I still can’t quite believe it … we swam with whale sharks yesterday in Saleh Bay. I may have cried … more than once … which was a little messy in a snorkelling mask. Swimming with whale sharks wasn’t listed on our cruise itinerary. But, from the moment I debuted my whale shark-patterned stinger suit... Continue Reading →

The sea was smooth as a mill pond when we cruised toward Komodo Island early on Monday morning. Our ship was accompanied by a dolphin and surrounded by swarms of fish, swirling with their fins in the air. Even at 6.30am the humidity was oppressive. But there were real-life dragons to be seen, so we... Continue Reading →

Our cruise is drawing rapidly to a close, but we've had an amazing few days since I last blogged. On Friday, Le Soleal visited a remote region off the coast of East Timor, the Barat Daya Islands. We spent the afternoon there, snorkelling on off the beach at an uninhabited island called Pulau Kital. The... Continue Reading →

We rose early yesterday morning for the spectacular experience of sailing into Banda Neira harbour. Two dolphins undulated past the ship’s prow as we approached the entrance to the port. Then two long canoes filled with singing locals and drummers appeared and accompanied us to our landing site. After we disembarked, dancers performed during a... Continue Reading →

I love waterfalls and on Wednesday morning we arrived at a unique one called Kiti Kiti Waterfall. Nestled in the lush jungle of West Papua and accessible only by boat, the spectacular natural wonder cascades fresh water directly into the ocean, through a crack in the rocks rather than a river or stream. (That’s mist... Continue Reading →

I started writing today's blog post while gazing at this view from my cabin. Even though it is day … seven … I think … our cruise still feels a bit surreal. We sailed into West Papua's Triton Bay at dawn, with the Captain using dynamic positioning to hold the ship in place as the... Continue Reading →

It was fascinating to see the ocean transform from aquamarine to murky green as we approached the mouth of South Papua’s mighty Digul River. Our ship followed the coast north to our next port of call - the village of Agats in the province of Asmat. The region is one the most remote and mysterious... Continue Reading →

A 1200km strip of road connects Cairns and Cape York - a journey that takes around seven days in a 4WD. The trip has been described as “dry, dusty and often rough as guts”. The jewel at the final destination is the northernmost point in Australia, marked with a sign that was once riddled with... Continue Reading →

I need to tell you about a crazy thing the youngest did last week. She cycled 500km to Wagga Wagga for the Gear and Beers festival, where she participated in the Dirty 130. As the name suggests, the event involves cycling 130km on dirt roads and drinking craft beer at the end. I freaked out... Continue Reading →

I am feeling very blissed out and fortunate to be cruising to Indonesia with DD. It’s another no-solo-supplement special aboard Ponant, which means we have two cabins for the price of one. The partition has been removed between our balconies, providing a spacious outdoor area to lounge on together, and separate bedrooms to ensure a... Continue Reading →