Mistral Stateroom
25% Ponant Bonus
14 m²
2
PONANT invites you to experience Australia’s Kimberley coast and spectacular Rowley Shoals in a remarkable new way, under sail aboard its emblematic yacht Le Ponant. The majestic three-masted yacht, with elegant lines and an intimate atmosphere for only 32 like-minded guests, is redefining barefoot luxury expeditions. A crew to guest ratio of more than 1 to 1 and an expedition staff to guest ratio of 1 to 8, combine to provide the pinnacle expedition sailing experience.
Discover the Rowley Shoals, located 260 kilometres west of Broome in the Timor Sea, regarded as one of the world’s most spectacular diving and snorkelling locations. The three coral atolls of Mermaid, Clerke and Imperieuse reefs rise, near vertical, from the surrounding crystal clear waters on the edge of the continental shelf. Each atoll is approximately 80 to 90 square kilometres in size and contain shallow lagoons inhabited by a diverse array of corals and abundant marine life, ideal for exploration by snorkelers and SCUBA divers.
The 13,000km of remote isolated Kimberley coastline boasts more than 2,600 islands and is home to the oldest continuous culture on earth, the world’s largest living reptile, the only two ‘Horizontal Falls’ on the planet, the world’s largest inshore reef, extensive undisturbed mangrove forests, wild rivers, important seabird and marine turtle breeding colonies and the largest population of migrating humpback whales on the planet. It is a national biodiversity hotspot and listed in the top 4% of least impacted marine environments worldwide.
Our Barefoot luxury sailing expeditions are fully flexible itineraries with no predetermined destinations. With a maximum of 32 guests, we are able to create bespoke itineraries. Each day’s activities will be determined by the Captain and Expedition Leader, taking into account the season, prevailing weather, tide and sea conditions to deliver the best experience possible.
Ref : BB5245 - PO160923
Discover the pinnacle Kimberley sailing experience, with fully flexible itineraries and no predetermined destinations. Sail to the Rowley Shoals, home to pristine coral lagoons and an abundance of marine...
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Included in your cruise
For more peace of mind, PONANT organizes your trip before or after the cruise. This package is included in the price of your cruise.
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*Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability, and subject to change at any time. The category of stateroom to which this price applies may no longer be available.
Services provided
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Expedition programmes include activities such as zodiac outings and landings (sometimes with "wet landings"), moderate walks to more active hikes, all accompanied by your expedition team of naturalist guides.
Ports of call, visited sites, outings and landings will depend on weather conditions, winds and the state of the sea. These can force a change of plans at any time. The Captain and the Expedition Leader may at any time cancel or stop any activity, or even modify the itinerary. The final itinerary will be confirmed by the Captain, who will take into account the touristic quality of the sites and above all, the safety of the passengers. His decision will be based on advice from experts and authorities.
Travelling to isolated regions is an exhilarating experience. In remote areas, please remember that you are far from modern hospitals with full medical facilities, thus evacuation is extremely expensive. Without adequate medical coverage, all expenses will have to be immediately paid with your personal funds. We urge you to subscribe to full coverage insurance, choose your insurance company very carefully, be extremely vigilant and ensure your insurance is fully comprehensive, especially if you are insured by your credit card. PONANT offers an insurance contract with extensive guarantees, please contact us for more information.
Clothing tips:
Accessories:
Please note:
During your visits to some local communities, all guests will be required to dress respectfully. Ladies must have their shoulders and thighs covered. Gentlemen should have their shoulders covered also.
Ideal clothes for life on board:
During the days spent on board, you are advised to wear comfortable clothes or casual outfits. The entire ship is air-conditioned, so a light sweater, a light jacket or a shawl may be necessary. When moving about in the public areas of the ship and the decks, light but comfortable shoes are recommended.
Informal evening:
In the evening, you are advised to wear smart-casual attire, especially when dining in our restaurants where wearing shorts and tee-shirts is not allowed.
For women:
For men:
Officer’s evening:
For all cruises longer than 8 nights, an Officer’s Evening with a white dress code may be organized. Therefore, we encourage you to bring a stylish white outfit for the occasion (otherwise black and white).
Gala evening:
During the cruise, two gala evenings will be organised on board. Thus, we recommend that you bring one or two formal outfits.
For women:
For men:
SHOP:
A small shop is available on board offering a wide range of outfits, jewellery, leather goods and many accessories.
A laundry service (washing/ironing) is available on board, but unfortunately there are no dry cleaning services. For safety reasons, your cabin is not equipped with an iron.
TECHNICAL OUTFITS:
ACCESSORIES:
HEALTH CARE:
OUTFITS ON BOARD:
PRECAUTIONS:
In your hand luggage, remember to bring any medicines that you need, and possibly a small spare bag of toiletries (in case of delay in the delivery of your baggage by the airline). Remember to always have your travel documents with you in case you need them: hotel vouchers, cruise vouchers, return flight tickets... Never leave them in your hold luggage.
All our cabins have a safe. We recommend not to go ashore with valuable jewellery.
PONANT activities
Embarkation 16/09/2023 from 16:00 to 17:00
Departure 16/09/2023 at 18:00
Located in the northwest of the Kimberley region and in the far north of Western Australia, the town of Broome is reputed for its history and its glorious pearling era. The fascinating Chinatown district, which is the historic city centre, and the famous Japanese Cemetery, dates back to 1896, and has a past marked by the immigration of numerous Chinese and Japanese workers, attracted by the prosperous pearl industry at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. Broome is also famous for the “Staircase to the Moon”, an optical illusion created by the Moon reflecting on the sand banks at low tide, like a staircase climbing up towards the sky, a unique spectacle provided by nature…
Arrival 17/09/2023
Departure 19/09/2023
Regarded as one of the world’s most spectacular diving and snorkelling locations, the Rowley Shoals lie 260 kilometres west of Broome in the Timor Sea. The three coral atolls of Mermaid, Clerke and Imperieuse reefs rise, near vertical, from the surrounding crystal-clear waters on the edge of the continental shelf. The shallow lagoons inhabited by a diverse array of corals and abundant marine life are ideal for exploration by snorkellers and divers. To take full advantage of the location, your ship will spend one and a half days at the Rowley Shoals, allowing you to swim and snorkel from zodiac.
Arrival 20/09/2023
Departure 23/09/2023
Whilst there is no standard itinerary, our sailing expedition will feature the iconic destinations of Montgomery Reef and the Horizontal Falls, described by Sir David Attenborough as “One of the greatest wonders of the natural world.” Additional destinations that may be visited include The Lacepede Islands, Home to the world’s largest breeding colony of Brown Boobies and Western Australia’s most important breeding habitat for Green Turtles. The iconic Cape Leveque, at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, best known for its pristine white sand beaches and golden red sandstone cliffs. The 800 islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago provide an ideal sailing ground to explore. Scattered amongst the islands are secluded white sandy beaches including Silica Bay, historical pearling locations such as Strickland Bay and The Edeline Islands and the remarkable geological scenery of Whirlpool Pass and Nares Point. Further North Collier Bay showcases the massive tides that the region is renowned for at the Horizontal Falls and Montgomery Reef. Here the many outdoor rock art galleries including Wijingarra Bard Bard provide an insight into the remarkable history and culture of Australia’s First Nations People. To the East lies Doubtful Bay providing access to multiple river systems, including the Sale River and Red Cone Creek, lined with mangroves, creating the ideal environment to spot crocodiles and an abundance of birdlife. High above the saltwater influence freshwater waterholes provide the ideal locations for cooling off after a day of exploration.
Arrival 24/09/2023 early morning
Disembarkation 24/09/2023 at 07:00
Located in the northwest of the Kimberley region and in the far north of Western Australia, the town of Broome is reputed for its history and its glorious pearling era. The fascinating Chinatown district, which is the historic city centre, and the famous Japanese Cemetery, dates back to 1896, and has a past marked by the immigration of numerous Chinese and Japanese workers, attracted by the prosperous pearl industry at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. Broome is also famous for the “Staircase to the Moon”, an optical illusion created by the Moon reflecting on the sand banks at low tide, like a staircase climbing up towards the sky, a unique spectacle provided by nature…
For your serenity, PONANT organises your transfer to the wharf for embarkation and between the port and the airport after disembarkation. This package is included in your cruise fare.
Embarkation day – Broome
Transfer to Broome wharf for embarkation.
Disembarkation day - Broome
Meet and greet at the port by our local representative, and group transfer from the port to the town centre or the airport.
For guests who have an afternoon flight or hotel check-in, enjoy time at leisure in the town centre before your group transfer from the Broome Visitor Center to the airport or your hotel.
Included Features:
Not included:
Tropical Expedition
Explore the planet’s most remote tropical regions during a PONANT expedition cruise. In the heart of Oceania’s archipelagos or the Indian Ocean atolls, along the wild coastlines of Central America or Australia, our luxury amenities and services will make your expedition cruise an unforgettable experience. Our expedition leaders and their teams of naturalist guides devise exceptional itineraries and organise daily outings, shore visits in Zodiac® dinghies, or snorkelling when the cruises are conducive to it, to take you as close as possible to nature. Aboard the ship, they share their knowledge during lectures on a variety of topics such as the fauna and flora, the history of the great explorations, geology and climatology. On land, using the local transport options or during hikes, discover the must-see natural sites and, for a few hours, partake in the life and ancestral customs of the local populations.