Travel to a land of remote, spectacular scenery spread over huge distances with wild coastlines, towering escarpments, undulating woodlands, spectacular waterways, mangrove-covered tidal flats, and forests rich in flora and fauna. Embark in Darwin and set sail on a 13-day voyage to the Kimberly, exploring the region's hidden treasures by boat, Zodiac, and helicopter. Gaze upon the dramatic gorges and pools of Mitchell Falls, search for an astonishing variety of wildlife in the Prince Regent Nature Reserve, discover desert-scapes dotted with bizarre boab trees, and photograph the sublimely beautiful isles of the Buccaneer Archipelago.
Highlights
Search for rock wallabies, turtles, mighty saltwater crocodiles, and more!
View well-preserved Aboriginal paintings at Raft Point and Bigge Island
Discover the cultural traditions of the Tiwi people on the Tiwi Islands
View amazing Horizontal Falls & ride a helicopter to the Mitchell Plateau
Join optional pre-voyage tours to Arnhem Land, Kununurra, and Bungle Bungle
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Today explore Darwin—a popular holiday destination graced with beautiful beaches and a laid-back atmosphere. Join a city tour to discover innovative museums and browse galleries that showcase the region’s rich indigenous art. This afternoon board the Coral Discoverer and set sail.
Permission pending, go ashore on the Tiwis and join local Aboriginal guides for a tour of the small community of Nguiu, its museum, and the old Mission Precinct. You also have an opportunity to visit the local arts center and to view and purchase high-quality Tiwi crafts, as well as screen-printed fabric.
Cruise through a spectacular canyon where vertical cliffs, gorges, and mangroves line the shores of the mighty King George River. The final destination is King George Falls, a supremely photogenic area of 325-foot cliffs of rust-colored sandstone rising from the tidal waters.
View fine examples of ancient Bradshaw or Gwion Gwion art, thought to be 20,000 to 15,000 years old, on Jar Island. The Anjo Peninsula was the site of several significant air accidents during World War II and you can still see the wreck of a C-53 Skytrooper that crash landed on a salt flat in 1942. Tides permitting, step ashore on Woku-Woku Island to search for the remnants of old Macassan trepang stoves that were used to boil sea cucumbers collected on their journeys through the Kimberley hundreds of years ago.
A unique experience awaits you on Bigge Island, sacred to Aborigines for thousands of years. Well-preserved Aboriginal paintings grace the walls of caves, depicting mythical figures and offering visual evidence of the European entrance into the Aboriginal way of life. Monjon (the smallest of the wallabies), are numerous on this island and can often be seen sprinting from one rock ledge to another. In the afternoon step ashore Sterna Island to search for a variety of seabirds, including four species of terns, pied cormorants, white-bellied sea eagles, and osprey.
From Hunter River, fly via helicopter to the Mitchell Plateau to visit Mitchell Falls, a series of waterfalls and pools culminating in a deep gorge carving its way through the Outback. Explore the surrounding area on foot and enjoy a refreshing swim in the rushing freshwater pools. In the vicinity of your anchorage, you may explore the small tributaries by Zodiac, searching the mangroves and tidal mud flats for crocodiles, mud skippers, and fiddler crabs, as well as the many bird species that make their home within the dense vegetation.
Day 8-10: Buccaneer Archipelago | Raft Point | Montgomery Reef | Talbot Bay
The Buccaneer Archipelago consists of more than 800 islands. The shorelines of these rarely visited isles are among the most photogenic in the world, and include mangrove estuaries, secluded bays, untouched beaches, cliffs, headlands, reefs, rugged gorges, and whirlpools. This area is known for its extreme tidal conditions—ranging up to 30 feet in places. Your daily activities are planned around the tides—a way of life in the Kimberley. At Raft Point, join a bush walk to learn the traditions of the Worrorra people and view ancient Aboriginal cave paintings of outstanding quality, depicting the significance of the marine world to the Aboriginal way of life. At Montgomery Reef, view the amazing array of marine life exposed at low tide. The reef is home to an incredible number of green sea turtles and sharks are sometimes spotted in the surrounding waters. At Talbot Bay visit the Horizontal Waterfalls, one of the most unusual regional attractions. The falls, created by a phenomenon resulting from the mammoth tides, actually reverse as the tide turns.
The Lacepede Islands are a group of four low, sandy islands lying on a coral reef. The islands are an important nesting site for green sea turtles and several species of seabirds including frigatebirds, brown boobies, crested terns, sandpipers, and ruddy turnstones. Join naturalists on nature walks along the long, white-sand beaches. Be on deck this evening as the sun sets and the night sky comes alive—far from the city lights, stargazing in the Kimberley is simply spectacular.
Day 12-13: Broome | Disembark | Sydney
2 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Disembark in Broome with time for a bit of sightseeing. Transfer to the airport for your independent flight to Sydney with dinner and overnight at the Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel. Board your independent flight the next day.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$11,990
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Category 1
Staterooms are 195 sq. feet and feature two portholes, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
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Category 2
Staterooms are 195 sq. feet and feature two small windows, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
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Category 3
Staterooms are 160 sq. ft and feature a large window, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
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Category 4
Staterooms are 195 sq. feet and feature a large window, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
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Category 5
Staterooms are 195 sq. feet and feature a large window, two twin beds or a double bed, a sitting area, a well-appointed en suite bathroom, large closets, desk, and individually controlled air-conditioning.
Notes
- Rates are per person based on double occupancy.
- Singles may be available at 1.6 times the share rate.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
Lisa Bridge
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
1 day ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
3 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
4 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.