208 Easter Island, 2018, by Steve McCurry REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS PRE/POST CRUISE LAND ADVENTURES & SHORE EXPERIENCES • Experience a shark and manta ray snorkelling adventure in Bora Bora, during an extensive stay • Attend the Warrior Challenge (Mara-mara-tafa), a panpiper concert and a performance of the Mudmen in Santa Ana, Solomon Islands • In Aiutaki, visit one of many motus (islets) where red-tailed tropic birds called tavake nest, and then snorkel Honeymoon Island for some beautiful underwater views • See Easter Island’s mysterious monoliths, at the heart of Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site • Visit the remote Marquesas Islands and witness the beauty of the untamed paradise where Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel spent their last years • Explore Hawaii’s most significant archeological sites and sacred treasures TAIPIVAI VALLEY SCENIC DRIVE | Selected Shore Excursion Discover Nuku Hiva by 4x4, as you follow the footsteps of novelist Herman Melville. First up is Muake Hill, for a magnificent view of the bay. Then the Toovii Plateau and Taipivai Valley, where he was captured by natives. After a tour of Taipivai, travel back to Taiohae to see the Notre Dame Cathedral of the Marquesas, built with different coloured stones from all six islands. BLACK PEARL FARM VISIT | Selected Shore Excursion Find out how black pearls are grown in Rangiroa and French Polynesia. You’ll visit a local farm where you’ll learn about this unusual industry as you see how oysters are selected and pearls produced, and how they’re graded for quality, shape and lustre. PAPUA NEW GUINEA - BAINING FIRE DANCE | Included Expedition Activity Witness men of the Baining tribe perform their sacred nocturnal Fire Dance in costume. Legend has it the movements of this dance match those of the spirits of the forest, with the fire representing the first volcanic eruption seen by man. They dance around it and then inside, all without getting burned.
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