West Africa

 Printable Itinerary Summary (PDF) 

Immersive, in-depth Africa exploration
Exploring the countries of West Africa by ship offers an unrivaled experience of the natural and cultural wonders. The 148-guest National Geographic Explorer is an ideal platform for exploration that will enable you to:

• Explore 16 countries in-depth, from the tip of South Africa all the way north to Morocco
• Get an insider’s perspective through meeting with diplomats and local leaders
• Discover wildly diverse habitats from deserts to jungle to idyllic islands
• Travel in extraordinary comfort, exploring a vast region of the world, in many cases with minimal tourism infrastructure.

Intriguing places and extraordinary people
The strange and beautiful hues of the Namib Desert. The mining ghost town of Kolmanskop,slowly reclaimed by dunes. Ghana’s lively markets. São Tomé’s idyllic beaches. Travel up a remote river to meet the chief of the Bagyeli “pygmy” people, bargain with merchants selling voodoo relics, plus visit a working tea plantation and several UNESCO World Heritage sites. 

Each day is engaging and enlightening
If the day’s plan calls for a visit to a local market, choose to stroll with your musicologist or historian for varied insights. Searching for marine life doesn’t sound interesting? No problem, stay back and spend an afternoon at the spa. Each day you’ll be offered different ways to understand the lives and cultures of the people you meet along the way. See more of what you’ll do. 

Travel in excellent company
Explore under the sure guidance of an expedition leader and team of extraordinary historians, cultural specialists, and naturalists. Get shooting tips from your on board National Geographic photographer. Join your wellness specialist for an aerobic hike, or learn a bit about navigation while sharing the bridge with our captain. Guest speakers participate in the expedition, complementing our staff’s insights. And since music forms a key part of the culture, we’ve arranged for special musical performances in several places along the way, including some artists of international renown. Your team’s knowledge and passion for West Africa is the key to your once-in-a-lifetime experience. Meet the team.

Day 1	U.S./Cape Town, South Africa
Day 2	Cape Town, South Africa
Day 3	Cape Town/Embark Ship
Day 4	At Sea
Day 5	Lüderitz, Namibia
Day 6-7	Walvis Bay & Swakopmund
Day 8-9	At Sea
Day 10	Lobito & Benguela, Angola
Day 11	At Sea
Day 12	Pointe Noire, Congo
Day 13	At Sea
Day 14	Libreville, Gabon
Day 15	São Tomé, São Tomé & Príncipe
Day 16	Príncipe
Day 17	Kribi, Cameroon
Day 18	Limbé
Day 19	At Sea
Day 20	Cotonou, Benin
Day 21	Lomé, Togo
Day 22	Accra, Ghana
Day 23	Cape Coast, Ghana
Day 24-25	At Sea
Day 26	Monrovia, Liberia
Day 27	Freetown, Sierra Leone
Day 28	At Sea
Day 29	Banjul, The Gambia
Day 30	Dakar
Day 31-32	At Sea
Day 33	Dakhla, Western Sahara
Day 34	Tenerife, Canary Islands
Day 35	At Sea
Day 36	Disembark Agadir/Marrakech, Morocco/Hotel
Day 37	Marrakech/U.S.

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