Trip Includes
- 31 nights of accommodations
- 91 meals: 31 breakfasts, 30 lunches, 30 dinners
- 22 Expert-led lectures
- 16 Field trips
- Learning led by expert instructors who are authorities in the field of study.
- An experienced Group Leader attuned to the needs of Road Scholar participants.
- Customary gratuities throughout the program that you would normally pay yourself.
- The Road Scholar Travel Assistance Plan, which is purchased on behalf of every participant and provides 24-hour-a-day emergency assistance services coverage.
- Taxes
- State-of-the-art QUIETVOX listening devices
Day 1: Depart US for flights to Cape Town
In Transit: In Flight
Day 2: En Route
In Transit Overnight: In transit
Day 3: / Arrival in Cape Town, South Africa
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: The Commodore Hotel (or similar)
Arrive To: Welcome to Cape Town, South Africa, the most cosmopolitan city on the continent and one of the must stunning urban areas on earth. Transfer to the hotel and check-in for one night.
Dinner: Join your study leader for the program orientation, followed by a welcome dinner.
Day 4: Cape Town / Embarkation
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: The day starts with the cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain. The plateau at 3km wide has it’s highest point over 1,000 meters, and provides spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.
Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon: After lunch,make your way along the famous Chapman’s Peak road, a scenic drive like no other, pausing periodically to take in the sea vistas and cozy oceanside settlements, before entering the larger and more ethnically diverse towns of Hout Bay and Kommetjie. You will also have the opportunity to visit the boulders site where a small colony of African, or Jackass penguins cling to viability in a small breeding colony that is heavily protected. Enjoy the drive back to Cape Town, skirting the Constantia Winelands before making your way to the MS Expedition for embarkation at approximately 4pm.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship.
Day 5: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings. The Expedition has ample public space in the lounge and library, and you can always join new friends in the ship’s popular pub. Alternatively, spend time relaxing on the ship’s deck or scanning the horizon with binoculars and camera in search of seabirds and marine life. As always, high end dining experiences will be enjoyed in the ship’s dining room.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Capping off the day, wine maker David van Neikerk describes his method of making Sparkling Wine in South Africa, and everyone gets to toast with a glass of his very own wine.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 6: Luderitz, Namibia
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Spend your morning relaxing onboard the ship as you sail into Luderitz, Namibia.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Within minutes of disembarking from MS Expedition on the southern coast of Namibia, you will encounter ascending blocks of architectural evidence that the seaside town of Luderitz had indeed been founded by German settlers who brought their culture with them to southwest Africa. From the brightly painted houses of Berg Street (1909-11) to the elegant 1910 Goerke House on the hill, it was also evident that a substantial number of the early 20th century newcomers to this remote seaport had achieved financial success from endeavors related to the nearby diamond fields. But the visitors of 2015 will find that these days of colorful European-style buildings repose along sleepy inclined avenues where the era of bustling prosperity that produced them a century ago, has long since been absorbed into the mists of the offshore currents. Just a few miles north, we travel through the dwellings of the mining ghost town of Komannskuppe. Glancing at faded museum photographs, listen for faint echoes of German life from the arduous era of the diamond industry.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 7: Walvis Bay, Namibia
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.
Morning: The morning at sea may provide an opportunity to to see fur seals and Cape Gannets. Enjoy the educational programming, or simply relax on board the ship
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Upon arrival in Walvis Bay you will have the opportunity to explore the landscapes of the Namib Desert. We begin by setting off to see the fantastic Welwitschia – a living fossil that has existed since the day of the dinosaur. At first glance it looks like a misshapen dried up dying plant – but upon closer inspection you can see the adaptations that have made it such a successful and long lived plant found only in the Namib Desert. Soon after, we’re off to look at the Moon landscape – which is yet another portion of the desert with formations of such unusual peaks and valleys stretching off into tomorrow. Marvel at the vastness of the world’s oldest desert.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 8: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational programming at sea continues.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 9: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational programming at sea continues
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 10: Lobito (Benguela), Angola
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Today, enjoy a visit to the quaint town of Sao Felipe de Benguela in Angola. Benguela was founded by Portuguese in 1617 and has a big part in the history of the slave trade. The visit today covers the two towns of Lobito and Benguela, both cast in the unique Portuguese/African style, veneered slightly by the fresh paint of modern architecture and construction, and displaying the usual Portuguese national obsession with tree lined avenues and lovely central parkways and public spaces. Pause at the 16th century fort of San Pedro set on a hilltop guarding the old crossing on the Catumbela river. This offers great views of the surrounding city. Also view the 1905 steel bridge that had been responsible for so much congestion, and the governor’s residence opposite.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Free time in the afternoon to explore the port of Lobito (if time allows)
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 11: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational programming at sea continues
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 12: Pointe Noire, Congo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Today, visit the Congo’s Pointe Noire. This morning you will visit the cliffs of Diosso Gorge to look at the red sandstone gulley, created by natural erosion.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Continue exploring Point Noire with a visit to the Diosso Scientific and Cultural Museum where entusiastic museum guides will provide a tour of the collection.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 13: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational programming at sea continues
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 14: Sao Tome and Principe
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: This Portuguese colonial island nation is a tropical paradise of beaches, waterfalls, forests and friendly people. You’ll visit the capital, Sao Tome- once an important slave-trade post- and explore a nearby plantation. Sao Tome is famous among birders, with over 140 species identified in the surrounding area. On a birding excursion, try to catch a glimpse of the islands’ endemic inhabitants.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Explore Principe via Zodiac boat to experience it’s beaches, waterfalls and rainforests. A swim in the tropical waters is a great way to relax. Birdlife, including many endemic species, is abundant here and we’ll keep our eyes out for African grey parrots. Option to visit the tiny town of Santo Antonio, the world’s smallest city.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 15: Sao Tome and Principe
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Your day will take you to an old Coffee Station called Monte Cafe, reinvigorated by foreign money.
Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon: After lunch move on to the quaint town to explore the fort at the entrance of the harbor. It’s like going back in time to the colonial era and the inhabitants had just packed up and left.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 16: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational programming at sea continues as you sail towards Cotonou, Benin
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 17: Cotonou, Benin
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: On the surface Cotonou seems like any other noisy and colorful African city, an impression reinforced as you move through the endless labyrinth of dusty streets clogged with informal markets, trading kiosks and roadside industries. The city lacks natural resources, but what it does not appear to lack is entrepreneurial energy. Every conceivable commodity and enterprise is available somewhere not too far from anywhere else. We arrive at our first destination of Gamvie. Described as the Venice of West Africa, it is a little less than that, but nonetheless it is an extraordinary community atop the tidal Lake Nueke where historically, refuge was sought against the predation of the slave catching troops of Dahomey. Today it remains an independent water community reliant on small scale trade and fishing, existing around a small, self contined stilted village. We visited the site in a series of small boats, embarking at a bustling but rather odorous waterside market from where you weave your way through busy fishermen and paddling market ladies.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship or at a local restaurant
Afternoon: From Gamvie, make your way through the congested countryside to the fascinating town of Ouidah. The sad history of Ouidah is that it once served as the main entrepot for slave embarkation to the New World, and a great deal of local focus and commeroration has been given over to memorializing this shameful trade. Ouidah is also the center of the local Voodoo culture, with colorful and symbolic statuary representing various aspects of the faith to be found everywhere within and around the town.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 18: Lome, Togo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Following breakfast you will disembark the ship for a day of learning and discovery in and around the city of Lome. Anticipate an action-filled day punctuated with the color and vitality of the Ewe and Akan people, who founded the city in the 18th century. Our first stop is the International Museum of Guinea. This is a small converted residence that holds treasures that will amaze anyone. You will be privileged to see rare, authentic artifacts from across West Africa that span centuries. Following this, visit an artisinal market nearby before returning back to the ship at lunch.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: In the afternoon we will travel out of town to the Akato Viepe village to meet the chief and experience village life. Upon arrival we are met wtih the welcoming face and venture into learning about patrilineal communities, their farming practices and the role of different people in the village. Leave feeling inspired by a day in Togo and return to the ship filled with new knowledge and a burning desire to return.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 19: Accra, Ghana
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Today’s excursion takes us from the port at Tema to the busy capital of Accra. Our first stop is at a casket-maker’s shop where caskets are carved to depict the beliefs, hobbies and life stories of the deceased.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Later, visit a local school to interact with the children and staff before heading off to a local market, the national museum and the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum. Wildlife enthusiasts may choose to visit the Shai Game Reserve instead to view baboons, green monkeys and antelope as well as an abundance of birdlife: Senegal Parrots, Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters and Vieilot’s Barbet. After the reserve, witness local breadmakign and give it a try yourself.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 20: Takoradi, Ghana
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: From the dock at the Ghanaian town of Takoradi, we’ll explore a region steeped in the sad history of the slave trade. A visit to Elmira Castle and Cape Coast Castle brings us face-to-face with the horrible conditions of the dungeons and quarters slaves inhabited while awaiting their fate. Although this site was established by the Swedes in 1653, it was not until the 1700s when it fell under the control of the British, that it reached its peak of output as a commercial slaving depot. The castle itself, although forbidding from the outside, is surrounded by pleasant aspects of local fishing activity, and the relatively clean and pleasant precincts of Cape Castle village. A visit to the West African Historical Museum is included in our visit to Cape Coast Castle.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship or at a local restaurant
Afternoon: As an alternative to the Cape Castle visit, you may choose to visit Kakum National Park to witness its 100-foot-high Canopy Walkway. From high above the treetops, the Walkway gets you incredibly close to the flora and fauna of the region.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 21: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational program at sea continues.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 22: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational program continues as the ship sails towards Sierra Leone.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 23: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Today, we disembark in Freetown, Sierra Leone and spend 2 days exploring. Sierra Leone is recovering form a civil war that almost tore the country apart, but today it is a progressive African state with a great future. Tourism is part of the recovery process.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: With so many interesting aspects to the city, what immediately strikes travelers is the combination of bustle, clutter, seething traffic and population, and of course the ever present informal sector industry. Many of the streets retain their old colonial era names, such as Goucester Road, Wilberforce Street, George Street and Regent Street, all very oddly juxtaposed against this swarming West African city. Explore the Sierra Leone National Museum, close to the famous Cotton Tree. A nearby war memorial may also be of considerable interest, rendering a sense of the extent to which this tragedy has been imprinted on the psyche of this city.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 24: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Your exploration of Freetown will continue with a visit to the Tacagumu Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Located in the much threatened Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve, close to Freetown, the sanctuary covers 100 acres of important rainforest and watershed. Tacugama was established in 1995 to house and rehabilitate confiscated, orphaned and abandoned chimps. Much work is also undertaken towards stopping the illegal trade of this endangered species, and supporting the protection and conservation of chimpanzees in the wild through education, communication and legal enforcement.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: The city of Freetown is located at the foot of the Peninsula Mountains, and facing a great natural harbor. The peninsula boasts of having some of the most beautiful beaches in Africa. Visit one of the least visited beaches in the world.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 25: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational program at sea continues as you sail towards Guinea-Bissau
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 26: Banjul, The Gambia
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Today’s a special day for the bird lovers! The Gambia is known for it’s abundant birdlife: Over 500 species! Today we’ll visit the Abuko Nature Reserve for a walk with our guides. Birds, monkeys and crocodiles inhabit the area. Alternatively, travellers will have the option to visit the museum of a local artist. Before arriving at the museum, we’ll visit the Serrekunda market, one of Africa’s busiest. At the museum, the artist herself will give us a guided tour of the space and its works while giving us some insight into her life as an African artist.
Lunch: Participate in a local cooking class with a local woman who will show us how to make traditional Gambian cuisine.
Afternoon: Visit a fruit distillery to learn about local liqueurs and be treated to a tasting.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 27: Dakar, Senegal
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Today we arrive in Dakar, Senegal; a bustling and energetic West African capital. We’ll visit the infamous slave-trading post of Goree Island and learn about the history of the region and its importance to the slave trade. The tour includes visits to the dungeons and slave quarters, the traders’ opulent homes, the House of Slaves and Le Castel, offering a fascinating look into this dark time. We’ll also visit the IFAN Historical Museum to learn more about the history of Senegal.
Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: After lunch, explore Dakar’s incredible markets, Great Mosque and colonial architecture before checking into the hotel for the final night on the African continent.
Afternoon: Farewell dinner at the hotel
Day 28: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational programming at sea continues as you sail towards Western Sahara
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 29: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational programming at sea continues as you sail towards Western Sahara
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 30: Dakhla, Western Sahara
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breafkast on board the ship
Morning: Dakhla is located in the country of West Sahara, although administered by Morocco. This is your opportunity to touch the western edge of the great Sahara Desert. The Western Sahara is a tropical desert. Hot and dry but cooled by the breeze off the Atlantic Ocean. This combination of cool and hot can often create a fog layer out at sea. A pastorial nomadic lifestyle is common here, as most make a living fishing or mining. We are planning a full day here to see the edge of the Sahara and if possible, some of the nomadic people who live here.
Lunch: Enjoy a local gala lunch in tents set up especially for this occassion.
Afternoon: Exploration of Dakhla and Western Sahara continues.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 31: At Sea
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Days at sea will be filled with a fascinating and entertaining educational program presented by the expert expedition team. Lectures and presentations on the history, anthropology, flora and fauna of the region will be interspersed with seminars on painting, photography, and South African wine tastings
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Educational programming at sea continues as you sail towards Morocco
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 32: Fuerteventurea, Canary Islands
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: M/S Expedition
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: Fuereventura, in the Canary Islands, is part of the newly designated UNESCO bioreserve. It is believed the first settlers came from North Africa soon to be followed by the Spanish, Portuguese and French! Today it is a meca for those escaping winter colds further in the north. You will see why when we tour the islands beaches.
Lunch: Lunch on board the ship
Afternoon: Like the rest of the Canaries, it is an ancient volcanic island that has eroded. The climate on Fuerteventura is pleasant throughout the year. The island is also often referred to as the island of eternal spring. The sea adjusts the temperature making the hot Sahara winds blow away from the island.
Dinner: Dinner on board the ship
Day 33: Agadir / Marrakesh
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Kenzi Farah Hotel
Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship
Morning: We make our last open sea passage back to the continent, landing in Agadir, near the foot of the famous and wild snow capped Atlas Mountains. In 1960 it was completely destroyed by an earthquake, and has been totally rebuilt into a modern city and a beach destination for many! Transfer 146 miles to Marrakesh.
Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant en route to Marrakesh.
Afternoon: Arrive in Marrakesh in time to take a guided walk down the Medina – the ancient central market. Visit the extraordinary Djemaa el Fna square – a human carnival filled with magicians, snake charmers, acrobats, water sellers and food stalls.
Dinner: Dinner at the hotel
Day 34: Marrakesh / Departures
Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: Free morning to explore Marrakesh
Lunch: Lunch on your own
Afternoon: Meet back at the hotel and transfer to the airport for flights returning to the U.S.
Day 35: Flights arrive in the U.S.
Arrive To: Flights arrive back in the United States.