Pearl Expeditions Charts Wild Indo-Pacific for 2028

 Pearl Expeditions, Australia’s premier boutique expedition vessel, has released its 2028 sailing collection designed to provide access to rarely visited and culturally significant regions across the Indo-Pacific and Australia’s own remote frontiers including the Kimberley, Arnhem Land, Tiwi Islands, Torres Strait, Great Barrier Reef, Raja Ampat, East Indonesia’s Spice Islands, Borneo and Papua New Guinea.

Spanning seven- to eleven-day voyages aboard the purpose-built m/y Paspaley Pearl, the 2028 collection builds on growing demand for small-ship expeditions that move beyond well-travelled cruise routes. With a maximum of just 30 guests on board, each journey is designed to provide closer access to remote coastlines, intimate engagement with island communities, time to truly explore marine environments and observe wildlife close up – destinations and encounters rarely available on larger vessels.

The new season introduces refreshed itineraries, new destinations and the convenience of expanded charter flight access, including dedicated services from Cairns for Papua New Guinea departures and from Darwin for Raja Ampat voyages. Designed to reduce transit time for Australian and international travellers, the charter flights provide direct connections, exampled by a brand-new Raja Ampat itinerary for 2028, with charter flights operating Darwin to and from Sorong, opening the opportunity for Paspaley Pearl to reveal the stunning Tanimbar and Kei Islands, destinations rarely visited even by expedition vessels.

The growing demand for Pearl Expeditions’ Great Barrier Reef exploration will see an increase to three departures in 2028, including new sailings focused on Torres Strait Islander communities and culture.

This season also introduces three revitalised 10- and 11-night Papua New Guinea itineraries showcasing the region’s dramatic volcanic landscapes, WWII footprint, rich cultural traditions and remarkable biodiversity. All 2028 PNG expeditions are packaged Cairns to Cairns.

Borneo’s standout expedition brings together Indonesia’s renowned “big three” wildlife encounters – orangutans, whale sharks and Komodo dragons, in one exceptional journey featuring an exclusive two-day stay in Tanjung Puting to ensure plenty of time to see and appreciate our remarkable cousins, orangutans, with whom we share approximately 97% of our DNA. Snorkelling with whale sharks and cautiously viewing Komodo dragons completes this wildlife-packed expedition.

The Kimberley season offers the choice of 7- or 10-day voyages. These Paspaley Pearl expeditions include the famed highlights as well as providing flexibility to take advantage of tidal options resulting in exploration at a pace determined by conditions rather than schedules. Exclusive visits to Paspaley pearl farms and the opportunity to experience a flight in a Paspaley Mallard flying boat set these itineraries on another level.

“Our 2028 Calendar of Sailings marks another important step in Pearl Expeditions’ growth, expanding our reach across Australia’s remote north and the Indo-Pacific while staying true to the intimacy and care that define our style of exploration,” said Pearl Expeditions executive chair, Sarina Bratton AM. “These new itineraries and charter flight connections have been developed to make remarkable, hard-to-reach regions more accessible for our guests, without compromising the respect, sensitivity and local relationships required to visit them responsibly. A reflection of our company credo of only leaving ‘small footprints’.”

“The strength of this collection lies in the detail of each journey,” said Mick Fogg, general manager of Pearl Expeditions. “Guests might travel by local klotok riverboat through Tanjung Puting in search of endangered orangutans, spend time with Torres Strait Islander communities on the far-northern reef, explore carved ancestral villages in the Tanimbars, or sail into Arnhem Land with local insight guiding the experience. These are not simply remote places on a map; they are living cultural and natural landscapes, and every itinerary has been designed to help guests engage with them in a considered and deeply meaningful way.”

Borneo and Beyond: Indonesia’s Big Three – Orangutans, Whale Sharks and Komodo Dragons (December 2027 & February 2028): This standout voyage brings together encounters with orangutans, whale sharks and Komodo Dragons, all in one unforgettable expedition. Travellers begin in Bali before continuing to Tanjung Puting National Park, where the voyage now includes two full days on the Sekonyer River and rare access to Camp Leakey, the world-renowned orangutan research sanctuary. The 415,000 hectare UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is home to nine primate species, 38 mammals and more than 230 bird species. Exploration continues by traditional klotok riverboat through this wildlife corridor of peat swamp forest, with opportunity to observe endangered orangutans, proboscis monkeys and gibbons in the wild. The itinerary also adds two less-visited regions: the coral rich Kangean Islands north of Bali and the Tanimbar Islands in far southern Maluku, home to the megalithic ceremonial village of Sangliat Dol.

Darwin to Gove: Art of Ancient Arnhem Land (October 2028): This itinerary introduces guests to the fascinating ancient and contemporary art, culture and landscapes of Arnhem Land, one of Australia’s most storied and least travelled regions. Sailing from Darwin to Gove, the journey travels through country shaped by tens of thousands of years of culture, ceremony, and storytelling. Guests visit remote homelands, view ancient rock art sites, meet Yolŋu artists and custodians, and explore landscapes that remain largely untouched.

New Raja Ampat Itinerary for 2028 (January & March 2028 & January 2029): This refreshed Raja Ampat season offers streamlined access to one of the world’s most biodiverse marine environments. New charter flights seamlessly take guests from Darwin to Sorong, where they board the Paspaley Pearl and wend through an archipelago of more than 1,500 islands at the heart of the Coral Triangle. A standout addition is the remote Tanimbar Islands in far southern Maluku. Guests visit Saumlaki and Sangliat Dol, a village centred on an extraordinary megalithic stairway and ceremonial boat shaped platform honouring the first ancestors. The region’s carving, gold work and ikat weaving traditions are among Indonesia’s finest, and its forested hills shelter bird species found nowhere else. The voyage concludes in Sorong, with guests returning to Darwin carrying lasting memories of reefs, islands and communities reached only by sea.

Great Barrier Reef: Islands, Reefs and Traditions (October – November 2028): The expanded Great Barrier Reef series introduces three distinct itineraries, including new sailings centred on Torres Strait Islander culture. Each voyage offers a different perspective on Australia’s most iconic marine environment – from snorkelling vibrant coral gardens and exploring remote sand cays to visiting islands shaped by deep cultural heritage. With both Australian and Sorong departure options, these itineraries provide unprecedented access to the far northern reef and its neighbouring straits.

A Reimagined Papua New Guinea Circumnavigation — New Britain Island Circumnavigation (November & December 2028): This new itinerary draws together the strongest landfalls from past sailings into an 11-night Cairns to Cairns expedition. This revitalised New Britain voyage showcases Papua New Guinea’s volcanic landscapes, rich cultural traditions and remarkable biodiversity. Travellers circle the island on an 11-night expedition that blends remote village visits, WWII history, active volcanoes and some of the region’s most spectacular marine environments. The itinerary is designed as a more focused exploration of one of Papua New Guinea’s most diverse islands.

Ancient Rituals, Living Dragons & Island Traditions (9 & 11 nights): East Indonesia (January & February 2028): Available as nine- and 11-night voyages, this East Indonesia itinerary combines culture, wildlife and volcanic landscapes across Lembata and neighbouring islands. Guests anchor beneath Lembata’s smouldering Ile Ape volcano, visit Lewohala, a ceremonial village where clan houses safeguard heirlooms including elephant tusks and centuries-old Chinese ceramics, and experience Jontona’s naturally dyed ikat weaving traditions. The voyage also includes encounters with Komodo dragons, remote reefs and coastal communities across one of eastern Indonesia’s most culturally layered regions.

Paspaley Pearl‘s boutique size enables access to narrow waterways and all traditional owner approved coastal visitor sites – 75% inaccessible to larger vessels. Safe passage through these waters is built on heritage of 90 years of Paspaley operations reading tides and weather patterns.  Multiple rock art galleries preserve millennia of continuous occupation by custodians of Earth’s oldest living culture. Sandstone gorges carved through billion-year-old geology contain waterfalls, fishing grounds in serpentine estuaries, and mangrove systems where saltwater crocodiles control the waterways. Exclusive visits to Paspaley pearl farms and the opportunity to experience a flight in a Paspaley Mallard flying boat set these itineraries apart.

Bookings for the 2028 season are now open, with staterooms priced from AUD $14,995 per person based on a twin share for a seven-night expedition. With just 15 staterooms onboard m/y Paspaley Pearl, availability is naturally limited across each departure.