Small Islands of the Indian Ocean

Cruise the small islands of the Indian Ocean

Sail across the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean through Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Seychelles and arrive at the legendary isles off Africa’s eastern seaboard: Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius and Zanzibar. Stroll through ancient bazaars, gaze up at giant baobab trees, sample Creole cuisine and explore pristine marine ecosystems at remote atolls. Accompanied by an expert expedition team, there is no better way to tour these far-flung lands.

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Indian Ocean Voyage Logs

To South Sulawesi & Borneo for Christmas, Broome to Singapore

13 – 30 Dec 2022, Coral Geographer

“Today we had an early start for our much-anticipated visit to Tanjung Puting National Park, Kalimantan. Upon arrival at the Sekoyner River we transferred to wooden ‘klotok’ boats before cruising upriver spotting wild orangutans, orangutan nests, proboscis monkeys, kingfishers and other birdlife.”

Posts from our Indian Ocean Voyages

"On the final day of our journey through ...

Mar 9

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"On the final day of our journey through Madagascar and east Africa, we arrived early at Kilwa Kisiwani. Once onshore, the locals welcomed us with Tanzanian dancers and musicians playing instruments under the shade of large fruit trees. As we made our way to the ruins of Kilwa, we stopped at the nearby school where the students had gathered outside and sang us their school songs in perfect harmony.

As we continued on, we paused at the fortress on the embankment to admire the stunning ruins of the Great Mosque of Kilwa with its peaked domes, slowly eroding in the encroaching bushland. The ruins were spectacular in their historical significance to Tanzania and their photographic appeal.

We then took the opportunity to continue through the mud and thatch village to the grand palace. We could see sweeping views across the harbour and the remains of the complex buildings that were once the centre for trade and commerce in the 15th and 16th centuries. The amphitheatre-style seating for the bidding area and the octagonal pool's remains were still visible. It required just a touch of imagination to picture this once-thriving harbour in its prime."

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 7 March 2023

#CoralGeographer #IndianOceanCruise #IndianOcean #KilwaKisiwani #Cruise #Travel #expeditioncruise #explore #Tanzania #GreatMosqueofKilwa

"The Adavadoaka coastline boasted vast white ...

Mar 1

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"The Adavadoaka coastline boasted vast white dunes and rocky headlands, with the villages nestled in the more sheltered areas. The locals welcomed us, playing a brief video showcasing their proud ecological efforts to clean up the coastline, and a small musical band played quite the tune with an odd mix of instruments. Following this warm welcome, we took the opportunity to explore the village, which was a labyrinth of sandy paths separated by sun-bleached stick fences. The ramshackle dwellings housed many shops, family units, hairdressers, and produce stalls. It was a delightful place to stroll through, with numerous children trailing each group as we explored. Once we returned to the beach, the locals offered delicious traditional food and cold beers for us to try."

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 27 Feb 2023

🚢 See our website to explore all our cruise destinations

#CoralGeographer #IndianOceanCruise #IndianOcean #Adavadoaka #Cruise #Travel #expeditioncruise #explore

"After arriving in Mahajanga's bustling ...

Feb 27

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"After arriving in Mahajanga's bustling port, we made our way to one of the local schools. The children welcomed us with happy and welcoming smiles and gathered to perform a few dances. Afterwards, we ventured to Lac Sacre, a small lake with crystal-clear, emerald-coloured water surrounded by stunning vegetation. Several fish species were visible in the water, and to our amazement, a crocodile was also spotted in the clear waters. We then walked to a large mango tree, where Sifaka Lemurs with their adorable white and dark brown faces looked down at us from above."

🚢 Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 23 Feb 2023

#CoralGeographer #IndianOceanCruise #IndianOcean #Mahajanga #Cruise #Travel #expeditioncruise #explore

"The morning started in Ile Sainte Marie, ...

Feb 16

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"The morning started in Ile Sainte Marie, where we could see the lush coastline of the island from our calm anchorage. As we arrived ashore, we were welcomed by traditional dancers. About a dozen ladies wrapped in bright African patterns singing and dancing with men playing the drums wrapped in animal skins. We then began the activities for the day with a walk through the nearby countryside filled with enormous mango trees and beautiful vegetation. As our walk continued, we came across the remains of an old French fort that dated back over 200 years. It was quite spectacular, and we were surprised to see that soldiers still lived there and guarded the area. Afterwards, we visited a local primary school. The kids at school were delighted to see us with huge smiles and big waves. For the afternoon, we wandered through the local markets admiring all the different shops filled with woven bags, polished stones, and clothes."

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 14 Feb 2023

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#CoralGeographer #IndianOceanCruise #IndianOcean #IleSainteMarie #Cruise #Travel #expeditioncruise #explore

"This morning we woke to the sight of ...

Feb 14

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"This morning we woke to the sight of Madagascar on the Horizon. We began our day with a scenic drive through the capitol of Nosy Be “Helle Ville “. The streets were alive with bustling villagers going about their daily business. Winding roads soon gave way to the countryside and the beautiful Ylang Ylang plantations, one of the major exports of this region. We arrived at Lemuria Land, a sanctuary full of Madagascan wildlife. As we walked through the park bursting with tall bamboo trees, we were suddenly surrounded by a group of lemurs scurrying down to the calls of our guide and the promise of a banana. Moving further into the sanctuary we were able to view endemic reptiles. Various species of turtles, tortoises, and chameleons camouflaged amongst the tree branches. After exploring the park, we embarked on a scenic tour to Mont Passot where we enjoyed a fantastic view of Nosy Be."

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 10 Feb 2023

#CoralGeographer #IndianOceanCruise #IndianOcean #NosyBe #Cruise #Travel #expeditioncruise #explore #wildlife

"We had yet another stellar day for the last ...

Feb 10

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"We had yet another stellar day for the last day of the Seychelles leg. As the ship came into her anchorage, we could see already that the clarity of the water was probably the best we'd had in a month. The morning activity included a stop on the pearl-coloured sandy beach of Assumption Island where the Xplorers landed for all of us to spend an hour of free time walking along the path past some relics of the old guano mining and a gorgeous shoreline where coastal succulent plants similar to agave lined the path. We continued onwards to another section of the beach for the best snorkel of the trip! The expedition team had a raft of kayaks thanks to the deck team who transported them from the ship over to the beach and they proved to be very popular with many guests enjoying a ride on both the double and single. Cara took her group of scuba divers on a drop off the deep end where they said the clarity and the coral life were terrific. It was great to see close to a hundred people simply enjoying themselves in the azure sea. Flat and very calm conditions made for an excellent snorkel. Later that afternoon we had our lovely guest Bob Dalgarno give a fascinating talk on the tectonic plates that existed in Gondwana time millions of years ago and prior. There was then a much-anticipated event which was Manfreds' wine tasting, always a crowd favourite. After sunset drinks and briefing, dinner was served before we screened the movie Madagascar!" - Expedition Leader Dawn, 9th Feb 2023

Discover our Indian Ocean Cruises on our website.

#IndianOceanCruise #IndianOcean #AssumptionIsland #Cruise #Travel #CoralGeographer

"With a sunny day to greet us, we arrived at ...

Feb 8

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"With a sunny day to greet us, we arrived at the white sandy beach at the North West end of Farquhar Atoll. Along the track, there was a very inquisitive tortoise that climbed out of the vegetation and the new guests on this trip got their first experience with these giants yet slow creatures. We also found some of the gold-flecked gecko on larger trees and a small hill with a view of the ship at anchor off the coast. We had an excellent swim off the beach with warm deep water for everyone to enjoy." - Expedition Leader Dawn, 6th Feb 23

Discover More: https://www.coralexpeditions.com/au/destinations/the-indian-ocean/

#IndianOcean #FarquharAtoll #IndianOceanCruise #Tortoise #CoralGeographer

"Today's explorations took us on a ...

Jan 19

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"Today's explorations took us on a safari in Yala with a local ranger. The wildlife we saw at every turn and stop was breathtaking. Not only very close encounters with Asian elephants - one stopping traffic as it crossed the dirt track - but also incredible sightings of spotted deer, large freshwater crocodiles, wild boar running in packs and samba deer with towering antlers - the biggest deer in Australasia. The abundance of birdlife was jaw-dropping, spotting species including glimmering peacocks, peahens, various kingfisher, gorgeous bee-eaters, striated heron, spoonbills, brahminy kite, and hoopoe just to name just a few. There was even a sighting of the jewel of the park, a lone leopard late evening crossing the dirt track!"

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 18 Jan 2023

#CoralGeographer #SriLanka #ExpeditionCruise #Cruise #Travel #Explore #Yala #Hambantota #Safari #wildlife #IndianOceanCruise

Coral Geographer Explores The Indian Ocean

The newest addition to our fleet, Coral Geographer sailed all the way to the edge of Africa. With a maximum of 120 guests, Coral Geographer is built for tropical expedition cruising with open deck spaces, outdoor dining and a fleet of capable tender vessels to get you ashore – whether it is the rarely visited atolls of the Maldives or beachcombing at ‘the world’s most beautiful beach’ at La Digue.

Encounter exotic islands

The Indian Ocean and her islands have always held mystique and intrigue among sailors. Male is the capital of the Maldives and its second largest island, covered by shrubs and palms. Home to the ruins of a fort which remain a mystery, Hithadho originates from Buddhist settlement dating back to the 5th century. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the island of Mozambique is home to 16th century architectural features with a culmination of Portuguese, Indian and Arab influences. Originally formed by the effects of volcanic activity, the island of Nosy Be is covered in lush vegetation and features many craters. Ile Alphonse is part of the outer islands of the Seychelles, at the heart of the Indian Ocean, 400 kilometres south-west of Mahe and seven degrees south of the Equator.

Behind the Scenes: How an International Expedition is Brought to Life

25^th January 2023

Have you ever wondered how our team create a new voyage from start to finish? We sat down to chat with Casimah Khalik, one of our experienced Product Development Managers, to get some insight into the process of creating a brand-new itinerary, namely, our Small Islands of the Indian Ocean voyage ‘Island Traditions to the Edge of…

Voyage Log: To South Sulawesi & Borneo for Christmas – Coral Geographer

18^th January 2023

We had time to explore the ship and watch as we departed Broome wharf on a beautiful sunny morning with a calm sea.

Small Islands Of The World Coral Expeditions Normal

Media Release: Coral Expeditions releases ‘Small Islands of the World’

3^rd March 2022

Coral Expeditions, Australia’s pioneering small ship cruise line, today released their 2022 and 2023 expedition schedule

Small Islands Of The Indian Ocean

Cruise the small islands of the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean Voyage Logs

To South Sulawesi & Borneo for Christmas, Broome to Singapore

Posts from our Indian Ocean Voyages

Coral Geographer Explores The Indian Ocean

Coral Geographer

120 Guests

Excursion Vessels

All Guests

Encounter exotic islands

Behind the Scenes: How an International Expedition is Brought to Life

Voyage Log: To South Sulawesi & Borneo for Christmas – Coral Geographer

Media Release: Coral Expeditions releases ‘Small Islands of the World’

Reflections on the Indian Ocean by Jeffrey Mellefont

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To South Sulawesi & Borneo for Christmas, Broome to Singapore

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