zLost Atolls of Micronesia 16nt

Embark the Silver Discoverer for this stunning Silversea Expedition - Lost Atolls of Micronesia. This afternoon, you will be introduced to your Expedition Team and attend a safety briefing. Tonight we invite you to familiarize yourself with your new home away from home, meet some of your fellow travelers and enjoy the first of many memorable meals in The Restaurant.

The beautiful coral reef Ngulu Atoll welcomes us with open arms as the Chief of the island greets our group and local dancers put on an unforgettable performance. Snorkel or dive into the natural lagoon filled with indigenous tropical fish like the iridescent Blue Green Reef Chromis. Don’t forget to look out for the Black-naped Tern and Red-footed Booby seabirds. 

Mangrove swamps line much of the shore. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are strong compared to other states in Micronesia. Yap is known for its stone money, known as Rai: large doughnut-shaped, carved disks of up to 4 m (12 ft.) in diameter. The smallest can be as little as 3.5 centimeters (1.4 in) in diameter. Their value is based on both the stone's size and its history.

The stones' value was kept high due to the difficulty and hazards involved in obtaining them. To quarry the stones, Yapese adventurers had to sail to distant islands and deal with local inhabitants who were sometimes hostile.

As no more disks are being produced or imported, this money supply is fixed. The islanders know who owns which piece but do not necessarily move them when ownership changes. Their size and weight (the largest ones require 20 adult men to carry) make them very difficult to move around. Explore Yap Island and learn more about their cultures and traditions.

Savor nature at its best. Swim, snorkel, dive, bird-watch and bask in the Caroline Islands as you wish. Explore the relics of a Japanese fishing boat that made it there due to a 70's typhoon. Make friends with the Fairy Terns of the island and the dazzling Sweetlips and Humphead Wrass just swimming about. 

A leisurely day at sea to exchange notes with fellow travelers and take advantage of the luxurious amenities aboard Silver Discoverer. Help our birders spot some of the seabirds found far away from their nesting grounds. Enjoy a lecture, or an interesting book can be good company too. Or, just relax in the comfort of your suite and watch a movie on the in-suite interactive television.

Ali Island was first visited by outsiders (Catholic Church Missionaries) in mid-1800s. As a result of this the Ali islanders were the first people to receive some of sort education like reading and writing in the Sepik region.As part of the Sepik region their culture it is still strong. The church presence on this island didn’t entirely affect these people’s culture. This is one part of the country where men and women dress similarly for some dances. The island is a beautiful place covered in white sandy beaches with dive sites close to the village community.

Murik Lakes are a mangrove swamp area of the Sepik Province. Apart from the carvings we will find here, the Murik people are weavers of the Sepik Basket, popular in all parts of Papua New Guinea. The livelihood of the people here is centred around what they forage from the mangroves. The traditional dance costume of the Murik people are some of most colorful up the northern coast of Papua New Guinea.

Later in the day we will visit Kopar, a small village at the mouth of the Sepik River. It is a small village of not more than 200 people. Same as the Murik Lakes people, the people of Sepik, are known for their artifacts. Kopar presents another opportunity for those souvenir hunters. For the keen birders, a trip by zodiacs into the small canals (or ‘barets’ in pidgin) just upstream from Kopar village can be rewarded with sights of flood plain birds and parrots and the odd kite.

Madang has one of the South Pacific’s most beautiful harbors, with a backdrop of steep mountains and lush tropical vegetation. The town of Madang was the center of heavy fighting during World War II, and there are 34 sunken ships to explore at Hansa Bay for our divers to explore. 

The small town began its “modern life” as a result of the lucrative copra (coconut) trade. However most people will know Madang for its deep relevance in Japanese history--the town was occupied by the Japanese in January 1943, and was a hub of activity during World War II.

During today’s tour, we will see the Coastwatcher’s Memorial Lighthouse, which was dedicated in 1959 to the Allied Forces and local civilians who served against the Japanese in WWII. We will also visit Bilbil Village, famous for its pottery, where our welcome by traditionally clad villagers performing local dances accompanied by drums is sure to delight. As dusk approaches keep an eye out for flying foxes that hang in the trees—there are many of them on the island. 

The Tami Islands are a small archipelago (just four islands) located South of Finschhafen in the Huon Gulf. Collectively, they are part of today's Morobe Province. The main island is anonymously named and is one of just two islands in the enclave to be inhabited. The people here are known for their elaborately carved, oblong-shaped “Tami bowls.” The small community of islanders live simply. Tami has just a single primary school and a small medical aid post. The “sing-sing” here is loud and punctuated by the beating of ‘kundus’ (hand-held hollowed wooden drums with monitor lizard skin at one end).

A leisurely day at sea is yours to enjoy. Begin perhaps with a late breakfast and another cup of coffee or tea during the first of the day’s lectures. Find out what differentiates Micronesian from Melanesian cultures and how they’re affected by modern-day influences. Listen as our on board marine biologist presents a preview of what the Solomon’s underwater world has in store for us. Then flaunt your knowledge during a combined teatime and team-trivia in the late afternoon. 

Gizo is the hub around in which the Western Province revolves. The 2007 tsunami gave Gizo a good licking, but the town fared better than the rest of the island and benefitted from the presence of international aid organizations; its status of provincial capital helped.

Sprawled along the waterfront with its steep hills behind, Gizo is not bereft of appeal. Explore Gizo by land, or even more mesmerizing for the divers is the underwater world.

Kennedy Island (colloquially known as Plum Pudding Island though the correct local name is Kasolo Island), is an island in the Solomon Islands that was named after John F. Kennedy. The island is remembered to be the area Lt. John F. Kennedy had aided his injured crew after his boat, the PT-109, was rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri in World War II.

James A. Michener once described Marovo Lagoon as the eighth wonder of the world. One of the world's largest double-barrier-reef enclosed lagoons, this isolated spot has been proposed for UNESCO World Heritage listing. Marovo is famous for its extensive coral reef ecosystems, teeming tropical fish and exceptional dive sites. Just as fabulous is the snorkeling. Feather stars and colorful nudibranches, vase sponges and gorgonian fans, lion fish and octopus, morays and pygmy manta rays, are all part of this truly remarkable marine environment. Birders can look for osprey, Brahmany kite and kingfisher, while hikers venture into the forests on one of the many islands of the Marovo Lagoon.

With Silver Explorer at anchor between San Cristobal and Owa Raha, we will take the Zodiacs into Port Mary, the small bay in front of the main village of Ghupuna. A beautiful white sand beach, large trees, traditional houses built of local timber and leaf will be our first impression of this raised coral island. Santa Ana’s leaf houses were built flush to the ground until the 1970s, and are now mostly built on stilts. Dozens of curious children will greet us, and we hope to arrange a local reception with dances by the local students. If you’re in the market for a truly unique souvenir, Santa Ana is renowned for its small, ornately crafted ceremonial food bowls, dance sticks and fishing floats.

Nembao, one of the main villages of Utupua Island, is our host for the day. Utupua is a high island surrounded by a coral reef with a land surface of 69.0 km², and its highest point located at 380 m. This is a day of pure tradition as we are welcomed by young local warriors and treated to a dance performance. We will have the opportunity to walk around the village and explore, to discover how the people of Utupua live. Hoping to see mud skippers and bird life, we will board our zodiacs for a tour through the mangroves. 

A leisurely day at sea is yours to enjoy. Begin perhaps with a late breakfast and another cup of coffee or tea during the first of the day’s lectures. Join the lectures and hear fascinating tales of adventure and learn more about the region’s endemic wildlife and remarkable nature. Our knowledgeable Lecture Staff members are experts in a variety of scientific fields.

A leisurely day at sea is yours to enjoy. Begin perhaps with a late breakfast and another cup of coffee or tea during the first of the day’s lectures. Join the lectures and hear fascinating tales of adventure and learn more about the region’s endemic wildlife and remarkable nature. Our knowledgeable Lecture Staff members are experts in a variety of scientific fields.

Following breakfast, disembark Silver Discoverer.