mountain climbers in Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

Mountain climbers in Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

Photograph by Jose Azel, Aurora Photos

Best Tours in the Pacific Islands and Oceania 2015

From Traveler Magazine's 2015 Tours of a Lifetime

ByMargaret Loftus
April 08, 2015
3 min read

Australia: Oz, Round Two

Been to Sydney, Uluru, and the Great Barrier Reef? This alternate down-under itinerary highlights the vast Kimberley region and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, where you’ll fly over the Bungle Bungle Range and swim with whale sharks. EverGreen Escapes International: “The ‘Other’ Sydney, Rock, & Reef,” 18 days; from $12,750 including flights in Australia; www.evergreen
escapesintl.com

New Zealand: Sea to Sky

An action-packed program draws thrill seekers to New Zealand’s South Island. First stop: the fishing town of Kaikoura, to shake off jet lag (try a swim among fur seals). Then head out on a three-day hike of the Angelus Circuit, in Nelson Lakes National Park. Recuperate at Braemar Station, a high-country sheep ranch in the shadow of Aoraki/Mount Cook. Active Adventures New Zealand: “Ultimate South Island Adventure ‘Rimu,’” 14 days; $4,699; activeadventures.com

Fiji: Polynesian Passage

Forget Bora Bora—here’s a chance to live out a Robinson Crusoe fantasy when you paddle the northernmost Yasawa islands, west of the Fiji Islands in the Pacific Ocean, spending two nights in a Fijian village and two on an uninhabited island. Southern Sea Ventures: “Fiji Sea Kayak Adventure,” 8 days; $1,752; 
www.southernseaventures.com

Fiji, Tonga, Niue, Cook Islands: Pacific Cruise

Board the National Geographic Orion, and you soon will find yourself touring a vanilla plantation on Tonga, spotting Fiji woodswallows and other endemic birds on the “Garden Island” of Taveuni, and snorkeling Beveridge Reef, a submerged atoll. National Geographic Expeditions: “Fiji to Cook Islands: Polynesian Discovery,” 14 days; from $10,870; www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com

Australia: Family Fling

Explore Earth’s oldest landmass on a trip specially packaged for families; highlights include a visit to Australia’s largest butterfly sanctuary and a stargazing dinner. National Geographic Expeditions: “Australia Family Adventure,” 12 days; $7,990; www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com

Worldwide: Deep Travel

Join National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Spencer Wells, head of the Genographic Project, on a private jet expedition to the lands of fabled ancient civilizations, from nomadic Mongolia to regal Sri Lanka. National Geographic Expeditions: “The Human Journey: Tracing Legendary Peoples & Sacred Places,” 24 days; $67,950, 2016 only; www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com

Contributing editor Margaret Loftus has reported and written “Tours of a Lifetime” for the past nine years.

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