Tonga to Fiji (18 days)
Tour Overview
Combine tropical cruising in the islands of northern Tonga and southern Fiji with a 4 night blue water ocean passage between them. Sailing through the Tongan breeding waters of humpback whales in Vava'u, we also snorkel amongst coral gardens and caves.
Trip Details
Close Details
At Vava'u our visit should coincide with the annual migration of the humpback whales from Antarctica, so keep your eyes peeled from the start. Overnight Accommodation on Boat (U) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The Kingdom of Tonga is a collection of tiny islands lying north - south near to the International Dateline of 180 deg longtitude - truly the far side of the world. Captain Cook named these the 'Friendly Isles' of Tonga and it aptly. There are so many islands in the Tongan group that we will be spoiled for choice. The islands of northern Tonga typify the idealised the classical South Sea island.
Sailing by day and lying anchor each night will provide fairly sheltered sailing and a gentle introduction to life aboard. We will cruise an archipelago of tiny islands and visit Swallow's Cave and Mariner's Cave and make the most of the wonderful snorkelling there. We will snorkel at Mariner's Cave which involves swimming through an underwater entrance to an enclosed cave, (an easy swim for the intrepid snorkler). At Swallows Cave which is large enough to explore with our inflatable boat has spectacular rock formations. They are surrounded by stunning coral reefs which had up to 100 ft visibility when we swam there. We normally find a deserted beach one evening, probably on Nuku Atoll, to have a barbecue ashore. Near Nieafu we may have an evening's entertainment at a local village with a traditional feast and Tongan dancing .
Vava'u 's labyrinthine islands and passages, its perfect untouched beaches, sculptured cliffs and caves could take weeks to explore but we will concentrate on the most spectacular with the best access ashore by the ship's 17ft inflatable Avon work boat. We use this for runs to the beach to explore ashore or out to the reefs for snorkelling trips. The ship has sufficient sets of masks, fins and snorkels to allow everyone to see the brilliant coral in the amazingly clear waters around these islands.
Whales
At Vava'u our visit should coincide with the annual migration of the humpback whales from Antarctica In previous seasons we have seen humpback whales close by the ship in these waters as well as dolphins who delight in dancing in our bow wave. On these occasions those on bow watch duty have a front row seat for the excitement - how much longer we will witness this spectacle is open to question, as tragically Japan is set to increase its southern whale kill from this year for 'scientific purposes'.
A Soren Larsen voyage is a holiday adventure where your enjoyment is of paramount importance. Participation in the ship and the voyage is central to the experience and you will be signed on ship as Voyage Crew as part of the ship's crew for your trip. However the level of involvement is up to you and no previous experience is necessary. The ship requires authentic seamanship to sail her but participating Voyage Crew are treated in a friendly and informal way and Soren Larsen's level of comfort and facilities reflect this.
On this cruise most nights will be spent at anchor as distances between the islands are small - perhaps only 20-30 miles, (there may be one or two overnight passages). We will usually lay anchor early each morning and aim to arrive at our next anchorage by early afternoon. Maybe an island exploration voyage would be the ideal introduction to the sea on which to bring a non sailing partner.
Once we drop anchor the deck watch is undertaken by the permanent crew and the Voyage Crew are free to explore ashore.
FIJI
Southern Fiji We arrive in Fiji at Levuka. Ovalau has an old world charm of it own, and once Customs officers have cleared us, we will get ashore and perhaps enjoy tea and billiards at the Royal Hotel or a gin at the Ovalau Club. We should have 5 or 6 days to cruise the islands to the east and south of Fiji's main island Viti Levu. It will depend at the time which places we choose to go and often the chart will be laid out in the saloon and the alternative plans discussed and put to a vote - a decision making process rarely heard of in Captain Bligh's day.
In previous years we have had an enchanting day and night at either Kandavu or Mbegga lying at anchor off the village of Malureu within the lagoon. After the Captain has obtained permission for our visit from the chief, we invited dozens of the local children for a tour of the ship and we later visited the village, even joining in the traditional welcome of the kava ceremony at the chief's house.
We may also stop for a barbecue lunch at one of the uninhabited islands close by. The cruise around Fiji will involve one overnight passage as well as those spent anchored in peaceful bays and inlets, and will finish at the port of Lautoka on the west side of Viti Levu.
Our sailing between anchorages in the island groups may involve some motoring, but also some quite intense sail handling. However, this allows those who would rather relish the amazing scenery to stand back and let the keener sailors get involved in handling the ship under sail. Everyone is involved in the duty watch system as Voyage Crew which will operate while we are under way and you may have your turn at the helm, on bow lookout or helping trim sail or help tack ship.
Going aloft is a unique experience, but is not compulsory and everyone can decide when or if they'd like to. People of all ages join us and many have never sailed before - previous experience is certainly not necessary. Overnight Accommodation on Boat (U) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 1: Embark in Vava'u and discover the ship
On arriving onboard you will be shown your berths, introduced to the crew, and signed on Ship's Articles as Voyage Crew members. Much of the first morning will be spent introducing you to the ship and explaining the various routines, safety procedures and equipment and how the watch system works.At Vava'u our visit should coincide with the annual migration of the humpback whales from Antarctica, so keep your eyes peeled from the start. Overnight Accommodation on Boat (U) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 2 to 17: Sailing the Tonga and Fiji archipelagos
TongaThe Kingdom of Tonga is a collection of tiny islands lying north - south near to the International Dateline of 180 deg longtitude - truly the far side of the world. Captain Cook named these the 'Friendly Isles' of Tonga and it aptly. There are so many islands in the Tongan group that we will be spoiled for choice. The islands of northern Tonga typify the idealised the classical South Sea island.
Sailing by day and lying anchor each night will provide fairly sheltered sailing and a gentle introduction to life aboard. We will cruise an archipelago of tiny islands and visit Swallow's Cave and Mariner's Cave and make the most of the wonderful snorkelling there. We will snorkel at Mariner's Cave which involves swimming through an underwater entrance to an enclosed cave, (an easy swim for the intrepid snorkler). At Swallows Cave which is large enough to explore with our inflatable boat has spectacular rock formations. They are surrounded by stunning coral reefs which had up to 100 ft visibility when we swam there. We normally find a deserted beach one evening, probably on Nuku Atoll, to have a barbecue ashore. Near Nieafu we may have an evening's entertainment at a local village with a traditional feast and Tongan dancing .
Vava'u 's labyrinthine islands and passages, its perfect untouched beaches, sculptured cliffs and caves could take weeks to explore but we will concentrate on the most spectacular with the best access ashore by the ship's 17ft inflatable Avon work boat. We use this for runs to the beach to explore ashore or out to the reefs for snorkelling trips. The ship has sufficient sets of masks, fins and snorkels to allow everyone to see the brilliant coral in the amazingly clear waters around these islands.
Whales
At Vava'u our visit should coincide with the annual migration of the humpback whales from Antarctica In previous seasons we have seen humpback whales close by the ship in these waters as well as dolphins who delight in dancing in our bow wave. On these occasions those on bow watch duty have a front row seat for the excitement - how much longer we will witness this spectacle is open to question, as tragically Japan is set to increase its southern whale kill from this year for 'scientific purposes'.
A Soren Larsen voyage is a holiday adventure where your enjoyment is of paramount importance. Participation in the ship and the voyage is central to the experience and you will be signed on ship as Voyage Crew as part of the ship's crew for your trip. However the level of involvement is up to you and no previous experience is necessary. The ship requires authentic seamanship to sail her but participating Voyage Crew are treated in a friendly and informal way and Soren Larsen's level of comfort and facilities reflect this.
On this cruise most nights will be spent at anchor as distances between the islands are small - perhaps only 20-30 miles, (there may be one or two overnight passages). We will usually lay anchor early each morning and aim to arrive at our next anchorage by early afternoon. Maybe an island exploration voyage would be the ideal introduction to the sea on which to bring a non sailing partner.
Once we drop anchor the deck watch is undertaken by the permanent crew and the Voyage Crew are free to explore ashore.
FIJI
Southern Fiji We arrive in Fiji at Levuka. Ovalau has an old world charm of it own, and once Customs officers have cleared us, we will get ashore and perhaps enjoy tea and billiards at the Royal Hotel or a gin at the Ovalau Club. We should have 5 or 6 days to cruise the islands to the east and south of Fiji's main island Viti Levu. It will depend at the time which places we choose to go and often the chart will be laid out in the saloon and the alternative plans discussed and put to a vote - a decision making process rarely heard of in Captain Bligh's day.
In previous years we have had an enchanting day and night at either Kandavu or Mbegga lying at anchor off the village of Malureu within the lagoon. After the Captain has obtained permission for our visit from the chief, we invited dozens of the local children for a tour of the ship and we later visited the village, even joining in the traditional welcome of the kava ceremony at the chief's house.
We may also stop for a barbecue lunch at one of the uninhabited islands close by. The cruise around Fiji will involve one overnight passage as well as those spent anchored in peaceful bays and inlets, and will finish at the port of Lautoka on the west side of Viti Levu.
Our sailing between anchorages in the island groups may involve some motoring, but also some quite intense sail handling. However, this allows those who would rather relish the amazing scenery to stand back and let the keener sailors get involved in handling the ship under sail. Everyone is involved in the duty watch system as Voyage Crew which will operate while we are under way and you may have your turn at the helm, on bow lookout or helping trim sail or help tack ship.
Going aloft is a unique experience, but is not compulsory and everyone can decide when or if they'd like to. People of all ages join us and many have never sailed before - previous experience is certainly not necessary. Overnight Accommodation on Boat (U) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 18: Disembark at Denerau
Included meals: Breakfast- Day 1: Embark in Vava'u and discover the ship
- Day 2 to 17: Sailing the Tonga and Fiji archipelagos
- Day 18: Disembark at Denerau
Dates and Prices
- Mon 18 Jul - Thu 04 Aug 2011 Adult: CA$4620
All quoted prices effective at time of publication (Feb. 20, 2011). While not expected, itinerary and prices are subject to change.
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