Your fly, stay and cruise package includes:
- $2000 flight credit per person
- 2 nights accommodation in Dakar, Sengal including breakfast
- Fadiouth Island and Rural Market Tour
- 16 night Volcanoes & Wildlife Expedition cruise onboard MS Spitsbergen, Dakar to Las Palmas
- All onboard meals in complimentary dining venues
- House beer and wine, sodas, and mineral water, tea and coffee
- A wide range of activities & entertainment onboard
- English-speaking Expedition Team who organise and accompany activities on board and ashore
- Lectures, citizen science programs, photography advice and more
- Port charges & prepaid gratuities onboard your cruise
- 4 nights accommodation in Las Palmas including breakfast
***Rate is based on twin share for travel 1 to 23 January 2024***
Fadiouth Island and Rural Market Tour
This tour will take you 100 km away from Dakar, deep into the countryside. First stop in a colourful, weekly market, where locals bargain for vegetables, fruits, animals, grains, and fabrics. We have diversified the markets that will be visited on specific days of the week: on Wednesday - Sandiara, on Saturday - Geniene, and on the rest of the days - Mbour. The rural markets are meeting places for sereres people, transforming into a bustling farmer's bazaar with unforgettable colours and atmosphere. Tour in the market and continuation to Joal to have lunch in a local restaurant. Joal lies on the mainland. It is also the home town of Senegalese poet and first president Leopold Sedar Senghor. Visit by foot of Fadiouth Island, it is linked by a bridge from Joal, lies on an island of clam shells, which are also used in local architecture and crafts; the cemetery where muslims and christians are buried side by side, the market, the church, the white alleys where wheel carts are ubiquitous.
Volcanoes & Wildlife Expedition
Day 1: Dakar, Senegal
Your expedition cruise starts in Dakar, Senegal’s colourful and animated capital. Located at the tip of the Cape Verde peninsula, it’s the westernmost city not only in Africa but in all the Old World. Dakar is a low-rise, cosmopolitan place, famed these days for its buzzing music and arts scenes. The city enjoys a laid-back atmosphere, and you’ll see suit-clad businessmen rubbing shoulders with barefoot market traders in this swirling kaleidoscope of modern Africa. The peninsula on which Dakar lies projects westwards into the ocean, and it was formed when offshore volcanic islands were joined to the continent by a land bridge. The exposure to humid winds off the sea keeps the vegetation a bit greener than the otherwise desert-like landscape of northern Senegal, hence its name, Cape Verde, meaning Green Cape. You’ll find the beating heart of the Dakar in the district of Medina, with its maze of streets, the bustling market of Marché Tilène, and the imposing Grand Mosque. Also worth checking out is Independence Square, which is laid out with gardens and fountains and is home to numerous grand colonial buildings that hint at the nation’s past. Upon boarding MS Spitsbergen you’ll be greeted by the crew and given a complimentary wind and water-resistant expedition jacket. After you’ve settled into your comfortable cabin there’ll be a mandatory safety briefing to make sure we’re all safe at sea, and then it’s time for us to set sail and for the adventure to begin.
Day 2: At Sea
Your cruise has begun and we find ourselves sailing almost due west in the direction of the Cape Verde Islands. It’s a journey of around 360 nautical miles, meaning there’s plenty of time to get to know our comfortable expedition Ship MS Spitsbergen, and to prepare for upcoming destinations. You’ll get to know some of your fellow passengers, as well as our Expedition Team – a friendly and knowledgeable bunch of people, hand-picked for their expertise on our destinations. You may also want to check out the Science Center, which is often where our team hang out – there’s a range of hi-tech equipment here, and you can ask about our citizen science projects that contribute to important research and help us protect the natural places we love to visit. Get acquainted with the Explorer Lounge & Bar, an informal place to meet and chat, and sample delicious dishes in our onboard restaurant, Aune . For relaxation, try out the hot tubs on deck or the panoramic sauna – you’ll love it. As we sail, there will be talks by the Expedition Team which could be on a number of topics relevant to our travels, immersing you in the knowledge that’ll enable you to get the most out of this exciting journey.
Day 3: Praia, Cape Verde
Santiago is the largest island in the archipelago, with almost half of all Cape Verdeans living here. It’s the perfect introduction to Cape Verde as there’s a little bit of everything, including the vibrant capital of Praia, the UNESCO-protected Cidade Velha, sandy beaches, green valleys and craggy mountains. It’s also reckoned to be the most African island culturally, and music is woven into the fabric of life here. Discovered in 1460 by Portuguese sailors, Santiago was the first Cape Verde island to be settled, with Ribeira Grande – now called Cidade Velha – the first European city in the tropics. Humid enough to support profitable agriculture the island became a hub for settlers, and nowadays around 150,000 people live here.
The capital, Praia, is a modern and dynamic city that attracts immigrants from the rest of Cape Verde and the African continent. Located on Santa Maria Bay, at the south-eastern tip of Santiago, Praia is built on several hills. The historical centre is on the natural platform known as Plateau, and almost everything of historical interest can be found here. The main square, known as Praça Alexandre Arburquerque, is the obvious focal point, with the Old Palace of the Council, the Presidential Palace, and the 19th century church of Nossa Senhora da Graça all to be found here. Just north of the main square is the central market, one of the busiest places in town and the best spot to absorb the African soul of Praia. Most of the museums are also located around Plateau, including an ethnography museum and an archaeological museum where you can see artefacts recovered from shipwrecks around the islands. The lighthouse of Maria Pia, at the southern entrance of the bay, has fantastic views of the city. Take a walk there and along the way discover the beaches of Gamboa and Prainha, and the popular beach of Praia de Qebra-Canela.
Day 4: São Filipe, Cape Verde
Get ready for an exploration day. Fogo is dominated by a huge, active volcano which at 9,281 ft. is the highest point in the Cape Verde archipelago. There are no natural harbours or sheltered bays, just an exposed coast rising from the ocean which climbs steeply from the sea up to the summit of the volcano. Conical in shape, the whole island is in fact a giant active volcano. It last erupted in 2014, wiping out two villages in the Chã das Caldeiras crater, fortunately with no causalities. Centuries of eruptions have left a landscape of dark lava flows, craters, ridges, ash fields and collapsed calderas. Fogo literally means ‘fire’ – an apt description of the island for the people who live here!
São Filipe is a pleasant town of cobbled streets only a short bus ride from the dock. Take a stroll around the charming and historic centre, known as Meia Laranja, and look out for the pastel church of Nossa Senhora do Socorro, the lively Mercado Municipal and the remains of Fort Carlota. But without doubt the main reason we’ll attempt to land at Fogo is to explore the stunning volcanic landscapes. Our optional excursion will take you to the spectacularly beautiful Chã das Caldeiras, where we’ll see the lava fields and have great views of the caldera Pico Novo formed during a 1680 eruption. Be warned, walking in the area around Mt. Fogo is definitely an excursion for those with good stamina.
Day 5: Porto Novo, Cape Verde
Welcome to what many say is the most spectacular of the Cape Verde isles. Once you’ve seen them, it’s difficult to forget the awe-inspiring mountains of Santo Antão, and some even say the island’s rugged peaks, canyons and gorges are up there with the world’s most dramatic landscapes. The highest point on the island is Tope da Coroa, which at 6,492 ft. is the second-loftiest mountain in the archipelago. Santo Antão is big and craggy, and its inhabitants are concentrated in just a few scattered settlements. The rugged topography doesn’t lend itself to agriculture, so most of the island is naturally preserved as a wilderness sanctuary. For hikers and nature lovers, Santo Antão is Cape Verde at its best. The main town, Porto Novo, is a pleasant place full of smart new buildings, small beaches, neatly tended gardens and promenades with beautiful views over the channel between Santo Antão and the island of São Vicente. But the reason most visitors come here is because it’s the main gateway to the island’s stunning interior. Some of the most amazing natural features are the island’s ribeiras – deep and narrow canyons with almost vertical walls. Join an optional culture and nature tour and you’ll enjoy awe-inspiring views as we drive over the ridges and along the ribeira floors. Or, if you feel like being more active, participate in an optional nature walk to get the most from Cape Verde’s best walking island. Along island trails you’ll walk past groves of mangoes and almonds, and pass through small hamlets clinging to the sides of hills. The locals roast their own blend of coffee here, and you may catch a whiff of it as you pass through the villages.
Day 6: Sal Rei, Cape Verde
Boa Vista is the easternmost island of Cape Verde and one of the most sparsely populated. Ringed by reefs and littered with dunes, this flat, barren and desert-like island is closer to the African mainland than any of its neighbours. The rugged coastline, with its pristine beaches, is perfect for soaking up the sun, but for centuries it was a deadly trap for ships in search of a safe harbour as the numerous wrecks along the coast testify. Nevertheless, the rugged beauty of the Sahara-like oases, the miles of empty beaches, the eastern wetlands and the productivity of the coastal waters have created a haven for biodiversity, with several endemic species. Boa Vista and its surrounding waters are a vital layover for many migratory birds, and between June and October the beaches see thousands of loggerhead turtles nesting, while humpback whales often come here in the winter to breed offshore. The parched environment of Boa Vista made life hard for the first permanent settlers. Mostly, these were African slaves, though with no easy way to escape from the rugged coast they had more freedom than elsewhere in the archipelago. Cattle farming came first, followed by salt production in the 17th century. Fishing and pottery became the mainstays of the island’s economy until the advent of tourism in recent years. The island capital, Sal Rei, with its low-rise buildings and palm-filled squares, is built around the natural harbour between Boa Vista and the small island of Ilhéu de Sal Rei. Look out for the church of Santa Isabel with its naïve paintings, and the graves of the Jewish Ben’Oliel family, who fled from persecution in 1800s Morocco. Further afield, the Natural Reserve of Ponta do Sol is within hiking distance.
Day 7: At Sea
Today we sail some 500 nautical miles. Prepare for your next destination by listening to talks in the Explorer Lounge by the Expedition Team on subjects such as the biodiversity to be found in the islands, the history and culture of the Bijagos people and their matriarchal society, or perhaps the wider historical context of Portuguese exploration of West Africa and the impact of the slave trade on the region. There’s plenty of time to relax and enjoy the air on deck as our expedition ship sails south towards the coast of West Africa. Now could be the perfect time to look through the photos you’ve taken so far, get up to date with that travel blog you’ve been meaning to write, or delve into some books in the onboard library. Don’t forget there’s a professional onboard photographer to help you improve your picture-taking technique. With so many wildlife highlights and scenic landscapes coming up, now might be the time to brush up on your skills.
Day 8-11: Bissagos Islands, Guinea-Bissau
Exploring the isolated Bissagos Islands is one of the great African adventures of discovery. Located off the Guinea-Bissau coast, the Bissagos archipelago is a hotspot of biodiversity and the ancestral homeland of the Bijagos people. Nowhere in West Africa does such a combination of unspoiled nature and traditional communities live in such harmony as in these remote islands. The Bissagos archipelago consists of twenty main inhabited islands and almost seventy smaller ones. Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1996, these tropical islands are renowned for their diversity, with ecosystems including mangrove swamps, palm groves, rainforest, wooded savannah woodlands, sandy beaches and coastal lagoons. With around 500 different kinds of birds, several species of sea turtles, crocodiles, some amazing snakes including black and green mambas, elusive manatees, and the unique saltwater hippos – which can best be spotted in November and the beginning of December – there’s plenty of wildlife calling the Bissagos Islands home. This pristine environment has long been populated by the Bijago people, a matriarchal society organised in clans. With a population of around 33,000, Bijagos society is ruled by women and guided spiritually by female priests. What’s more, women are the owners of the homes they live in, and manage the religious, political and economic lives of their communities. The Bijagos live a subsistence life, taking from nature only what they consume each day. Fundamental to them is their animistic belief system, which holds the natural world to be sacred. This approach, in which the islands themselves are sacred and living, has helped protect the archipelago from overdevelopment and exploitation. The simplicity of the Bijagos’ lifestyle is in sharp contrast to the complexity of their beliefs. They move in a heavily sacralised universe, wrapped in mysterious and secret knowledge that surrounds their understanding of the cosmos. Not surprisingly, two of the most iconic animals of the Bissagos islands, the saltwater hippos and the West African manatees, are also part of the rich spiritual world of the people. Our goal for the next four days is to explore the labyrinthine maze of islands and narrow channels that make up the Bissagos archipelago. Our expedition boats will enable us to get in among many of the smaller channels, and we may be able to do shore landings on remote beaches with the Expedition Team. In sheltered waters we might be able to explore using the sea kayaks. Local conditions will determine exactly when and where we can land and explore, but whatever we do you can be sure you’ll enjoy the rich ecology of the islands, observing the amazing wildlife, and meeting the local Bijagos people in their traditional communities.
Day 12: Banjul, The Gambia
Banjul is the island capital of Gambia. Located in the mouth of the river Gambia and almost surrounded by mangroves, the city doesn’t have much room for expansion. However, this limitation has been a bonus for tiny Banjul, keeping the city far more relaxed and easy-going than many of the bigger African capitals. Although some areas might be a bit hectic, most of the city has a truly relaxed atmosphere. In 1807, the British Abolition Act prohibited trading in slaves within the British Empire, and the Royal Navy and the Army sought to enforce the prohibition within their colonies in Africa. Gambia had long been one of the most important hubs for the slave trade in West Africa, so a garrison was established at Banjul. The grid-pattern of streets laid down in 1807 has survived to this day. Though the original settlement has grown in size, the island is easy to explore on foot. Start with the grid streets of the Old Town and see the Anglican Cathedral before visiting the small National Museum, which houses the best archaeological and ethnographical collections in Gambia. Albert Market, probably the liveliest place in Banjul, is also worth a stop. Anything from food to fabrics can be bought here, including interesting crafts and souvenirs. Come prepared and don’t forget to keep your bargaining skills ready! For anyone interested in the history of slave trade, Kunta Kinte, the hero of Alex Haley’s book Roots was born a few miles upriver from Banjul.
Day 13: Dakar, Senegal
On our second visit to Dakar, you’ll have the chance to get reacquainted with the city. Dakar is a large and somehow chaotic metropolis, but most of the sights are within walking distance from the port area. It might not be obvious at first sight, but Dakar is a melting pot of all the different peoples of Western Africa. Pay attention and you might notice the differences between Wolof, Pular and Serer, three of the most prominent languages of Senegal. If you didn’t get the opportunity to visit Gorée Island before, now’s your chance to discover this UNESCO World Heritage Site on our guided optional tour. The insight into the slave trade and the early European history in Western Africa you will get from Gorée is not to be missed. Otherwise, join our optional panoramic tour to discover the best Dakar and its surroundings have to offer.
Day 14-16: At Sea
From Dakar, we’ll sail north along the western coast of Africa. Although sailing out of sight of land, the enormous mass of the Sahara Desert will let us know its proximity and you’ll be able to feel the increase in temperatures as well as the decreasing humidity of the air. The sparse desert environment of the Western Sahara and Mauritania, though, is in contrast to rich marine waters we’ll be sailing through. This rich productivity is the result of mixing the cold waters of the Canary Current with the much warmer waters of Western Africa, producing the upwellings of nutrients close to the surface. Wildlife and fishermen alike take advantage of these rich seas, and for us means good opportunities to spot cetaceans and sea birds. On the list of possible sights are such amazing creatures as short-finned pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, spinner dolphins, striped dolphins, humpback whales, sei whales, and even blue whales! Take your time on the outer decks and help our Expedition Team scan the ocean for wildlife, learn about the fascinating waters we’re crossing with our lecture programme, and relax at your own leaisure as we approach the port of Las Palmas, on the island of Gran Canaria.
Day 17: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
We end our expedition cruise in Gran Canaria, an island so diverse it’s nicknamed ‘a continent in miniature’. In terms of diversity, Gran Canaria has it all – dunes, subtropical valleys, deep ravines, palm-dotted oases, pine forests, spectacular cliffs and jagged mountain ridges. And that’s before we mention sunshine, beaches and the sea. The island has more than 60 miles of beach - and there’s no need to go far as the beach scene starts in Las Palmas itself. Most of the island’s natural features are now listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and are made for walkers. Gran Canaria has almost 620 miles of marked trails – and many of them are incredibly old, established to connect isolated villages during the first decades of the Spanish conquest. Leave the coast, get onto the trail network, and you’ll probably have the landscape pretty much to yourself. Gran Canaria is also one of the best islands in the Canaries to learn about the Guanches, the original inhabitants of the archipelago. Museo Canario in Las Palmas should be your first port of call, but you’ll find fascinating archaeological sites scattered around the island.
* Conditions apply. Offer is limited, subject to availability and change without notice. Promotion is correct and valid at the time of publication. Booking and full supplier terms and conditions apply. Valid for new bookings only and not combinable with any other offer (unless stated).
Prices listed are per person in Australian/New Zealand Dollars, based on twin occupancy, including all discounts unless otherwise stated. The offer is subject to availability at time of booking and shown on the lowest Inside category available at the time. Fares are capacity controlled and are subject to change at any time without notice. Prices/Offers are correct as at 14 September 2022and can be withdrawn without notice. Cabin categories include prepaid government fees and port taxes unless otherwise stated. Hotels may charge resort or parking fees not included in this package, payable direct upon check in. Hotel location and inclusions may vary depending on availability and alternative dates of travel. Visas are not included. Air credit is applicable on airline of choice, subject to availability and subject to the carriers’ flight schedules and conditions. Payments made by credit card will incur a surcharge. Some itinerary elements are based off 2023 availability and pricing.