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Mauritius and West Africa
  • Darren and Janet
  • Darren and Janet

Mauritius and West Africa

A 37-day adventure by Darren and Janet Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 26, 2025
    Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    First view of Mauritius
    Self contained apartment, home for 2 nights

    Mauritius by night

    May 26, 2025 in Mauritius ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    The day began yesterday with a flight to Dubai, a few hours in transit, then a 6 hour flight on an A380 to Mauritius.

    It's one of the few airports (perhaps the only one?) where the country is listed as the destination on the departure boards, not the city or airport name - the international airport, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, is 50km from the capital and is usually referred to as Mauritius International Airport.

    We arrived at 5pm, picked up our hire car and drove in the drizzly rain to our accommodation on the west coast. The drive took us about 90 minutes as the roads were poorly lit with large drop-offs, and the many street dogs had no road sense!

    We had some difficulties finding the apartment, as Google Maps took us to the wrong area. Fortunately some friendly locals were setting up for a party in the front yard and were happy to help us get back on track.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark
    Seaplane flights off the beach near Le MorneChamarel WaterfallFormer sugar mill site, Bell OmbreMaconde ViewpointLe Morne beachInternational Slave Route Monument and Le Morne Brabant1View from Maconde Viewpoint

    7 Coloured Earth

    May 27, 2025 in Mauritius ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    As we arrived late last night, we had no supplies for breakfast, so we walked into town and had an omelette and coffee at a local bakery/cafe.

    After a quick supermarket visit, we headed off for the day towards the Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark. It is a relatively small area of sand dunes comprising sand of seven distinct colours and has become one of Mauritius' main tourist attractions since the 1960s.

    In the same park is Chamarel Waterfall, the tallest single drop waterfall in Mauritius.

    Heading towards the south coast, we stopped at Maconde Viewpoint, a small outcrop with views over the Indian Ocean. It is believed that the name Maconde originates from the slavery period, where runaway slaves from the Makonde tribe of Mozambique came to seek refuge. 

    Our final stop was Le Morne, one of the most popular beaches in Mauritius, but also home to the Le Morne Brabant, a 550m monolith located at the southwestern corner of the island. It is seen as a symbol of the resistance to slavery, as it was used as a refuge by slaves after escaping their masters. Legend has it that when slavery was abolished, the slaves falsely belived the approaching police (who were going to inform them that they were free men), were going to recapture them, and jumped to their deaths rather than be recaptured. At the base of the Le Morne Brabant is the International Slave Route Monument.

    The coast off Le Morne Brabant is often cited as the location of an underwater waterfall, which you can't see from the land... but it may be visible from one of the seaplane tours offered nearby.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Beachfront food stalls, Flic en Flac
    1View from our accommodation, La Gaulette2View from Black River Gorges ViewpointBlack River Peak TrailMain temple, Grand BassinShiva statue, Grand BassinWorshippers, Grand BassinIcecream time, Curepipe Botanic Gardens4On the road from Curepipe to Flic en FlacFlic en Flac beachDinner, Flic en Flac beach

    The long way to Flic en Flac

    May 28, 2025 in Mauritius ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    We only had 25km to travel today if we went the direct route up the coast, so we travelled the inland scenic route, first stop Black River Gorges National Park, the largest national park in Mauritius. The park was busy with tourists and school groups, but the drizzly weather dictated that it wasn't the day for a long walk today, so we satisfied ourselves with one cache and a short hike along the muddy Black River Peak Trail.

    Next detour was to Grand Bassin, a crater lake in the mountains, and a major Hindu pilgrimage site. There is no township or houses, just a large collection of temples spread over many hectares, including a 33m statue of Shiva, the tallest statue in Mauritius.

    The surprise of the day was the city of Curepipe, located on the central plateau, 560m above sea level. It has a population of 75,000 and because of it's altitude is known for its cooler and rainier climate, which we certainly experienced today. We visited the Botanic Gardens and the Trou aux Cerfs volcanic crater, with heavy traffic throughout.

    Final destination for the day was Flic en Flac, a beach tourism hotspot and home to many luxury hotels and resorts. It is the longest beach in Mauritius and has a line of food trucks along the beach front. Many are permanent and have built quite a reputation, so we weren't surprised when there was a line-up when we purchased our octopus roti for dinner 😋    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Dodo Island, Flic en Flac
    Fruit stall next to Dodo Island1Champ de Mars Racecourse from Citadel Fort1Port Louis city centre, from Citadel FortStreet scene, Port Louis2Fresh juice, Port Louis Central Market

    From Dodo Island to Port Louis

    May 29, 2025 in Mauritius ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    We toured the backstreets of Flic en Flac picking up a few caches, including one at the Manguiers Roundabout (colloquially known as Dodo Island) - it's a public art installation of life-size dodo statues, inaugurated in 2013 to raise awareness about environmental protection, particularly the dodo's story. It's not mentioned in any tourist guides, but there is a cache there!

    We spent most of the day in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. It's a nightmare to drive in the city centre, with heavy traffic, narrow roads and hoards of pedestrians and scooters going in all directions, so we parked the car at the Citadel Fort, above the city centre, and walked the city for a few hours.

    Citadel Fort, also known as Fort Adelaide, was built from 1830 to 1840. It symbolises the start of Indian immigration and the end of slavery and was constructed amid tensions from the French Revolution of 1830 and the recent British takeover of Mauritius. The British built the fort to guard against potential French attacks and local revolts, but it was never used for that reason. The Fort is still intact and allows a 360-degree view of Port Louis. From the fort you can view the Champ de Mars Racecourse, the oldest racecourse in the Southern Hemisphere and the second-oldest in the world (founded in 1812,) and where Mauritius declared its independence in 1968.

    Our accommodation for the night is at Grand Baie, 15km north of Port Louis along the M2 - one of three motorways on the island where the speed limit is 110km/h. Unfortunately the good progress is disrupted by a series of roundabouts, mostly less than 1 kilometre apart! (the first 6 were 600m apart, the longest uninterrupted stretch was 4km)    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Panoramic of Grand Baie
    Notre Dame Auxilliatrice church, Cap MalheureuxPereybere Beach (the entire length, photo taken from the far end)Walkway to Bain BoeufBain Boeuf beach1Bain Boeuf, a bit further around the bay1...it's over there!?!Wading to a cacheDaruty Forest trails2Inland road to Grand Baie, sugar cane growing both sides

    Northern beaches

    May 30, 2025 in Mauritius ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    We're staying in Grand Baie for another night, so today was a leisurely tour of the beaches on the north coast.

    The north coast road hugs the coast and looks on the map like it will have fabulous ocean views all the way. This turned out not to be the case, with private residences and resorts monopolising the sea views, and the general public getting just an occasional glimpse. There are a number of public beaches, but finding the access point can be rather challenging!

    But when you do get there, the views are idyllic.

    We began the day at possibly the smallest beach on the island, Pereybere Beach.

    The search for a cache took us next to Bain Boeuf, with access to the beach down a narrow walkway, opening up to a beautiful bay. I'm not sure how many public visitors this one gets, as there is no parking in the vicinity... but where there's a cache, there's a way 😁

    Our journey continued to Cap Malheureux (Unlucky Cape) - named as a reminder of the British invaders defeat of the French occupation at this point in 1810. The distinctive red roof of the Notre Dame Auxilliatrice church dominates the bay.

    At Anse La Raie Beach we walked out to one of the islands at low tide to grab a cache, then continued to Calodyne Beach, a popular local picnic spot.

    On the way back to Grand Baie we stopped for a walk in the Daruty Forest, then had a late lunch at the most popular Greek restaurant in town, "The Trojan Horse (The Greeks are Inside)".    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Of course there were more beaches...
    Mon Choisy beach, just a few joggers in a Saturday morning1Mapou Railway Station. This is a 2 way road, but that doesn't stop people parking... either way!1Monument to Flight SA 295Former sugar factory, Belle MareFormer sugar factory, Belle MareView from our rooftop deckLocal supermarket, Trou d'Eau Douce

    Heading down the east coast

    May 31, 2025 in Mauritius ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    We had an early breakfast and were on the road by 9am. As it's Saturday the roads aren't quite so busy, so we made good progress.

    We visited 2 aviation monuments today, the first to commemorate the first flight from Reunion to Mauritius in 1933, which landed near the beach at Mon Choisy. The second monument was for the crash of South African Airlines Flight 295, which suffered an onboard fire and crashed into the sea off the east coast in 1987.

    We took the inland route today and stopped at the former railway station at Mapou (with plans for a railway museum on the site). Mauritius had a railway network with 250km of track, from the 1860s until 1964, initially built to support the sugar industry. After almost 50 years absence, in an attempt to ease traffic congestion, rail returned to the island in 2020 with a light rail system, but with only 25km of track and 19 stations, from Port Louis to Curepipe.

    We drove through a number of villages, and visited a former sugar mill at Belle Mare, which is in remarkably good condition considering it closed in 1875. We reached our east coast accommodation at Trou d'Eau Douce just after lunchtime. Time to walk to the local supermarket for supplies and enjoy a leisurely afternoon on the rooftop deck.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Pyramids of Plaine Magnien
    GRSE WaterfallEast Coast road sceneryMauritian driving, often in the middle of the road to the avoid the drop off, parked cars and dogsEast coast road sceneryView from the Mahebourg waterfrontMouchoir Rouge Island, MahebourgLocal shopping, Mahebourg1Mauritian Liverpool celebrationsRural driving , east coastEast coast road sceneryPath to Pyramids of Plaine Magnien. We elected not to drive this last section!Walking home from dinner last night, Trou d'Eau Douce

    Orevwar depi Moris*

    June 1, 2025 in Mauritius ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Our final day on Mauritius, and we have a 1 hour drive to the airport and 6 hours to do it... so plenty of time for detours.

    First stop was Grand River South East Waterfall, a few minutes out of Trou d'Eau Douce. Finding the path to the waterfall was the biggest challenge as it wasn't signposted from the road, so we took a track through the sugar cane plantation, then followed the noise down to the waterfall.

    The east coast doesn't have the wide sandy beaches of the north and west, so it's not as touristy... which means very few resorts, but fabulous sea views from the road most of the way. There's also a large number of Hindu temples - Mauritius is the only African nation with Hinduism as the dominant religion.

    Amongst our stops was a monument to the first landing of the Dutch in 1598, who named it after Prince Maurice Van Nassau, head of the Dutch Republic. They introduced sugar cane, rice and tobacco, and also bought the first slaves. They abandoned Mauritius in 1710. In 1715, the French arrived, and ruled until they were defeated by the British in 1815. Independence was gained in 1968.

    The largest town in the south is Mahebourg, a few minutes from the airport. The Sunday waterfront market was in full swing when we arrived, as was a noisy celebration of Liverpool's recent Premier League victory by the Liverpool Mauritius Fan Club. Just off the coast is the tiny island of Mouchoir Rouge, named after the "red handkerchief" that was waved as a signal to the boatman for those who wanted to go to or return from the island, not because of the red roofed house.

    Our final stop before boarding our flight to Cape Town was the Pyramids of Plaine Magnien. Initially believed to be built by an ancient civilization, recent accounts have confirmed they were built by sugar cane workers who decided to neatly pile the volcanic rocks they cleared when planting the sugar cane. That's not as exciting 😐

    * Farewell from Mauritius, in Mauritian Creole - also known as "Morisyen," it's a French-based language spoken in Mauritius. Primarily a spoken language, it's the most commonly used language on the island and is spoken by almost everyone.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    1Table Mountain, view from our hotel room, early morning
    Company Garden's residentTable Mountain from Company Gardens2Section of the Berlin Wall, gifted to Nelson Mandela in 1996Public Safety Officer1Round nosed Mercedes. You don't see many of them!!Silo Hotel, V&A WaterfrontTable Mountain from V&A WaterfrontVictoria & Albert Hotel, V&A WaterfrontV&A WaterfrontColourful Bo-Kaap neighbourhood, from our hotel roomTable Mountain, her tablecloth was on most of the day

    Cape Town walking

    June 2, 2025 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We arrived in Cape Town late last night and received notice that our scheduled tour to Robben Island today had been cancelled because of the weather, so a new plan was required.

    We investigated a late notice walking tour as we were recommended not to walk the streets for safety reasons. As most of the impromptu walking tours leave from Market Square, we made our way towards there.

    As we were walking we noticed security guards on most street corners, all in high vis uniform with body worn cameras, and armed with batons. We later found out that they are called Public Safety Officers, and 320 of them patrol the streets 24/7 to reduce crime in the CBD. Their presence was reassuring, and the number of other tourists and walking groups gave us the confidence to continue alone.

    We began our walk through Company's Garden, which was established in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company to feed the growing settlement as well as provide fresh produce to resupply their passing ships.

    We also found the only piece of the Berlin Wall in Africa... slightly out of place in a city mall!

    Our final destination was the Victoria and Albert Waterfront precinct, one of the city's major tourism areas with a plethora of shops, restaurants and markets. After lunch and a thorough discovery of the area, we caught an Uber back to our hotel late afternoon, having walked 9.6km for the day.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    1Boulders Beach penguin
    Bo-Kaap neighbourhoodHouts BaySeal on the dock, Houts Bay3Funicular to the old lighthouse, Cape Point Nature ReserveLighthouse buildings, Cape PointOld lighthouse, Cape PointOstriches, Cape of Good HopeBoulders Beach penguinsBoulders Beach penguins, juveniles moultingBoulders Beach penguinsBoulders Beach penguins, man made burrowsBoulders Beach penguins2

    Good Hope and Boulders

    June 3, 2025 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We had a full day tour of the Cape Peninsula today, beginning with a visit to the colourful Bo-Kaap neighbourhood across the road from our hotel. It is the oldest surviving neighbourhood in Cape Town, dating from the 1760s when Malay workers (slaves) were bought in by the Dutch colonisers.

    Travelling via Chapmans Peak Drive, a coastal road carved out of the mountain in the 1920s, we stopped at Houts Bay for an optional boat ride to see seals on a nearby island. Given the rain and rough seas, we chose the walk around the markets and dock area instead.

    We continued south to Cape Point Nature Reserve, stopping for lunch before walking up to the old lighthouse. Built in 1860, it was decommssioned 40 years and dozens of shipwrecks too late, after its high altitude meant the lighthouse was in cloud many days of the year, and couldn't be seen when the sailors needed it most! A new lighthouse was built at a much lower altitude.

    The drive continued via the Cape of Good Hope, the most South Westerly point of Africa, to Simon's Town and Boulders Beach.

    The beach is a popular tourist spot because of a colony of endangered African penguins (previously known as Jackass penguins) that settled there in 1982. It is in a residential area, and a series of boardwalks allows the birds to be observed at close range as they wander freely. From just two breeding pairs in 1982, the penguin colony has grown to about 3000 birds in recent years.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    2Departing Cape Town
    1Our roomView from the balcony1Cruising out of Cape Town harbour

    Sailing out of Cape Town

    June 4, 2025 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    We spent a lot of today waiting ... our cruise departs at 5pm tonight, but we were given the first transfer window from the hotel, at 10.30am. After hotel checkout at 10am, we waited only a short while in reception, and arrived at the cruise terminal well before 11.00am. South African Immigration changed the time of their availability, so we wandered the V&A Waterfront until check-in opened at midday.

    After formalities, we boarded the Regent Seven Seas Voyager, our home for the next 23 days. The ship is close to capacity with 615 passengers, including 195 Australians who boarded today.

    First activity was buffet lunch, in one of the 6 restaurants on board. In the afternoon we walked the decks to familiarise ourselves, then settled into our suite late afternoon.

    Shortly after 5pm we departed Cape Town, heading north towards Namibia.

    After dinner we attended a caberet variety show in the main lounge, a taster of the entertainment on offer during the cruise.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Pool deck
    Fresh juice for breakfastIce cream deliveryWhere we've been...Einstein lecture in the theatreAtrium3Sea fog today. The fog horn sounded a number of times

    North to Namibia

    June 5, 2025, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We had a full day at sea, so it was shipboard activities for us. Between us, we partook in a guest lecture about Albert Einstein's personal life, a Pilates class, a trivia session, and a bracelet making crafternoon. No prizes for guessing which of us did each activity!Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Main street, Walvis Bay
    Walvis Bay, view fron the shipDias Memorial, commemorating Bartholomew Dias landing in 1487Walvis Bay suburban streetYacht Club precinct, our cache event location1Afternoon tea trolleyRSS Voyager docked in Walvis Bay

    Walvis Bay

    June 6, 2025 in Namibia ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    As we continued cruising towards Namibia, our morning activities consisted of a leisurely breakfast and another trivia session (with the same team of 6, we came third today, after yesterday's 2nd place).

    We arrived in Walvis Bay at midday and, after immigration processing on board, caught the shuttle bus from the port to the city. For reasons unbeknownst to all of us, the shuttle destination was a shopping mall on the outskirts of town. Walvis Bay is very spread out and not a walking town (or a tourist town), so after a quick peruse to confirm that the shopping mall was the same as every other suburban shopping mall, most people caught the next shuttle back to the ship.

    Walvis Bay is the primary port for Namibia, as well as a vital link for its landlocked neighbours to the east. It is also a former South African naval base, and remained under South African control after Namibia's independence in 1990, finally being integrated into Namibia in 1994. There are very few tourist attractions, but there are 6 caches spread around town, so we negotiated with a taxi driver for a 1 hour journey around the caches. Then we caught the shuttle back to the ship, arriving just in time for afternoon tea

    At 6.15pm we hosted a geocaching event near the dock, and had one local cacher attend, then returned to the ship for South African buffet dinner and an early night before our full day tour tomorrow.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    1Dune 7, our route up on thr left
    3Foggy morning leaving the ship2Flamingos, Walvis Bay lagoon3Salt evaporation ponds, Walvis BaySalt works , Walvis BayDune 7, on the way upOn top of Dune 72Dune 7, the quick way down1Namib Desert road1Welwitschia plantMoonscape5Old railway station, SwakopmundSwakopmund lighthouseSwakopmund beach frontSwakopmund streets regularly get inundated by sandCoast road between Swakopmund and Walvis BayWalvis Bay suburbs1A common sight at the ports - 2nd hand trucks shipped from Europe for delivery to Botswana

    Salt, sand and Swakopmund

    June 7, 2025 in Namibia ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    We booked an independent tour today and met our driver at the gate to the port. First stop in Walvis Bay was the lagoon to view the flamingos, but being breeding season, there was only a handful present. We continued along the coast to the salt works and evaporation ponds.

    Heading out of town, we stopped at Dune 7 - at 383m, the highest sand dune in Namibia and 5th highest in the world. It is part of the coastal dune belt that runs 30km from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund. We climbed to the top the long way, but came down the quick way, straight down the face... with boots full of sand.

    Our journey took us to Swakopmund via an area known as the Moonscape, and to view the Welwitschia plant. It has been called one of the ugliest plants in the world and grows only in the deserts of Namibia and Angola. It is unusual because the entire plant has just two leaves. The leaves rest on the ground, and as they grow, their ends get split into multiple ribbons, which gives the impression that there are multiple leaves. Many of these plants are over 1,000 years old.
    Since rainfall in this area is erratic, the plant absorbs moisture from fog that regularly develops at night over the desert. This is achieved by the leaves by keeping their spores open at night and closing when the fog lifts. Because of the dependence on fog, the plant is seldom found more than 100 km from the coast.

    Last stop was Swakopmund ("mouth of the Swakop") , a popular beach resort town characterised by 19th century German colonial architecture. We had a quick city tour before returning to Walvis Bay via the coast road.

    The ship departed Walvis Bay at 5pm, heading north to Angola.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Cupcakes for afternoon tea
    On the pool deckWarm scones also for afternoon tea1Block PartyCocktails in the piano bar before dinner1This is how my soup arrived... dry!1Then they add the liquid at the table. Never seen deconstructed soup before 🤣Evening show in the theatreEvening show in the theatre

    Slow boat to Angola

    June 8, 2025, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    A full day at sea as we make our way from Namibia towards Angola, and it's the first time we've actually felt the ship move around, with seas building to 4m tonight.

    The day was spent mostly around the pool deck, even though it's not quite warm enough to swim yet... but plenty of book was read.

    Today's lecture was on the life of Nicolai Tesla, and trivia was on again - after 3rd place yesterday, we had our first win today with 13/15.

    Before dinner they had a Block Party, where drinks and nibbles are served in the corridor outside your room and you're encouraged to meet your neighbours.

    Dinner tonight was in one of the specialty restaurants (French cuisine tonight), then some musical entertainment in the theatre, before a rolling night's sleep ahead.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    1Shuffleboard champion
    Sunrise in Angolan watersCraft session in the Observation Lounge3View from breakfast, deck 4

    Sea day... off to a slow start

    June 9, 2025, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    The day began at sunrise for me (which is unusual in itself!), with more rocking motion on the boat than usual. Turns out we were stationary and had been so for a while, so was getting an extra buffeting.

    At 7am the captain announced over the PA that we were stopped because of an issue with the propulsion system.

    Follow up announcements communicated that they have identified, then fixed the issue, and shortly after 9am we were back underway and full stream ahead towards Luanda, capital of Angola.

    Another full day at sea, so today's activities were craft morning, more book reading, coffee, cakes, shuffleboard and trivia (we won again).    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    View of Luanda Bay from the fort
    Welcome to LuandaOur first view of LuandaGreeted on the dock by dancersLuanda skylineSenhora de Nazare ChurchOld and new side by sideOur police escort blocking side roads to clear our route1The old and the new side by side2View of the suburbs from the fortEntrance to San Miguel FortFirst President's car and boat, on display at the Museum of the Armed Forces2Agostinho Neto Mausoleum, Angolan parliament in the left background

    Luanda with an escort

    June 11, 2025 in Angola ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    We awoke to the sight of Luanda Bay as we arrived in Angola.

    Angola was a Portugese colony until gaining independence in 1975. Upon independence, Portugal left Angola without establishing a new government, so Angola suffered 27 years of civil war, which left much of the country in ruins. Beginning in 2002 with a new constitution, Angola is still slowly recovering, with new high rises towering above shanty towns, and a beautiful beach front promenade running around the bay. It is, however, not yet regarded as a tourist destination (10 ships stopped here this year, and we are the last ship of the season).

    The capital Luanda is the largest city in Angola (population 9.5 million), but is rated as the most expensive city in the world for expatriates and foreign workers to live, mainly due to the lack of quality housing.

    We were on the first tour out today, in a convoy of 6 buses, with a police escort. First stop was Senhora de Nazare Church, built in 1664. After we were escorted back to the buses by police stopping the traffic for us to walk across the road, we headed to the San Miguel Fort, with commanding views across the city.

    Built in 1576 by the Portugese to protect their colony, it was the major site for slave traffic that was exported to Brazil. For many years the fort was a self-contained town, protected by thick walls and cannons. Today it houses the Museum of the Armed Forces.

    We drove along Ihla de Luanda, a narrow spit of land housing many beach bars and restaurants, before heading to Agostinho Neto Mausoleum, a rocket shaped structure and resting place of the first president of Angola. Unfortunately we couldn't enter, as repairs are currently being undertaken.

    Again with our police escort, we returned to the ship in time for lunch, then headed straight back out on the shuttle bus to town. We are docked at an industrial pier, so were unable to walk direct from the ship, but had to catch a shuttle... which only took us to a shopping mall. The mall had very limited opportunities to buy any souvenir items, and even when I was approached outside the mall by a street vendor, they were moved along quickly by the mall security staff. The authorities are so keen to create a good impression, we were barely allowed to mingle with the locals, so unfortunately only saw a sanitised version of the city.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    With King Neptune
    Neptune and his assistantsKissing the fish2Getting the ice bathGetting the ice bathGalley tour with the Head ChefTonight's bread rolls going into the ovenCocktail time

    Crossing the equator

    June 11, 2025, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Full day sailing today as we head north from Angola to São Tomé & Príncipe, crossing the equator on the way.

    When crossing the equator by sea, nautical tradition dating back to the 1500's involves conducting a ceremony to pay homage to Neptune, God of the Sea, which transforms a sailor who has never crossed the equator, known as a Pollywog, into a Shellback.

    The ceremony is lighthearted and was originally done to break the monotony of long sea voyages and boost crew morale, so today involves paying respect to King Neptune, kissing a fish and getting a miniature ice bath.

    After an exhausting day eating, reading and enjoying ice cream on the pool deck, we also did a galley tour this afternoon with the head chef. It's quite an exercise in logistics to feed over 1,000 people every day (guests and crew). The fun fact I took from it is that they loaded 58,000 eggs at the start of our cruise, and will be topping up with another 15,000 in Ghana!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    2Sao Tome city centre
    Sao Tome island was under cloud most of the daySao Tome city waterfrontMoney changers on stools waiting for businessMy coconut being preparedEnjoying my coconut3Beer van parked in the street... mid morningSan Sebastião Fort and lighthouseSuburban street vendorsFresh produce market2Sao Tome street scenePresidential PalaceOur Lady of Grace Cathedral, 1576Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, 1576Pantufo fishing village, dancers and churchPantufo Village waterfrontPantufo Village, rubbish dumped on the foreshore... a common problem across the island.Fort forecourt , our ship in the distanceSuburban street vendors

    São Tomé and Príncipe

    June 12, 2025 in São Tomé and Príncipe ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We woke early to witness the actual crossing of the equator... and unsurprisingly, nothing happened! But we did witness the ship's tenders being unloaded and the first sights of São Tomé and Príncipe.

    São Tomé and Príncipe is a small nation composed of two islands - São Tomé and Príncipe - located in the Gulf of Guinea. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range, and it is the second-smallest African country (after The Seychelles). São Tomé Island, where we are landing, is the larger of the two at 50 km long and 30 km wide.

    This is our only anchor port of the cruise, which means we anchor offshore and are transferred to shore by tender (approximately 60 at a time).

    We have an afternoon excursion booked, so we caught an early tender in and walked around town for a while. This time we were dropped in the centre of town (there are no shopping malls in ST), so we had easy access to the local shops and could really experience the beat of the city. The downside is that there were a lot of street children begging for money (although some resident adults admonished them, obviously aware of the reputation this gives the country). But all in all, a fabulous day.

    I was feeling peckish mid-morning and noticed the street coconut seller doing a roaring trade, so I changed some money with a money changer and made a purchase. For 10 dobra (70 cents) he lopped the top off and gave me a straw to drink the coconut water. Then you hand it back to the vendor, and he chops it in half and chops a piece of the shell off to use as a scoop to eat the flesh.

    Lunch consisted of a couple of bananas as we walked around town, before our afternoon city tour of the fort, a chocolate outlet, the cathedral, local produce market, and a nearby fishing village for a display of local dance.

    Early dinner tonight in the Italian restaurant, then a theatre show of Broadway musical songs by the onboard singers... before we lose an hour as we change time zone again.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    1Calm waters on sea day
    Bracelet making1The finished productAfternoon tea, cheesecake and pianoCooking demonstration by the Executive ChefChoices... Choices. 8 cheesecakes to choose between for afternoon tea.

    Sea day to Benin

    June 13, 2025, Gulf of Guinea ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Another full day at sea as we head north to Benin, and a busy part of the cruise with 3 shore days in a row.

    Today's activities were a bracelet making craft morning, a cooking demonstration by the Executive Chef, the usual trivia session, and my first swim in the pool.

    Evening entertainment is a piano virtuoso.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Ganvie Village
    1Dahomey Amazon monumentCotonou street scene, on the way to Ganvie VillageInto the throng...Cotonou Street scene, between rain showersLocals on the way to Ganvie VillageTourist boats leaving the dock to Ganvie VillageFloating vendor, bread and mashed avocado was her specialtyFisherman demonstrates their technique1Our welcoming party, Ganvie VillageApproaching Ganvie Village1Side street, Ganvie Village2The Bunnings of Ganvie VillageA funeral procession, Ganvie VillageTwo story stilted house, Ganvie VillageFloating market, Ganvie Village2Plenty of rain as we arrived back at the dock

    Let's Begin in Benin

    June 14, 2025 in Benin ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    At 8am we docked in Cotonou, the main port, administrative capital, and largest city in Benin (the actual capital, Porto Novo, is 40km east)

    Our tour today took us to Ganvie, a village built on Lake Nokoué, an hour north of Cotonou.

    The entire village is built on stilts over the lake. With a population of 40,000 people, it is the largest lake village in the world, and sometimes called The Venice of Africa.
    The Tofinu people settled here in the sixteenth century and built their lake village to escape slavers who came from the Fon tribe and were not allowed to enter water for religious reasons. This made the lagoon a safe territory for other tribes. All of Ganvie's houses, shops and restaurants are built on wooden stilts, and it also has a floating market. The town has one complete patch of land, which is the site of the village school, and many houses have a small patch of land beside them, where villagers can rear a few domesticated animals . All the soil was imported by the people of Ganvie in their boats, including enough to create a proper cemetery.

    It rained most of the day, so our scheduled photo opportunity on the way was limited to peering through torrential rain at the Monument Amazone, a 30m bronze statue honoring the Dahomey Amazons, an all-female military group from the Kingdom of Dahomey.

    We arrived back at ship after 3 pm, so didn't have the opportunity to catch the shuttle to town to do any shopping, so, after changing out of our wet clothes, we headed to the pool grill for a late lunch... as did many others.

    We set sail at 4pm, heading west towards Ghana.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    1
    City centre, closed Market Circle in the background2Open drains are commonplace in the citySellers cartsMost street stalks not open todaySupermarket - if you don't have much stock, just spread it outTakoradi-Secondi suburbsTakoradi-Secondi suburbsQuiet day on the streetsOrange seller and her assistant2Fishing boats at the harbourFishing harbourOnion seller2Rubbish piled in the streets, Takoradi-Secondi city centreMost taxis are Mazda 2 or Toyota YarisQuiet streets near the Market CircleDrumming and dance demonstration

    Today's Sunday, this must be Ghana

    June 15, 2025 in Ghana ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    Our first back-to-back shore days brings us to the twin city of Takoradi-Secondi in Ghana.

    Takoradi is the major export port for agricultural and oil exports for Ghana and its land locked neighbours. Unfortunately, it is also a good example of continued foreign exploitation of resources - our guide noted that less than 10% of the natural resources stay in the country. Across the city, very little work has been done on the roads, and unfinished and abandoned structures are everywhere.

    Being Sunday, most of the shops were closed and, as the main market is undergoing a rebuild, there was very little to see in the city. Luckily a number of sellers had set up stalls on the dock, so we could get our fix of souvenir and fabric shopping.

    Our afternoon tour took us to the fishing port and a local hotel for a dance demonstration.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    1Stained glass window, St Paul's Cathedral
    1Swathes of floating rubbish greeted us in the harbour2Tour F and St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral, interiorCharles Comb Art MuseumDirt roads abutt the main road, AbidjanThis supermarket has plenty of competition in their carparkOrphanage and dance troupeBamboo Forest, Bingerville Botanic GardensBotanic Gardens2Birthday celebration set up in Botanic GardensOur police escorts weren't mucking around stopping the traffic today!Cava craft market1Abidjan skyline2Bus convoy returns to the ship, with our ambulance escort

    Abidjan

    June 16, 2025 in Ivory Coast ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We sailed into the Abidjan lagoon through a canal constructed in 1960 to connect the city to the Atlantic Ocean. Abidjan is the economic capital and largest city in Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), a city of 4 million people, supposedly famed for its mix of colonial buildings and new construction... but it's also the dirtiest and least developed city we have visited, with rubbish everywhere and dirt roads with shanty housing butting onto the main highway.

    We toured the city as well as the former capital of Bingerville, traveling from the port in a convoy of buses, surrounded by about a dozen policemen on motorcycles whose job it was to stop traffic at every intersection and roundabout, lights and sirens blaring all day (we also had 2 ambulances follow the convoy all day).

    First stop was St. Paul's Cathedral, with a capacity of 3,500 seated and another 1,500 standing (still nowhere near the largest church in Africa... not even the largest church in Côte d'Ivoire - the cathedral in the capital, Yamoussoukro, holds 18,000)

    Next door, still under construction, is Tour F (Tower F), which will be the tallest building in Africa when it's completed in 2026.

    We visited an art museum, an orphanage, the Botanic Gardens, and finished the day at a large art and craft market.

    Another late lunch after 3pm, then a light tea in the Italian restaurant before a Michael Bublé tribute act in the main theatre.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    Tim Abel, Piano Showman
    Rocky Road Bread Pudding, with marshmallow, pecans and salted butterscotch sauce 🤤

    Transiting the Pepper Coast

    June 17, 2025, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We have a full day at sea, with most of it along the coast of Liberia, historically known as The Pepper Coast.

    Liberia is a unique case in Africa, as it was founded by the American Colonization Society with the intention of resettling freed American slaves and their descendants, and is Africa's oldest republic (1847). It is one of only two counties in Africa never subjected to colonial rule (Ethiopia is the other).

    The day for us was a late breakfast, craft session in the morning and trivia in the afternoon. Most of the day was overcast with occasional showers, but warm enough to sit around the pool deck reading. Dinner was in the specialty steak restaurant on board, followed by a spectacular performance by Tim Abel, Piano Showman, in the main theatre.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    1Bocce action on the top deck
    Oliver in bocce modeBocce and meBeer of the day, Nigerian Star LagerSusanna in the main theatre

    Running late for Senegal 🏃🏼‍➡️🏃🏼‍➡️

    June 18, 2025, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Hot but relaxing day on board with another full day at sea. The announcement came through mid morning that we had strong currents overnight and were now 3.5 hours behind schedule for our arrival in Dakar, Senegal tomorrow.

    Bocce was the activity of the morning, followed by burgers around the pool for lunch. The afternoon was book reading and trivia, then we were entertained by violinist Susanna in the theatre tonight, playing everything from classical to Metallica.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetMauritius and West AfricaDarren and Janet
    3African Renaissance Monument
    1Goree Island... as close as we got3View from the African Renaissance Monument, cemetery in the foregroundMosque of the DivinityOur taxi crewOur chariotCoffee sellers are popular on the streets3Dakar Train StationPlenty of street sellersLocal busParliament HouseCathedral of our Lady of VictoriesOutdoor dinner with a view of the dock, watching the sea eagles soar around usDusk dip

    Dakar, as west as West Africa gets

    June 19, 2025 in Senegal ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Most of the day was at sea, with our scheduled 11am arrival into Dakar pushed back to 3.30pm. This also meant that 3 of the 5 tours around Dakar were cancelled, including our trip to Goree Island.

    This was a real shame - it was the excursion we were most looking forward to, as Goree was the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast.

    The only tours remaining were a city highlights tour, or a cooking class... and the cooking class was booked out. The city highlights tours spend more time on the bus than visiting sites, so us and another couple opted to catch a taxi for our own city tour.

    There were a number of taxis on the dock, so we negotiated a price for 2 hours to see the major sites, and it was brilliant. We visited all the sites the bus tour was doing plus more, and were finished in half the time 😁

    Progress was swift because the roads around the city were the best we've seen, and the city is one of the cleanest we've visited.

    Dakar is situated on the Cape Verde Peninsula, the westernmost point of Africa, so our tour began on the coast at the African Renaissance Monument, Africa's tallest statue. At 52 metres, it is taller than both Christ the Redeemer in Rio and the Statue of Liberty. It depicts a man, woman and child emerging from a volcano, symbolising Africa's emergence from centuries of oppression, and was the subject of much controversy because of its cost and design.

    Our others stops were the President's Palace and Parliament House, Mosque of the Divinity, Cathedral of our Lady of Victories, and Independence Square, before returning to the ship and some market shopping on the dock.

    We still had time for a swim and dinner before the other buses arrived back, then a leisurely cocktail in the lounge bar before the nightly show in the main theatre.    Read more

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