Pearl Expeditions has released its 2028 sailing collection, with itineraries taking in the Kimberley, Arnhem Land, the Tiwi Islands, Torres Strait, the Great Barrier Reef, Raja Ampat, East Indonesia’s Spice Islands, Borneo and Papua New Guinea.
The seven- to 11-day voyages will be run aboard the purpose-built m/y Paspaley Pearl, carrying a maximum of 30 guests, as the boutique operator builds on demand for small-ship expeditions beyond established cruise routes.
The season introduces expanded charter flight access, including new services from Cairns for Papua New Guinea departures and from Darwin for Raja Ampat voyages – a move designed to cut transit time for travellers. A new Raja Ampat itinerary for 2028 will run charter flights between Darwin and Sorong, opening access to the Tanimbar and Kei Islands, destinations rarely visited even by expedition vessels.
Great Barrier Reef departures will increase to three in 2028, including new sailings focused on Torres Strait Islander communities and culture. The season also introduces three revamped 10- and 11-night Papua New Guinea itineraries, covering the region’s volcanic landscapes, WWII history and biodiversity; all PNG expeditions will be packaged Cairns to Cairns.
A standout Borneo itinerary combines Indonesia’s “big three” wildlife encounters – orangutans, whale sharks and Komodo dragons – in one expedition, including a two-day stay in Tanjung Puting. The Kimberley season will offer seven- or 10-day voyages, with exclusive visits to Paspaley pearl farms and the option of a flight in a Paspaley Mallard flying boat.
Pearl Expeditions executive chair Sarina Bratton AM said the 2028 calendar marked a step in the company’s growth across Australia’s remote north and the Indo-Pacific, while staying true to its “small footprints” approach.
Mick Fogg, general manager of Pearl Expeditions, said the collection’s strength lay in the detail of each journey, from klotok riverboat trips through Tanjung Puting in search of orangutans to time spent with Torres Strait Islander communities and carved ancestral villages in the Tanimbars.
