Carnival in Africa: Angola Tour

LEAST VISITED COUNTRIES GROUP 1

Friday 6th December – Koror, Palau

• Arrive in Koror – the largest and commercial centre of Palau and transfer to the Palaisa Hotel at your own convenience and meet your fellow group members.

Saturday 7th December – Koror 

Morning

• Continental breakfast at the hotel.
• A relatively late rise after late flights coming the previous night and we meet at 12:00pm in the hotel lobby for a pre-tour meeting.

Afternoon

• Group lunch at the hotel and orientation with your Pioneer Adventure Travel guides and your fellow travellers.
• In the afternoon we head out with our local guide for a Koror city tour and then over the Japan- Palau Friendship bridge to Babeldaob island, Palau’s largest island and the seat of its government. After visiting parliament, we’ll stop by the excellently preserved Melekeok Bai (traditional men’s meeting house) which features ornate traditional designs and paintings.
• We’ll stop by a market and café for snacks and fast food to for lunch on the road.
• Finally, we’ll make our way to Babeldaob’s northernmost tip for the day’s highlight: the Badrulchau Stone Monoliths, considered to be the most enigmatic and oldest archaeological site in Palau.
• After exploring Babeldaob, we’ll head back to Koror to sample some local street food at a local night market.
• Overnight at the Palasia Hotel.

Sunday 8th December – Koror – Peleliu – Koror

• We head out early and take a boat to Peleliu, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of World War 2 Pacific Theatre, designated by the US government as a “National Historic Landmark”. Our expert local guide will bring us through various battle sites, tanks, shrines and monuments, including a hike into Death Valley on Bloody Nose Ridge, as well as the tunnel systems where 33 Japanese soldiers held out until 1947!
• Bento lunch on the beach.
• Before returning to Koror, we’ll stop at Eil Malk Island, home to Jellyfish Lagoon, inhabited by stingless (!) jellyfish. For those wishing to snorkel or swim with the jellyfish, Pioneer Adventure Travel can arrange permits for $120. For who don’t fancy a swim with the jellyfish, the island has trails for hiking and a small bar for refreshments.
• Dinner and drinks at the Red Rooster Café, which not only boasts great American and Japanese food, but our thirsty customers can sample the local Red Roaster brewery’s five varieties: Amber, Light, Stout, Wheat and a Tropical Ale, plus a cider for sale (don’t worry, sample flights are available so things don’t get too crazy!)
• Overnight at the Palasia Hotel.

Monday 9th December – Koror – Chuuk, Micronesia

Morning

• Depart the Palais Hotel at 11:30pm to catch our 2:05am flight to Chuuk – one the federal states of Micronesia (FSM) via Guam, arriving at 9:40am. Check in at the Blue Lagoon Resort, situated in the historic Truk Lagoon.

Afternoon

• After checking in and lunch at the Blue Lagoon Resort, we’ll head out for a land tour of Weno island, the Capital island of Chuuk State, which includes exploring caves dug by the Japanese during WWII, and a former Japanese communication centre which is now Xavier High School.
• Watch the sunset over dinner and happy hour drinks at Mangroove bar.
• Overnight at the Blue Lagoon Resort.

Tuesday 10th December – Chuuk 

Morning

• Breakfast before our 11:00am departure for a boat tour of Tonoas and Eten Islands where we will visiting various Japanese ruins such as the hospital, school, communication centre, gun emplacements.

Afternoon

• Late afternoon return from the island tour. Dinner and overnight at Blue Lagoon Resort.

Wednesday 11th December – Chuuk – Majuro, Marshall Islands

Morning

• Depart at 9:00am for our 12:10pm flight to Majuro, capital of the Marshall Islands.

Afternoon

• Transfer to the Hotel “Robert Reimers”, which was opened by a German businessman named Robert Reimers, and family-run since the 1970s. This is perhaps the best hotel in Majuro. Dinner and drinks at the hotel’s popular Tide Table restaurant, which boasts some of the Pacific’s best tuna sashimi (in our opinion) while overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
• Overnight at Hotel Robert Reimers.

Thursday, December 12th – Majuro – Eneko Island – Majuro 

Morning

• After breakfast at the Tide Table restaurant, we’ll head out to the K&K Island Supermarket to pick up BBQ and BYOB provisions before our 11:00am boat journey to the paradise of Eneko Island. Eneko Island itself is famous for being part of a fraudulent 1990s micro-nation, but setting that aside, it is genuinely an island paradise and a great place to spend the day. Anyone willing to be the Chef de Partie can take a crack at cooking BBQ on the beach.

Afternoon

• Eneko Island offers plenty to do, with complimentary snorkel gear, a pontoon to jump from, and pristine beaches for soaking up the Pacific sun. If this island was anywhere else in the world, it would be packed with tourists. It’s not packed, but there’s usually some locals hanging out playing volleyball who are more than happy for you to join in!
• We head back on our boat at around 4:00pm, with us passing through a number of islands and atolls to get perfect sunset shots – weather permitting!
• After freshening up we’ll head to Andy’s Restaurant for the Marshall Islands’ unique spin on Chinese cuisine.
• Overnight Hotel Robert Reimers.

Friday 13th December – Majuro 

Morning

• Breakfast at the Hotel Robert Reimers.
• Guided by the Marshall Islands Tourism office, we take a bus and do a whistle stop tour of Majuro, the capital city of the Marshall Islands. We will stop at various points of interest around the city, including Alele Cultural Museum for a demonstration on traditional outrigger canoes, the Japanese Peace Park Memorial, and the Tobolar Copra Processing Plant.
• Lunch stop in the city at Jittak Take-out for some island cuisine.

Afternoon

• In the afternoon we use the bus to take us to Laura Beach, a well-known local beach east of Rongrong isle. We spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach before heading back to our hotel to freshen up and relax.
• In the evening, we’ll head for dinner at Toeak Bar & Grill which is walking distance from Robert Reimers Hotel, which boasts great ocean views and an expansive menu.
• People can then go sample the delights of Majuro town, or relax at the hotel.
• Overnight at Hotel Robert Reimers.

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LEAST VISITED COUNTRIES GROUP 2

Saturday 14th December  – Majuro – Tarawa, Kiribati

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Group 1 members: tour concludes in Majuro – Pioneer Adventure Travel is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights.
• Full group members: we offer a free morning to explore Majuro before we transfer to the airport at 1:30pm for the 2:05pm flight to Tarawa – the capital of Kiribati, arriving at 3:20pm. You’ll be greeted at the airport by our local guide who will transfer to the Betio Lodge Hotel.
• Group 2 members: transfer to the hotel at your own convenience and meet the rest of the group.
• On the way, we will stop by the national archives, a bit of a throwback with physical ledgers and microfilm with documents dating to the early 1900s when Kiribati was known as the Gilbert Islands.
• Dinner and drinks at the Betio Lodge.
• After this those wishing for an early night can do so, while those inclined can head to a very cool local bar located right next to our hotel for a sundowner.
• Overnight in Tarawa.

Sunday 15th December – Tarawa

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• #TOUR HIGHLIGHT# Tarawa WWII Tour – Accompanied by our expert guide who has been guiding WWII tours of Tarawa for 40 years, and has arranged ceremonial trips for the returning US veterans defeated the Japanese after just 76 hours despite the Japanese declaration that the atoll would not be taken for “1,000 years!”
• Black beaches 1 & 2 – Here you will get to see and photograph well-preserved British 8″ inch guns, as well as the Japanese and Korean war memorials, the British-New Zealand-Australian Coast watchers memorial and explore the Japanese bunker at Green beach.
• Visit Red beaches 1, 2, – See a shockingly well intact American Sherman tank which has been sitting in the Pacific since it was stopped in its advance by Japanese gunfire in 1943, and the remnants of Japanese 95 type tank.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Tarawa.
• Visit Red beach 3 – See 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman’s bunker who received the Congressional Medal of Honour after his remains were excavated in 2010, and was amongst 1,000 US marines and 4,500 Japanese marines who died in the battle. Last, we will visit the Japanese commander’s bunker, where he and the rest of the Japanese command staff were killed whilst attempting a retreat to a new command centre.
• Watch local dance performed for us, as we have dinner at the Horizon Café, a popular local hangout.
• For those inclined, we’ll head out to our favourite bars and mingle with the locals.
• Overnight in Tarawa.

Monday 16th December  – Tarawa – Nauru

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel and then pick up for our early morning tour.
• Visit and explore the biggest Cathedral in Kiribati, and the Nuns’ Library to learn about the history of the first missionaries who arrived in Kiribati as well as see the Japanese commander’s notice to the people of Kiribati.

Afternoon

• Visit the Parliament.
• Stop at the highest point in Eita for a breath-taking view.
• Return to hotel to freshen up before leaving Kiribati.
• Lunch at Ocean Family Seafood restaurant, one of the newest and poshest spots in Tarawa which has a large menu featuring delightful seafood and Chinese entrees.
• Head to the airport for the 7:30pm flight to Nauru arriving at 8:45pm.
• On arrival in Nauru we transfer to the Hotel Menen for dinner and drinks.
• Overnight at the Menen Hotel.

Tuesday 17th December – Nauru 

Morning

• The Island Ring Road Tour is a great introduction to the Nauru, and we will be visiting all the main hotspots with our local guides who will relate the history and stories of each spot, including Anibare Bay, Pinnacle Rocks, Ewa Beach, Arubo Catholic Church, Christian Missionary Monument, and Buada Lagoon.

Afternoon

• Lunch break at Anibare Boat Harbour restaurant for some Nauru-style Chinese cuisine. Believe it, or not 8% of people in Nauru are Chinese, and that means great quality food.
• After lunch, we’ll continue the Island Ring Road tour, topside tour included, with the final spot at Western Bay to see the sunset before dinner and drinks at the Menen Hotel.
• Overnight at the Menen Hotel.

Wednesday 18th December – Nauru

Morning

• Ever walked around an entire country? Ok, maybe you have, but have you ever done it in one day? Nauru is the only country in the world where it is genuinely possible to do this in a few hours! It’s about a 5 hour walk at a gentle pace. For those feeling slightly less energetic, we can arrange for scooter rental at an extra charge.

Afternoon

• Back out with our local guides and visit the Naoero museum, the national museum of Nauru. Whilst Nauru is famous for being a country without a capital, it does have a capital village, and we head there to check out the parliament building, high court, and even peek into the President’s office.
• Ever done a national pub crawl in a day? We visit all of Nauru’s 4 pubs before settling at the last one for our dinner at Bayview restaurant, widely considered to be the best bar and restaurant on the island.
• Overnight at the Menen Hotel.

Thursday 19th December – Nauru – Nadi, Fiji 

Morning

• For our last day in Nauru, we will visit Command Ridge, the highest point on the island and the site of some incredibly well-preserved Japanese cannons from WWII. We will also stop by a former phosphate facility to learn more about Nauru’s phosphate mining industry, as well as the remnants of an imperialist Japanese prison.

Afternoon

• After lunch at Blue Ocean Chinese restaurant, we will visit the Post Office (who does not want a post card from the world’s least visited country?) and Capelle shopping centre for fridge magnets, mugs and other souvenirs.
• After checking in for our flight, we’ll walk over to the island’s newest Chinese restaurant, Fortuna Cantonese, for dinner before our 8:45pm flight to Fiji.
• After landing in Nadi shortly after midnight, we’ll transfer to our hotel situated near the airport where the staff will keep the kitchen and bar open for us.
• Overnight at the Ace Airport Hotel.

Friday 20th December – Nadi 

Morning

• We’ve just travelled to 5 countries in two weeks, so after many flights and such a late arrival we take the opportunity to enjoy our first rest of the trip, giving people a free morning allowing us to catch up on emails, or do washing.

Afternoon

• We have arranged transportation to Natadola beach. Considered one of Fiji’s best beaches, it is known for white sands, snorkelling, horseback riding and it’s also as a great place to relax. For those looking to explore more of Fiji’s history and culture, your Pioneer Adventure Travel guides can advise on how to visit Sri Siva temple and other landmarks.
• After returning from the beach and sightseeing, we’ll have some time to freshen up before going to dinner at Nadina for traditional Fijian cuisine and kava.
• Overnight at the Ace Airport.

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LEAST VISITED COUNTRIES GROUP 3

Saturday 21st December – Nadi – Suva – Funafuti, Tuvalu 

Morning

• Full group members: up nice and early for the 7:30am flight to Tuvalu via Suva.
• Group 2 members: tour concludes in Nadi – Pioneer Adventure Travel is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights.
• #TRIP HIGHLIGHT# Afternoon arrival in the third-least-visited country in the world, Tuvalu – this is where the trip really gets into least visited territory!
• Funafuti is hardly a metropolis and the island’s only proper hotel is conveniently only a 50 meters walk from the airport. We have time to freshen up and eat lunch before beginning our adventures in country number three.
• Funafuti is easily walkable and the most popular mode of transportation are scooters, so you will have some time to explore Funafuti either on foot or a scooter, which can be rented through our local guide.

Afternoon

• On a Saturday evening, our hotel is often the location of local family celebrations such as birthdays or weddings, which happen on a grand scale in Tuvalu, so hopefully we’ll get a chance to watch or join in.
• Overnight at Funafuti Lagoon Hotel.

Sunday 22nd December – Funafuti 

Morning

• Funafuti bus tour (those who have rented scooters can soak up the Pacific sunshine and trail the bus). With Tuvalu one of only 12 countries left which recognises Taiwan, we will stop in to greet the Taiwanese ambassador and tour a Tuvalu-Taiwan collaborative farm.
• As we explore both ends of Funafuti, we will also stop for a photo-op at the island’s narrowest point, explore shipwrecks and see some WWII machinery left over by the Americans who used the island as a staging ground for the Battle of Tarawa and bombing raids on Nauru.

Afternoon

• Buffet-style dinner of the best island food in Tuvalu, cooked and prepared by our local guide and his family and served at their home!
• For those who want to experience Funafuti’s nightlife, we head out to the island’s only disco/beer garden, Matagigali bar.
• Overnight at Funafuti Lagoon hotel.

Monday 23rd December – Funafuti 

Morning

• Early start to take boats out for the day across Funafuti lagoon to explore some of the surrounding, and sparsely inhabited islets. Those aquatically inclined should bring their snorkelling masks to check out the reefs.

Afternoon

• BBQ lunch of fresh seafood caught by our guides right out of the lagoon! After an afternoon relaxing on the beach, we will head back to Funafuti to freshen up at the hotel.
• Dinner and overnight stay at Funafuti Lagoon hotel.

Tuesday 24th December – Funafuti – Nadi – Apia, Samoa 

Morning

• After breakfast, we will check out of the hotel, and walk over to the post office which boasts the most eclectic collection of stamps found on this tour (have wondered what Star Trek and Elvis Tuvalu stamps might look like!?), and then to the government building for a guided tour of the seat of this tiny country’s government.

Afternoon

• We’ll board our 12:20pm flight for the long trek to Apia via Suva and Nadi, arriving in Apia just after midnight on July 31st.
• Overnight at Karl’s Getaway.

Wednesday 25th December – Apia

Morning

• After breakfast, we’ll make the most of our one day in Samoa and hop on the bus for a guided tour of downtown Apia where we will pass by parliament, visit a local market, snap photos of Apia’s amazingly unique public buses, walk along the sea wall, and visit the Immaculate Conception Cathedral known for its blend of colonial and Samoan architecture.

Afternoon

• After a seafood lunch at Apia Wharf, we’ll start making our way through the island’s interior and visit the museum and home of author Robert Louis Stevenson (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) before going for a sunset dip in the To Sua sinkholes.
• Dinner at Giordano’s for some authentic Italian style pizza, generally considered the best pizza on the island.
• Overnight at Karl’s Getaway.

Note: The Apia itinerary is subject to change due to the Christmas holiday, and may be updated or altered accordingly. 

Thursday 26th December – Apia – Nuku’alofa, Tonga

Morning

• After breakfast we’ll say goodbye to Samoa as we head to the airport for our very own charter flight (for aviation fans, the planes are AC690B Twin Commander Aircrafts) from Apia to Nuku’alofa, the capital city of the Kingdom of Tonga!

Afternoon

• After checking into our hotel and having a quick lunch we will be heading out on a city tour taking in the Royal Palace, it may be made of wood and somewhat crumbling but it’s still the official residence of the King!
• Visit the town of Mu’a, the previous capital of Tonga, here we can see the numerous tombs of Tongan kings
• Dinner of local fare before a pub crawl along Nuku’alofa’s waterfront.
• Overnight in Nuku’alofa at the Emerald Hotel.

Friday December 27th – Nuku’alofa

Morning

• In the morning we first head to the Tongan National Culture Centre to view exhibitions on the kingdom’s history as well as locals engaging in traditional art forms like tapa making
• Next, we take our bus out of town to see the pristine beaches on the other side of the island, stopping by the Mapu’a Vaea where waves crash into ancient volcanic rock forms, creating an impressive and unique blowhole phenomena.

Afternoon

• Head back to the hotel to freshen up and then we go out for our final night of this unique trip, for a Tongan dinner and traditional Tongan performance set inside a cave!
• Overnight at the Emerald Hotel.

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LEAST VISITED COUNTRIES GROUP 4

Saturday 28th December – Nuku’alofa – Port Vila, Vanuatu

Morning

• Full group members: transport to the Nuku’alofa airport for our 05:40am flight to Vanuatu via Nadi, arriving in Port Vila at 3:55pm and transfer to our hotel.
• Group 3 members: tour concludes in Nuku’alofa, Tonga – Pioneer Adventure Travel is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights.
• Group 4 members: transfer to the hotel at your own convenience and meet the rest of the group.

Afternoon

• As it will have been a long travel day for our full group members, and likely those joining us for group 4, we’ll take a few hours to freshen up and rest at our hotel before a group dinner at the legendary L’Houstalet restaurant, famous for its wild pigeon, coconut crab and flying fox!

Sunday 29th December – Port Vila 

Morning

• After breakfast, 11:00am departure for our custom “Bushwalk” tour where our local guides will bring us deep into Port Vila’s interior for rainforest hiking, fresh fruit sampling, swimming opportunities, and a stop by a local village for have a chance to meet and talk with locals.

Afternoon

• Return to the hotel and freshen up before heading across town for sunset dinner and drinks at the popular Banyan Beach Bar.

Monday 30th December – Port Vila

Morning

• After breakfast, we will visit the nearby Port Vila Rowing club situated on Erakor Lagoon for a demonstration and lesson from the island’s only rowing club.

Afternoon

• After lunch at the hotel, we’ll head out for our guided bus tour of Port Vila where we will stop at the city lookout for a photo opportunity, Parliament House, Council of Chiefs, Erakor Landing, Independence Park and the Mahitahi Handicraft Market (sells locally-made handicrafts only).
• Finally, we finish our city tour at an authentic Vanuatu Kava Bar where our guides will give us a proper demonstration on how to drink Kava replete with pallet-cleansing snacks called “washemout.”
• Dinner and drinks out on the town for our final night in Port Vila.

Tuesday 31st December – Port Vila – Honiara, Solomon Islands

Morning

• After breakfast, we head to the airport to catch the 3:15pm Air Solomon flight to Honiara, arriving at 5:15pm.

Afternoon

• On arrival, we’ll be met at the airport and transfer to the Honiara Hotel.
• The Honiara Hotel is a local institution – we’ll get the chance to talk to the eccentric owner, Sir Thomas Chan, about his life in politics on the island, as well as his experiences meeting various member of the Royal Family and being invested as a knight by the Queen.
• We have the choice to dine in the opulent Club Havana or poolside at the Oasis Restaurant and finish with drinks by the pool at our hotel. If you fancy an after dinner treat, the Cathliro Chocolate Haus also offers excellent fresh brewed espresso and locally made chocolate.
• New Year’s Eve celebrations with the locals at the Honiara Hotel! 

Wednesday 1st January – Honiara 

Morning

• Up early for our guided tour of Honiara. First, we will explore Honiara central market, which is where real Solomon life occurs, and have a chance to buy local souvenirs.
• Following this, we do a full city tour including all the monuments to WW2, parliament and the national museum.

Afternoon

• The way to really discover a country is through its street food, so on the journey to the next part of our tour we stop at street-food heaven, a row of food stalls where the choices range from grilled lobster, chicken or fish served with rice and pumpkin.
• #TRIP HIGHLIGHT# we head to a beach which has a major Japanese WW2 wreck for some wreck snorkelling and underwater photography, as well as great views of the city of Honiara, whilst enjoying the beach.
• After freshening up at the hotel, we head out for dinner at the Coral Sea Resort for a nice dinner overlooking the extremely beautiful seafront.
• Overnight at Honiara Hotel.

Thursday 2nd January – Honiara – Savo

Morning

• Breakfast at the Honiara Hotel.
• Today we go by boat to bucolic Savo Island, with our first stop being the beach where the Megapode birds lay their eggs, so customers can purchase some for lunch.

Afternoon

• We then head to a truly private area where we will not only have lunch, but also the opportunity to explore Solomon villages on the island, interact with locals, hike in the beautiful scenery, or simply hang out by the beach for swimming and snorkelling with dolphins!
• Dinner and overnight at the Savo Island Sunset Lodge.

Thursday 3rd January – Savo – Honiara

• Tour concludes in Honiara, Pioneer Adventure Travel are able to arrange post-tour accommodation or extra activities in Honiara if you want to extend your trip.
• Pioneer Adventure Travel are currently working on several exciting extensions to this tour which will soon be announced, and will provide further opportunities to explore additional rarely visited islands in this wonderful region.