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Peregrine Travel Centre

From Cape to Cape with Island Sky

From Cape to Cape with Island Sky

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Description

Join us on this unique expedition which will begin at the world’s southernmost city and end some 23 days later in Cape Town. A voyage of many thousands of miles that will include some of the most remote and fascinating islands in the southern Atlantic. Our natural world encounters will be extraordinary whether your interest lies in birds, marine life or wildlife; as will the botany and cultural life of the islands.

Exploration, trade and colonial ambitions over many centuries have created unique island communities and lifestyles as islands became stepping stones across the South Atlantic Ocean. With just 100 or so fellow travellers you can enjoy the small ship experience as we travel at a slow pace with an expert expedition team who also relish the chance to undertake such a unique journey and share their knowledge and enthusiasm with you.

This island odyssey begins with a navigation of Cape Horn, where weather permitting we also hope to land, followed by two days in the Falkland Islands where we will discover both the natural and cultural heritage of the islands. We continue to the extraordinary island of South Georgia, one of the world’s natural wonders – ‘the Alps in mid-ocean’, offering remarkable concentrations of shoreline wildlife against a dramatic backdrop of glaciers and snow covered mountains. Here also is the last resting place of the great explorer Shackleton.

Our onward passage will take us to what will perhaps be the highlight of the journey for many, the island of Tristan da Cunha, the world’s most remote island and home to a hardy population of around 250. Tristan was ignored by early explorers as a possible home due to its rugged landscape and harsh climate. It took an extraordinary breed of people, ready to live on the margins of life, to settle and eventually thrive in the world’s most isolated community. We will discover the main settlement on the island, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, and explore the island on a series of walks. Our remote island hopping adventure ends in Cape Town where we have the morning to enjoy a scenic tour of this beautiful city.

For those who love the sea and long voyages, enjoy travelling off the beaten track and escaping from the world for a few weeks this is a fitting trip and a marvellous adventure. Our days at sea will be punctuated by calls to little visited islands and we will see amazing seabird life, travel with whales, set foot in places where few have trodden before and enjoy good company, some fascinating onboard talks and one of the most comfortable expedition vessels in the world.

Trip Name
From Cape to Cape with Island Sky
Days
26
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 to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Fly by scheduled flight.
Day 2 - Day 2 Buenos Aires.
Arrive this morning and transfer to our centrally located hotel for an overnight stay. This afternoon you can choose to relax at the hotel or join an orientation tour of the city which will include the Plaza de Mayo, the Cathedral, the Cabildo (Old City Hall) and the most traditional neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, San Telmo which is characterised by its colonial houses and cobblestoned streets. The tour will end in La Boca with time to look around the colourful zinc houses. This evening is free for independent exploration.
Day 3 - Day 3 Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.
After breakfast in the hotel we will transfer to the airport for our scheduled flight to Ushuaia. On arrival in the world’s southernmost city we will transfer to the MS Island Sky and sail this evening. Enjoy the scenery as we enter the Beagle Channel, named after the HMS Beagle which Robert Fitzroy piloted through this extraordinarily beautiful channel with naturalist Charles Darwin in the 1830s.
Day 4 - Day 4 Cape Horn, Chile.
We will make our way around Cape Horn, one of the best known maritime landmarks in the world. Magellan was the first European visitor here in 1530 and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal it was an important staging post. Weather permitting we hope to use our Zodiacs to land and enjoy a walk to the monument.
Day 5 - Day 5 At Sea.
Enjoy a relaxing day at sea. Wildlife spotting opportunities as we sail across the ocean will include albatrosses, prions and petrels that frequently follow the ship. Our expedition team will be out on deck looking for whales and dolphins that may also be seen in the area. During our crossing to the Falkland Islands our onboard experts will begin their presentations with informative and entertaining talks on the wildlife, history and geology of the Falkland Islands and Southern Ocean.
Day 6 - Days 6 & 7 Falkland Islands.
The Falkland Islands are isolated, windswept, a haven for wildlife and our base for a couple of days of exploration. Our visit should coincide with the end of the breeding season for the many seabirds that make these islands their summer home including gentoo, Magellanic and rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatross. We hope to see the flurry of activity associated with fledging seabirds and adults departing the islands before the autumn closes in. We will use our Zodiacs to find a suitable location to land for a closer look. We also plan to call at Port Stanley, the charming capital of the Falkland Islands, and discover some of the historic sites there from the museums to the battlefields.
Day 7 - Days 8 & 9 At Sea.
As we cruise towards South Georgia the richness of these waters will be evident in the marine mammal life, especially the fur seals on fishing forays. We have a good chance of spotting humpback and fin whales whilst the birds circling our stern will be outstanding, particularly the large albatrosses and numerous breeds of petrels.
Day 8 - Days 10 to 12 South Georgia.
We have three days of expedition cruising in and around South Georgia, a paradise island with snow-clad mountain peaks rising 9000 feet and with 165 glaciers tumbling down towards the sea. It is the large colonies of king penguins that make South Georgia’s animal kingdom one of our planet’s greatest wonders. The king penguins raise their young in the sub-Antarctic summer and our visit will be in the autumn when fluffy brown chicks crowd the shores like a huge kindergarten. We hope to catch the wandering albatross and migrating whales as the wildlife starts to prepare for the upcoming winter. Witness incredible scenes of this unique animal paradise on walks, hikes and Zodiac rides whilst our onboard team of biologists and geologists increase your knowledge of this unique natural experience. Meanwhile in Grytviken we will visit the old whaling station and of course pay our respect at the grave of ‘the boss’ – Ernest Shackleton.
Day 9 - Days 13 to 17 At Sea.
Our lecture programme will continue as will opportunities to watch for wildlife from the deck as we sail towards the most remote inhabited archipelago of islands in the world at Tristan Da Cunha.
Day 10 - Days 18 & 19 Tristan da Cunha.
First sighted in the early 16th century and settled in the early 1800s, Tristan da Cunha was frequented by naval ships, whalers and sealers throughout the 19th century. Today it is home to some 250 hardy souls who make their living from the sea. With our two days here there will be plenty of time to spend visiting the main settlement of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas where local guides will tell us about the island’s history and culture. Maybe take a hike to the volcano where we learn about the 1961 eruption and the impact on the local population, ending at the Thatched House Museum which preserves a home from that time. Other walks will include the cliffs and the potato patches where we can hear about the islander’s subsistence farming. We also hope to visit Nightingale Island, one of the most unique wildlife strongholds in the world and home to thousands of seabirds.
Day 11 - Days 20 to 24 At Sea.
Leaving Tristan da Cunha we continue our journey east towards South Africa. Our onboard naturalists will search for wildlife whilst we hope for clear skies to enjoy stargazing in the evenings.
Day 12 - Day 25 Cape Town & Cape Point, South Africa to London.
Disembark this morning in Cape Town from where we drive to Cape Point along the scenic Atlantic seaboard coastal road. We pass the pristine beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay before arriving at the quaint fishing village of Hout Bay. We continue over Chapman’s Peak, which is one of the most spectacular marine drives and to Cape Point at the tip of the Cape Peninsula which is a nature reserve within Table Mountain National Park and a Natural World Heritage Site. Here there is a variety of flora and fauna, baboons, antelope, Cape mountain zebra and amazing birdlife. We visit Simons Town, a maritime naval base which is located on the shores of False Bay and we stop for lunch here before continuing to Boulders Beach, a sheltered beach with huge granite boulders and famous for the local residents, the African penguin colony. Transfer to Cape Town airport this afternoon for our scheduled flight to London.
Day 13 - Day 26 London.
Arrive this morning.
Day 14 - Please Note:
Please note that flexibility is key to a successful expedition. This voyage will include several days at sea on ocean passages. Our landings will be weather dependent and we have factored in more than one day in each remote island group to optimise our opportunities for getting ashore. Our exact route and landings will depend on weather and sea conditions and wildlife encountered.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type

Inclusions

    • Cape Horn, Chile
    • Falkland Islands
    • South Georgia
    • Tristan da Cunha
    • Cape Town & Cape Point

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