Welcome to West Africa

Your adventure begins in Senegal's capital

Colorful, captivating Dakar is where your West African experience begins. Visit Medina’s maze of streets, bustling Marché Tilène, and the imposing Grand Mosque.

If you want to explore more before your expedition cruise, you can book an optional Pre-Excursion to Bandia Nature Reserve. Join an open vehicle safari through the African savanna for some wildlife spotting. Keep your camera handy for giraffes, buffalo, monkeys, gazelles, ostriches, rhinos and more.

MS Spitsbergen will be waiting for you. Take time to settle into your cabin and meet your Expedition Team before we set sail—and don't forget to pick up your complimentary expedition jacket.

Visiting Gorée Island

Tragic history and natural beauty combine

After breakfast, we’ll cross to Gorée Island, a UNESCO-listed memorial and education center on the transatlantic trade in enslaved peoples.

We'll learn more on a visit to the museum and Maison des Esclaves, where captives used to be held before transportation. Their stories are movingly documented here. We'll also tour the baobab-shaded streets, where local artisans sell crafts in the markets and town squares.

Back on the mainland, MS Spitsbergen will be waiting for you. Pick up your complimentary expedition jacket, settle into your cabin and meet your Expedition Team before we set sail.

Bound for Cape Verde

Get set for island adventures

As your expedition cruise heads towards Cape Verde, you’ll have time to get to know your fellow adventurers, and your Expedition Team—chosen for their expertise on our destinations.

It's also a great time to get to know the ship. You’ll love the delicious dishes served up in the restaurants and the comfortable Explorer Bar. Try the on-deck hot tub or panoramic sauna, and watch the world glide by as you relax.

Your Expedition Team will tell you what's ahead in fascinating lectures in the Science Center.Discover more about our Citizen Science projects. Plus our professional photographer will give you tips on capturing your adventures on camera.

Santiago at Christmas

Experiencing Christmas in Africa

Seasonal celebrations are in the air as we reach Santiago in Cape Verde. As a largely Catholic country, Christmas is widely celebrated here, with Christmas Eve a public holiday. Listen for caroling from the churches or in the streets.

Santiago offers historical sites, bustling markets, lush valleys and craggy mountains. The capital Praia is a great base for exploring the historic buildings or strolling the sandy beaches to Maria Pia lighthouse. The UNESCO site Cidade Velha, the first European city established in the tropics, is a highlight.

In the evening, we’ll continue the festivities on board the ship, bringing everyone together in a relaxed, welcoming and joyful atmosphere.

Christmas on Boa Vista

Christmas in a wildlife haven

Boa Vista, the easternmost island of Cape Verde, is an unforgettable place to spend Christmas Day. Whether you’re relaxing on the peaceful sands or exploring the palm-lined capital of Sal Rei, you’ll find a lot to enjoy.

Don’t be fooled by the island’s desert-like appearance—it offers many habitats for wildlife with reefs, dunes, oases and wetlands. Keep your eyes open for migratory birds, and if you're lucky, we might even spot humpback whales.

Expect more festivities and good cheer on board this evening, enjoying each other's company as we continue our tour of West Africa.

Ribeiras of Santo Antão

Nature walks and unforgettable landscapes

Santo Antão might be the most spectacular of the Cape Verde islands. With mountains, canyons and gorges, it offers some of the world's most breathtaking landscapes.

We’ll land in Porto Novo, the island’s main town, with wonderful views across the channel to São Vicente. You'll have the option to join a driving tour of the ridges and narrow canyons, known as ribeiras.

Or you can join an optional nature walk along the island trails. You’ll pass mango and almond groves, and small villages filled with the aroma of coffee that the locals roast themselves.

Volcanic features of Fogo

A fascinating vista of lava flows, craters and calderas

Fogo means ‘fire’, and this active volcanic island lives up to its name. Centuries of eruptions—the last in 2014—have left an incredible landscape that you'll get to explore today.

Our optional excursion takes us to the eerily beautiful lava fields of Chã das Caldeiras. It's a challenging hike but worth it for the views. If that's not for you, there's plenty to see in São Filipe’s cobbled streets, and the historic center of Meia Laranja.

With no natural harbors on the island, we can only land if we're able to launch our small boats (RIBs). If that's not possible, we’ll take in the spectacular volcanic scenery on a cruise around the island.

Relax and learn at sea

Preparing to experience the Bissagos Islands

We leave Cape Verde as our expedition cruise continues to Guinea-Bissau. As we sail, your Expedition Team will brief you on what lies ahead. You'll hear presentations about the extraordinary biodiversity of this tropical region.

You’ll learn about the culture too, like the matriarchal society of the Bijagos people, and the historical impact of Portuguese exploration and the slave trade.

You can take part in our Citizen Science projects and contribute data to important research. Now might be a good chance to brush up your photography skills with our onboard photographer in readiness for the sights to come.

Bissagos' biodiversity

Stunning ecosystems and wildlife in this UNESCO wonder

Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1996, the Bissagos Islands are a wildlife watcher’s dream. The islands support saltwater hippos, turtles, manatees, crocodiles and snakes, plus more than 500 types of bird.

Over the next four days, you'll explore this maze of islands and channels, renowned for their diverse ecosystems. We'll go into mangroves, rainforest, savannah woodlands and coastal lagoons. Our small boats (RIBs) will take us down the smaller channels. You’ll join shore landings with the Expedition Team, and may go out in sea kayaks.

Learn about, and maybe meet, the local Bijago people—a fiercely independent, matriarchal society organized in clans. Practicing a subsistence lifestyle, they hold the natural world sacred, beliefs that have helped protect this area from exploitation.

Local conditions will determine when and where we can land and explore, but whatever we do, you can be sure you’ll experience the rich diversity of the archipelago up close.

You'll also celebrate New Year's Eve while you're here—an incredible way to see in the New Year!

Africa's smallest capital

Banjul is a relaxed little city with plenty to offer

Today your West African expedition cruise reaches The Gambia and its tiny capital, Banjul. It may be bijou, but its location at the mouth of the River Gambia made it an important trading hub.

It also played a role in ending the slave trade, as its garrison was used by the British Navy to uphold Abolition Laws. Close by is the birthplace of Kunta Kinte, the protagonist of Alex Haley's famous book, Roots.

The city is easy to explore on foot. The National Museum houses Gambia’s best archaeological and ethnographical collections. Lively Albert Market is a great place to pick a souvenir, so treat yourself before we leave.

Return to Dakar

Your expedition ends in Senegal's bustling port city

Say farewell to MS Spitsbergen today as we arrive back in Dakar. We've arranged a Dakar City Tour for you, which starts as soon as you leave the ship—a wonderful way to round off your trip.

Highlights include Independence Square, the African Renaissance Monument, the cathedral, and the west and east Corniche. Listen out for the many languages of Western Africa, such as Wolof, Pular and Serer.

With the tour complete, you’ll be taken to a hotel for lunch. You'll spend the rest of the day relaxing in comfort at the hotel, before your return journey home.