Day 1 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Located in the northeast United Arab Emirates, bustling Dubai attracts visitors with its international facilities and exotic, yet cosmopolitan lifestyle. Known as the Hong Kong of Arabia, Dubai’s modern duty-free shopping malls and traditional souks offer some of the best bargains in the world on such luxury items as gold jewelry and designer creations. For a more historic outing, visitors can explore the museum at Al Fahidi Fort or venture out into the Old Quarter of Bastakia.

Day 2 – Al Khasab, Oman

This ‘Norway of Arabia’ has steep cliffs rising from the water that evoke the northern fjords. While here, delight in discovering historical treasures like the Khasab Fort, built by the Portuguese in the 17th century and today home to an excellent ethnographic museum, the 16th-century Bukha Fort and the impressive Kmazera Castle. Looking out across the Strait of Hormuz, take in a vista of fishing boats, wooden dhows and the occasional bottlenose dolphin frolicking in the pristine water.

Day 3 – Cruising the Gulf of Oman

Day 4 & 5 – Cruising the Arabian Sea

Day 6 – Cruising the Indian Ocean

Day 7 & 8 – Mahe, Seychelles

Mahé, the largest island of the Seychelles, was named for Mahé de Labourdonnais, a governor of Mauritius. It is the location of Port Victoria, the capital city. Ringed by steep and magnificent mountains, few capitals can claim a more beautiful backdrop. The nearby reefs and pristine marine national parks are a snorkeler’s paradise.

Day 9 – Cruising the Indian Ocean

Day 10 – Nosy Be, Madagascar

Discover exotic Nosy Be with its rich air fragrant from native spices and flowers and, neighboring Nosy Komba with its lemur population found only in this part of the world. Beginwith a stroll around the city center of Hellville in Nosy Be, visiting the open marketplace. Then hire a driver to take you on an island tour to see the bright blue volcanic lakes, or hire a boat to take you to Nosy Komba to visit the lemurs. Back in Nosy Be, shop for locally made perfume, distilled rum, finelinens and hand carved wooden art. Enjoy some of the fresh local seafood prepared with the local spices in this colorful and aromatic destination.

Day 11 – Mayotte, French Comoros

Located in the Northern Mozambique Channel just off the Southeast African coast, Mayotte is geographically a part of the Comoros Islands but remains an overseas department of France (and thus part of the European Union). The port city of Mamoudzou, Mayotte’s capital, is on the main island of Grande-Terre (also called Mahore). Famed for its scuba diving, the island is home to several diving centers offering access to Mayotte’s world-class corals and reefs. Hike to the top of Mount Choungui for unforgettable views or ride a ferry to the island of Petite Terre to explore a volcanic crater beach called Plage de Moya.

Day 12 & 13 – Cruising the Mozambique Channel

Day 14 – Maputo, Mozambique

Discover the relaxed charm of Maputo with its wide, European style boulevards, lush with jacaranda, bougainvillea and other tropical foliage, where old colonial palaces are mixed in with modern high-rise buildings. Visit The Cathedral built in 1944 in the shape of a cross, then the lively Mercado Central. Enjoy a snack of freshly roasted cashews and a cold bottled drink. Stop by the National Museum of Art then stroll along the Avenida Julius Nyerere, browsing the boutiques, vendors, and restaurants. Look for African waxprint and woven fabrics, beautiful wooden boxes and picture frames. Seek out the surreal Pancho Guedes buildings, reminiscent of Gaudi. Visit the Praça de Trabalhadores designed by Gustave Eiffel in the late 19th century. Sip coffee in one of the many outdoor cafés as you watch the world go by in this vibrant seaside capital.

Day 15 & 16 – Durban, South Africa

A bustling, subtropical city and Africa’s busiest port, Vasco da Gama is said to have sighted Durban Bay on Christmas Day, 1497, naming the land Natal as a mark of respect for the Nativity. The name Durban was acquired in 1843 when Port Natal was renamed for Sir Benjamin D’Urban. Today , Durban delights the traveler with its colorful mosaic of ethnic neighborhoods and memorable excursions to game reserves and the traditional lifestyle of the Zulu people. Explore Old Market Square, the Golden Mile beachfront and the scented Botanic Gardens and Gray Street Mosque, the largest in the southern hemisphere.

Day 17 – Cruising the Indian Ocean

Day 18 – Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Located at the endpoint of South Africa’s picturesque Garden Route, Port Elizabeth is nicknamed “The Friendly City.” While regarded as one of the country’s most important seaports, Port Elizabeth is also considered the water sports capital of South Africa. Visitors enjoy the area’s beaches, scuba diving, game fishing, surfing and whale watching.

Day 19 – Cruising the Indian Ocean

Day 20 – Cape Town, South Africa

Called ‘the fairest cape in the whole circumference of the earth’ and regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Cape Town offers museums, lush parks and shops. Impressive mountains, magnificent beaches and outstanding wineries add to the attraction. Ride a cable-car to the top of famous flat-topped Table Mountain and gaze at the mosaic of towering mountains, verdant valleys and the confluence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The historical highlight is Robben Island, once the prison holding such outstanding anti-apartheid leaders as Nelson Mandela.