Faces of Melanesia: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu

For many, Polynesia is the very definition of paradise; evoking classic images of palm-fanned beaches, azure lagoons, and exotic, flower-bedecked islanders. Begin in legendary Tahiti and continue east for a Marquesas tour, admiring their sky-piercing volcanoes, lushly-carpeted canyons, and chiseled bays. The low-lying Tuamotu Archipelago, whose remote atolls—mere rings of coral dotted by tiny islets enclosing aquamarine lagoons—offer some of the world’s most dazzling snorkeling and diving.

Book-ended by Fiji and Tahiti tours, this South Pacific journey strings together a dazzling array of palm-fanned islands ringed in waters of incredible hues. From the jungle-draped volcanic mountains of Tonga to the tiny, low-lying atolls you’ll explore as part of the Cook Islands tour, this voyage reveals a world of supreme natural beauty and people proud to share their ceremonial traditions of music and dance. Along the way discover American Samoa’s dramatic Pago Pago Harbor and unique, square-shaped Rose Atoll.