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The Best of Kamchatka – with Nat Geo

The Best of Kamchatka – with Nat Geo

From AUD $17,970

Description

In partnership with National Geographic Expeditions.

Set sail with PONANT for a 15-day expedition cruise in the Russian Far East aboard Le Soléal. Discover the highlights of the Bering Sea, and fall under the spell of this unique unspoiled and little-visited region, home to rich wildlife on land as well as in the sea.

You will board your ship in Nome, in Alaska, before charting course towards Russia.

You will sail the strait discovered by the Danish explorer Vitus Jonassen Bering at the beginning of the 18th century. This 83-km-long natural border connecting the Bering Sea to the Chukchi Sea is used at the end of summer every year by numerous Pacific walruses, the emblematic species of the Far North.

On the eastern tip of Russia, you will discover the vast expanses of the colourful tundra of Chukotka, one of the world’s most isolated regions.

Le Soléal will then reach Kamchatka, a peninsula of spectacular volcanic landscapes, where you may have the chance to observe the Kamchatka brown bear and many sea birds and marine mammals: northern fulmars, guillemots, puffins, cormorants, Steller’s eiders, Aleutian terns, Steller’s sea eagle, Steller’s sea lions and other species of sea lions, and whales.

Please note: your voyage rates include Flight Seattle/Nome + transfers + Flight Petropavlovsk/Seoul.

Trip Name
The Best of Kamchatka - with Nat Geo
Days
15
Overview
Vessel Type: Luxury Small Ship Length: 142 metres Passenger Capacity: 264 Built: 2013 Sailing under the French flag, this magnificent yacht of only 132 staterooms and suites, with balconies, joined in 2013. You will be enchanted by the contemporary decor inspired by the luxury yachting world, with fluid lines and a modern colour scheme combining natural wood with shades of grey and white. A refined ambience is enhanced by the quality of the workmanship and materials: white Corian counters in the lobby contrast with the warmth of leather to recall a boat's hull, while the central scuplture of enamelled pieces takes its inspiration from the sea.  In the loungebar, the carpet picks up a tennis stripe theme symbolising a certain idea of cruising, one synonomous with French elegance and a chic seaside spirit.

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 NOME, ALASKA
Located along the Bering Strait at the westernmost point of Alaska, Nome offers the rustic charm of a former gold-mining town, set in the middle of magnificent wilderness. As you weave in and out of the brightly coloured houses, you will discover the pioneering legacy that still marks local traditions. Fishing, reindeer rearing, sledge-racing... People here live from their manual labour. The surrounding plains provide stunning vantage points for observing Arctic fauna.
Day 2 - Days 2 - 3 AT SEA
During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness centre. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the PONANT photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.
Day 3 - Days 4 - 6 CHUKOTKA
Located between the glacial Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, on the eastern point of Russia, Chukotka is one of the world’s most isolated regions. Made up of vast plains of tundra, which take on magnificent colours in summer, the region is the kingdom of the Chukchi, a nomad people that has now settled. Present on these lands for millennia, they are one of Eastern Siberia’s oldest communities and still live from hunting and fishing today.
Day 4 - Days 7 - 14 KAMCHATKA PENINSULA
The Kamchatka Peninsula evokes the power of wild and preserved nature. Dotted with over 200 volcanos, making up a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this “land of ice and fire” stretches over more than 1,000 km between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. Its vast forests and prairies, islands, rivers and wet lands fed by glaciers located inland are home to many tens of thousands of Kamchatka brown bears, and rich biodiversity: the largest variety of salmon in the world and many sea birds and marine mammals (northern fulmars, guillemots, puffins, cormorants, Steller's eiders, Aleutian terns, Steller's sea eagle, Steller's sea lions and other species of sea lions, and whales).
Day 5 - Day 15 PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY
Petropavlovsk, the oldest town in the Russian Far East, was established in October 1740, when the ships Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul, captained by Vitus Jonassen Bering, the Danish explorer working for the Russian Navy, first entered the bay. The Military Glory Museum, found in the town centre, is the most important in all of northern Russia. Keep your camera at the ready, though, as nearby is the picturesque Petrovskaya Hill, which also has some surprises in store for you - don’t forget to admire the sumptuous views across the Bay of Avacha from its summit. The bay’s circular shape creates a natural protection against the impetuous wind, all the while providing ships with easy access into port.
Day 6 - Please Note:
We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. The itinerary, landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the AECO.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $17,970Superior Stateroom
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $19,210DeLuxe Stateroom
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $21,200Prestige Stateroom - Deck 4
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $22,140Prestige Stateroom - Deck 5
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $23,120Prestige Stateroom - Deck 6
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $24,730Prestige Deck 6 Limited
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $31,340Deluxe Suite
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $41,720Prestige Suite - Deck 5
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $43,690Prestige Suite - Deck 6
20-09-202104-10-2021AUD $49,860Owner’s Suite

Inclusions

    • A cruise in partnership with National Geographic Expeditions offering enrichment with a National Geographic Photographer and an Expert onboard.
    • Outings and shore visits in Zodiac® inflatables with a team of experienced naturalist guides.
    • A cruise to the heart of the pristine lands of the Russian Far East, discovering a breathtakingly beautiful natural region and the wildlife that lives there.
    • Abundant and varied wildlife: walruses, many marine birds, Steller sea lions, fur seals, whales, ribbon seals, Arctic ground squirrel, the Kamchatka brown bear.
    • Landscapes : vast expanses of tundra, uninhabited islands, mountains, forests, volcanoes. Encounters with Chukchi people.

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