Silversea in remote regions

Silversea’s third expedition ship Silver Discoverer is to sail to various remote regions after embarking on her inaugural cruise on 2 April.

The ship will sail through Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, East Asia and Russian Far East, Southeast Asia, the Kimberley region of north-west Australia and New Zealand Sub-Antarctic. The new itineraries, which have been created by Conrad Combrink, Silversea’s director of expedition planning and strategic development, enable passengers to call at ports and destinations that have never been visited by other cruise lines.

Combrink has spent the past few years exploring these regions to enlist the support of native tribes and local authorities and secure future visiting permits exclusively available for Silversea guests.

“Since the launch of the Silversea Expedition product in 2008 we have seen an upward trend for more adventurous travellers who want to see the most remote parts of the world, without giving up on life’s luxuries,” said Combrink. “Reflective of this, we expanded the expedition fleet to include Silver Galapagos, which launched in September 2013 and also noticed that there were very few expedition vessels operating in the Pacific region. We therefore took the decision to launch Silver Discoverer to offer guests new experiences in more diverse locations such as these while still offering Silversea’s high level of luxury onboard.”

Passengers sailing on Silver Discoverer will be able to enjoy a series of unique experiences including a visit to the active mud volcanoes on the unpopulated island of Pulau Tiga in Kimanis Bay, located of the west coast of Malaysia; a helicopter flight circling the reef and islands of Bora Bora; and a visit Waikelo, Sumba in Indonesia, to witness a funeral rite ceremony, enjoy a martial arts performance on horseback and observe the process of making ikat textiles.

In addition, guests will also have the opportunity to dive in Malaysia’s largest coral reef in the Tun Sakaran Marine Park (also known as the Semporna Islands Park) with a Silversea marine biologist and the indigenous Bajau Laut (sea gypsies) tribe.

New Zealand also features heavily on the itinerary schedule with guests visiting the Bay of Islands, a sub-tropical region made up of 144 Islands to enjoy an authentic hangi feast with Maori tour guides during a visit to the Waitangi wharf, where they can also undertake a Waka activity that provides a rare insight into ancient Nga Puhi tribal customs, before paddling in a 50 ft Maori Waka (canoe) on the tidal estuaries of the Waitangi River to the Haruru Falls.

Silver Discoverer will also take passengers to New Zealand’s White Island, the country’s largest volcanic structure, which is 70% under the sea, as well as Palmerston Island where guests will be greeted by the entire Palmerston community and tour the island’s church, school, underground gardens and snorkel in ‘Duke’s Pool’.