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Quest for Paradise: Tahiti to Easter Island

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Itinerary & Map

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Sunday, October 3

USA / Papeete, Tahiti

Depart on your independent flight to Papeete. Check into our hotel in the late evening for our overnight.

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Monday, October 4

Papeete / Embark Clipper Odyssey

Today we have a morning at leisure before enjoying a tour of Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia’s largest island. Among its most illustrious temporary residents were Herman Melville, who was imprisoned here; Robert Louis Stevenson; and Paul Gauguin, whose love for the island is reflected in a sublime legacy of artwork depicting the people and daily life of Polynesia. We pass by orchards of papaya and gardenia nurseries as we drive along the stunning coast. During our visit to the renowned Gauguin Museum we learn about the life of the artist in the islands and view his paintings. Late in the afternoon we embark the Clipper Odyssey.

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Tuesday, October 5

Rangiroa, Tuamotu Islands

Though remote and sparsely populated, the far-flung Tuamotus comprise the world’s largest atoll chain. Of all the islands in the South Pacific, few have the physical “low profile” of the Tuamotus. These venerable coral constructions rise just high enough above the water to be called land and if it weren’st for their waving coconut palms, they might be entirely invisible from any distance. If joined together, the 76 islands would form only 154 square miles of actual land mass. Nine thousand people, known as Paumotu, inhabit just 46 islands.

We spend the afternoon on Rangiroa, whose name translates into “far sky.” More than 240 motu—low-lying islands that top off at an elevation of three feet—make up the ring of coral through which flow at least 100 channels. The lagoon, a dazzling color palette of blues and greens, is hailed as one of the world’s greatest dive destinations. This is our first opportunity to get in the water and whether snorkeling, diving, or by glass-bottom boat, unparalleled underwater vistas are a rich reward. Birders watch for the blue lorikeet, red-footed boobies, and great frigatebirds, while beach walkers relax and meet the friendly locals of Tiputa village who demonstrate energetic Tuamotuan dances.

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Wednesday, October 6

Sailing the Pacific Ocean

Our lecture series begins and we enjoy a day of relaxation as the Clipper Odyssey cruises toward the legendary Marquesas Islands.

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Thursday, October 7

Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands

Considered one of the most beautiful island groups in the South Pacific, the Marquesas lie farther from a continental coast than any other islands in the world—3,400 miles from the west coast of South America, and far removed from the traditional marine highways used by the 16th- and 17th-century European explorers. Unlike other Polynesian islands, the Marquesas have no surrounding reefs or placid lagoons. Its wide deep bays are the havens for vessels such as ours.

Nuku Hiva’s breathtaking vertical peaks reach into the clouds, while carpets of lush tropical vegetation drape cliffs and canyons that descend to sea-sculpted bays. Open-air craft markets display local handicrafts such as baskets, woven purses, shell jewelry, rock tools, and wooden carvings. Watch for wild horses on the upland plateaus as we search for the endemic Nuku Hiva pigeon and Marquesas swiftlet. Divers and snorkelers enjoy coral-encrusted rock walls and a staggering variety of fish.

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Friday, October 8

Fatu Hiva

Zodiacs whisk us ashore where we are greeted by dancers and drummers adorned in leis and tapa cloth. During shore walks, we may see petroglyphs or tiki figures—representing deified ancestors—flanked by banyan trees, fragrant plumeria, blooming orchids, and silvery waterfalls. Birders hope to spot the critically endangered Fatu Hiva monarch, and the colorful, endemic white-capped fruit dove.

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Saturday, October 9

Puka Puka, Tuamotu Islands

Delightful music and dancing welcome us to this idyllic island—the first land sighted in the Pacific by Europeans. We visit the small village whose residents raise taro, bananas, and coconut palms for copra (dried coconut.) Birders search for Pacific golden plover while snorkelers and divers watch for unicornfish.

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Sunday, October 10

Puka Rua

Coconut palms and breadfruit trees cover the beautiful islets that surround Puka Rua’s lagoon. Garland-bedecked dancers greet us in the tiny village whose 150 hospitable inhabitants earn a living selling copra. We witness the process of coconut drying, enjoy a local crafts market, or stroll along the lagoon shores watching crested terns circling overhead.

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Monday, October 11

Expedition Stop

Today, conditions permitting, we explore one of the many uninhabited Tuamotu Islands and enjoy swimming, snorkeling, or diving.

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Tuesday, October 12

Sailing the South Pacific Ocean

Enjoy the trade breezes and sapphire expanses of the South Pacific as we head for the Pitcairn Islands. Our lecture series continues, enhancing our understanding of the amazing cultural and natural richness of this tropical world.

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Wednesday, October 13

Pitcairn, Pitcairn Islands

Remote, enchanting, and tiny at six miles around, volcano-crowned Pitcairn was the fabled hideout of the HMS Bounty mutineers in 1790. We step ashore and visit with the 50 hospitable inhabitants of Adamstown who are the direct descendants of Fletcher Christian, the eight mutineers, and the Polynesians. The anchor of the Bounty rests beside the courthouse and the ship’s Bible resides in the church. After our island visit, the warm and inviting waters are perfect for a swim, snorkel, or dive.

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Thursday, October 14

Henderson

Sheer limestone cliffs surround this elevated coralline island, a World Heritage Site, pockmarked by caves and blowholes. Henderson’s astounding natural selection is undisturbed by introduced species. Ten endemic flowering plants and four endemic species of land birds, including the Henderson Island crake and Stephen’s lorikeet, are found here. We snorkel or dive in the marine life-rich waters.

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Friday, October 15

Ducie

This small, uninhabited, and rarely visited atoll is rimmed in white sand beaches that in turn surround a crystalline lagoon. As we walk along the shores, we witness a vast variety of seabirds—tens of thousands nest here, including Murphy’s and Phoenix petrels, masked boobies, frigatebirds, and red-tailed tropicbirds. Underwater forays bring us face-to-face with legions of rainbow-hued fish in the warm, clear waters.

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October 16–17

At Sea

Enjoy our ongoing lecture series and the Clipper Odyssey’s many amenities as we cruise toward Easter Island, a World Heritage Site and one of the most remote and mysterious places on earth.

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Monday, October 18

Easter Island

Our full-day tour begins with a visit to the ceremonial center of Ahu Vinapu where the monolithic stonework is reminiscent of the Inca civilization in Peru, contributing to the theory of contact between the islanders and South America. We continue to Tahai where we have our first look at the intriguing stone heads, moai, built on massive stone platforms known as ahu. At the spectacular Rano Raraku volcanic tuff quarries we view nearly 400 monolithic statues in various states of completion. The site was abandoned in the mid-17th century. At Ahu Tongariki we visit the largest ceremonial site in Polynesia—a five-year archaeological restoration project was completed in 1996. Anakena Beach, hailed as the loveliest cove on the island, is the setting for our barbecue lunch followed by a visit to the sites of Ahu Ature Huki and Ahu Nau Nau. Here five standing statues sport huge red topknots, pukao, carved from the naturally red volcanic scoria quarried nearby.

The Rano Kau volcano sits at the south-western tip of Easter Island and we drive up to the giant caldera, its sprawling floor dotted with lakes. The edge of the crater drops more than 1,000 feet into the sea below and the 360-degree views are breathtaking. The ceremonial village of Orongo, dedicated to the fascinating “birdman” cult was built on the rim of this crater and we explore the old houses and rock walls carved with hundreds of petroglyphs.

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Tuesday, October 19

Easter Island / Disembark the Clipper Odyssey / Santiago, Chile

After breakfast we disembark the Clipper Odyssey and enjoy a short tour before heading to the airport for your afternoon flight to Santiago; connecting with flights to the USA.

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Wednesday, October 20

Santiago / USA

Arrive in the USA in the morning and connect with your flights homeward.

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