Aranoa - Austral Islands & Beyond

Launching in March 2027, the brand new, purpose-built Aranoa will explore the remote and rarely visited Austral Islands located almost 400 miles south of Tahiti’s capital, Papeete, as well as limited departures to Pitcairn and Gambier Islands.

The Austral archipelago has just seven islands, five of which are inhabited – Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae and Rapa – and only four of which are accessible by air.  With a population under 7,000, this is an off the beaten track archipelago for the more interpid traveler with a keen interest in untouched and mysterious lands, a place where white sand meets the aquamarine lagoons, and sheer cliffs and ancient valleys roll into farmland. 

Several archaeological remains witness to a well organised, pre-European community of rich culture and ancient religious practices. The cliffs and caves of the Austral Islands were once burial grounds but today they provide natural viewing platform for visitors to watch humpback whales in the ocean below during their migration to warmer water to give birth from August to October each year.

Note: Some Austral cruises will not visit Rapa, and instead include a visit to either Maupiti or Huahine.  Please chat to our team of Tahiti experts for details and cruise dates.

Pitcairn & Gambier Islands

On 21st July and 8th September 2027, the Aranoa will set sail from Papeete for a 12-day voyage to the far-flung Gambier Islands passing through the white-sand paradise islands in the Tuamotus and visiting remote Pitcairn Island where the Bounty famously dropped anchor two centuries ago. This is one of the world's most isolated islands, and many of descendants of the mutineers still live here today.