4 Seasons Explorer Is Like a Floating Resort within the South Pacific – What It is Like on Board

The nice and cozy Pacific Ocean breeze was sweeping throughout the deck of the yacht as I readied my snorkel and masks. We slipped into the ocean, met by a colour wheel of pinks, oranges, purples, and reds. Corals and fish pulsed round us as black and brown blobs inched alongside the underside. Abruptly, one in every of them heaved itself upward towards me, a sea cucumber rising to stare us down. It was simply the most recent sudden delight on my go to to the pristine seas of Palau.

And that was solely day two of my keep on the 4 Seasons Explorer, a newly refurbished, 11-cabin vessel that sails across the greater than 300 islands of Palau. The tiny tropical nation, with a inhabitants of simply 22,000, sits north of Indonesia and east of the Philippines, close to what’s known as the Coral Triangle. In Palau, low mountains rise from cerulean seas and, beneath the waves, the drama is simply as pronounced. Amongst divers and snorkelers, it’s considered a life-list vacation spot, with crystal-clear water, 1,500 species of fish, and reefs which can be among the many world’s most spectacular.

What fascinated me in regards to the Explorer, which is operated by the luxurious resort firm, is the way it felt by turns like a standard resort or a cruise ship, relying on the second. For instance, there’s no fastened “departure”; company can examine out and in on any day. To achieve the Explorer, new arrivals are transferred, like they is likely to be in, say, the Maldives, by speedboat from Koror, residence to Palau’s worldwide airport. (Throughout my 5 days aboard, a number of {couples} cycled by way of.)

However there’s additionally loads of cruising. On my go to, we sailed by way of the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage website, with a few days spent round Mecherchar and Ngeruktabel islands, that are each surrounded by dive websites. Every single day, we had a alternative of following both the Diver or Explorer program. Scuba fans bought not less than two, and infrequently extra, alternatives day by day, accompanied by a workers marine biologist. These on the Explorer monitor had the choice to snorkel or to go ashore, maybe for a guided stroll by way of one in every of Palau’s many small villages or for a cultural program about, say, conventional dance.

Whereas the day by day itineraries had been packed, they had been additionally versatile, with loads of room for modification. One phrase to Abdul Latheef, the cruise director, and I might be whisked away for a therapeutic massage, spend the day on a stand-up paddleboard, or get pleasure from a picnic lunch on a secluded seaside. (Whereas there have been no youngsters aboard throughout my journey, Explorer does welcome youngsters as younger as eight years previous, with programming tailor-made to their wants and pursuits.)

Within the evenings, all of us bought again collectively for meals within the ship’s predominant eating room. The satisfying decisions included loads of nods to our location, together with rooster satay, Vietnamese summer time rolls, Indonesian stir-fried noodles, and a complete fish wrapped in a banana leaf. As a vegetarian, I used to be by no means neglected and had loads of wonderful choices.

After dinner, a DJ would typically spin low-key tunes for us, however I used to be extra obsessed with what 4 Seasons calls the After Glow. Every evening, the workers would play a fast reduce of the video footage that the guides and crew had captured in the course of the day’s adventures — a mini-movie recap of all that we’d seen and achieved. We bought to see the couple from San Diego swimming by way of a World Warfare II–period shipwreck, one in every of many in these waters. Then got here a clip of me, snorkeling alongside tens of 1000’s of (non-stinging) golden jellyfish in a lake on Mecherchar Island. Seeing the video after one other thrilling day helped drive residence the truth that, like Palau, the Explorer is one in every of a sort.

5 Extra Journey Ships

High cruise traces, together with Seabourn and Viking, have lately launched small expedition ships. On the identical time, area of interest operators are going even smaller — whereas nonetheless going massive on pleasure.

Studying in Ecuador

After an intensive refurb, the six-cabin Galápagos Explorer from andBeyond has been introduced as much as five-star requirements. The ship does a pair of eight-day itineraries within the famed archipelago, one targeted on the east, the opposite on the west.

Birding in Rwanda

The conservation-minded Mantis Assortment operates the comfy, 10-cabin Kivu Queen uBuranga on two- and three-night itineraries across the lush islands of Lake Kivu, the place sensational birdlife abounds.

 Cruising in Croatia

Energetic-travel specialist Butterfield & Robinson presents weeklong journeys aboard the Agape Rose, a 12-cabin yacht loaded with e-bikes and kayaks, with departures from Dubrovnik or Cut up that go to the Kornati Islands, a nationwide park.

Mountain climbing in Australia

Luxurious Lodges of Australia lately unveiled Odalisque III, a seven-cabin energy catamaran that sails the waters off Tasmania, with four- to six-night expeditions and shore excursions that embody guided hikes and seaside time.

Exploring in Peru

Abercrombie & Kent has introduced a 12-cabin ship, slated to set sail in 2025. Pure Amazon will journey its namesake area, with two cabins particularly for solo vacationers, plus professional guides main three- and four-night journeys on rivers within the Pacaya Samiria Nationwide Reserve.

A model of this story first appeared within the October 2024 situation of Journey + Leisure underneath the headline “Simply Dive In.”