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Meet the seafarers of Sulawesi

Stepping ashore at the coastal village of Tana Beru on Sulawesi’s south coast, the first thing you’ll notice are the finely crafted timber hulls of traditional pinisi boats on the beach. They poke out through the coconut palm canopy in various stages of construction.

As you wander through laneways the steady ‘thunk’ of timber being struck creates an ear-pleasing soundtrack to village life. Skilled craftsmen scamper across hulls and teeter upon bamboo scaffolding as these vessels emerge on to the beach without blueprints – their builders follow memorised plans by master shipwrights and passed down through generations.

Early pinisi trading ships were strictly sail-powered, carving an elegant swathe across the sea as sails billowed with the trade winds, but these days are more likely to have an engine.

Take the opportunity during a shore excursion to clamber into the timber hulls of these magnificent vessels and admire the elegant lines created by hand-hewed planks caulked with coconut husk fibre. UNESCO recognises the cultural significance of boat building, alongside Indonesian batik and shadow puppetry, in South Sulawesi as part of a millennia-long seafaring tradition by Bugis and Makassan mariners.

Fall in love with the Tobriand Islands

An archipelago known as the Islands of Love is always going to attract attention. Polish anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski can take responsibility for drawing attention to the dating rituals of Trobriand Islanders. In the early 1900s he was intrigued by matrilineal courting customs of women and men of this Papua New Guinea island group where the females were actively encouraged to pursue blokes who took their fancy.

Malinowski was equally fascinated by the tradition known as the kula exchange, which remains little changed today. Men risk their lives sailing across open seas in rudimentary canoes to trade trinkets decorated with shells in a complex hierarchy of promises and pacts to improve their social status. A kula ring is formed as each receiver passes on the gift to another, creating a constantly evolving circle.

But shells are much more than trading currency – they are equally significant as decorations.

As passengers alight from the Coral Adventurer and step ashore at Kuiawa Island, shells adorn the islanders waiting on the beach. Ladies wear elaborately dyed grass skirts, their waistbands bejewelled with cowry shells. Shells dangle from beaded belts slung around wispy waists. Men’s biceps are bound with decorated armbands. Strings of shells and beads dance upon the chests of foot-stomping youngsters whose exuberant dancing ensures the culture-rich Trobriand Islands are an unforgettable destination on Coral Expeditions’ Papua New Guinea cruises departing from Cairns and Darwin.

Observe Tana Toraja’s ancient burial rituals

The snaking road winds upwards from the coastal city of Palopo to Tana Toraja. Travellers pass thatch-roof villages and skirt terraced rice paddies cutting a swathe through plantations into the mountainous Sulawesi highlands.

Upon reaching Tana Toraja, soaring saddleback rooflines reach skywards like the bow of an Indonesian sailing ship. These striking traditional Tongkonan houses, along with their smaller rice barn siblings, are central to the Torajan people who remained isolated from the outside world until Dutch missionaries arrived in the 1920s. From birth, through love and marriage to their final resting rites, these Tongkonan houses are key to familial and ancestral relationships.

Witnessing the elaborate funeral rituals of the ‘uplands’ Toraja people, where death trumps life and the deceased are revered, is one of the attractions on an overnight excursion from expedition ship Coral Adventurer during the In the Wake of the Makassans cruise.

At Kete Kesu, a 400-year-old village and living museum, travellers wander beneath burial cliffs where tombs are carved from boulders and infants were once entombed in trees. Painted eyes peer out from the faces of timber Tau-tau effigies eerily keeping watch over hanging burial sites.

Slaves, firearms and coffee were once heavily traded at bustling nearby markets. Not these days, though. Expect to see buffalo and pigs being traded since both are highly sought-after commodities for ceremonies and rituals.

The joy of kayaking the Antarctic

You launch from the back deck of the ship, and slowly paddle away from civilisation as you’ve known it since embarking. When you lift your oar from the water you’ll hear, well, nothing. That’s the thing about Antarctica – there are no planes flying overhead, no hum of traffic in the distance, not even the chatter of birds to fill the air. Here, the world is silent save for the gentle lap of the ocean against your kayak.

You’ll be immersed in nature’s grandeur in a landscape like no other on earth. Skim past icebergs, watch for whales breaching and glide past flocks of penguins gathered on the coldest of continents.

When you take an Antarctic cruise with Chimu Adventures you’ll be part of a small group, led by skilled instructors, that takes to the water on sea kayaks. Picking up the paddle allows you to get up close to marine life that may otherwise be startled by the sound of motors, duck into small coves and see the landscape from water level – a perspective that will give you a deep appreciation for its magnificence.

See Antarctica’s outstanding wildlife

Being this is the most remote and inhospitable place on Earth, you’d be forgiven for thinking you could go days without seeing any other sign of life on an Antarctic cruise. If anything, though, you’ll be gob-smacked by the number of animals you spot while you’re here.

The only animal to live in the Antarctic year round is the hardy emperor penguin. The rest fly or swim out of the southern reaches when the weather is at its most harsh and migrate back again during the spring. Even during summer the temperature rarely gets any warmer than about –2ºC, so it’s easy to see how only the strong survive.

What can you expect to see? There is any number of species of penguins that live this far south. Emperor penguins are penguin royalty, standing at about 120 centimetres tall. That’s one big bird. Then there’s the small but feisty Adélie penguin, the chinstrap penguin, which is most common around the South Sandwich Islands, and the gentoo, whose slickness and speed in the water makes it a fierce predator.

One step up the food chain from penguins is the seal family. The leopard seal is the most formidable of hunters, but you’ll probably get to see other species including the Antarctic fur seal, Weddell seal, which spends the entirety of winter underwater, the oddly named crabeater seal (odd because it eats prawns), and the humongous southern elephant seal.

The icy ocean, which is rich with krill, is also home to humpback whales and orcas. The former is quite inquisitive so will often approach boats in the water, while the latter loves to hunt in these waters. A highlight of any cruise in Antarctica is the sight of a school of orcas circling seals on the ice waiting for them to accidentally slip into the water.

Siberian Ice rider

Quite possibly the most extreme adventure since Shackleton’s polar expeditions, the Ice Run sees motorbike riders careening across a frozen landscape in the depths of Russia’s winter.

Form your own team of two and hop aboard a Ural motorcycle to traverse the world’s largest, deepest and oldest lake – a body of water so vast that it’s often mistaken for a sea – in temperatures that can reach –27°C.

Three days of training preps bikers for the Siberian slog-athon; sharp gusts of 20 different winds can abruptly materialise, threatening to freeze your face; snow is pockmarked with patches of polished ice, creating a veritable skating rink; and the barren landscape, almost entirely devoid of landmarks, means riders have almost no sense of perspective.

Come the big ride, the frosty beauty of Lake Baikal will take your breath away – if the freezing temperatures haven’t already – while the camaraderie will warm your heart, even if every other part of your body is frozen.

Marine safeguard, New Caledonia

Established to protect and ensure the future of New Caledonia’s exceptional aquatic ecosystem, the Natural Park of the Coral Sea is the world’s largest marine park.

Covering an astounding 1.3 million square kilometres, the park also encompasses the world’s largest lagoon and second longest barrier reef, and acts as a sanctuary for turtles, whales, sharks, giant clams, sea birds, an array of fish species and the world’s third largest herd of dugongs.

The highest level of protection for the world’s last unspoiled reefs – Chesterfield, Bellona, Entrecasteaux, Pétrie and Astrolabe – safeguards 28,000 square kilometres of pristine reef.

Some small eco-tourist groups will be able to gain permits to access these reefs. This watery wonderland is best explored at sea level, so to truly get an idea of the park’s rich diversity, make sure you get wet.

Marine safeguard, Malaysia

It’s the largest marine protected area in Malaysia and below the glistening turquoise surface, Tun Mustapha Park plays home to coral reefs, mangroves, dugongs, sea turtles, sharks and more than 360 species of fish.

It took almost 13 years to protect this colourful undersea world, but now, using a mixed approach to satisfy marine conservation, local communities and fishing industries, it’s intended to boost biodiversity over the next decade.

Covering more than one million hectares, it’s the largest marine park in Malaysia, encompassing more than 50 islands across the Kudat, Pita and Kota Marudu districts, from where travellers can swim, snorkel and dive to get up close and personal with the inhabitants of the deep.

From Moscow to Berlin

Experience the history, culture and heritage of six northeastern European countries on a 21-day tour that begins at the Kremlin and ends at the Brandenburg Gate.

First up, get acquainted with Moscow. Over the course of a couple of days you’ll get to tour the Kremlin, Red Square, the Lenin Mausoleum, St Basil’s Cathedral and tonnes more, as well as travel on the famous Moscow Metro, admiring the historical stations as you take the ring line.

Jump on a high-speed train for the next stop, St Petersburg. This cultural capital was where Lenin and the Bolsheviks overthrew the Tsars in 1917 and is chock-full of history. A visit to Palace Square, the Winter Palace, Nevsky Prospect and Peter and Paul Fortress will have your inner historian doing mental high-fives.

It’s onwards and upwards as the tour hightails it through Estonia where a visit to the vodka museum in Lahemaa should help with the night’s rest. After waking, you’ll be delighted to know the next stop is for a craft brewery tour at Latvia’s Valmiermuiza Beer Brewery in Riga. As Arnold Schwarzenegger famously said, “Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.”

After a full day exploring Riga – highlights include the National Opera House, Old Town, St Peter’s Church and the Occupation Museum – the tour heads to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. There you’ll check out the Old Town, which is home to Vilnius Cathedral, the Palace of Grand Dukes and much more.

Moving along at a cracking pace, it’s on to Poland. If you’ve got an interest in World War II history, you’ll be enthralled by a visit to the famous Wolf’s Lair in Gierloz, Hitler’s first Eastern Front military headquarters.

In Warsaw, pose for a photo at the Mermaid Statue and visit the Palace on the Isle, a former summer residence for royalty. The tour then heads to Krakow. You’ve got choices here. The morning encompasses the Old Town with its Main Market Square. In the afternoon either continue with the World War II history and take in what was the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp or instead visit Wawel Castle.

Just as you are about to inhale, it’s time for Berlin. This exciting city combines glamour and grit, and you’ll want to see it all. Not possible, but we will take a sightseeing tour and hit the highlights like Potsdamer Platz, the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag, before hitting Potsdam for the afternoon. OK, you can exhale now.

Colour your world in Panama

From idyllic, deserted islands scattered on warm, turquoise seas to cosmopolitan cities, this 10-day Panama experience offers a wealth of surprises and experiences.

Your first two days in paradise are spent in Panama City’s Casco Antiguo, built by the Spanish in 1673. Soak up its pastel-hued, colonial architecture and get acquainted with its warm inviting people. Dance to the beat of West Indian congo, calypso, jazz or salsa and feast on traditional sancocho (Panamanian chicken stew with vegetables) in one of the many restaurants or cafes.

The next three days will be spent at the Caribbean coastal and Spanish colonial period village of Portobelo, located in Colón Province. Explore the fortresses and San Felipe Church, learn about Congo culture and visit one of the many art galleries with a Congo craftsperson to learn how to create masks, hats and other traditional costumes used for dances.

Mingle or even jam with a group of young musicians who are part of the ONG Bahia de Portobelo, an organisation created to keep this rich culture alive. Learn about their music, rhythms and folklore. In the afternoon, transfer to an idyllic, white sandy beach or try your hand at fishing and learn about the thousand different species of fish found in the Caribbean Sea. Afterwards, make your way to a farm to harvest some cassava that will be turned into lunch with the fish you caught and some green plantain.

The Congo Festival dates back to the 1500s and is one of the most colourful and unique manifestations of folklore in Colón. You’ll get the chance to experience it, discover traditional dances and learn about the Afro-American.

In the morning, after you dust yourself off from the previous night’s festivities you’ll fly to David City in the Chiriquí Province. In the village of Cerro Punta take part in the harvesting and roasting of coffee beans, before sampling some of the wares.

You’ll also have the opportunity to spend some time with the Ngobe community, one of the oldest native communities in Panama, in a government-created indigenous reservation.

Kick back and spend your final day resting or exploring Cerro Punta before your transfer back to Panama City where you’ll enjoy a farewell dinner. For something different give Panamanian tortillas or carimañolas (stuffed yuca fritters) a try, washed down with seco, a sugar-cane-distilled alcohol commonly served with milk and ice.

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