Swan Hellenic will offer cultural expedition cruises to Africa in 2023 with the arrival of the SH Vega to the continent from Antarctica. Inquisitive explorers can now choose from nine extraordinary cultural expedition cruises between March and November 2023, ranging from eight to fourteen days aboard the new five-star ships SH Diana and SH Vega. Each cruise will be led by expert expedition guides.
The SH Vega will follow the west coast of Africa northward as it heads towards the Arctic, offering 4 cultural expedition cruises: “Southwest Coast Safaris” (from Cape Town to Luanda), “Southwest Africa’s Virgin Lands” (from Luanda to Accra), “West Africa’s Cultural Melting Pots” (from Accra to Dakar) and “Volcanic Cultures of Africa’s Atlantic Islands” (from Dakar to Santa Cruz de Tenerife).
Highlights range from Loango National Park in Gabon, with its gorillas and hippos, to the opportunity to encounter chimpanzees in Conkouati-Douli National Park in the Republic of Congo. Here, guests can also visit the chimpanzee sanctuary that rescues animals from the bushmeat trade and reintroduces them into the wild.
The SH Diana, the largest ship in the 5-star fleet, will sail along the north and east coasts southward between August and November. The five cultural expedition cruises offered are “Mysteries of Carthage and the Moors” (from Lisbon to Palermo), “Revelations of Suez, Sinai and the Red Sea” (from Limassol to Jeddah), “Paradise Islands of the Indian Ocean” (from Port Victoria to Mombasa), “Madagascar and its Eastern Islands” (from Mombasa to Maputo), and “Extraordinary Southern Africa” (from Maputo to Cape Town).
Highlights here include the holy city of Medina, the Nabatean city of Petra, made of pink sandstone, and the island of Pemba, with its fruit-eating flying foxes and snorkeling.
“We are truly excited to offer these special new opportunities to discerning explorers,” commented Patrizia Iantorno, VP of Global Marketing at Swan Hellenic. “Our expertly designed African cruises mark the beginning of a new era of cultural expedition cruises worldwide.”.
