The nice and cozy Pacific Ocean breeze was sweeping throughout the deck of the yacht as I readied my snorkel and masks. We slipped into the ocean, met by a colour wheel of pinks, oranges, purples, and reds. Corals and fish pulsed round us as black and brown blobs inched alongside the underside. All of a sudden, one in every of them heaved itself upward towards me, a sea cucumber rising to stare us down. It was simply the most recent surprising delight on my go to to the pristine seas of Palau.
And that was solely day two of my keep on the 4 Seasons Explorer, a newly refurbished, 11-cabin vessel that sails across the greater than 300 islands of Palau. The tiny tropical nation, with a inhabitants of simply 22,000, sits north of Indonesia and east of the Philippines, close to what’s known as the Coral Triangle. In Palau, low mountains rise from cerulean seas and, beneath the waves, the drama is simply as pronounced. Amongst divers and snorkelers, it’s thought to be a life-list vacation spot, with crystal-clear water, 1,500 species of fish, and reefs which can be among the many world’s most spectacular.
Courtesy of 4 Seasons
What fascinated me concerning the Explorer, which is operated by the luxurious resort firm, is the way it felt by turns like a conventional resort or a cruise ship, relying on the second. For instance, there’s no fastened “departure”; friends can verify out and in on any day. To succeed in the Explorer, new arrivals are transferred, like they is likely to be in, say, the Maldives, by speedboat from Koror, residence to Palau’s worldwide airport. (Throughout my 5 days aboard, a number of {couples} cycled by means of.)
However there’s additionally loads of cruising. On my go to, we sailed by means of the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage website, with a few days spent round Mecherchar and Ngeruktabel islands, that are each surrounded by dive websites. Day-after-day, we had a alternative of following both the Diver or Explorer program. Scuba fanatics received at the least two, and infrequently extra, alternatives every day, accompanied by a workers marine biologist. These on the Explorer monitor had the choice to snorkel or to go ashore, maybe for a guided stroll by means of one in every of Palau’s many small villages or for a cultural program about, say, conventional dance.
Whereas the every day itineraries have been packed, they have been additionally versatile, with loads of room for modification. One phrase to Abdul Latheef, the cruise director, and I may very well be whisked away for a therapeutic massage, spend the day on a stand-up paddleboard, or get pleasure from a picnic lunch on a secluded seaside. (Whereas there have been no youngsters aboard throughout my journey, Explorer does welcome youngsters as younger as eight years previous, with programming tailor-made to their wants and pursuits.)
Within the evenings, all of us received again collectively for meals within the ship’s major eating room. The satisfying selections included loads of nods to our location, together with hen satay, Vietnamese summer time rolls, Indonesian stir-fried noodles, and a complete fish wrapped in a banana leaf. As a vegetarian, I used to be by no means ignored and had loads of glorious choices.
After dinner, a DJ would generally spin low-key tunes for us, however I used to be extra captivated with what 4 Seasons calls the After Glow. Every evening, the workers would play a fast minimize of the video footage that the guides and crew had captured in the course of the day’s adventures — a mini-movie recap of all that we’d seen and achieved. We received to see the couple from San Diego swimming by means of a World Struggle II–period shipwreck, one in every of many in these waters. Then got here a clip of me, snorkeling alongside tens of hundreds of (non-stinging) golden jellyfish in a lake on Mecherchar Island. Seeing the video after one other thrilling day helped drive residence the truth that, like Palau, the Explorer is one in every of a sort.
5 Extra Journey Ships
High cruise traces, together with Seabourn and Viking, have lately launched small expedition ships. On the similar time, area of interest operators are going even smaller — whereas nonetheless going huge on pleasure.
Studying in Ecuador
After an intensive refurb, the six-cabin Galápagos Explorer from andBeyond has been introduced as much as five-star requirements. The ship does a pair of eight-day itineraries within the famed archipelago, one centered on the east, the opposite on the west.
Birding in Rwanda
The conservation-minded Mantis Assortment operates the snug, 10-cabin Kivu Queen uBuranga on two- and three-night itineraries across the lush islands of Lake Kivu, the place sensational birdlife abounds.
Cruising in Croatia
Energetic-travel specialist Butterfield & Robinson gives weeklong journeys aboard the Agape Rose, a 12-cabin yacht loaded with e-bikes and kayaks, with departures from Dubrovnik or Break up that go to the Kornati Islands, a nationwide park.
Mountaineering in Australia
Luxurious Lodges of Australia lately unveiled Odalisque III, a seven-cabin energy catamaran that sails the waters off Tasmania, with four- to six-night expeditions and shore excursions that embody guided hikes and seaside time.
Exploring in Peru
Abercrombie & Kent has introduced a 12-cabin ship, slated to set sail in 2025. Pure Amazon will journey its namesake area, with two cabins particularly for solo vacationers, plus professional guides main three- and four-night journeys on rivers within the Pacaya Samiria Nationwide Reserve.
A model of this story first appeared within the October 2024 subject of Journey + Leisure below the headline “Simply Dive In.”