NEW FRONTIERS
Five-star cruising to wild and remote corners of the world is ideal for those who crave adventure but don’t want to sacrifice creature comforts How many places in the world could you go on a cruise and not see another cruise ship? Very few. But how many would take you where no other cruise ship had ever ventured? The answer can only be an expedition ship, and Silver Discoverer is one such vessel. On my 10-day voyage around Southeast Asia, we sailed from Singapore to Sumatra in Indonesia and then on to the Mergui Archipelago off the southern coast of Myanmar.
It was the first-ever cruise ship to visit the islands, and 18 Burmese officials took three whole hours to process the documents of just 80 passengers – roughly 40 minutes per passport. Only then could we go ashore and explore the border town of Kawthoung, crowned by a golden Buddhist temple.
Expedition ships are different not only in terms of where they sail, but how they sail. Silver Discoverer, part of the Silversea fleet of luxury vessels, is all about good food, lovely, knowledgeable staff and super-comfy cabins.
Small enough to tuck into tiny bays and weave between a confetti of islands, perhaps the ship’s defining asset was its team of academics, including an ornithologist, a biologist, a historian and an environmentalist, whose expertise enriched our experience. They answered lots of our questions – one favourite was if a bat hangs upside down, how does it wee without getting its head wet? Answer – it turns upright for just those occasions.
Expedition cruising feels a bit like being on a floating university, minus the exams but with lots of exciting outdoor action. The ship carried a fleet of Zodiac inflatables, which took us on adventures, ‘just to see what we find’.
Grabbing opportunities along the way is part of the DNA of expedition cruising. Highlights included a dawn river trip and a hike into a volcanic crater of steaming vents and bubbling pools.
On other days we visited villages and schools, and there was plenty of time for snorkelling on pristine coral reefs and loafing on white-sand beaches. Just before heading to one deserted island, known only as 115 (for its height above sea level), we were given this friendly warning from Louis, the expedition leader:
‘Take your ID when you go ashore so we know when you’re back. The beaches are beautiful for a day, but not for five years.’
Silver Discoverer’s (silversea.com) next nine-day voyage to Myanmar and Indonesia departs 1 December.
From £5,300 per person.