Natural Wonders of the Seychelles and Beyond: A Voyage Through the Western Indian Ocean

Included meals are listed on the sample itinerary below as B (breakfast), L (lunch), and D (dinner). For additional itinerary and pricing details, please contact our expeditions team.

Day 1 (Oct 15): Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

Arrive in Victoria, capital of the Seychelles, and transfer to our deluxe hotel (included in trip price). Join fellow travelers this evening for a welcome dinner. (D)

Day 2 (Oct 16): Victoria/Embark

After breakfast, travel to Le Jardin Du Roi, a spice garden on near the southern tip of Mahe, where the air is filled with aromas of vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon and where we are reminded that the Seychelles were once at the very center of the spice trade. Returning to Victoria, visit the excellent National Museum of History, with informative exhibits on Creole culture, and explore the National Botanical Gardens, home to palms, fruit trees, and other characteristic flora. After a relaxing lunch and some time at leisure, transfer to the harbor and embark Diana. (B,L,D)

Day 3 (Oct 17): Bijoutier Island, Seychelles

Tiny Bijoutier Island is popular for beach picnics, snorkeling, and wildlife-spotting. Stroll around the palm-fringed shore of this remote gem in mere minutes, keeping an eye out for cowrie shells and scuttling giant crabs on the white sand beaches. Accessible only at high tide, the islet is surrounded by clear, shallow waters and is a sanctuary for frigatebirds and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. Like Poivre Island, it is also a nesting site for turtles. (B,L,D)

Day 4 (Oct 18): Farquhar Island, Seychelles

Named in honor of Robert Townsend Farquhar in 1824, the islands of Farquhar have been designated as an Important Bird Area. Goëlettes is most interesting for birds with a huge seasonal colony of sooty tern and brown noddy. Farquhar is also an important nesting site for turtles, including green turtle and hawksbill turtles. Other fauna of interest includes the gold-dust gecko and coconut crab. (B,L,D)

Day 5 (Oct 19): Cosmoledo Island, Seychelles

The atoll’s pristine and untouched ocean ecosystem boasts vast, wadable sand flats, beautiful islands of different shapes and sizes, and an incredible lagoon, all ruled by the incomparable giant trevally. The encounters you’ll experience are proof of how remote and preserved this magnificent atoll is. (B,L,D)

Day 6 (Oct 20): Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

Today we call at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aldabra Atoll, situated in the very heart of the Seychelles Archipelago. It is one of the last virtually untouched sanctuaries on earth—Sir David Attenborough has called it “one of the wonders of the world”—and home to the world’s largest population (over 100,000) of giant tortoises. The vast atoll, comprising four small reef islands separated by narrow passes into an emerald-water lagoon, hosts hundreds of flowering plant and fern species, as well as Greater Flamingos and endemic Aldabra Drongos. Perhaps we will spot scavenging White-throated Rails, the only flightless bird remaining in the Indian Ocean. We spend two days in this remarkable environment, snorkeling and diving, and simply enjoying being surrounded by the beauty of the largest raised coral reef in the world. (B,L,D)

Day 7 (Oct 21): Aldabra/Assumption Island, Seychelles

At the end of our second day in Aldabra, we call briefly at nearby Assumption Island. This tiny islet was nearly destroyed in the early 20th century when its vegetation was cleared to allow for guano mining. But much of Jacques Cousteau’s Silent World was filmed on its still robust coral reefs, teeming with life. (B,L,D)

Day 8 (Oct 22): At Sea

Enjoy a day at sea learning from guest lecturers and sampling the many amenities aboard Diana. (B,L,D)

Day 9 (Oct 23): Zanzibar, Tanzania

Cosmopolitan Zanzibar Island (Unguja) has a captivating mix of heritage architecture and spectacular beaches. Join a walking tour of the city's old quarter, Stone Town, a warren of narrow winding streets dotted with 18th- and 19th-century buildings. Highlights here include the Old Fort, built by Omanis when they drove out the Portuguese on 1698, and the House of Wonders, an impressive palace overlooking the waterfront and housing a museum of history with interesting exhibits on Swahili civilization and the peoples of the Indian Ocean. (B,L,D)

Day 10 (Oct 24): Pemba Island, Tanzania

Pemba Island, separated from mainland Tanzania by the Pemba Channel,  is known for its lush vegetation and extensive clove plantations. The island’s biodiverse forests are a haven for grazing blue duiker (small antelope), and the Pemba flying fox, identifiable by its distinctive rusty-red fur and enormous wingspan stretching over 5 feet. The warm waters of the Channel are home to vibrantly colored coral, teeming with marine life including green turtles, whitetip reef sharks, and nudibranchs. (B,L,D)

Day 11 (Oct 25): Lamu, Kenya

The Old Town of Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa. Once an important center of trade, its architecture is a fascinating blend of Bantu, Arab, Persian, Indian, and European motifs. Clusters of ornate, well-preserved buildings built from coral stone and mangrove timber and decorated with intricately carved wooden doors and arcaded facades line its maze of narrow streets. The Lamu Museum offers an excellent introduction to the island’s rich history, and the affiliated Lamu Fort, built by Omanis in the early 19th century and used by the British as prison, is now a library housing one of the best collections of Swahili poetry in Kenya. (B,L,D)

Day 12 (Oct 26): Mombasa, Kenya - Disembark

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