5 December - At sea

6 December

: Komodo National Park

7 December

Indonesia: Maumere (Flores)

The island of Flores is home to some of the most staggeringly beautiful scenery in the Indonesian archipelago, a lush landscape of smouldering volcanoes, spectacular lakes and verdant paddy fields. Flores is also culturally distinct from the other islands, with a population that is 95% Catholic.

8 December

Indonesia: Kalabahi

The Alor Archipelago is a fantastic destination for snorkelling and diving, much less well known than Raja Ampat and Komodo. On the main island, also called Alor, you can learn about the traditions of the Takpala indigenous people and visit the Museum of a Thousand Mokos in Kalabahi, with its collection of bronze kettle drums known as mokos.

9 December

Indonesia: Barat Daya Islands

10 December

Indonesia: Banda Neira

Banda Neira is part of the Banda Archipelago, often known by the more evocative name of the Spice Islands thanks to the Myristica trees that produce nutmeg and mace. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive here, later supplanted by the Dutch, and the streets are still home to an eclectic mix of colonial architecture.

11 December

Indonesia: Mommon Peninsula (West Papua)

12 December

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.

13 December - At sea

14 December

Indonesia: Asmat (Papua)

The Asmat people of West Papua are one of Indonesia’s most fascinating indigenous groups, notorious in the past for their cannibalism and headhunting, a practice said by some to have persisted as recently as the 1990s. The Asmat are also known for their magnificent wood carvings, and their cultural traditions remain strong in the face of encroaching modernity.

15 December - At sea

16 December

Greenland: Cape York

17 December - At sea

18 December

Australia: Lizard Island

Lizard Island is one of six islands that makes up Lizard Island National Park, part of the Great Barrier Reef, and was named by Captain Cook due to the large number of yellow-spotted monitor lizards here. The island is also home to more than 100 bird species, and it’s a great location for snorkelling.

19 December

Arriving in Cairns

Cairns is a buzzing tourist hub, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. A snorkelling trip out to the reef is the most obvious excursion to take here, but other options include riding the Skyrail cableway over the rainforest canopy or swimming in the croc-free saltwater lagoon.