By The UNCHARTED® editors · 3 min readThese expedition yachts navigate the worlds of 19th-century naturalists to rediscover places they would recognize, in style and comfort they could hardly have imagined.
Whether on the open sea, navigating narrow channels, or drifting down rivers, there’s no feeling that puts you in the explorer’s mindset quite like being on the water. It's this sense of awe and possibility that inspired two of history’s greatest naturalists: Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.
Their epic voyages — Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle in the Galápagos and onward to Chile, and Wallace deep into the Amazon and through the Malay Archipelago — unlocked the secrets of nature, one specimen at a time. With relentless curiosity, these two charted the unknown, collecting thousands of samples and making observations that reshaped our understanding of the natural world.
These expedition ships retrace their routes, with onboard naturalists to help us see through their eyes.
Cambodia & Vietnam
M/V Aqua Mekong:
Asia’s Most Stylish River Safari
Winner of the “Best in Flow” 2026 UNCHARTED Global Safari Award, this is Asia’s most stylish river safari. Days unfold with excursions on tender boats to tributary towns, temples, and artisan workshops. Full-length windows and suites with private balconies provide unobstructed views of limestone peaks and rice paddies, elephants bathing along banks, and Irrawaddy dolphins surfacing.
With a menu by a Michelin-starred consulting chef and a drinks program by renowned cocktail designers, as well as a plunge pool, rooftop bar, and spa, it’s a legit Port Out, Starboard Home (POSH!) river trip. With only 20 suites, the guest:staff ratio is 1:1.
GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS
M/Y Aqua Mare:
The Miracle of Evolution, Rediscovered
A volcanic wonderland that sparked some of Darwin’s most revolutionary insights, there’s nowhere quite like the Galápagos Islands. Isolated and protected, this remote archipelago is home to wildlife found nowhere else — which is why 97 percent of it is declared a national park. Here, blue footed boobies dance their mating jig, Darwin’s finches tweet, and marine iguanas forage in the sea and bask on the beach in a landscape that has changed science forever.
Aqua Mare
The sleek
features a top-deck Jacuzzi, panoramic outdoor dining area, and keeps things intimate with only room for 16 guests. With two expert naturalists onboard — plus exclusive access through a partnership with the Charles Darwin Foundation — you’ll gain a rare insider’s view into this singular environment while paddling, snorkeling, hiking, and sailing.
PERU
M/V Amazon Explorer:
Into the Lungs of the Earth
While famed for Machu Picchu and the epic Andes, the vast Peruvian jungle actually covers nearly 60 percent of the country — and it’s home to over 12,000 species. Aboard the
Amazon Explorer,
you’ll be inspired by indigenous Shipibo-inspired design and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer up tantalizing sunrises over the forest canopy.
During the day, trek through the jungle or kayak; you’re bound to spot macaws, pink river dolphins, giant otters, sloths and maybe even a jaguar or two. Down time can be spent listening to talks by naturalists and learning to cook with local flavors.
EGYPT
S/B Kazazian Arax:
A Pharaoh’s Way to See the Nile
Winner of the “Nile Dreamboat Fit for Cleopatra” 2026 UNCHARTED Global Safari Award, this is a Nile experience unlike any other: Drift past towering temple pylons, slip ashore to deserted sandbars, explore Nubian villages, watch feluccas glide by, and gain intimate access to ancient sites from Luxor to Aswan. An onboard Egyptologist explains it all.
With only 18 guests, an onboard spa, and beach dinners on private islands, this is a five-night river odyssey crafted for contemporary pharaohs and queens who prefer their kingdoms uncrowded.
INDONESIA
S/Y Prana:
A Living Maritime Legacy
Aboard the Prana (which, at 55 meters, is the world’s largest traditional phinisi, or traditional Sulawesi seafaring ship) you’ll sail through Indonesia’s living maritime legacy. Custom-built by the minds behind UNCHARTED’s Global Safari Award-winning Atzaró Lodge, nine cabins assure intimate exploration and personalized attention by an expert crew.
Cruise at a leisurely pace through Komodo National Park, the Spice Islands, and Raja Ampat. Every turn reveals magic: manta rays leaping skyward, secret lagoons, and real-life dragons. Snorkel vibrant reefs, or go deeper with the boat’s beginner-friendly SCUBA program that eases you below the surface in world-class diving waters.
