The largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, New Britain lies within the southern edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it one of the most geologically active islands on Earth. Its rainforested interior is dominated by a spine of volcanic peaks up to 2334 metres high while its coastline is dotted with active volcanoes and natural harbours formed by flooded calderas.
Volcanoes are a constant presence on this circumnavigation. Enter Garove Island and marvel at its harbour formed by a submerged volcanic crater ringed by walls up to 150 metres high. Swim at remote beaches encircled by volcanic peaks, or soak in natural thermal springs. Wander Rabaul’s otherworldly landscape created when New Britain’s former capital was buried by ash during the 1994 eruption of two of its volcanic overlords.
Underwater, New Britain is just as dramatic. Snorkelling at Kimbe Bay, part of the Coral Triangle, known as “the Amazon of the Seas”, brings you face to face with 860 species of fish, more than 400 coral species and up to 12 marine mammal species.
Back on land, Papua New Guinea’s extraordinary cultural diversity is on full display. Witness cultural practices such as the use of tabu shell money, the carving of ceremonial wooden masks by artisans using centuries-old techniques, and the seldom-seen dukduk, a spiritual, political and judicial men’s secret society – all co-existing with contemporary cultural influences such as Methodist missions and significant WWII military campaigns.
Paspaley Pearl’s boutique size, accommodating a maximum of 30 guests, makes it ideal for exploring New Britain’s vibrant and ever-changing geological, marine and cultural environments while having minimal impact.
Day-by-Day Adventures
Madang
- Papua New Guinea
After an excursion to Bilbil, a village up the coast from Madang known for its traditional clay pottery, our crew welcomes you aboard Paspaley Pearl. There’s time to meet your fellow expeditioners as you cruise past volcanic islands dotting Madang’s natural harbour before our expedition team briefs you on this circumnavigation of one of the world’s most geologically active islands.
DAY 1
Watam Village
- Ancestral tradition and faith
Watam village sits at the north-western end of Broken Water Bay, its culture shaped by migration from the lower Ramu River, ancestral tradition and Christian faith woven together over centuries. Guests don’t so much arrive at Watam as they are summoned, a ‘dragon’ figure woven from pandanus, feathers and shells leading them into the village in a procession that signals welcome and grants access to private village life. Once inside, the formality dissolves with the performers returning to everyday life, drawing visitors into it with conversations beginning where the procession end.
DAY 2
Karkar Island
- Experience tradition
Land on Karkar Island, an oval-shaped volcanic island dominated by two nested summit calderas, where the exceptionally fertile soil sustains a population of approximately 70,000. The island’s women are known throughout the region for bilum-weaving skills that take months to master, with patterns encoding garden plots on the hillsides and the paths that connect them. For young Karkar women, completing a bilum marks the passage to adulthood, each finished piece a record of time, patience, and cultural identity.
DAY 3
Witu Islands
- Visit Large Volcanoes and Tropical Forests
The largest island in the Witu group, Garove has one of the most spectacular natural harbours in the Pacific, a 5-kilometre-wide partially submerged volcanic crater whose walls rise up to 150 metres above sea level. On land, visit isolated Melanesian communities inhabiting a broad forested amphitheatre within this volcanic sanctuary, which offers an ideal environment for exploration on foot.
DAY 4
Kimbe Bay
- Biodiversity at it's finest
Snorkel among Earth’s most biodiverse marine environment, where over 860 fish species and 400 coral varieties create spectacular underwater gardens. Explore black volcanic beaches contrasting with lush forests, potentially visiting thermal springs while marvelling at volcanic landscapes supporting this UNESCO-recognised biodiversity hotspot.
DAY 5
Rabaul
- Distinct harbours and anicent volcanoes
Lying within a dramatic natural harbour ringed by six volcanoes, Rabaul was the largest settlement on New Britain until 1994 when Mount Vulcan and the still-active Mount Tavurvur erupted, burying much of the town under volcanic ash and creating an otherworldly landscape still visible today. Explore WWII tunnel systems created by the Japanese military when Rabaul’s harbour was one of the most heavily fortified sites in the Pacific, and visit resilient communities living in the shadow of this region’s powerful geological forces.
DAY 6
Duke of York Islands
- religious lifestyles and traditional villages
Explore this small archipelago between New Britain and New Ireland where, in 1875, Methodist missionary George Brown established the first Methodist mission in the Bismarck Archipelago, and visit communities who continue to practise traditional Melanesian customs and depend on subsistence fishing and farming. Learn how Christianity spread throughout the region from here, while savouring this area’s white-sand beaches, swimming in crystal-clear waters and snorkelling over coral reefs teeming with life.
DAY 7
Jacquinot Bay
- Remote wilderness meets discovery
Step ashore and into one of New Britain’s wildest regions, where secluded waterfalls lie within dense tropical rainforests seldom visited by outsiders. Learn about the bay’s critical role as a strategic base from which Allied forces launched campaigns against the Japanese military during the final stages of the Pacific War in WWII.
DAY 8
Linden Harbour
- Remarkable landscapes and enrichment onboard
Few places on this coastline carry as many layers as Linden Harbour. A German copra plantation, a Japanese naval and seaplane base, and now a place of remarkable tranquillity where small communities fish, garden and maintain clan traditions largely unchanged by the outside world. We visit Lulakevi Village before the Zodiacs take us along the shoreline to Amulus Cave, carved from the limestone that defines this part of southern New Britain. The afternoon belongs to Elsie’s Reef, beginning in shallow water before dropping away into vibrant hard corals, sea fans and abundant marine life in exceptional visibility.
DAY 9
Tuam Island
- Extraordinary cultural diversity
Land on Tuam, a small island with an extraordinary cultural diversity because of its unique location. This is where traditional music, dance, storytelling and other cultural practices from mainland Papua New Guinea have long mingled with those of the Bismarck Archipelago. Experience traditional dances, learn local songs and connect with island families eager to share their stories.
DAY 10
Madang
- Papua New Guinea
Enjoy your final breakfast on board Paspaley Pearl before disembarking where your circumnavigation began, carrying with you memories of this wild and seldom-visited region shaped by powerful volcanic forces. Tour the Madang markets and its impressive array of fresh produce, arts and crafts, before visiting Rivu, a village about 10 kilometres north of Madang, to listen to a local bamboo band.
DAY 11
Departure dates
Ocean Double/Single Stateroom
$23,495
Ocean Twin Stateroom
$25,495
Ocean Stateroom
$26,495
Horizon Suite
$30,995
Pearl Suite
$37,495
Prices are in AUD$ per person based on twin share. Single supplement pricing is available on application. *Sole occupancy of stateroom #107 attracts no single surcharge.
Ocean Double/Single Stateroom
$25,495
Ocean Twin Stateroom
$28,495
Ocean Stateroom
$30,995
Horizon Suite
$35,495
Pearl Suite
$38,995
Prices are in AUD$ per person based on twin share. Single supplement pricing is available on application. *Sole occupancy of stateroom #107 attracts no single surcharge.
Ocean Double/Single Stateroom
$25,495
Ocean Twin Stateroom
$28,495
Ocean Stateroom
$30,995
Horizon Suite
$35,495
Pearl Suite
$38,995
Prices are in AUD$ per person based on twin share. Single supplement pricing is available on application. *Sole occupancy of stateroom #107 attracts no single surcharge.
