With Ron and Valerie Taylor

Itinerary

April 1 - Departure Los Angeles
For North American participants, a group flight (not included in the cruise price) can be arranged starting in Los Angeles.

April 2
You cross the International Date Line en route, losing one day.

April 3 - Port Vila
Upon arrival in Vila participants traveling on the group flight will be transferred to our vessel Akademik Shokalskiy in Port Vila in the late afternoon and sail for Maskelyne Islands in the early evening.

April 4 - Maskelyne Islands
After the short overnight run from Vila we begin our diving in the calmer waters around Maskelyne Islands which will allow us all to test equipment and become comfortable with local conditions.

April 5 - Tongoa
The wall dives of Tongoa offer some of the best dives in Vanuatu.

April 6 - Epi
Lamen Island, just to the West of the main island of Epi will be the focus of our visit to this area. We will make a drift dive along the Northern side of Lamen Island.

April 7/8 Sea-mounts West of Espiritu Santo & Tetawoia Reef
On all our expeditions we include time for visits to sites which are a little off the beaten track. The seamounts off the west coast of Espiritu Santo & Tetawoia Reef offer us the opportunity to explore the less visited underwater world of Vanuatu.

April 9 - Ureparapara
Ureparapara is located in the Banks Group an isolated area of Vanuatu known for its considerable Polynesian cultural influence.

The island is an extinct volcano notable for the opening to the sea of its central crater. Good diving, spectacular scenery and interesting cultural experience will make our visit to this island a highlight of the trip.

April 10 - Pentecost
Each Saturday in April on Pentecost the local people conduct the ritual known as Nangol where the local men jump from primitive towers using vines to arrest their fall. This internationally famous cultural event will be a highlight of our voyage.

April 11/12 - Mota/Gaua
We return to the Northern areas after our visit to Pentecost Island the previous day. Mota offers an entirely different experience due to it being an uplifted coral reef. The spectacular wall diving will be another highlight to our journey into the Banks Group. Gaua is the second largest island in the Banks Group after Vanua Lava, and is home to the semi active Mt. Garet volcano, which last erupted in 1965. Our focus for this day, however, will be dives on the seamounts west of the island.

April 13/14 - Espiritu Santo
The site of a major US military base during the Second World War which saw some 500,000 personnel pass through the extensive system of camps which were constructed between May and September 1942. Santo is best known for the impressive wreck of the President Coolidge and the vast quantities of often brand new military equipment that was dumped in the sea at the end of the war at Million Dollar point. Wreck dives will be the focus! If time permits we will also include a trip by road to the northern side of the island to enjoy the island's many beautiful beaches and visit Big Bay site of de Quiros brief settlement.

April 15 - Ambrym
Overnight we will move to Ranvetlam on the northwest side of lush island of Ambrym dominated by the highly active twin volcanoes, Mt. Marum and Mt. Benbow.

For the active we will offer the opportunity to climb one of the volcanoes.

April 16 - Port Vila
After disembarkation mid morning we will transfer to the Iririki hotel where we will spend the night prior to departing the next day for your homes. A chance for some local sight seeing in the afternoon and also time to sample the well regarded local restaurants in the evening.

April 17 - Port Vila
Today we make an early start and transfer to the airport for your ongoing flight to your home base.

ITINERARY NOTES
The nature of the dive sites allows snorkellers and divers to be equally catered for. This, coupled with the fascinating cultural aspects of many of the island communities we visit, means that a varied and full range of options can be offered to all participants.

As always come with a flexible approach to itinerary as we often end up shooting off to explore new areas based on updated local information and tips on new underwater attractions.

DOE Vanuatu Brochure (PDF)