Pricing
Departure: 17 Mar 2010.
Prices for Part I, Cape Town, South Africa, to Libreville, Gabon:
Per person sharing cabin from $19,995
SPECIAL RATES for this portion of the cruise: save up to $3,000 per person.
Please speak to an R. Crusoe & Son tour specialist for availability on Part II of the cruise, from Gabon to Seville, Spain.
For more information, to book, or to speak to an R. Crusoe & Son tour specialist, please call us at 800-585-8555.
Local Flavor
Do as explorers and merchants before us did--and trace the western coast of the African continent. An incredible diversity of cultures, scenery, wildlife, and history await. Follow the evolution of civilization in this part of the world from prehistory to the Iron Age, the birth of regional kingdoms and the slave trade, the colonial era, and West Africa's age of independence.
Much of what we know about West Africa comes from griots, learned
storytellers, entertainers, and historians. But archaeologists in this part of Africa are often surprised by new finds. In the
last 25 years, scholars have concluded that civilization developed
in West Africa 1,000 years earlier than first believed.
West Africa is full of surprises. It's time you got to know them firsthand.
From the Cape of Good Hope to Gibraltar: Exploring West Africa. A Two-Part Journey. 36 Days.
Follow in the wake of 18th- and 19th-century explorers and laden merchant ships as we undertake a cruise that encompasses the grand scope of the African continent. On our ship, the 114-passenger, all-suite Corinthian II, trace the western coast from South Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar to Seville, Spain. Along the way, we explore cities, towns, and islands that don’t often see foreign travelers.
Ancient cultures, poignant history lessons, tribal customs, wild animals, and magnificent markets await..
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Cape Town, South Africa, is our jump-off point. Before leaving this nation, there’s time in the Cape Peninsula, a finger of rock that juts out into the Atlantic and curls around False Bay. The scenery here is gorgeous, the vistas infinite.
Then hop north along the coast: Namibia, with an al fresco dinner on the incredible sand dunes. Angola shares her fascinating history and culture, including her dark days as a slave trading post.See endangered palanca antelopes in Kissama National Park.
Congo, next, for a visit to a chimp sanctuary founded by the Jane Goodall Institute.
Several days in Gabon allow us to gauge the country’s French-entwined past, its sublime beaches, and spectacular wildlife. Choose from a number of excursions deeper into the country.
Ever heard of the Republic of Säo Tomé and Príncipe? Now you have. This twin-island nation is part rain forest, part beach, and 100 percent charming. Visit a coffee plantation and a palm farm to round out the experience.
Benin is a strange mix of tribal cultures. Visit a town of 20,000 built entirely on stilts in the middle of Lake Nokoué. There are people to meet and lore to learn.
Togo charms us with her crafts markets and her traditional villages scattered around Lake Togo.
Ghana, next. A 15th-century Portuguese settlement first. Then the Gold Coast lead us to the town of Greenville, Liberia, gateway to Sapo National Park, where forest elephants and pygym hippos roam.
The port of Freetown is Sierra Leone’s capital city. Evidence of a 17th-century Dutch sea captain await, as do a lovely cathedral, a bustling marketplace, a captivating museum.
Dakar, Senegal, is the place to go for a close examination of pan-African culture and fine arts. The IFAN Museum here is wonderful. Gorée, once known as Slave Island, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. An
integral part of the African slave trade, it was a holding and transfer point for human cargo. A visit here is sobering and altogether important.
Then Morocco, from Dakhla, in the Western Sahara expanse to the old walled city of Laayoune and then to fabled Marrakech and elegant Rabat.
After a look around Gibraltar, one of Britain’s last outposts, disembark in Seville, Spain, and catch your flights home, where there’ll be time to process all you’ve seen.
To request a detailed itinerary for this journey (and others), click here.