zRemote Islands of Polynesia

Embark Silver Discoverer and depart on your exciting 15-day Silversea Expedition. This evening, after settling in and setting sail, you will be introduced to your Expedition Team and participate in a mandatory safety drill. 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.

No superlatives can adequately describe the spectacular beauty of Bora Bora's emerald-green hills and tranquil sapphire-blue lagoons. Select from a variety of excursions and activities today. Enjoy a leisurely, open-air ‘le truck’ tour of Bora Bora’s highlights: ancient marae stone temples, the Faanui Protestant Church, scenic lookout points with spectacular vistas of the lagoon and distant islands, old WWII remnants and popular Matira Beach. Sample local fruits, watch a pareo (sarong) demonstration, and stop at Bloody Mary’s restaurant before returning to the ship.

Alternatively, climb into a specially designed, open-air, off-road vehicle, to circle the island and visit some of its most dramatic sites that are only accessible by four-wheel drive. Veer inland following a trail that leads up the mountain to an amazing 360-degree panorama. From this height, you can view Bora Bora’s breathtaking multi-colored lagoons. See canons remaining from the American’s presence during WWII.

Regardless of which tour you choose, your experienced guide will eagerly share his knowledge of the history, local legends, and flora and fauna of this beautiful island.

Perhaps the most spectacular way to see Bora Bora is from the air on a helicopter flyover. This optional excursion includes 15 minutes of actual flight time aboard a 5-seat “Squirrel” helicopter. Circle the island to enjoy spectacular views of lagoons fringed with white sandy beaches and linked to smaller islets. Fly low over the reef to see rays and sharks skimming through the water. At one point, the aircraft climbs over the velvety green peaks, providing incredible views.

Of course, you may choose instead to simply spend the day swimming and snorkeling in this idyllic tropical paradise.

Become acquainted with the luxurious amenities found on board Silver Discoverer. Gather in the Lounge to hear fascinating tales of adventure or to learn about the region’s endemic wildlife and remarkable nature. Knowledgeable experts in a variety of scientific fields present lectures and seminars, preparing you for the upcoming ports-of-call and the possible unscheduled adventures that may lie ahead.

Aitutaki is rightly known as one of the most spectacular destinations in the Cook Islands. Its reef completely encompasses a large turquoise lagoon. We go ashore using our fleet of Zodiacs but before stepping on land, a local warrior appears and challenges all visitors. Though once we have each stepped across a special stone, we are free to do as we please on the island. So, that is exactly what we will do! Our excursion continues aboard local boats, crossing the lagoon to the small islet of Tapuaetai for a delicious barbecue luncheon in a lush South Pacific setting. Look for red-tailed tropic birds, grab some snorkeling gear and see what’s underwater or let your stroll along the beach continue out onto a sand cay. 

Today will be a day to scan the seas for humpback whales. Our lecture staff will have time to prepare you for our visit to the outer islands, and talk about the natural history, seabirds, and underwater creatures, as well as the early settlers and their interesting stories.

Suwarrow, a low coral atoll in the Pacific Island’s Cook Islands, is just 1300km south of the equator. The island has a rich history that spans literary ties with Robert Louis Stevenson, through to the island’s relevance during World War II. New Zealander Tom Neale lived alone on Suvorov for a total of 16 years in three periods between 1952 and 1977. He described his experience in the first two of those periods in An Island to Oneself. (NB: Tom Neale happens to be the uncle of one of Silversea’s on board photographers, Richard Sidey – who will accompany this expedition.) In 1978, the island was declared to be a National Park of the Cook Islands due to the plentiful marine and bird life it supports, making this a paradise for our divers and birdwatchers alike.

According to many, Manihiki is the most beautiful of the Cook Islands. Known as The Island of Pearls, it is a triangular atoll composed of 40 tiny islets encircling a lagoon four kilometres (2.5 miles) wide. This completely enclosed body of water is the source of the island's greatest asset—black pearls.

Here, you can make a day to remember of your choosing. Learn first-hand how the pearls are made by taking an informative pearl farm tour, or use the day to swim and/or snorkel over and around the pearl lines.

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. 

Far out in the Central Pacific, the Phoenix Islands boast calm lagoons protected from the sea by a series of encircling reefs. The lagoon of Kanton Island is filled with 153 different species of fish and marine life, including tuna, sharks, stingrays and eels. In a remote corner of the Pacific, the nation of Kiribati has created the world's largest marine reserve: the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. The reserve covers 410,500 square kilometers and is home to thriving coral reefs and an abundance of sea life, including sharks and manta rays.

Our expedition has allocated three full days to explore and marvel at the wonders of this preserved marine area. Our Expedition Leader and Captain will determine the best plan for the three days, making sure that we spend as much time under and above water.

Time and conditions permitting we might even make a stop at Nikumaroro Island, where recently sonar exploration found a wing of an aircraft, suspected to be that of Amelia Earhart’s plane. Earhart the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, vanished during a flight across the Pacific in July 1937. New evidence points to a crash landing on or near remote Nikumaroro Island.

Far out in the Central Pacific, the Phoenix Islands boast calm lagoons protected from the sea by a series of encircling reefs. The lagoon of Kanton Island is filled with 153 different species of fish and marine life, including tuna, sharks, stingrays and eels. In a remote corner of the Pacific, the nation of Kiribati has created the world's largest marine reserve: the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. The reserve covers 410,500 square kilometers and is home to thriving coral reefs and an abundance of sea life, including sharks and manta rays.

Our expedition has allocated three full days to explore and marvel at the wonders of this preserved marine area. Our Expedition Leader and Captain will determine the best plan for the three days, making sure that we spend as much time under and above water.

Time and conditions permitting we might even make a stop at Nikumaroro Island, where recently sonar exploration found a wing of an aircraft, suspected to be that of Amelia Earhart’s plane. Earhart the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, vanished during a flight across the Pacific in July 1937. New evidence points to a crash landing on or near remote Nikumaroro Island.

Far out in the Central Pacific, the Phoenix Islands boast calm lagoons protected from the sea by a series of encircling reefs. The lagoon of Kanton Island is filled with 153 different species of fish and marine life, including tuna, sharks, stingrays and eels. In a remote corner of the Pacific, the nation of Kiribati has created the world's largest marine reserve: the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. The reserve covers 410,500 square kilometers and is home to thriving coral reefs and an abundance of sea life, including sharks and manta rays.

Our expedition has allocated three full days to explore and marvel at the wonders of this preserved marine area. Our Expedition Leader and Captain will determine the best plan for the three days, making sure that we spend as much time under and above water.

Time and conditions permitting we might even make a stop at Nikumaroro Island, where recently sonar exploration found a wing of an aircraft, suspected to be that of Amelia Earhart’s plane. Earhart the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, vanished during a flight across the Pacific in July 1937. New evidence points to a crash landing on or near remote Nikumaroro Island.

Nukunonu, a group of coral islets within Tokelau, consists of a circle of coral anchored to the rim of a huge undersea volcano. Just 300 miles above Samoa in Oceania, and halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, it is the largest of the three islands which comprise Tokelau. Originally settles by Polynesian immigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands have been protected under both British and New Zealand rule. According to a UN report, these low-lying islands will is disappear in the 21st-century if global warming continues.

Today we arrive in Asau, which is situated on the northwest coast of Savai'i island in Samoa, is the capital village of the Vaisigano political district and serves as the island’s main business centre. Asau was the integral to the Samoan timber industry in Samoa. But in September 2008, bush fired inland from Asau and Aopo village destroyed more than two thousand acres of trees.

The breakwater protecting the bay is an old American airstrip from World War II. The port was well used in the past as it was well protected on the east and south by the main land and on the north and west by coral reefs.

We will arrive in port in the morning. Following breakfast, disembark Silver Discoverer.