Depart the USA on any regularly scheduled flight to Luanda, Angola.

Arrive in Luanda and transfer to our deluxe hotel. This evening, gather for a welcome dinner and meet fellow travelers.

After breakfast at the hotel, our tour of Angola's capital includes the Museum of Anthropology, with interesting exhibits on traditional folklore; the Church of Remedios, built in 1628; and the 16th-century Fortaleza de Sao Miguel that guards the port where we will embark Vega in late afternoon and set sail.

During days at sea, you may treat yourself to the amenities aboard and attend informative lectures and briefings from expedition staff and guest lecturers. You may also simply relax and enjoy cruising along the African coastline with vast horizons under open skies.

Congo’s main port, Pointe-Noire, is relatively prosperous with wealth generated primarily by the offshore oil industry.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend two days exploring this protected area of rainforest, mangrove, and sandy beaches, habitats for a wide range of fauna, from elephants, gorillas, and chimpanzees in the forest to hippos, manatees, and leatherback turtles on the beaches and in the mangroves. Our ship remains anchored just offshore and serves as the base for excursions that include guided walks along the beach, kayaking in the Tchitembo Lagoon, a visit to a local fishing village, a cruise aboard local boats on the Noumbi River, and time with researchers at the chimpanzee sanctuary at Camp Help, where
we learn about conservation efforts in the
Conkouati Park and beyond.

During our time in Gabon, Vega will anchor offshore at the tiny village of Sette Cama on a peninsula between the Atlantic and the Ndogo Lagoon. Once a major center for trade in timber and ivory, Sette Cama serves today as our entry point to South Loango National Park. As in our visit to Conkouati, a variety of excursions will
allow us to sample the incredibly rich biodiversity of this region, often referred to as "Africa's last Eden." The beach here is among the few places
in the world where elephants still go down to the sea, and Ndogo Lagoon is world famous for its incredible bird life. On walks in the jungle and along the beach, 4X4 drives through the mangrove and forest, and cruises on local boats, we are very likely to see buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, manatees, elephants, chimpanzees and gorillas. And sightings of rare birds like quail finch, rosy bee-eaters, and Congo River martins are common.

During our time in Gabon, Vega will anchor offshore at the tiny village of Sette Cama on a peninsula between the Atlantic and the Ndogo Lagoon. Once a major center for trade in timber and ivory, Sette Cama serves today as our entry point to South Loango National Park. As in our visit to Conkouati, a variety of excursions will
allow us to sample the incredibly rich biodiversity of this region, often referred to as "Africa's last Eden." The beach here is among the few places
in the world where elephants still go down to the sea, and Ndogo Lagoon is world famous for its incredible bird life. On walks in the jungle and along the beach, 4X4 drives through the mangrove and forest, and cruises on local boats, we are very likely to see buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, manatees, elephants, chimpanzees and gorillas. And sightings of rare birds like quail finch, rosy bee-eaters, and Congo River martins are common.

Sao Tome was a prized possession of the Portuguese, who ruled it from the 15th century until 1975, when Sao Tome and the nearby island of Principe gained independence and formed the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe. We call at the island’s capital and main port, also called Sao Tome, a picturesque and friendly town featuring colonial architecture. Also explore the island’s lush interior and rich biodiversity, and visit an active coffee plantation, where we witness a lifestyle largely unchanged since the colonial era and where we will be invited to sample some of what the locals claim is the world’s best chocolate.

Bom Bom Island Resort sits at the northern tip of Principe. Here we encounter an impressive landscape of soaring volcanic peaks covered with dense forest and beautiful clear-water beaches that line the shore of this tropical paradise. Wander in the charming colonial town of Santo Antonio, walk through the abandoned plantation of Porto Real, watch villagers make palm oil, and hike through the pristine rain forest.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

During days at sea, treat yourself to the amenities aboard and relax. Enjoy cruising along the African coastline with vast horizons under open skies. Informative lectures and briefings from expedition staff and guest lecturer, Ambassador Robert E. Gribbin are also available during days at sea. Ambassador Gribbin has worked in Africa since the late 1960’s and continues to take on assignments after his retirement. He is the author of the memoir In Aftermath of Genocide: the U.S. Role in Rwanda and of four other novels. During our cruise Gribbin will lecture on early European contact with West Africa, slavery, colonialism and the struggle for independence, the cold war in Africa, the curse of oil, and on current politics, conflicts, disease and terrorism.

The small country of Benin, home to an ancient and sophisticated culture, is emerging as a popular travel destination. From the port of Cotonou, drive to the nearby capital, Porto-Novo, set on green hills surrounding a large lagoon. Formerly the center of a prosperous African kingdom, it later became the capital of the French colony of Dahomey. Explore this pleasant city, including visits to the Ethnography Museum, the restored palace of King Toffa, and the Handicraft Center. After lunch, board local motorboats for a ride across Lake Nokou to the picturesque fishing village of Ganvie.

For centuries, Togo was claimed by successive African empires, later becoming part of the French and German colonial empires. Today, Togo’s capital Lome, famous for its palm-lined waterfront, is among West Africa’s most exciting and friendly cities. From Lome, drive a few miles up the coast to Agbodrafo, set on the shores of Lake Togo, to explore the lake’s traditional villages aboard local pirogues. Return to Lome proper to visit its bustling handicraft markets selling traditional goods from all over West Africa, and noted especially for sculpture and batiks.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, disembark and transfer to the airport in Accra for flights homeward.