Small Islands Of The Indian Ocean

"On the final day of our journey through Madagascar and east Africa, we arrived early at Kilwa Kisiwani. Once onshore, the locals welcomed us with Tanzanian dancers and musicians playing instruments under the shade of large fruit trees. As we made our way to the ruins of Kilwa, we stopped at the nearby school where the students had gathered outside and sang us their school songs in perfect harmony.

As we continued on, we paused at the fortress on the embankment to admire the stunning ruins of the Great Mosque of Kilwa with its peaked domes, slowly eroding in the encroaching bushland. The ruins were spectacular in their historical significance to Tanzania and their photographic appeal.

We then took the opportunity to continue through the mud and thatch village to the grand palace. We could see sweeping views across the harbour and the remains of the complex buildings that were once the centre for trade and commerce in the 15th and 16th centuries. The amphitheatre-style seating for the bidding area and the octagonal pool`s remains were still visible. It required just a touch of imagination to picture this once-thriving harbour in its prime."

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 7 March 2023

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"The Adavadoaka coastline boasted vast white dunes and rocky headlands, with the villages nestled in the more sheltered areas. The locals welcomed us, playing a brief video showcasing their proud ecological efforts to clean up the coastline, and a small musical band played quite the tune with an odd mix of instruments. Following this warm welcome, we took the opportunity to explore the village, which was a labyrinth of sandy paths separated by sun-bleached stick fences. The ramshackle dwellings housed many shops, family units, hairdressers, and produce stalls. It was a delightful place to stroll through, with numerous children trailing each group as we explored. Once we returned to the beach, the locals offered delicious traditional food and cold beers for us to try."

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 27 Feb 2023

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"After arriving in Mahajanga`s bustling port, we made our way to one of the local schools. The children welcomed us with happy and welcoming smiles and gathered to perform a few dances. Afterwards, we ventured to Lac Sacre, a small lake with crystal-clear, emerald-coloured water surrounded by stunning vegetation. Several fish species were visible in the water, and to our amazement, a crocodile was also spotted in the clear waters. We then walked to a large mango tree, where Sifaka Lemurs with their adorable white and dark brown faces looked down at us from above."

🚢 Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 23 Feb 2023

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"The morning started in Ile Sainte Marie, where we could see the lush coastline of the island from our calm anchorage. As we arrived ashore, we were welcomed by traditional dancers. About a dozen ladies wrapped in bright African patterns singing and dancing with men playing the drums wrapped in animal skins. We then began the activities for the day with a walk through the nearby countryside filled with enormous mango trees and beautiful vegetation. As our walk continued, we came across the remains of an old French fort that dated back over 200 years. It was quite spectacular, and we were surprised to see that soldiers still lived there and guarded the area. Afterwards, we visited a local primary school. The kids at school were delighted to see us with huge smiles and big waves. For the afternoon, we wandered through the local markets admiring all the different shops filled with woven bags, polished stones, and clothes."

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 14 Feb 2023

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"This morning we woke to the sight of Madagascar on the Horizon. We began our day with a scenic drive through the capitol of Nosy Be “Helle Ville “. The streets were alive with bustling villagers going about their daily business. Winding roads soon gave way to the countryside and the beautiful Ylang Ylang plantations, one of the major exports of this region. We arrived at Lemuria Land, a sanctuary full of Madagascan wildlife. As we walked through the park bursting with tall bamboo trees, we were suddenly surrounded by a group of lemurs scurrying down to the calls of our guide and the promise of a banana. Moving further into the sanctuary we were able to view endemic reptiles. Various species of turtles, tortoises, and chameleons camouflaged amongst the tree branches. After exploring the park, we embarked on a scenic tour to Mont Passot where we enjoyed a fantastic view of Nosy Be."

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 10 Feb 2023

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"We had yet another stellar day for the last day of the Seychelles leg. As the ship came into her anchorage, we could see already that the clarity of the water was probably the best we`d had in a month. The morning activity included a stop on the pearl-coloured sandy beach of Assumption Island where the Xplorers landed for all of us to spend an hour of free time walking along the path past some relics of the old guano mining and a gorgeous shoreline where coastal succulent plants similar to agave lined the path. We continued onwards to another section of the beach for the best snorkel of the trip! The expedition team had a raft of kayaks thanks to the deck team who transported them from the ship over to the beach and they proved to be very popular with many guests enjoying a ride on both the double and single. Cara took her group of scuba divers on a drop off the deep end where they said the clarity and the coral life were terrific. It was great to see close to a hundred people simply enjoying themselves in the azure sea. Flat and very calm conditions made for an excellent snorkel. Later that afternoon we had our lovely guest Bob Dalgarno give a fascinating talk on the tectonic plates that existed in Gondwana time millions of years ago and prior. There was then a much-anticipated event which was Manfreds` wine tasting, always a crowd favourite. After sunset drinks and briefing, dinner was served before we screened the movie Madagascar!" - Expedition Leader Dawn, 9th Feb 2023

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"With a sunny day to greet us, we arrived at the white sandy beach at the North West end of Farquhar Atoll. Along the track, there was a very inquisitive tortoise that climbed out of the vegetation and the new guests on this trip got their first experience with these giants yet slow creatures. We also found some of the gold-flecked gecko on larger trees and a small hill with a view of the ship at anchor off the coast. We had an excellent swim off the beach with warm deep water for everyone to enjoy." - Expedition Leader Dawn, 6th Feb 23

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"Today`s explorations took us on a safari in Yala with a local ranger. The wildlife we saw at every turn and stop was breathtaking. Not only very close encounters with Asian elephants - one stopping traffic as it crossed the dirt track - but also incredible sightings of spotted deer, large freshwater crocodiles, wild boar running in packs and samba deer with towering antlers - the biggest deer in Australasia. The abundance of birdlife was jaw-dropping, spotting species including glimmering peacocks, peahens, various kingfisher, gorgeous bee-eaters, striated heron, spoonbills, brahminy kite, and hoopoe just to name just a few. There was even a sighting of the jewel of the park, a lone leopard late evening crossing the dirt track!"

- Expedition Leader Dawn Singleton, 18 Jan 2023

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