Part of Indonesia’s Komodo National Park and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rinca Island is home to the Komodo dragon and other unique reptiles. After disembarking the Crystal Endeavor, a guide will lead a hike through the lush terrain to a special lookout point. Keep your eyes peeled for a Komodo dragon throughout the hour-long trek—they can grow as long as 10 feet in length and run up to 15 miles per hour.

As one of Australia’s most feared penal colonies, Port Arthur housed nearly 10,000 English convicts for more than 40 years. To pay for the cost of housing criminals, the prison became a hub of industry, including ship-building, metal-smithing, and brick-making. A park ranger will lead a tour of the penitentiary, the convict-design church, hospital, and Old Guard House. Convicts who didn’t survive their incarceration were buried on the small island cemetery known as “The Isle of the Dead.” The cemetery island and Port Arthur were both abandoned in 1877.

An ideal excursion for nature lovers and bird enthusiasts, enjoy a guided trek through the trails of the Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary. Versed in zoology, ornithology and natural history, you guide will offer details on the island’s wildlife and share tales of early Maori and European history. Throughout the expedition you may spy some of New Zealand’s native birds, like the kaka , kereru, and weka.