city of Valparaíso enjoys a somewhat awkward setting, scattered across 45 vertiginous hills. Thanks to this difficult topography the city streets are punctuated by steep staircases and funicular elevators, and energetic explorers will be rewarded with wonderful views of the pastel hued buildings that hug the slopes. Valparaíso's most famous former resident was the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, and you can visit one of his former residences, La Sebastiana, which now houses a small museum.
Our tip
Amble through the city, taking the really cheap cable cars when you can to help you up and down the hills!
For once-in-a-lifetime tailor-made itineraries, Mundy Adventures specialises in expedition cruises to some of the most wonderful places on earth; places often only accessible by water.
Your home from home
The intimate and popular Silver Cloud is reborn as a stylish expedition ship, following an extensive refurbishment in August 2017.
What we love
The lovely Silver Cloud is now part of Silversea's Expeditions fleet, with a reduced capacity, an ice-strengthened hull and 18 zodiacs making this one of the most luxurious expedition ships at sea.
Capacity | 254 guests (240 guests in polar regions) |
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Crew | 208 International Staff |
Style | Cosy, welcoming, stimulating, exciting - this ship has it all! If you enjoy the finer things in life but have an adventurous spirit, you will find yourself in congenial company on board. |
Inclusions |
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Year built | 1994 |
Last refurbished | 2017 |
Tonnage | 16,800 grt |
Length | 514 feet |
Breadth | 71 feet |
Cruising speed | 18 knots |
Tailor-make your trip
Where to stay in Perth
Try stylish COMO The Treasury in the centre of town, with fantastic city views.
Sightseeing in Perth
Historic Fremantle is great to see, and further enhanced if you go with a story telling guide.
Where to stay in Valparaíso
The 23 room Palacio Astoreca comprises two buildings, including a completely restored national monument.
Around Valparaíso
For contrast, visit clean and orderly Viña del Mar just up the coast.