May 21, 2025 – May 22, 20225
Author: Maria
Durban, South Africa
May 18, 2025 – May 18, 2025
British colonial architecture prevails in Durban, yet natural beauty is what characterizes this charming city on the Indian Ocean. Its Golden Mile beach area attracts sunbathers, of course, but also shoppers and those who enjoy walking the promenade. The Juma Masjid deserves a visit, as it’s the largest mosque in the southern hemisphere.
Uncover past and present-day African tribal culture in the ancestral homeland of the Zulu during this enthralling journey to the Valley of a Thousand Hills. During your scenic drive, hear that nearly two centuries ago the Zulu King Shaka, known to historians as the Black Napoleon, subjugated the tribes that today comprise the Kingdom of the Zulu. Upon arrival at the PheZulu Safari Park, you’ll enjoy a guided walking tour focused on the customs and beliefs of the Zulu people, including a performance of energetic songs by costumed members of the renowned Gasa clan. Revel in dances of courtship and betrothal, war and birth, and the throwing of bones by a witch doctor, or sangoma, all set to the mesmerizing beat of the Zulu drum. You’ll walk through a recreated village, learning about African tribal culture and visit PheZulu’s riveting reptile park to view some of Africa’s most notorious snakes and crocodiles.
Richards Bay, South Africa
May 16, 2025 – May 17, 2025
Take an excursion to one of the nearby game reserves or simply gaze over the surrounding waters, where you might get a glimpse of dolphins, whales and kite-surfers. The best view is from the lookout point at Alkantstrand Beach. Richards Bay is a busy port and the myriad of specialized ships will intrigue marine buffs.
Hluhluwe Game Reserve
Revel in South Africa’s sublime natural beauty and wildlife during this superb game drive at the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. Settle in for a picturesque drive north to the park’s Memorial Gate, where you’ll enjoy a brief stop to change over into your open-air, off-road safari vehicle. During your approximately two-hour game drive, marvel at the expansive views and photo opportunities of the pristine scenery surrounding you. Discover the park is well-known for its small population of rare white rhinos and a spectacular variety of bird and animal life, including elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, blue wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, cheetahs, mountain reedbuck, kudu and warthogs. As you journey through the park’s rolling landscapes, keep your camera on hand, as you may encounter many of these glorious creatures up close.
The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa – Cape Town, South Africa
Maputo, Mozambique
May 15, 2025 – May 15, 2025
Intent on recapturing its former glamour, Maputo once again attracts the rich and famous, whom you may see while sipping a cocktail at the extravagant Hotel Polana. Maputo’s struggle for freedom from Portuguese colonialism is recounted in local museums.
Discover Maputo’s rich history on a compelling tour that features highlights of this bustling capital city. Pass the striking Beaux-Arts Central Railway Station on your way to the Maputo Central Market, where you can watch locals bartering for a variety of goods and food. You’ll continue to Independence Square, a city focal point and home to a statue of Samora Machel, the country’s first president, the gleaming white Roman-Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the neoclassical City Hall and the splendid colonial-style French-Mozambican Cultural Center, home to art exhibitions and musical performances. You’ll marvel at a house built entirely of iron, designed by Gustav Eiffel as a governor’s residence but ultimately uninhabitable due to the tropical climate. Discover the appealing Natural History Museum, which boasts attractive Manueline architecture and unique exhibits, and explore the 18th-century Maputo Fortress, one of the city’s most visited attractions, which provides insight into Mozambique’s colonization in its intriguing museum displaying armaments and art. You’ll applaud Maputo’s cultural treasures during this illuminating excursion.
The Fort of Maputo
Mayotte, French Comoros
May 12, 2025 – May 12, 2025
While the other islands of the fragrant Comoros (known as the “Perfume Islands”) gained independence from France in 1975, Mayotte remained under French rule, and you’ll welcome the influence. The Petit Terre district boasts fine patisseries, boutiques and art galleries, and there’s a French flair everywhere.
Nosy Be, Madagascar
May 11, 2025 – May 11, 2025
Lying off the northern coast of Madagascar, Nosy Be (which means “Big Island” in Malagasy) contains seven volcanic lakes and is blanketed with fragrant flora such as ylang-ylang, frangipani, and vanilla. Unusual wildlife flourishes here, as witnessed in Lokobe Nature Reserve, home to maki lemurs, chameleons, and paradise flycatchers.
Discover exotic crops and trees that thrive in Nosy Be’s fertile soil by visiting an open-air market, walking through a plantation’s fields, and relaxing under the Sacred Tree. Begin a leisurely drive across Hell-Ville, one of Madagascar’s most developed areas and the island’s colonial capital. You’ll stop at one of the city’s busy open-air markets and experience an authentic slice of daily life, watching locals shopping for spices, tamarind, mangoes, and other fresh produce. At a nearby plantation, breathe in the heady fragrance of the ylang-ylang tree’s flowers, whose essential oils are used to produce perfumes and lotions. Learn that while coffee and peppers also flourish here, the Sacred Tree is Nosy Be’s most iconic plant. You’ll sit in its shade and hear why the Malagasy people revere this over-200-year-old ficus tree, which covers an area of more than 5,000 square feet. Wander through the tree’s maze of aerial roots or sit back and enjoy a folkloric performance by a live band while sipping a refreshing beverage.
Mahe, Seychelles (2025)
May 8, 2025- May 9, 2025
Gorgeous and romantic, the Seychelles define tropical beauty. A mountain range runs through the spine of Mahé, the largest island, and scenic national parks have sprung up around it, attracting hikers. Still, it’s the idyllic beaches that have immortalized Mahé and its laid-back capital of Victoria, where the Seychellois speak a mellifluous Creole patois.
Experience highlights of Mahé during a satisfying coach and catamaran tour of a picturesque plantation, a rain forest and the island’s pristine coastline. Journey to breathtaking Jardin du Roi, a postcard-ready, 85-acre working plantation situated high in the rainforest valley of southern Mahé. You’ll discover that the plantation is home to a wide variety of spice plants, tropical fruit trees, essential oil plants and endemic palms, and that descendants of the founding Green family still manage the plantation, which was established in 1860. After a delightful pick-me-up of refreshing fruit juice at Jardin du Roi, continue your excursion on a comfortable catamaran.
Praslin, Seychelles
May 8, 2025 – May 8, 2025
An idyllic tropical island, Praslin is ringed with secluded beaches like magnificent Anse Lazio. Don’t miss Vallée de Mai, a virgin palm forest so extraordinary it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The forest supports extremely rare flora and fauna, including the black parrot and exotic coco de mer, the world’s largest nut.
Experience the Old World beauty and charm of the Seychelles during an orientation tour of picturesque La Digue. Depart the Praslin jetty via local ferry for the crossing to La Digue, one of the Seychelles’ prettiest islands. Upon arrival, enjoy a scenic drive to L’Union Estate, where you’ll gain insight into La Digue’s history at the estate’s old Creole house and coconut factory, and delight in daily life characterized by a decidedly relaxed pace punctuated by the occasional rumble of a passing oxcart. Continue to La Digue’s beaches, considered to be among the world’s finest, including nearby Anse Source D’Argent, which has been called a bather’s and photographer’s dream. You’ll thrill to the soft white sands and dramatic granite boulders that have long enchanted visitors to the island. Keep a sharp lookout for the resident avian wonders, as you might catch sight of a Seychelles paradise flycatcher, a rare bird endemic to these islands that sports glossy black plumage with elongated tail feathers. Prepare to be entranced by the allure of captivating La Digue on this illuminating excursion.
Crossing the Equator Ceremony & Beautiful Sea Day Brunch
We crossed the equator May 6, 2025
Male, Maldives
May 4, 2025 – May 4, 2025
As the capital of the low-lying, coral-bed Maldives, winsome Malé is surrounded by a sea wall, where you might watch the fishing dhonis return with the day’s catch. Also be sure to see Friday Mosque, a masterpiece of filigree-curved coral built in the mid-1600s, and the Mulee-aage Palace.
Dive to gorgeous coral reefs off the coast of Malé, one of the world’s finest sites for underwater exploration. Enjoy a leisurely ride via dive boat to a premier dive site off Malé’s coast, which offers high visibility and an endless flow of nutrient-rich, warm water that attracts more than a thousand marine species. You’ll learn that the Maldives is a nation of nearly 1,200 islands surrounded by thousands of coral reefs, making it a diving mecca, and that your dive site for the excursion will be selected according to that day’s sea conditions. Accompanied by a local marine guide, expect to find a seemingly endless variety of fish that may include eye-catching blue-lined snappers, orange clownfish, oriental sweetlips and Moorish idols, which are often found preying on sponges. Perhaps you’ll discover a graceful eagle ray or manta ray, green sea turtles or rarely spotted loggerhead or leatherback turtles. Cherish approximately two and a half hours diving the Maldives’ crystal-clear waters on this thrilling excursion.
Our friend Maurizio made this amazing video of him and John Scuba Diving!!!
