Day 1 – Perth (Fremantle), Australia

Departs 03:00 pm.

Lying at the mouth of the Swan River, historic Fremantle – founded in 1829 – is your gateway to Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Situated on the banks of the Swan River some 15 miles upriver from Fremantle, Perth is a bustling city where soaring high-rises co-exist with elegant sandstone buildings from the colonial era. Life here moves at a slower pace, so during your visit, relax and savor the bounties of Western Australia, from the wonders of the bush to the wineries of the Swan Valley, from excellent shopping to a leisurely cruise on the Swan River.Perth’s explosive growth in recent decades has engulfed the old historic port of Fremantle – some 70 percent of Western Australia’s population live in and around Perth.

Day 2 – At Sea

Day 3 – Exmouth, Australia

Arrives 09:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Exmouth lies some 780 miles north of Perth on the rugged and stunningly beautiful Northwest Cape. This remote corner of Australia has been of strategic importance since the days of the Second World War. In fact, Exmouth was built in 1964 to support the Harold E. Holt Communications Station. Nearly 45 years later, the base remains a top-secret installation. Australians, however, discovered the North Cape’s strategic importance as a travel destination. Here rugged mountains and stony gorges descend to stunning beaches. Australia’s longest fringing reef lies just offshore. Its crystalline waters boast great fishing, and whale sharks are frequently encountered basking on the surface between April and July. Exmouth’s permanent population numbers approximately 2,400 souls – but visitors are increasingly drawn to the Northwest Cape’s rugged beauty and mild climate. Note: Exmouth is an anchorage port. Passengers transfer to shore via ship’s tender.

Day 4 – At Sea

Day 5 – Broome, Australia

Arrives 10:00 am.

In the 1870s, pearl fishermen discovered the rich waters of Roebuck Bay. A decade later, Broome was founded as a base for the pearl trade and was soon described as “the pearling capital of the world.” Japanese, Chinese and Aborigine divers toiled in arduous, dangerous labor to harvest oysters from the seabed. For all its importance to the pearling industry, Broome remained a remote outpost on Australia’s Kimberley Coast until its discovery as a travel destination. The legacy of its pearling days can be seen in the town’s colorful mix of 19th- and early 20th century buildings. Broome also boasts Cable Beach – a 13-mile strand of white-sand that stretches along the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. Pirate William Dampier was the first European to visit Western Australia. Dampier, who circumnavigated the globe three times, landed near Broome in 1688 and again in 1699.

Day 6 – Broome, Australia

Departs 04:00 pm.

In the 1870s, pearl fishermen discovered the rich waters of Roebuck Bay. A decade later, Broome was founded as a base for the pearl trade and was soon described as “the pearling capital of the world.” Japanese, Chinese and Aborigine divers toiled in arduous, dangerous labor to harvest oysters from the seabed. For all its importance to the pearling industry, Broome remained a remote outpost on Australia’s Kimberley Coast until its discovery as a travel destination. The legacy of its pearling days can be seen in the town’s colorful mix of 19th- and early 20th century buildings. Broome also boasts Cable Beach – a 13-mile strand of white-sand that stretches along the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. Pirate William Dampier was the first European to visit Western Australia. Dampier, who circumnavigated the globe three times, landed near Broome in 1688 and again in 1699.

Day 7

Arrives 12:00 pm, departs 04:00 pm.

Day 8 – At Sea

Day 9 – Lombok, Indonesia

Arrives 09:00 am, departs 07:00 pm.

The crystalline waters of the Lombok Strait separate the island of Lombok from its neighbor Bali. For experienced travelers, Lombok will seem a throwback to Bali’s halcyon days – reminiscent, indeed, of that island some 30 years ago, before globalization brought a steady stream of development to its shores. Like its neighbor, Lombok is renowned for its traditional craft villages. Artisans produce the exquisite brocaded cloth called songket, elegant woodcarvings, and superb pottery made from local hillside clays. The island also possesses great natural beauty, from the dramatic rice terraces and plantations of the south to the tropical rain and cloud forests of the north. Lombok is home to Mt. Rinjani, Indonesia’s second highest peak, a magnificent volcano soaring over 12,000 feet above sea level.The Lombok Strait is part of the Wallace Line – a major eco-geographical boundary separating the flora and fauna of East Indonesia and Australia from West Indonesia. Many species found on Lombok, for example, are not found on neighboring Bali, just 20 miles away across the strait.

Day 10 – Bali (Benoa), Indonesia

Arrives 07:00 am.

For over a century, Bali has fascinated the Western imagination. The island embodies the very essence of the exotic and mysterious East. Steep hillsides of tropical green reveal terraced rice paddies while plantations of coffee, banana, cacao and fragrant spices line the roads. Monkeys haunt the grounds of a sacred temple in a forest, while traditional villages produce intricately stylized batik, superb jewelry and beautiful paintings. And Balinese dance, with its angular movements and rhythms, remains somehow stirring and shocking. Bali may be accessible, but it remains forever exotic. For all Bali’s scenic beauty, the island has weathered great natural disasters, from the 1963 eruption of Mt. Agung to a massive earthquake in 1976. The island emerged relatively unscathed from the great tsunami of 2004. Note: all motorcoaches are equipped with air-conditioning.

Day 11 – Bali (Benoa), Indonesia

Departs 04:00 pm.

For over a century, Bali has fascinated the Western imagination. The island embodies the very essence of the exotic and mysterious East. Steep hillsides of tropical green reveal terraced rice paddies while plantations of coffee, banana, cacao and fragrant spices line the roads. Monkeys haunt the grounds of a sacred temple in a forest, while traditional villages produce intricately stylized batik, superb jewelry and beautiful paintings. And Balinese dance, with its angular movements and rhythms, remains somehow stirring and shocking. Bali may be accessible, but it remains forever exotic. For all Bali’s scenic beauty, the island has weathered great natural disasters, from the 1963 eruption of Mt. Agung to a massive earthquake in 1976. The island emerged relatively unscathed from the great tsunami of 2004. Note: all motorcoaches are equipped with air-conditioning.

Day 12 – At Sea

Day 13 – At Sea

Day 14 – At Sea

Day 15 – Perth (Fremantle), Australia

Arrives 06:00 am.

Lying at the mouth of the Swan River, historic Fremantle – founded in 1829 – is your gateway to Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Situated on the banks of the Swan River some 15 miles upriver from Fremantle, Perth is a bustling city where soaring high-rises co-exist with elegant sandstone buildings from the colonial era. Life here moves at a slower pace, so during your visit, relax and savor the bounties of Western Australia, from the wonders of the bush to the wineries of the Swan Valley, from excellent shopping to a leisurely cruise on the Swan River.Perth’s explosive growth in recent decades has engulfed the old historic port of Fremantle – some 70 percent of Western Australia’s population live in and around Perth.