Seychelles, Aldabra, Zanzibar

Backed by lush mountains, Victoria is the Seychelles’ compact capital city, home to charming Creole houses and two elegant cathedrals. Stalls at the bustling Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market are piled high with spices, seafood and tropical fruit, while the Botanical Gardens are famed for slender coco de mer palms and ambling giant tortoises. You can learn about the islands’ colonial past and rich cultural traditions such as fishing and cooking at the National Museum of History.

Ringed by white sand and topped with thick vegetation, Poivre Island is known for its astonishing array of marine life and birds. Part of a remote atoll 268 km southwest of Mahé, it’s a nesting ground for multiple species, including wading whimbrels and darting red fodies. Watch for hawksbill and green turtles who glide beneath the water and bury their eggs on the island’s beaches. This tropical islet was named after Pierre Poivre, who first brought spices to the Seychelles.

Tiny Bijoutier Island is popular for beach picnics, snorkelling and wildlife-spotting. You can stroll around the palm-fringed shore of this remote Outer Islands gem in mere minutes, keeping an eye out for spotted tiger cowrie shells and scuttling giant crabs on the white sand. Accessible only at high tide, the circular islet is surrounded by clear, shallow waters and is a sanctuary for soaring frigatebirds and wedge-tailed shearwaters. It’s also a nesting site for turtles.

You can spend your day at sea enjoying the many facilities available. Head to the sauna, get in a workout in the state-of-the-art gym or relax in the jacuzzi whilst taking in incredible views along the way. If you prefer to learn a little more about your surroundings, listen to an informative talk or have a chat with one of our knowledgeable on-board experts.

Comprising 13 islands around a lagoon, this massive raised coral atoll is home to the world’s largest tortoise colony. More than 100,000 lumbering giant tortoises inch their way around the isolated archipelago’s protected landscape, which features hundreds of flowering plant and fern species. You might be lucky enough to spot swooping Aldabra drongos - endemic to the islands - or wading pink flamingos. Look out too for scavenging white-throated rails, the only flightless bird remaining in the Indian Ocean.

A tranquil white-sand beach stretches for miles alongside brilliantly turquoise water on the west coast of Assumption Island. Part of the Aldabra Group, the kidney-shaped island lies more than 1,000 km southwest of Mahé and is known for its colourful butterfly species, including the belenois aldabrensis. You may bump into sauntering giant tortoises or catch a flash of green as an Assumption day gecko scampers past. Keep an eye out for evidence of nesting sea turtles near the shoreline.

You can spend your day at sea enjoying the many facilities available. Head to the sauna, get in a workout in the state-of-the-art gym or relax in the jacuzzi whilst taking in incredible views along the way. If you prefer to learn a little more about your surroundings, listen to an informative talk or have a chat with one of our knowledgeable on-board experts.

Cosmopolitan Zanzibar Island (Unguja) has a captivating mix of heritage architecture and spectacular beaches. Zanzibar City’s walkable old quarter, Stone Town (Mji Mkongwe), is a lively warren of narrow winding streets dotted with 18th- and 19th-century buildings. Highlights here include the Old Fort, which hosts performances in its outdoor amphitheatre, and the House of Wonders, an 1883 ceremonial palace with a grand clock tower. You’ll also come across stalls heaped with locally grown spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.

Cloaked in lush vegetation, hilly Pemba Island is famed for its extensive clove farms, peaceful islets and white-sand beaches. The island’s biodiverse forests are a haven for grazing blue duiker (small antelope), and the Pemba flying fox, identifiable by its distinctive rusty-red fur and enormous wingspan stretching over 5 feet. Offshore, you can snorkel or dive in warm water among vibrantly coloured coral teeming with marine life including green turtles, whitetip reef sharks and nudibranchs.

A storied Swahili settlement and former major trading hub dating back 700 years, Lamu is a delightful seafront town on the island of the same name. Clusters of ornate, well-preserved buildings built from coral stone and mangrove timber fill its maze of narrow streets. As you stroll the tiny alleyways, you can admire intricately carved wooden doors and arcaded facades, or take a peek into hidden courtyards. The fort and museum are fantastic places to learn about Swahili culture.

A dynamic coastal metropolis, Mombasa draws you in with its rich history and beguiling blend of cultures. For centuries, Arabs, Portuguese, Asians and British settlers have lived side by side in the enchanting old town, whose buildings meld African, European and African styles. Perched above the sea, Fort Jesus was built by the Portuguese in the 1590s to protect the city, while the bustling spice market is packed with fragrant stalls selling pepper, ginger and cardamom.