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Passage to the Seychelles – Island Hopping in the Indian Ocean

Passage to the Seychelles – Island Hopping in the Indian Ocean

From GBP £10,495

Description

The Seychelles offers the visitor a tropical beauty that is difficult, if not impossible to match anywhere else in the world. Spread out over a vast area of the Indian Ocean, they offer everything from quiet sophistication and enchanting scenery to wild and uninhabited nature reserves, where the very remoteness of the islands has protected them from the worst excesses of mankind. We know the region well having operated vessels there for almost thirty years and if ever there was a region perfect for expedition cruising it is here, a timeless world of wonders both below and above the water.
Setting sail from Tanzania, we have a full day to explore atmospheric Zanzibar before we spend time discovering Latham Island, an important seabird breeding site with spectacular reefs, and the historic sites of Kilwa Kisiwani. Continuing to the Seychelles, our journey will include all aspects of this extraordinary island nation from the lesser known and rarely visited Outer Seychelles where we visit the Aldabra Islands, the world’s largest coral atoll and a World Heritage Site to the developed Inner Seychelles with staggeringly beautiful islands such as Aride and Praslin. For many the highlight of the voyage will be our time spent exploring the Aldabra Island Group, the breeding ground of the giant tortoise and in addition to seeing some of these endearing creatures we should also encounter dolphins and turtles as well as countless birds including the flightless rail. To explore the abundant crystal clear waters of the vast lagoon and to set foot on atolls which have never been exploited by the hand of man is a rare experience.
Obviously, such beauty and serenity are best enjoyed with a small number of travelling companions and the MS Island Sky is an ideal vessel. With a maximum of just over 100 passengers she ofers all the comforts of a larger vessel but with the added luxury of a small number of fellow, like-minded travellers and an expert expedition team who will add much to your enjoyment. With our fleet of Zodiacs we can reach the unreachable, landing on remote beaches, walking through verdant rainforest and national parks and getting close to some unique flora and fauna.

Trip Name
Passage to the Seychelles - Island Hopping in the Indian Ocean
Days
16
Overview
Vessel Type: Luxury Small Ship Length: 90 metres Passenger Capacity: 116  Built / refurbished: 1992 / 2010 / 2017 Sister ship to Hebridean Sky. Island Sky and Hebridean Sky are truly sisters. Built in the same Italian Shipyard, both boast spacious, well-appointed suites, stylish common areas, and redundant core technology that allows them to operate smoothly, even under the most challenging of conditions. Both ships are all-suite, all-inclusive small expedition vessels with touches of elegance throughout. The Island Sky is scheduled for additional upgrades in 2017, including the addition of tinted sliding glass doors to all cabins on the Promenade Deck. Services: World-Class Cuisine Complimentary Wine or Beer with Dinner Live Entertainment Complimentary Coffee/Tea station Voyage Photographer On-board MD and Facilities Dedicated Passenger Service Manager Pre-voyage hotel night Complimentary Expedition Jacket Facilities: Elevator serving all passenger decks Upgraded WIFI Internet Library with computers Panoramic Top Deck Observation Platform Bar/Lounge with Live Entertainment Lounge with Audiovisual Facilities DVD Movie Library Tinted sliding glass doors in all cabins on the Promenade Deck World-Class Cuisine: Great expeditions require great food! Our team of world-class chefs offer breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that change daily. They have boat-loads of creativity, so you are sure to experience a variety of remarkable cuisine throughout your voyage. Accommodations: All Suites Feature: Exterior views Your choice of queen-sized or two twin-sized beds Sitting area with sofa and side chair Flat Screen TV with DVD/CD player Telephone Independent temperature controls Mini-Bar Marble-appointed bathroom with fine toiletries Hair dryer 220 square feet or more Sofa can be converted to bed for third person PLEASE NOTE - DECK PLANS CAN VARY.

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 London or Manchester to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Fly by scheduled indirect flight.
Day 2 - Day 2 Dar es Salaam.
Arrive today and transfer to the MS Island Sky. Enjoy welcome drinks and dinner as we sail this evening.
Day 3 - Day 3 Zanzibar.
Zanzibar’s harbour, crowded with dhows, very much sets the scene for our visit to this Arab-style city with its long narrow streets, bazaars, houses with overhanging balconies and intricately carved doorways. On a morning walking tour, soak up the timeless atmosphere of Stone Town including Livingstone House, Sultan’s Palace, the slave market and the Old Fort. The afternoon is free to relax and explore independently or join a tour of a spice farm to experience the various fruits and spices cultivated on the island. Alternatively, travel to Jozani Forest which sustains a variety of wildlife and birds, including the rare red colobus monkey, indigenous to the island.
Day 4 - Day 4 Latham Island.
Also known as Fungu Kizimkazi, this uninhabited coral island measures just 7.5 acres but is an important breeding ground for many bird species and one of the most important areas in the Indian Ocean for masked booby, brown noddy, sooty tern and greater crested tern. Weather permitting, we will use our Zodiacs to cruise the island to view these colonies and also offer the chance to snorkel on the fringing reef surrounding the island.
Day 5 - Day 5 Kilwa Kisiwani.
This morning we anchor off Kilwa Kisiwani, a site of exceptional historical interest, where the atmospheric ruins represent a wide sweep of East African coastal history, from the heights of the Swahili and Shirazi trading civilisation to the darker days of slavery and the uprisings against German rule. Once one of Africa’s wealthiest towns, Kilwa Kisiwani is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains the world’s most extensive and best-preserved Swahili ruins. We will spend the morning on a walking tour and see the prominent fort and the Great Mosque which stood at the heart of this ancient city which was once the largest in East Africa. This afternoon we hope to find a local beach to offer the chance to swim, snorkel or take a stroll.
Day 6 - Day 6 At Sea.
Spend a leisurely day on board as we continue our journey through the Indian Ocean en-route to the Seychelles.
Day 7 - Days 7 to 9 Aldabra Islands, Seychelles.
Arriving in the Outer Seychelles we have two and a half days to enjoy the Aldabra group of islands and our itinerary will be in the hands of our Expedition Leader and Captain who will monitor the local conditions to ensure we maximise our time here. Whilst our itinerary is flexible, we hope to call at the island of Assumption which was ruthlessly plundered for its vast deposits of guano in the early 20th century. Happily, peace has returned and the wildlife of rare birds and green turtles are once again in abundance. Our time here will be spent beachcombing, on nature walks or snorkelling. We also hope to reach Cosmoledo where a huge ring of twelve islands circle a lagoon. Many of the atolls are still to be surveyed and we will explore some of them by Zodiac. This is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area with all three species of booby found in the Seychelles including the last breeding site for the brown booby. Also spot sooty terns and great frigate birds. In addition we will plan time on Aldabra, the island referred to by Sir Julian Huxley as “One of nature’s treasures and should belong to the whole world”. Aldabra is unique and every time we call we find something new of interest. Our exploration will be guided by the tides and sightings have been made of the extremely rare white throated rail and the atoll is also home to the world’s second largest colony of frigate birds and to the largest crab, the coconut crab. Whilst exploring by Zodiac it is difficult to know in which direction to look. The clear blue seas abound with life, the skies are alive with varied birdlife and ashore giant land tortoises forage as they have done for millions of years. We hope to explore Picard Island with a short walk to see some of the numerous tortoises and robber crabs or swim in the lagoon, a vast 17 mile stretch of shallow clear water. From our Zodiacs we can watch the ever-changing undersea world and snorkel in colourful coral waters.
Day 8 - Day 10 Farquhar Group.
This morning we anchor off Farquhar where we will use our Zodiacs to explore the sparkling lagoon of this remote atoll and its islands covered in coconut trees, palms and scaevola sea lettuce plants. Hawksbill and green sea turtles come to the atoll to nest and several of the Farquhar Group’s islands are Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas. The island is a haven providing us with a delightful morning of bird watching or snorkelling before we sail this afternoon.
Day 9 - Day 11 Alphonse Islands.
There are three islands in the Alphonse group and as we approach the islands over lunch you will understand why they are regarded by many to be the most beautiful of the 115 islands in the Seychelles archipelago. Our plan is to land on the tiny and idyllic island of Bijoutier. Rarely visited, it is a safe haven for a variety of seabirds. There will be the opportunity to swim and we hope to offer a snorkel platform in the crystal clear waters. Bijoutier sits between two larger atolls so the ocean current flows passing Bijoutier replenishing the corals reefs and making them especially rich in biodiversity.
Day 10 - Day 12 Amirante Islands.
This morning we arrive at the 28 islands in the Amirante Group which were discovered by Vasco de Gama in 1501 and are considered to be some of the most pristine and untouched islands in the world. If conditions permit we will visit the huge sand spit on African Banks and join nature walks with our naturalists, beachcombing and spotting seabirds. In addition we hope to offer Zodiacs cruises in the lagoon of one of the atolls and also the opportunity for swimming and snorkelling.
Day 11 - Days 13 & 14 Inner Seychelles.
Our final two days are spent in the Inner Seychelles islands where we hope to visit Aride, one of the finest and most important seabird islands in the Indian Ocean. Over one million seabirds breed on the island including tropical shearwater, lesser noddy, frigatebirds and roseate tern and also five species unique to the Seychelles such as the Seychelles warbler and Seychelles magpie robin. The island is largely covered in native woodland including the endemic Wright’s gardenia, a shrub with beautifully scented flowers found nowhere else in the world. We plan to land on Curieuse, a rugged island which was once home to a leper colony and now houses an eco-museum and visitor centre. The island is an important nesting site for hawksbill turtles and boasts endemic vine and mangroves which we explore on an island walk. Meanwhile on La Digue, huge granite boulders lie like giant sculptures on the brilliant white beaches of the island. Maybe visit the forested nature reserve and the L’Union Estate, a superbly restored 19th century colonial house, or swim from one of the beaches.
Day 12 - Day 15 Mahe to London or Manchester.
Disembark this morning and transfer to the airport for our scheduled flight.
Day 13 - Day 16 London or Manchester.
Arrive this morning.
Day 14 - Please note:
Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
16-01-202631-01-2026GBP £10,495Magellan Deck Standard Suite
16-01-202631-01-2026GBP £10,795Columbus Deck Superior Suite
16-01-202631-01-2026GBP £11,095Marco Polo Deck Premium Suite
16-01-202631-01-2026GBP £11,495Marco Polo Deck Corner Suite
16-01-202631-01-2026GBP £12,495Magellan Deck Standard Single
16-01-202631-01-2026GBP £12,795Columbus Deck Superior Single
16-01-202631-01-2026GBP £12,795Erikson Deck Deluxe Balcony Suite
16-01-202631-01-2026GBP £13,295Explorer Deck Owner's Balcony Suite
16-01-202631-01-2026GBP £13,795Explorer Deck Island Suite

Inclusions

    • Stone Town, Zanzibar: Explore the rich history and vibrant atmosphere of Zanzibar's Stone Town, with its narrow streets, bustling bazaars, and historical landmarks such as the Sultan’s Palace and the slave market.
    • Aldabra Islands, Seychelles: Discover the pristine beauty and diverse wildlife of the Aldabra Islands, including rare birds, giant tortoises, and vibrant coral reefs during guided nature walks and snorkelling excursions.
    • Amirante Islands: Visit the untouched and pristine Amirante Islands, where you can enjoy nature walks, bird watching, and snorkelling in some of the most beautiful and biodiverse waters in the Seychelles.

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