Swan Hellenic, the iconic cruise pioneer, has announced its cultural expedition cruises for 2023, exploring Africa’s East and West Coasts. These extraordinary cruises range from 8 to 14-day voyages on the company’s new 5-star ships, SH Diana and SH Vega, designed for explorers with curious minds who demand the highest standards. Each cruise will be led by world-renowned experts and seasoned expedition guides who provide surprising insights into Africa’s cultures and natural wonders.
Swan Hellenic’s cultural expedition cruises offer access to unique historical sites and natural oases unvisited even by specialist firms. The cruises are designed for travellers eager to experience Africa’s wonders in-depth.
SH Vega, which reached the continent from Antarctica, will follow the West Coast of Africa northwards as she makes her way to the Arctic, offering four cultural expedition cruises: “Safaris of the Southwest Coast” (Cape Town to Luanda over ten days), “Unspoilt Wilds of Southwest Africa” (Luanda to Accra over 14 days), “Cultural Crucibles of West Africa” (Accra to Dakar over 14 days), and “Volcanic Cultures of Africa’s Atlantic Islands” (Dakar to Santa Cruz de Tenerife over nine days).
Table Top Mountain – Cape TownSH Diana, the largest ship in Swan Hellenic’s 5-star fleet, will sail the North and East Coasts southwards between August and November, offering five cultural expedition cruises. These include “Mysteries of Carthage and the Moors” (Lisbon to Palermo over 11 days), “Revelations of Suez, Sinai and the Red Sea” (Limassol to Jeddah over 13 days), “Paradise Islands of the Indian Ocean” (Port Victoria to Mombasa over 12 days), “Madagascar and its Eastern Islands” (Mombasa to Maputo over 11 days), and “Extraordinary Southern Africa” (Maputo to Cape Town over eight days).
Swan Hellenic’s cultural expedition cruises offer access to unique attractions such as Loango National Park in Gabon, where guests can observe lowland gorillas and surfing hippos, and Conkouati-Douli National Park in the Republic of the Congo, where guests can visit the famous chimpanzee sanctuary that rescues animals from the bushmeat trade and reintroduces them to the wild. Swan Hellenic is unique in offering access to both these extraordinary parks.
Guests on these exceptional cruises starting from £3,708 inclusive can daisy-chain as desired. Daisy-chaining is, as always, a Swan Hellenic option, in this case, including in combination with cultural expedition cruises of the Mediterranean to create an extraordinary odyssey of magnificent civilizations and unforgettable wild places.
Patrizia Iantorno, Swan Hellenic VP of Global Marketing, stated, “We’re really excited to offer these special new opportunities to discerning explorers. Our expertly designed Africa cruises mark the beginning of a new era of cultural expedition cruising worldwide.”
Swan Hellenic’s cultural expedition cruises offer a unique opportunity to explore Africa’s history and natural wonders in a way that few other cruises can match. These voyages offer the chance to encounter Africa’s fantastic wildlife and cultures in-depth, with the expert guidance of experienced expedition leaders.
For more information about Swan Hellenic and its cultural expedition cruises, please visit www.swanhellenic.com.
WRITTEN BY: JILL WALSH
