Gems Of The Swahili Coast - 5319B Seabourn Sojourn departing 10 Apr 2023

Victoria, on Mahé Island, is the capital city of the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles National Botanical Gardens showcases endemic palms and orchids, as well as giant tortoises and fruit bats. The colorful Sir Selwyn Clarke Market sells spices, fruit, art and souvenirs. Near the Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is the imposing La Domus, built in 1934 to house Catholic missionaries.

Known for its glorious tropical beaches and fantastic marine life, Praslin is unique because of its Vallee de Mai World Heritage Site, where the coco de mer grows wild. At seven miles long and nowhere more than 3 1/2 miles wide, it is still the second largest island in the Seychelles.

Mombasa is a coastal city of Kenya along the Indian Ocean. The city is known as the white and blue city in Kenya. It is the country’s oldest and second-largest city, with a population of about 1,208,333 people according to the 2019 census.

Mombasa is a coastal city of Kenya along the Indian Ocean. The city is known as the white and blue city in Kenya. It is the country’s oldest and second-largest city, with a population of about 1,208,333 people according to the 2019 census.

Mombasa is a coastal city of Kenya along the Indian Ocean. The city is known as the white and blue city in Kenya. It is the country’s oldest and second-largest city, with a population of about 1,208,333 people according to the 2019 census.

Lying in the warm waters off the coast of Tanzania is the exotic island of Zanzibar. The mere mention of this spot conjures up images of intrigue and mystery. Zanzibar’s history is whispered on the tropical breezes that cool the island. They tell of the slave trade which flourished here, and of a building called the “House of Wonders.’ They tell of a time when Christian missionaries lived and worked under difficult conditions.

At its founding in 1835, the city was named in honor of the then Governor of the Cape, Sir Benjamin D’Urban. Sugar cane transformed Durban into a vital port city, and its attractive parks and meticulously groomed gardens continue to testify to the land’s richness. Today, the city sprawls along the coast, its golden beaches hugging the ice-blue Indian Ocean.

Port Elizabeth is one of South Africa’s largest cities, (second in area and fifth in population), stretching 16 miles along the bay named “Algoa” by the Portuguese. The name indicated that it was from here their trading ships departed for the Goa coast of India on the favorable monsoon winds. Today it is renowned as a playground on the Indian Ocean coast, the breezes attracting surfers and yachtsmen to sport in the warm seas. The 2010 FIFA World Cup was held here, and spread even further its reputation as a world-class beach resort.

Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain and flanked by Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head, Cape Town is known by South Africans simply as ‘the Cape,’ an acknowledgment of its uniqueness and its status as the Mother City. The first area to be settled by Europeans in the 17th century, it is today a major seaport and the legislative capital of South Africa. The feeling here is not African but cosmopolitan, and a sense of history remains.

Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain and flanked by Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head, Cape Town is known by South Africans simply as ‘the Cape,’ an acknowledgment of its uniqueness and its status as the Mother City. The first area to be settled by Europeans in the 17th century, it is today a major seaport and the legislative capital of South Africa. The feeling here is not African but cosmopolitan, and a sense of history remains.