King George River, Australia

A cruise along the King George River is the iconic Kimberley experience. The river, located in the North Kimberley Marine Park in Western Australia, flows 70 miles through an ancient gorge lined with soaring, red sandstone walls before it empties into Koolama Bay and the Timor Sea. Your Seabourn ship drops anchor in the bay, where you and your fellow guests board Zodiacs to venture up the awe-striking canyon carved nearly 2 billion years ago. Expedition Team members skillfully maneuver the inflatable crafts along the river’s serpentine course, its sandstone cliffs—which reach upward of 262 feet high—creating a dynamic canvas of colors and textures with the gorge’s ever-changing light. Around eight miles upriver, your journey ends at one of the most enchanting sights on Earth: the twin King George Falls, where a thundering torrent of whitewater plunges over a 328-foot-high cliff into the tidal waters below. The falls are considered sacred by the Balanggarra people, and you team members point out the magnificent Aboriginal rock art gallery that decorates the gorge’s walls.