Seadream Set Sail For Papua New Guinea

Few areas in the world are as exotic and stunning as Papua New Guinea. The land's vibrant culture is still thriving and its natural beauty makes the territory a truly untouched tropical paradise. Departing from Cairns, Queensland, on February 1, SeaDream II of the award-winning SeaDream Yacht Club, will set sail on an exclusive voyage led by a team of expedition experts. Visiting a virtually inaccessible part of the world, guests will travel on far-off traditional cruising routes and venture into areas rarely visited by outsiders.   

Sailing from Australia's north-west coastal city of Cairns, the 14-night voyage will arrive in Bali (Benoa) after visiting include Alotau, Milne Bay; Kitava, Trobriand Islands; Tami Island; Sepik River and Watam Village; Jayapura; Banda Neira; the Moluccas; Larantuka; and Komodo Island.  

Guests will be transported by a fleet of nimble, go-anywhere Zodiacs, landing directly on the beaches of these coastal villages to begin exploration. An added bonus will be professional wildlife photographer Sue Flood being on board, documenting the expedition and sharing tips for taking the perfect photo. 

Highlights and shore excursion options include: 

• Introduction to Papua New Guinea culture in Alotau in the Milne Bay Province, meeting charming locals and touring the coast. Travellers will have the option to venture into the jungle to revisit a key World War II site. For those interested in natural history, guides will lead guests on hikes and bird watching tours from the beach.
• Exploring the Trobriand Islands, one of the island's most culturally intact destinations. Guests will experience colourful and powerful performances of young warriors and local maidens dancing directly on the beach before touring the gardens and thatched roof homes of the villagers. The day will conclude with a beachside barbecue in this unspoiled paradise.
• Discovering the tiny islands of Tami, comprised of uplifted coral atolls less than a kilometre in length. Locals will greet guests with indigenous dances and tours of their villages, observing traditions dating back thousands of years.
• Visiting the mighty Sepik River, the longest in Papua New Guinea, which is home to the villages of Watam and Kopara. Villagers will display local customs and dances, allowing a direct look back in time to a culture that measures its existence in thousands of years. 

Fully-inclusive, voyage-only yachting fares lead in at £7,272 per person, based on double occupancy. SeaDream II will be sailing a series of 17 voyages in Asia from October to April. Itineraries include Myanmar, Thailand, India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Northern Australia and Malaysia.  

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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Orion's Photo Focus On Vietnam

Orion Expedition Cruises is delighted to announced that award-winning British wildlife photographer, author and filmmaker, Sue Flood, is to join international photographer Nick Rains as a guest presenter onboard Orion II during a nine-night Vietnam Explorer photographic voyage departing March 30.

This voyage is an opportunity for enthusiasts of all levels to improve their photographic skills while on location in one of the world’s most photogenic settings, Vietnam.

 

Starting in Ho Chi Minh City, this voyage includes four photogenic World Heritage sites - Hue, Hoi An, My Son (above) and Ha Long Bay. There will be ample opportunity to experience and capture the cultural, historic and geographic diversity of Vietnam, including the Saigon River busy with sampans, the traditional fishing village of Baie de Cu Mon, which is rarely seen by outsiders, and Nha Trang’s Communist Party headquarters.

 

Nick and Sue will hold regular workshops onboard before taking guests ashore on location along with members of Orion’s specialist expedition team.

 

Photography workshops include professional advice and instruction on understanding and optimising camera settings, selecting the best lens for the occasion, framing your subject and ‘capturing the moment’ along with instruction on the dark art of digital editing-software and printing.

Explore, experience and shoot from dawn to dusk, with internationally recognised and awarded professional photographers; then relax, compare images and enjoy superb cuisine, wines and company by night onboard Orion II.

 

The nine-night Vietnam Explorer photo expedition departs Ho Chi Minh City to Haiphong (for Hanoi), and includes Nha Trang, Baie de Cu Mon/Bai Nam Beach, Da Nang (for My Son and Hoi An), Chan May (for Hue), Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba.  

 

Book before the end of February and save 30%, with prices from £3,850 per person, including eight nights on Orion II, all meals, entertainment and educational programmes, use of the ship’s sporting equipment and facilities, Zodiac excursions, port and handling charges, tender transfers and government fees and taxes.

 

About Sue Flood

Sue is an award-winning wildlife photographer, author and filmmaker. She joined the BBC Natural History Unit in 1993 and spent 11 years at the BBC, fulfilling a lifelong ambition to work with her childhood (and adult!) hero, Sir David Attenborough. Her experience including working as Associate Producer on the award-winning series The Blue Planet and also Planet Earth and the Disney nature movie Earth. Sue also produced four films for the BBC:  Polar Bears on Thin Ice; A Boy Among Polar Bears; Killer Whale Special; and Life of Mammals. In March 2005 Sue left to pursue her wildlife photography career and she is now a professional photographer, represented by Getty Images. Recognition of Sue’s work includes awards in the following competitions: International Photographer of the Year, Travel Photographer of the Year, the Art Wolfe (Best of Festival) Award in the International Conservation Photography Awards, and Royal Photographic Society Silver Medal.

 

About Nick Rains

Nick Rains, studied Zoology at university in Britain which led him to a career in photography. Over the years, Nick has worked with the Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism NSW, Penguin Books, Readers Digest Books, Shell Petroleum, BBC TV, Sports Illustrated, World Heritage Commission, Australian Geographic plus many more. Nick is involved with teaching and writing and is the editor of Better Digital Camera magazine. 

For booking info, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists. The Cruise Line Ltd.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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