Depart the USA on any regularly scheduled flight to Nairobi.

Arrive in Mombasa (e-visa required) and transfer to the Serena Beach Hotel (or similar). Enjoy a welcome dinner with fellow travelers this evening. (D)

After breakfast at the hotel, join an excursion to the 16th-century Fort Jesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and visit the bustling spice market where Indian, Arab, and African vendors compete for your attention, before transferring to the port to board Diana. Set sail for the Seychelles in late afternoon. (B,D)

During a day at sea heading toward Aldabra, treat yourself to the amenities aboard ship and attend informative lectures and briefings from expedition staff. You may also want simply to enjoy being in the middle of the ocean, looking over vast horizons under open skies, with the sun, wind and a few adventurous seabirds to keep you company. (B,L,D)

Located in the very heart of the Seychelles archipelago, the Aldabra Atoll is one of the last virtually untouched sanctuaries on earth, where a large population of sea turtles have found refuge. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this vast tract of sea and land is formed by 4 small reef islands separated by narrow passes and containing an emerald-water lagoon lined with mangrove and fine-sand beaches. (B,L,D)

After clearance formalities at Assumption Island, leave the Seychelles behind and sail to Madagascar. (B,L,D)

The Nosy Be Archipelago is a collection of small islands with magnificent white sand beaches and an exceptional diversity of marine and terrestrial life. From the port of Andoany, commonly referred to as “Hell-ville,” we take pirogue canoes through the mangrove to Lokobe Nature Reserve, a primal forest that serves as habitat for more than 370 species of wildlife. On a guided walk through the forest, we will be looking for the birds, reptiles, and primates that abound—especially the endangered black lemur. (B,L,D)

Separated from Mahajanga by the Betsiboka River, the village of Katsepy is in a region of remarkable biodiversity. Board local boats to explore the mangrove forest of the Betsiboka Delta before enjoying lunch at Andafiroï Lodge on the coast just north of Katsepy. After lunch, enjoy a nature walk in the Katsepy Forest Reserve, home to five species of lemurs, 153 endemic plant species, and 42 varieties of endemic birds. (B,L,D)

Enjoy a relaxing day at sea enjoying the many amenities aboard ship and attending presentations from expedition staff. (B,L,D)

Established in 2000, Zazamalala is a private reserve comprising 350-acres of restored dry forest and fresh water ponds that provide habitat for some of Madagascar’s rarest species, including the Madame Berthe Mouse Lemur (the world’s smallest primate), and the Red-fronted and more than 100 rare and endemic trees, birds, and reptiles. Visit the Avenue of the Baobabs, a grove of 25 Grandidier’s Baobab lining the red-dirt road just outside of Morondava. In 2007, the government granted protected status to the park and named it Madagascar’s first Natural Monument. (B,L,D)

Toliara, surrounded by mangroves and an offshore coral reef, provides easy access to the Arboretum d’Anstokay, established by a Swiss botanist in 1980 in the middle of a spiny forest. Guided tours lead past more than 900 mostly endemic plant species, some identified only in the past 40 years, and you might spy birds, butterflies or lemurs living among the branches. (B,L,D)

As Diana crosses the Mozambique Channel on the way to Maputo, you may treat yourself to the amenities aboard and attend informative lectures and briefings from expedition staff and guest lecturers. (B,L,D)

After breakfast aboard, transfer to the airport for flights homeward. (B)