Easter Island to Tahiti: Tales of the Pacific

Arrive in Santiago, Chile, and transfer to the Mandarin Oriental Santiago (or similar) located in central Santiago. Join your fellow travelers this evening for a welcome reception.

Early the next morning, board a flight to Easter Island where you will check into the Nayara Hangaroa (or similar) for two nights. Over the next two days, explore volcanic calderas, jagged lava fields, and sweeping grasslands to discover the colossal moai statues–the astonishing legacy of a long-lost culture. Join archaeologists to examine these statues and discuss their meaning and creation. Visit burial sites, quarries, and intricately carved ceremonial altars. On Day 4, embark National Geographic Resolution. Dinner is served on Day 1; breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on Days 2-4.

Santiago is the capital and largest city of Chile, located in a valley surrounded by the Andes mountains. It is the political, cultural, and economic center of the country. The city is known for its modern skyline, historic neighborhoods, and vibrant street life. Santiago also offers easy access to ski resorts, vineyards, and natural parks nearby. With its mix of urban energy and mountain scenery, it is one of South America’s most dynamic cities.

Arrive in Santiago, Chile, and transfer to the Mandarin Oriental Santiago (or similar) located in central Santiago. Join your fellow travelers this evening for a welcome reception.

Early the next morning, board a flight to Easter Island where you will check into the Nayara Hangaroa (or similar) for two nights. Over the next two days, explore volcanic calderas, jagged lava fields, and sweeping grasslands to discover the colossal moai statues–the astonishing legacy of a long-lost culture. Join archaeologists to examine these statues and discuss their meaning and creation. Visit burial sites, quarries, and intricately carved ceremonial altars. On Day 4, embark National Geographic Resolution. Dinner is served on Day 1; breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on Days 2-4.

Discovered (by the Western world) on Easter Sunday, 1722, Easter Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most isolated places on the face of the Earth, some 2,300 miles from the Chilean mainland. Although more Polynesian than South American in character, the 64-square mile island was annexed by Chile in 1888, and is now famous as the world’s largest ‘open air museum’ on account of the Moai, or human-like stone statues, that can be found on the island. The Moai remain very much a mystery, which archaeologists are still trying to unlock by interpreting an ancient language of the Rapa Nui, which is the key to understanding this culture, and is written on the so called ‘rongo rongo tablets’. The island owes its origin to three volcanoes which erupted some three million years ago: Poike, Rano Kau and Maunga Terevaka. It is not known when or how the island was first populated, but the most credible theory suggests that the Rapa Nui people came from other Pacific islands in the 4th century AD. In addition to the cultural and archaeological interest, there are the beautiful beaches, transparent waters, and coral reefs that might be expected of a Pacific Island.

As you set sail and journey west from Easter Island, head up to the bridge to watch for wildlife and observe expert navigation at work as the skilled captain and officers sail these historic waters. There is also time to enjoy a massage in the wellness center, work out in the gym and browse through the library. Each day the naturalists offer talks that add depth to your experience.

Begin your exploration at the famed Pitcairn Island. Many of the mutineers of the legendary HMS Bounty made their home here in the late 18th century, and about 50 of their descendants still live here today. Meet the residents and hear a few words of the unusual Pitkern dialect–a combination of English "sailor speak" and Polynesian phrases. Visit the gravesite of the last surviving Bounty mutineer, John Adams, and see the Bounty's anchor, which was salvaged in 1957. Continue to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Henderson Island, an uplifted atoll that is uninhabited and virtually untouched by humans. Discover the island's four endemic bird species, rich flora and fauna and fascinating geology. At Ducie Atoll, spend time looking for frigatebirds and boobies or snorkel among spectacular reefs.

With a total of 56 residents on the island, Adamstown is the capital of the Pitcairn Islands and the only populated settlement, as all of the other Pitcairn Islands are uninhabited (although were populated by Polynesians in the 11th through 15th centuries). Halfway between Peru and New Zealand, Pitcairn was the perfect hiding spot for the famed HMS Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives. Not only had the island been misplaced on early maps of the region, but it can also be very difficult to come ashore as large breakers tend to build up just in front of the small harbour of Bounty Bay. On shore visit the local museum that houses the HMS Bounty Bible, the historic Adamstown Church, view Fletcher Christian’s cave, or keep an eye out for the Pitcairn Reed Warbler.

As you set sail and journey west from Easter Island, head up to the bridge to watch for wildlife and observe expert navigation at work as the skilled captain and officers sail these historic waters. There is also time to enjoy a massage in the wellness center, work out in the gym and browse through the library. Each day the naturalists offer talks that add depth to your experience.

Spend a day at sea scanning the horizon with naturalists or relaxing on deck with a good book. Then arrive at Mangareva, the largest of the Gambier Islands, with its interesting history and beautiful lagoon. Venture underwater to snorkel, meet islanders to learn about their culture and the missionaries who made their home here or go on a hike with naturalists.

In the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia, Mangareva is the largest island with a population of over 1,200 people. Most live in the largest village on the island, Rikitea. A high central ridge runs the length of Mangareva peaking with Mt. Duff, which rises over 440 meters from the sea on the island's south coast. The island has a large lagoon sprinkled with coral reefs whose tropical fish helped ancient islanders survive much more successfully than on nearby islands with no reefs. Small ships are able to enter the lagoon of Mangareva. From inside the atoll it is possible to reach Mangareva’s main town. Ashore visitors can walk through the town or up the sides of Mt. Duff. The highlights in town include the cathedral with its mother-of-pearl shell objects designed by the students of Rikitea’s school.

As you set sail and journey west from Easter Island, head up to the bridge to watch for wildlife and observe expert navigation at work as the skilled captain and officers sail these historic waters. There is also time to enjoy a massage in the wellness center, work out in the gym and browse through the library. Each day the naturalists offer talks that add depth to your experience.

A day at sea brings you to the furthest reaches of the Tuamotu Archipelago, where the captain and expedition leader will determine the next spot for exploration. In true expedition mode, you'll visit some of the Tuamotus' most remote islands, taking the opportunity to explore them by land and by sea. Navigate reefs and islets as you make your way west and explore one of French Polynesia's many uninhabited atolls, such as Tahanea. Continue to Fakarava, one of the largest atolls in French Polynesia and part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Snorkel the protected reefs or ride the current into the lagoon on a world-famous drift dive.

Arrive at Fakarava, one of the largest atolls in French Polynesia and part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This coral atoll is home to many rare species of birds, plants and crustaceans, and you will have the opportunity to snorkel its protected reefs. Spend time exploring Rotoava, the main village on Fakarava. Take a leisurely bike ride, visit a pearl shop or stroll along the turquoise waterfront with a fresh coconut. Dive or snorkel through Fakarava's Tumakohua Pass, one of the most famous drift dives in the world.

Experience the furthest reaches of the Tuamotu Archipelago, where the captain and expedition leader will determine the next spot for exploration. Spend a day at sea scanning the horizon with naturalists or relaxing on deck with a good book.

An uplifted coral atoll, the island of Makatea is one of the most unique landforms in the Pacific. A makatea is a raised coral atoll that is tilted due to plate tectonics. This specific island of Makatea gives its name to all other uplifted coral atolls worldwide. Spend the day exploring the island's limestone caves and grottos with our expedition team and local guides, or search for endemic fruit doves and myriad seabirds.

Disembark in Papeete, Tahiti and transfer to the airport for flights home.

Papeete will be your gateway to the tropical paradise of French Polynesia, where islands fringed with gorgeous beaches and turquoise ocean await to soothe the soul. This spirited city is the capital of French Polynesia, and serves as a superb base for onward exploration of Tahiti – an island of breathtaking landscapes and oceanic vistas. Wonderful lagoons of crisp, clear water beg to be snorkelled, stunning black beaches and blowholes pay tribute to the island's volcanic heritage, and lush green mountains beckon you inland on adventures, as you explore extraordinary Tahiti. Visit to relax inside picturesque stilted huts, which stand out over shimmering water, as you settle into the intoxicating rhythm of life, in this Polynesian paradise.