Complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship, allowing you to stay connected during your voyage.
Drinks
The Open Bar offers a selection of drinks, including mineral water, soft drinks, wine, beer, Henri Abelé Brut Champagne, spirits, coffee, and tea. Certain premium alcoholic beverages on the menu are not included in the Open Bar.
Excursions
Beginning this 2024/2025 winter season, one excursion per person, per port of call will be included in the price of your cruise(excluding any on board Le Paul Gauguin). You will be able to select the excursion of your choice, based on proposed programs by our destination experts.
There will also be paid excursions available, enabling you to explore the region in even more depth.
Entertainment
Choose from a variety of things to entertain yourself including restaurants, bars, theatre, pools and much more.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks from the buffet and main dining restaurants are all included. Meals from the specialty dining restaurants are additional.
Accommodation
Your cabin is included in the price of the cruise.
Port Fees & Taxes
No surprises. All port fees and taxes are included in the price.
Extras
Speciality Dining
Specialty restaurants allow travellers to enhance their dining experience during the cruise. This is a great way to add variety to your holiday or celebrate a special occasion. You can pay for meals in the special dining restaurants onboard.
Parking
Car parking at the port or airport for the duration of your trip is not included within the price of the cruise. Port/airport parking can’t currently be booked with us online but please contact us after you have made the booking if you would like to add this to your package. An approximate cost for parking is between £12 - £20 per car per day. Alternatively we can arrange transfers from your home to the departure airport/port.
Insurance
Insurance is not included in your package. We've partnered with Holiday Extras. They have 40 years of experience and offer excellent insurance cover for your holiday. Their flexible policies offer cruise-specific cover, so you can rest assured that you are completely covered when you go away. Get a Holiday Extras insurance quote
Transfers (home to port)
Transfers from your home to the port or airport aren't included but we can help organise coach transfers, taxis etc to make your life easier. Please contact us after you have made the booking if you would like to add these to your package.
Visa
Visas are not provided by us or the cruise operator. Visas and other travel documents have to be obtained by the individual passengers prior to sailing.
We've partnered with The Travel Visa Company for all your visa needs. They will be able to provide tailored advice and for a fee, assist with arranging your documents.
Ship Facilities
Le Soleal - By Ponant Cruises
Good for couplesOver 50sExplorationFormalLuxury ShipSmall ShipUltra LuxuryYacht style
Year: 2013
·
Refurbished: 2019
·
6 Decks
·
Max capacity: 264 people
All offers and prices are subject to change and availability at time of enquiry. Prices are based on two passengers sharing unless otherwise stated and are subject to the Tour Operator's terms and conditions. Cabin and Flight supplements may apply. Other supplements may apply in addition to the price shown above. Flight details, timings and routing may be subject to alteration. Other tour operator charges may also apply. Any Onboard Spending money or drinks package value shown will be per cabin, again based on two sharing.
Supplier Reference:
SO280826
Talk to a Cruise Expert
Our cruise experts will help you pick the perfect cruise line, ship and destination.
We can tailor any package to suit your holiday needs: Add or extend hotel stays, arrange flights and find the best cabin location for you.
If your party size isn’t listed, you can still call us: 0203 848 3639
2 Adultsfrom £8,300 pp
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Back
Broome
King George River Lagoon
Vansittart Bay
Ashmore Reef
Careening Bay
Swift Bay
Hunter River
Collier Bay
Montgomery Reef Landings
Zodiac Expeditions
Lacepede Islands
Zodiac Tours
Reddell Beach
Sandstone Escarpments
Broome Historical Museum
Gantheaume Point
Twin Falls
Wildlife
Rock Art
WWII History
Scuba Diving
Bird Spotting
The Mermaid Boab Tree
Wildlife Viewing
Wandjina and Gwion Gwion Galleries
Search for Giant Oysters
Hunter & Donkin Falls
Zodiac Tours
Le Soleal
Le Soleal
Le Soleal
Le Soleal
Le Soleal
Le Soleal
Le Soleal
Le Soleal
Le Soleal
Le Soleal
Darwin
DAY 1
28 Aug 2026
Time at Port: from 12 AM to 6 PM
Situated in the Northern Territory, Darwin is an enchanting city with a variety of breathtaking flora and fauna, a rich Aboriginal culture and strong Asian influences. Across the city you’ll find an array of museums, galleries and other popular attractions that are waiting to be explored. Top highlights in the city include the picturesque Darwin Wave Pool, George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens and Crocosaurus Cove.
Things to do in Darwin:
Darwin Wave Pool
Open daily, this breathtaking attraction is popular with both tourists and locals alike. A wave pool on the waterfront, it’s a fun activity no matter what your age!
Botanic Gardens
Alternatively you could head to the beautiful George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens. Located two kilometres from the centre of Darwin, it spans an impressive 42 hectares and is home to an array of tropical species. It also boasts an event space, retail gift shop and a mini amphitheatre.
Crocosaurus Cove
Get up close to some of the most incredible creatures on this planet - saltwater crocodiles. At Crocosaurus Cove which is situated in the centre of the city, you can swim with the crocodiles, hold baby crocodiles and enjoy other fun activities at this unique attraction. And with the largest display of saltwater crocodiles in Australia, there’s no better place to do it!
King George River Lagoon
DAY 2
29 Aug 2026
Time at Port: from 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM
The King George River and Lagoon is a remote, breathtaking Kimberley destination with 80-meter twin sandstone falls that plunge directly into a tidal river. Known as Western Australia's highest twin falls, they are most spectacular from April to May, when water crashes over multi-coloured sedimentary cliffs. It is well renowned for its dramatic, narrow gorge and breathtaking, sheer red granite scenery. Visitors generally board Zodiac boats or cruise ship tenders from Koolama Bay to explore the 7.5-mile gorge, which is flanked by towering sandstone, mangroves, and monsoon forest.
Things to do in King George River Lagoon:
Twin Falls
Experience Western Australia's tallest twin waterfalls, which are most active early in the season (June), following the rainy season. Swimming is not allowed because to the significant crocodile risk.
Wildlife
Visitors frequently observe a large number of saltwater crocodiles relaxing on sandbanks. Tree snakes can also be spotted along the mangrove-lined banks. The area is a birdwatcher's paradise, with ospreys and other species commonly observed in the mangrove systems.
Vansittart Bay
DAY 3
30 Aug 2026
Time at Port: from 6 AM to 12 PM
Vansittart Bay, in Western Australia's isolated Kimberley region, is a breathtaking, rocky coastal resort famed for its turquoise waters, white beaches, and mangrove-lined shoreline. It is a popular expedition cruise destination that combines old Aboriginal art, crucial WWII history, and diverse fauna. Extremely tranquil, providing a true wilderness experience surrounded by the Timor Sea.
Things to do in Vansittart Bay:
Rock Art
Jar Island is home to an outstanding, remote, and old natural gallery of Aboriginal rock art, which includes both Wandjina and Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) styles. The art is distinguished by meticulously drawn, thin-bodied human figures in ochre, frequently embellished with tassels and ornaments, that emerge on thousands of year-old sandstone cave walls. It is regarded as a spiritual, tranquil, and highly educative experience that allows visitors to "step back in time" and gain insight into the minds of the continent's first inhabitants.
WWII History
The bay is famed for a well-preserved Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3) wreck in the saltpan, which may be reached via a short walk through the mangroves. Despite being crash-landed in 1942, the fuselage, wings, and tail remain remarkably intact. Over the years, the debris has been "engulfed by greenery" and soft, crimson soil. It combines isolated, tropical beauty with poignant military history.
Ashmore Reef
DAY 4
31 Aug 2026
Time at Port: from 7:30 AM to 6 PM
Situated in the Indian Ocean within easy reach of the Great Barrier Reef, Ashmore Reef is home to a vast array of marine wildlife, crystal-clear waters and up to 500 metres of coral reefs, sand flats and seagrass meadows. Boasting scenic views, it's a tourist hotspot, with many also exploring the wrecks of historic ships that lay below.
Things to do in Ashmore Reef:
Scuba Diving
With two ship wrecks to discover, alongside rich marine life, Ashmore Reef is a popular place for scuba diving and snorkelling.
Bird Spotting
Home to egrets, crested terns and thousands of other birds, Ashmore Reef Marine Park is a birdwatching-enthusiasts dream!
Careening Bay
DAY 5
01 Sep 2026
Time at Port: from 12 PM to 7 PM
Careening Bay, also known as Wunbung-gu to the Traditional Owners, the Wunambal Gaambera people, is a remote and historically significant cove within the Prince Regent National Park on Western Australia’s Kimberley coast. It is most famous as the site where Lieutenant Phillip Parker King beached his leaking vessel, the HMC Mermaid, for critical repairs in September 1820. During the 17-day stay, the ship's carpenter inscribed "HMC Mermaid 1820" into a large boab tree. Today, this National Heritage-listed tree still stands, with the original carving grown to massive proportions, serving as a rare and tangible link to early Australian maritime exploration.
Things to do in Careening Bay:
The Mermaid Boab Tree
The Mermaid Boab Tree is a bucket-list experience for history buffs and nature lovers exploring the remote Kimberley coast. Standing at the edge of the rainforest behind Careening Bay, this National Heritage-listed giant serves as a living monument to early Australian exploration. In September 1820, the crew of the HMC Mermaid was forced to beach their leaking ship for 17 days of repairs; during this time, the ship’s carpenter carved the words "HMC MERMAID 1820" into the tree's bark. Over the last two centuries, the tree has grown to a massive 12 metres in circumference, causing the letters to stretch and expand until they are now nearly a metre high, creating a surreal and powerful connection to the past.
Wildlife Viewing
Wildlife viewing at Careening Bay is a treat for nature enthusiasts, as the area’s unique position within the Prince Regent National Park creates a "botanist’s paradise" teeming with life. While the bay is most famous for its history, it is also the site where the frilled-neck lizard was first recorded by Europeans, and you can still spot these iconic reptiles basking on the red sandstone rocks today. The surrounding mangroves and tropical woodlands are a haven for birdlife, including honeyeaters, bowerbirds, and soaring sea eagles. At low tide, the rock pools reveal an intricate marine world, though visitors must remain "croc-wise," as saltwater crocodiles are frequently seen patrolling the shoreline or sunning themselves on the golden sands.
Swift Bay
DAY 6
02 Sep 2026
Time at Port: from 6:30 AM to 6 PM
A visit to Swift Bay, located in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia, is a profound journey into one of the world's most significant outdoor art galleries. Accessible only by expedition ship or helicopter, the bay is renowned for its exceptional galleries of Wandjina and Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) rock art, which adorn the ancient sandstone rock shelters. As you wander through the rugged, maze-like rock formations, you'll encounter remarkably well-preserved depictions of spiritual beings and intricate human figures that date back thousands of years. Beyond the history, the bay's dramatic coastline—characterised by fractured sandstone cliffs and turquoise waters—offers a raw and powerful glimpse into the ancient heart of the Australian wilderness.
Things to do in Swift Bay:
Wandjina and Gwion Gwion Galleries
A visit to the Wandjina and Gwion Gwion Galleries at Swift Bay is a profound encounter with two distinct eras of Indigenous history. The Wandjina paintings are striking and powerful, featuring large, haloed spirit figures with wide eyes and no mouths, representing the supreme creator beings of the Kimberley. In contrast, the much older Gwion Gwion (or Bradshaw) art consists of delicate, dark-red silhouettes of slender human figures adorned with intricate tassels and headdresses. Wandering through these ancient sandstone shelters feels like walking through a sacred open-air cathedral, where the overlapping styles tell a story of cultural continuity spanning tens of thousands of years.
Search for Giant Oysters
Searching for giant oysters along the rugged shoreline of Swift Bay is a quintessential Kimberley adventure that relies entirely on the dramatic movement of the tides. As the water recedes, massive black-lip oysters are revealed, clinging to the ancient, barnacle-crusted sandstone rocks. Armed with a hammer and chisel, foragers navigate the slippery terrain to prize open these prehistoric-looking shells, which can grow to the size of a dinner plate. The reward is a taste of the ocean at its purest succulent, salty, and incredibly fresh eaten right there on the rocks while surrounded by the wild, sun-drenched beauty of the archipelago.
Sandstone Escarpments
A visit to the sandstone escarpments of Swift Bay is a journey through a fractured, golden landscape that has stood for over 1.8 billion years. These ancient, weathered cliffs are characterised by their deep orange and red hues, which seem to glow with fire during the Kimberley's legendary sunsets. As you navigate the labyrinth of massive boulders and narrow rock corridors, you’ll discover hidden caves and overhangs that have served as shelters for Indigenous Australians for millennia. The sheer verticality of the escarpments, set against the striking turquoise of the Indian Ocean, creates a raw and powerful scene that perfectly captures the untamed spirit of the Australian outback.
Hunter River
DAY 7
03 Sep 2026
Time at Port: from 5:30 AM to 6 PM
The Hunter River in Kimberley is an isolated, picturesque river that flows from Donkins Hill to York Sound, known for its stunning 90-metre waterfalls (Hunter and Donkin Falls) and lush mangrove forests. This 16-km river, known as Yirinni by the Wunambal Gaambera people, is a popular wilderness cruise destination for witnessing enormous saltwater crocodiles and ancient rock art.
Things to do in Hunter River:
Hunter & Donkin Falls
Hunter and Donkin Falls in the Kimberley are beautiful 90-metre-high waterfalls that cascade over red sandstone cliffs at the end of the secluded Hunter River. View the magnificent waterfalls that cascade directly from steep cliffs into the river, which are especially forceful after the rainy season. They can only be reached by expedition cruise, boat or helicopter and are nestled in a beautiful, mangrove-filled wilderness.
Zodiac Tours
Cruise through Porosus Creek's dense mangrove systems and the larger Prince Frederick Harbour in search of saltwater crocodiles, sea eagles, ospreys, and mudskippers. Photograph one of the Kimberley's most concentrated saltwater crocodile populations, as well as a variety of bird species.
Collier Bay
DAY 8
04 Sep 2026
Time at Port: from 6 AM to 11:30 AM
Collier Bay is a massive inlet on the rugged Kimberley coast of Western Australia, located roughly 100 kilometres deep and 65 kilometres wide. Named after Sir George Collier in 1821, the bay is bounded by the Yampi Peninsula to the south and is renowned for its extreme tidal phenomena, remote islands, and complex geology featuring ancient tectonic folds.
Things to do in Collier Bay:
Montgomery Reef Landings
A "landing" at Montgomery Reef is one of the Kimberley’s most surreal experiences, though you don’t actually step onto the coral; instead, you board a Zodiac or tender to navigate the "river" channels created as the reef emerges. As the massive tide drops, the reef appears to rise out of the ocean like a lost city, sending thousands of cascading waterfalls pouring off its edges into the surrounding channels. Navigating these narrow waterways allows you to get incredibly close to the action, where you can spot sea turtles, reef sharks, and rays trapped in the lagoons, while majestic Eastern Reef Egrets and ospreys hover nearby to feast on the emerging marine life.
Zodiac Expeditions
Zodiac expeditions are the heartbeat of any trip to Collier Bay, providing the only way to truly penetrate its rugged, roadless wilderness. Using these agile, inflatable craft, you can navigate deep into the mangrove-fringed channels of Walcott Inlet or the Isdell River, where the sheer sandstone cliffs and tangled roots teem with wildlife like saltwater crocodiles, sea turtles, and soaring ospreys. The highlight of these excursions is often a low-tide mission to Montgomery Reef, where the Zodiacs zip through newly formed "rivers" in the coral, allowing you to witness the spectacular waterfalls as the reef emerges from the sea.
Collier Bay
DAY 9
05 Sep 2026
Time at Port: from 6 AM to 6 PM
Collier Bay is a massive inlet on the rugged Kimberley coast of Western Australia, located roughly 100 kilometres deep and 65 kilometres wide. Named after Sir George Collier in 1821, the bay is bounded by the Yampi Peninsula to the south and is renowned for its extreme tidal phenomena, remote islands, and complex geology featuring ancient tectonic folds.
Things to do in Collier Bay:
Montgomery Reef Landings
A "landing" at Montgomery Reef is one of the Kimberley’s most surreal experiences, though you don’t actually step onto the coral; instead, you board a Zodiac or tender to navigate the "river" channels created as the reef emerges. As the massive tide drops, the reef appears to rise out of the ocean like a lost city, sending thousands of cascading waterfalls pouring off its edges into the surrounding channels. Navigating these narrow waterways allows you to get incredibly close to the action, where you can spot sea turtles, reef sharks, and rays trapped in the lagoons, while majestic Eastern Reef Egrets and ospreys hover nearby to feast on the emerging marine life.
Zodiac Expeditions
Zodiac expeditions are the heartbeat of any trip to Collier Bay, providing the only way to truly penetrate its rugged, roadless wilderness. Using these agile, inflatable craft, you can navigate deep into the mangrove-fringed channels of Walcott Inlet or the Isdell River, where the sheer sandstone cliffs and tangled roots teem with wildlife like saltwater crocodiles, sea turtles, and soaring ospreys. The highlight of these excursions is often a low-tide mission to Montgomery Reef, where the Zodiacs zip through newly formed "rivers" in the coral, allowing you to witness the spectacular waterfalls as the reef emerges from the sea.
Lacepede Islands
DAY 10
06 Sep 2026
Time at Port: from 6 AM to 6 PM
The Lacepede Islands are a remote, Class-A natural reserve off Western Australia's Kimberley coast, recognised for providing a pristine animal haven. They are low-lying sand cays bordered by turquoise waters that host massive seabird breeding colonies. Often referred to as a birdwatcher's paradise, the islands are home to one of the world's largest brown booby breeding populations as well as a major nesting place for green turtles.
Things to do in Lacepede Islands:
Zodiac Tours
You can cruise to the Lacepede Islands, but landings are not permitted to safeguard the delicate natural reserve. Specialised expedition cruises visit the islands, frequently employing Zodiac boats to get a close-up view of the coastline, beaches, and birds.
Broome
DAY 11
07 Sep 2026
Time at Port: from 7 AM to 6 PM
Beloved for its vibrant, red sands and crystal-clear waters, Broome is a popular resort town located in the Kimberley region of western Australia. Top attractions in Broome include Gantheaume Point, the Broome Historical Museum and Reddell Beach.
Things to do in Broome:
Broome Historical Museum
A small but fascinating history museum, here you'll find a range of exhibits showcasing the history and culture of the local area.
Gantheaume Point
A scenic viewpoint located next to the beach, head here for fantastic views out over the ocean and for plenty of photo opportunities.
Reddell Beach
Surrounded by golden rock formations, this picturesque beach is a favourite with surfers and those looking to unwind whilst stopping over in Broome.