Ponant is collaborating with Smithsonian Journeys on a series of co-branded sailings for 2023. Each of the 21 itineraries will be led by two Smithsonian Journey Experts — whether an art historian, a solar astrophysicist, or an international relations expert — whose expertise and knowledge can shed new light on a destination and deepen travellers’ immersion in place.
Sample New Journey: Solar Eclipse in Asia/Australia
Among the new sailings is a 16-day sailing to eastern Indonesia, East Timor, and the Kimberley region of Australia, timed to the total eclipse of the sun that will take place on 20APR 2023 —one of only five total solar eclipses remaining worldwide this decade. Smithsonian Journey Experts, Associate Director of Science at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Alex Young and Australian-American historian Craig Benjamin, will guide guests’ viewing of this three-plus hour cosmic event and other trip programming. Rates start at USD $20,480 per person.
Setting sail from Bali, the trip begins with two days of swimming, snorkeling, and sightings of Komodo dragons in Komodo National Park, followed by two days discovering the cultural and natural wonders of East Timor — from soaking up the Portuguese heritage and arts and crafts scene of the capital, Dili, to discovering the small villages that line the east coast of Baucau. A highlight is exploring the Coral Triangle and its coral reefs.
After crossing the Timor Sea, guests will arrive in Wyndham, the northernmost township of Western Australia and the gateway to the Kimberley region. The Kimberley is a vast, remote region larger than 75 per cent of the world’s countries, with waterfalls, white sandy beaches, mangrove forests, sandstone gorges, and the largest population of migrating humpback whales on the planet. Guests' first three days will include Zodiac tours of King George River (including the 260-foot-high King George Twin Falls) and viewings of aboriginal Wandjina and Gwion Gwion rock art of Swift Bay. Other options include cruising the Ord River, flying over the Bungle Bungle mountains, and exploring the El Questro outback station.
From there, Le Lapérouse will sail back into the Timor Sea to stage itself in an advantageous position for viewing the solar eclipse, which will take place from late morning to early afternoon on 20APR, with an approximate period of totality of just over one minute.
Following the cosmic event, the journey continues with three more days in the Kimberley region, beginning with the landscapes of Collier Bay, where tidal ranges exceeding 45 feet have created landscapes and natural phenomena, like the Montgomery Reef, the world’s largest in-shore reef system. At the southern end of the Bay is the world’s only “Horizontal Falls,” where tidal movements create a waterfall effect between narrow gorges. On the second-to-last day, guests will head to the Lacepede Islands, a breeding habitat for Green Turtles, Brown Boobies, Lesser Frigatebirds, and other species. Guided zodiac tours cann offer close-up views of the wildlife and the four sand islands. The trip concludes in Broome, on the far north coast of Western Australia.
For more information on this and other journeys, visit Ponant's web site.
