Journey Across the Remote Pacific: Taipei to Tahiti

Arrive in Taipei, Taiwan, and check into a room at our group hotel. Join your fellow travelers for a welcome briefing in the evening.

After breakfast at the hotel, join us on a city tour before embarking National Geographic Resolution in the late afternoon.

Scattered in the East China Sea off the coast of Taiwan, these tiny islands offer some of the best coral reefs and beaches in the region. Spend the day exploring above and below the water. Ride a Zodiac through the mangroves to spot mudskippers, ruddy kingfishers, or whistling green pigeons. Snorkel vibrant coral reefs and look for the elusive Okinawan dugong, a distant relative of the manatee

As we set a course for Guam, settle into life aboard the ship. Enjoy discussions with our naturalists about the wonders that await; and spend time on deck, scanning the horizon for seabirds and whales.

Today we explore Guam, the largest of the Mariana Islands. With a dynamic mix of cultures and over 4,000 years of intriguing history, this isolated landmass offers much to discover. Spend the day exploring Guam’s remote beaches and familiarize yourself with the island’s unique Chamorro culture, which is a melting pot of American, European, Asian, Spanish, and Micronesian heritage

During two days at sea, we traverse 550 nautical miles en route to Micronesia. Enjoy leisure time and attend expert-led talks about the history of Pacific wayfinding and navigation, as well as the flora, fauna, and geology of the islands we will visit. Join our naturalists on deck to identify the seabirds that follow us as we sail east.

The vast selection of WWII artifacts still found in the Chuuk State after five decades is a testament to the unique history of the Micronesian Islands— visible propellers, torpedoes, cave networks, planes, and ships abound. We see the waterside monument to those who died in the massive American air attack of 1944. Snorkel or dive among Chuuk’s renowned WWII shipwrecks, now blooming with corals. Spot wildlife on rainforest walks, past waterfalls and deserted beaches, and become acquainted with the everyday traditions of the islands, largely unchanged over the centuries. Then spend a day at sea en route to Pohnpei—a tropical Micronesian paradise with much to discover. Explore the island’s mysterious Nan Madol ruins—UNESCO-recognized marvels that have puzzled historians and archaeologists for decades. Discover Pohnpei’s pristine mangrove forests and stunning undersea life as we traverse the island before continuing our course east toward Kiribati.

We begin our exploration at Butaritari Atoll, an isolated island first discovered in the early 1600s. Home to resident traders during the 1800s and 1900s, the island was also the site of several foreign occupations during World War II. We’ll explore the island’s unique history and we’ll set out on walks to discover the four different species of mangrove that only grow on this particular island. The following day, we land at Tarawa: the capital of Kiribati and one of the most populous locations in the otherwise isolated Western Pacific. Spend the day exploring the island’s cultural and colonial history, as well as its role in World War II.

Choose from an array of shipboard activities as we sail toward Tokelau. Attend a photo workshop with our National Geographic photographer, treat yourself to a massage or a wellness class, or compete for prizes in a Geo Bee. After three days at sea, arrive at Tokelau, easily one of the most inaccessible places in the world. Learn of the islanders' strong Polynesian culture, and discover the undersea by snorkel or scuba.

Part of the Cook Islands, Palmerston Island has an incredible history. Explorer James Cook is credited with the discovery of the island; however it is Englishman William Marsters after which Palmerston Island is known. Today, the small population of Palmerston is made up solely of Marsters’ descendants, who have learned to thrive on this isolated island with few resources. Today we’ll meet some of the locals and we’ll discover what modern island life is like.

Enjoy the rhythms of shipboard life as we continue our course east. Soak up the views from one of the infinity-style hot tubs or saunas; enjoy a stretching session in the glass-walled yoga studio; and attend engaging presentations on a range of subjects, from ancient Polynesian navigators to talks from our photography team on how to organize and share your images

Encircled by a single fringing reef, and sharing a common lagoon, Ra’iatea and Taha’a are islands well worth exploring. One of the most important cultural sites in the Polynesian world, Marae Taputapuatea was a center for Polynesian seafarers and the location from which they set out for Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Hawai’i, and New Zealand. Watch from on deck as we navigate lagoon channels en route to Taha’a, then go ashore at our private motu and explore both above and under wate

Arrive in Papeete and take a tour of Tahiti before your overnight flight home.