Explore Australia's Kimberley aboard Coral Discoverer on a 12-day cruise which starts and ends in the city of Broome. Join a city tour and discover innovative and creative museums that showcase the rich indigenous art. Soak your feet on the shore of Silica Beach or enjoy walking with the naturalists. Helicopter tour awaits to witness the dramatic gorges of Mitchell Plateau. Swim in the crystal-clear pools above photogenic Mitchell Falls. Enjoy the incredible wildlife viewing opportunities for rock wallabies, turtles, and mighty saltwater crocodiles. Discover the Aboriginal cultural traditions and well-preserved rock art. View the amazing spectacle of the Horizontal Falls, created by massive tidal currents.
Highlights
Fly via helicopter to explore the dramatic gorges of Mitchell Plateau and swim in the crystal-clear pools above photogenic Mitchell Falls.
Discover Australia’s unique wildlife—rock wallabies, turtles, and mighty saltwater crocodiles.
Take a guided bush walk that reveals Aboriginal cultural traditions and view well-preserved rock art at Raft Point and Bigge Island.
View the amazing spectacle of the Horizontal Falls, created by massive tidal currents.
Join an optional pre-extension to Kununurra, Bungle Bungle, and Arnhem Land.
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 Broome—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, or take a tour of the lovely botanical gardens. This afternoon board the Coral Discoverer and set sail.
Take a cruise around Nares Point, a long finger of ancient sandstone protruding from the mainland. Step ashore on a sparkling strand of pure-white sand at Silica Beach. Take a walk with our naturalists, or relax on the beach and soak in the amazing view.
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.
Day 5: Prince Regent Nature Reserve | Careening Bay
The Prince Regent Nature Reserve is one of Australia’s most remote areas, and the rugged sandstone and volcanic landscape help to protect its scenic grandeur. This is pure wilderness, accessible only by air or boat, and you can truly say that you have been to a place seen by few others. The area boasts more than half of the mammal and bird species found in the entire Kimberley region and more than 500 species of plants. With the ship at anchor in St. George Basin, board Zodiacs to cruise up the Prince Regent River. With near-vertical cliffs on either side, make your way to the face of King Cascade, an unusual and picturesque waterfall cascading over terraced rock formations. Tidal conditions permitting, you will also explore nearby Camp Creek in search of local fauna such as estuarine crocodiles, red-tailed black cockatoos, and galahs. At Careening Bay visit a large boab tree with the inscription “H.M.C. Mermaid – 1820” still clearly visible. The Mermaid was a British Navy hydrographic survey ship under the command of Lt. Philip Parke King, who stayed at the bay for six weeks while repairing his ship.
A unique experience awaits us 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.
Visit a pearl farm to learn about the intriguing process of “growing pearls.” Then take a walk to view some excellent examples of Wandjina and Bradshaw art nearby.
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 our anchorage, you may explore the small tributaries by Zodiac, searching the mangroves and tidal mudflats for crocodiles, mudskippers, and fiddler crabs, as well as the many bird species that make their home within the dense vegetation.
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. 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, reefs, rugged gorges, and whirlpools.
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. Cruise the area by Zodiac for a closer look at the seabird colonies. 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: Broome | Disembark | Sydney
1 Breakfast, 1 Dinner
Disembark in Broome in 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.
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.
$14,580
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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
Beyond expectations! Then again we weren't sure what to expect. Lovely stay at the lodge, met other like-minded travelers (many had their trips planned by Adventure Life) and the owner was a gracious hostess. It felt like you were one happy family, visiting with a favorite aunt.
Nancy Sin
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.
