FIJItoBALI

TakeawestwardvoyagedeepintotheFarEastonthisone-time,one-of-a-kinditinerary.EmbarkTheGauguininthe“SugarCity”—Lautoka,theheartofFiji’ssugarcane-growingregion—andsailtoexoticportsinVanuatu,theSolomonIslands,PapuaNewGuinea,Indonesia,andthetinynewnationofTimor-Leste.Alongtheway,you’llencounterWorldWarIIrelics,superbsnorkelinganddiving,quaintvillages,andthewelcomingpeopleofmanydifferentcultures—allwhileenjoyingtheluxuryandcomfortofoneoftheworld’smosthighlyacclaimedships.

DATES:2020–April11

DURATION:17DAYS/16NIGHTS

EMBARK:LAUTOKA,VITI

LEVU,FIJIDISEMBARK:BENOA,BALI,

INDONESIA

SHIP:PaulGauguinFROM:$7,945(Includesair

fromLAX)

HIGHLIGHTS–

• HistorybuffswillthrilltothemanylandmarksofWorldWarIIthatdotthisitinerary,includingEspirituSanto,Vanuatu;SamaraiIsland,PapuaNewGuinea;ThursdayIsland,Australia;and,mostfamously,Guadalcanal,theSolomonIslandwherecombatmarkedaturningpointinthePacifictheater.

• VisitthecapitalofTimor-Leste,oneoftheyoungestcountriesintheworld.InDili,youcanclimbtotheCristoRei(ChristtheKing)statue,strollthewaterfront,andenjoyexcellentdivingandsnorkeling.

ITINERARY–Day1–Embarkthem/sPaulGauguininLautoka,VitiLevu,FijiKnownas“SugarCity”forthegreen-goldsugarcanethatsurroundsitonthreesides,thetownofLautokaisthelargestintheFijianislandsandtheplacewhereyourSouthPacificsojournbegins.Savesometimetobrowsetheshopsalongthecity’sstately,royalpalm-linedmainthoroughfareandvisitthebotanicalgarden.

Day2–AtSeaThetimeyouspendonboardTheGauguinoffersendlessopportunitiesforrelaxationandenjoyment,whetherthatmeanssamplinggourmetcuisine,indulginginaspatreatment,watchingthesunsetfromachaiseloungeonthesundeck,orsimplymakingthemostofyourin-roomamenities.

Day3–EspirituSanto,VanuatuAstunningislandofpalm-linedbeaches,spring-fedswimmingholes,lushrainforests,andloftymountains,EspirituSantoalsoplayedanimportantroleinWorldWarII.Perhapsyou’llexplorethisheritage,or

experiencetheisland’straditionalvillagelife.Youcanalsoenjoyexceptionalswimmingandsnorkelinghere.Orsimplyrelaxonthebeach.

Day4–AtSeaTakeadaytoenjoyshipboardlife:relaxpoolside,watchtheSouthPacificpassby,playsometabletennis,orlearnaboutournextportintheReadingGallery.

Day5–Guadalcanal,SolomonIslandsThelargestoftheSolomonIslands,Guadalcanalisbestknownforthesix-monthbattlebetweenAlliedandJapaneseforcesthatmarkedaturningpointinthePacifictheaterduringWorldWarII.TheislandstillbrimswithWorldWarIIrelics,monuments,andmemorials,asyoumaydiscover.Perhapsyou’llexploreitstropicalinterior,withitsexcellentbirdwatching.Orseeforyourselfwhytheislandisreveredforitssuperiorsnorkelinganddiving.Day6–AtSeaSpendthedayenjoyingTheGauguin’sPolynesianambiance:casual,leisurely,andgraceful.Perhapsyou’lltakeinalecturebyoneofourspecialguests,andthenreflectonyourdayoverclassicFrenchcuisineatL’Etoile.

Day7-SamaraiIsland,PapuaNewGuineaOnceanimportanttradingcenter,SamaraiIslandwasevacuatedanditsbuildingsweredestroyedtopreventitfromfallingintoJapanesecontrolduringWorldWarII.Ithassincebeenrebuilt—thoughnottothesamescaleasitsglorydays.Takeastrollalongthepleasantpathwaythatencirclesitsprettytown,viewspectacularmarinelifeonaSCUBAdivingexpedition,orsimplyrelaxonthebeach.

Day8–PortMoresby,PapuaNewGuineaHistoricallymadeupoftribalpeoplesmakingtheirlivingfromthesea,PortMoresbybecamethecapitalofPapuaNewGuineawhenthecountrygaineditsindependencein1975.Whilehere,perhapsyou’lladmirethemosaicfaçadeoftheNationalParliamentHouse,inhalethefragranceoftropicalbloomsatthePortMoresbyNaturePark,ormarvelatthedepthanddiversityofthelocalcultureattheNationalMuseumandArtGallery.

Day9–AtSeaTheGauguinwasdesignedwithyourcomfortinmind,fromherspaciousstateroomsandelegantpublicspacestothehostofamenitiesavailableforyoutowhileawaythedaysatsea.Workoutattheship’sFitnessCenterorpickupasouveniratLaBoutique.

Day10–ThursdayIsland,Australia Immerseyourselfintheisland’sculturalmixofAsian,European,andPacificIslandinfluencesattheGabTituiCulturalCentre.AtGreenHillFort,builtasadefenseagainstRussianinvasionandlateraWorldWarIImilitarybase,admiremilitaryartifactsandsplendidviews,aswellasexhibitsthatpayhomagetotheisland’spearlfishinghistory.Orjoinadeep-seafishingexpedition.

Day11-12–AtSeaThenexttwodayswillbeatsea,whichaffordsyouplentyoftimetorelaxandenjoytheamenitiesandentertainmentonboardTheGauguin,liketheaward-winningspa,casino,andlecturesbyonboardexperts.

Day13-Dili,Timor-LesteThecapitalofTimor-Leste(formerlyEastTimor)—oneoftheyoungestcountriesintheworld—Diliisstillasleepycolonialtown…butalsoonethatismodernizing

rapidly.Ifyou’refeelingenergetic,youmightclimbthe580stepstotheCristoRei,theworldsecond-largeststatueChristtheKing.Strollthewaterfrontinthecolonialheartoftown.FindawideassortmentofgoodsattheDiliTaisMarket.Andenjoythecity’smanyfinewhite-sandbeacheswithexcellentdivingandsnorkeling.

Day14–atSeaSpendthelastseadayexperiencingcasual,leisurely,andgracefulambience.Takeinalectureonlocalwildlifeorhistory,andrelaxthiseveningoverclassicFrenchcuisine.Day15-KomodoIsland,IndonesiaHomeofthefamousKomododragon,KomodoisoneofthreeislandsthatcompriseKomodoNationalPark,aUNESCOWorldHeritageSiteandManandBiosphereReserve.Whilehere,enjoythetropicalclimateandbeautifulbeaches—includingoneofonlysevenpink-sandbeachesintheworld.Perhapsyou’llvisitthepark,takeawalkalongthewalkingtrails(becauseofthedragons,itisrequiredthatyoubeaccompaniedbyaguide),ortakeacruiseinaglass-bottomboattoadmiretheabundantmarinelife.

Day16-Benoa,Bali,IndonesiaArriveintheafternoonandspendtherestofthedayexploring.Perhapsyou’lltakeadvantagetoindulgeinwatersportsactivities,includingjetskiing,bananaboating,parasailing,snorkeling,diving,andreeffishing.VisitUbud,renownedforitstemples,shrines,artists’workshopsandgalleries,andtheSacredMonkeyForest.

Day17-DisembarkinBenoa,Bali,IndonesiaThismorning,you’llbidfarewelltoyourcrewanddisembarkTheGauguin.

PAULGAUGUINGUESTS:332FROM:$7,945(IncludesairfromLAX)WanttostaylongerandExplorthearea?PreandorPoststaysareavailable.