From Guadalcanal to the Sepik River
Deep into Melanesia, from the Solomons to the Sepik
This is expedition travel at its most remote and most culturally rich, a thirteen-night voyage from the Solomon Islands across Papua New Guinea to West Papua. Aboard the boutique SH Minerva you begin at Honiara, steeped in wartime history, and call at the tiny island where a young John F. Kennedy was shipwrecked, before reaching Bougainville and the volcano-ringed harbour of Rabaul. In Papua New Guinea you meet some of the most extraordinary living cultures on earth, culminating in a journey by tender into the mighty Sepik River, a world of stilt villages, spirit houses and elaborate carving. Beyond lie the reefs and communities of West Papua, ending at Sorong. Few voyages reach so deep into Melanesia.
Itinerary highlights
Journey from the Solomon Islands across Papua New Guinea to West Papua over thirteen nights.
Visit Honiara's Second World War sites and Kennedy Island, where JFK was shipwrecked in 1943.
Reach volcano-ringed Rabaul, buried by eruption and rebuilt, one of the Pacific's great harbours.
Venture by tender into the mighty Sepik River, a world of spirit houses and master carvers.
Meet remote Melanesian communities with vibrant sing-sing dance and living tradition.
Snorkel pristine reefs off Madang, the Talele Islands and beyond.
Travel aboard the boutique SH Minerva with an expert expedition team.
Deep into Melanesia, from the Solomons to the Sepik
This is expedition travel at its most remote and most culturally rich, a thirteen-night voyage from the Solomon Islands across Papua New Guinea to West Papua. Aboard the boutique SH Minerva you begin at Honiara, steeped in wartime history, and call at the tiny island where a young John F. Kennedy was shipwrecked, before reaching Bougainville and the volcano-ringed harbour of Rabaul. In Papua New Guinea you meet some of the most extraordinary living cultures on earth, culminating in a journey by tender into the mighty Sepik River, a world of stilt villages, spirit houses and elaborate carving. Beyond lie the reefs and communities of West Papua, ending at Sorong. Few voyages reach so deep into Melanesia.
Itinerary highlights
Journey from the Solomon Islands across Papua New Guinea to West Papua over thirteen nights.
Visit Honiara's Second World War sites and Kennedy Island, where JFK was shipwrecked in 1943.
Reach volcano-ringed Rabaul, buried by eruption and rebuilt, one of the Pacific's great harbours.
Venture by tender into the mighty Sepik River, a world of spirit houses and master carvers.
Meet remote Melanesian communities with vibrant sing-sing dance and living tradition.
Snorkel pristine reefs off Madang, the Talele Islands and beyond.
Travel aboard the boutique SH Minerva with an expert expedition team.
What's Included
- 13 nights aboard SH Minerva in an en-suite stateroom or suite
- One included shore excursion at each port of call
- Zodiac cruises and expedition activities with the expedition team
- All meals aboard; selected wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
- Tender and Zodiac excursions with the expedition team, including the Sepik River visit
- Onboard gratuities and Wi-Fi
- Programme of expert lectures and briefings; use of onboard facilities (pool, hot tubs, sauna, gym)
What's Included
- 13 nights aboard SH Minerva in an en-suite stateroom or suite
- One included shore excursion at each port of call
- Zodiac cruises and expedition activities with the expedition team
- All meals aboard; selected wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
- Tender and Zodiac excursions with the expedition team, including the Sepik River visit
- Onboard gratuities and Wi-Fi
- Programme of expert lectures and briefings; use of onboard facilities (pool, hot tubs, sauna, gym)
Thank you
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Ashley | Expedition Planner
FAQs
A journey by tender into the mouth of one of the world’s great rivers, calling at a riverine village to see stilt houses, dugout canoes, the carved spirit houses (haus tambaran) and the master woodcarving for which the Sepik is renowned. It is a rare and remarkable cultural encounter.
Three: the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea (including Bougainville, Rabaul, Madang and the Sepik) and Indonesian West Papua, ending at Sorong. It is one-way, so international flights and appropriate visas are needed.
Rabaul sits in an active volcanic caldera and is visited with local guidance; the dramatic ash-scapes, hot springs and rebuilt town are a highlight. The expedition team monitors conditions closely.
Very. Many of these islands and communities see few outside visitors, which is precisely the appeal. Landings depend on weather, tide and local conditions, and the expedition team adapts as needed.