La Digue Island on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

La Digue Island is a veritable concentration of all the beauty of the Seychelles. Located 6 km southeast of Praslin, this small piece of land that looks like paradise is the third-largest island in the Seychelles, despite its modest size (5 km by 3km)!

Turquoise waters encourage everyone to swim in them, lush vegetation sheltering giant tortoises, beaches of fine sand fringed with coconut trees and surrounded with those emblematic large granite rocks with their pink highlights like at the famous Anse Source d’Argent: the perfect picture postcard… Authentic and preserved, the island follows a peaceful rhythm, with the only means of transport along its little roads being bikes or traditional oxcarts.

Desroches Island on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

On the third day of 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour, travel for Coconut trees, she-oak, white-sand beaches, warm and clear waters: everything here is conducive to daydreaming and relaxation in an intimate setting where the blue sky completes the picture postcard.

You are on Desroches Island, the largest in the Amirantes group in the Outer Islands of Seychelles. Spectacular sea beds where encounters with sharks and manta rays are not uncommon surround this 6 km long coral atoll covered in lush vegetation.

On the beach, you may be lucky enough to observe sea turtles, there to lay their eggs.

In the island’s north, a lighthouse that is still in operation stands guard, and the small village is home to a chapel and a cemetery.

Alphonse Island on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

On the day 4 of 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour, travel to Alphonse Island that is located off the Seychelles archipelago. Discovered in 1730 by the Knight Alphonse de Pontevez, this island, specialized in coconut processing in the past, is now a veritable natural reserve, home to different species of marine mammals, sea turtles and many birds.

Alphonse Island is also renowned for its rich underwater life and coral, among the best preserved in the Indian Ocean. A marvelous spectacle that can be admired with just a mask!

At Sea on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

On this day 5 of 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour during your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board.

Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season let you be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing.

This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the onboard photographers in their dedicated space.

As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species.

A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

Explore Astove Island on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

Today on day 6 of 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour, you will explore Astove island that is Close to Madagascar than to Victoria, Astove is the southernmost island in the Seychelles.

It is part of the Aldabra group, in the Outer Islands of Seychelles.

Now uninhabited, this coral island covered in coconut trees was once home to the employees that worked on the coconut plantations.

Renowned for the richness of its seabeds, Astove Atoll is now a top destination for fishing enthusiasts. It also attracts experienced divers, who visit the atoll to explore the “Astove Wall”, where the seafloor drops to a depth of about 40 meters. The wall is covered in coral and many fish and green sea turtles can be found there

Cosmoledo Atoll on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

The Cosmoledo Atoll owes its nickname, the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, to the beauty of its underwater world, which attracts the most experienced divers: parrotfish, giant rays and clams inhabit the reefs of its crystal waters.

The fascinating marine life comes alive as the multi-colored fish, making the most of the protection of the extraordinary coral reef, come together to feed in the currents formed by the sweeping movements of the tides.

Exploited in the past for coconut and agave, the atoll is now uninhabited, apart from an eco-resort in the heart of the nature reserve, which shelters green turtles and significant colonies of sooty terns and red-footed boobies.

Assumption Island on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

Assumption Island is part of the Aldabra group (Outer Islands), situated in the southwest of Seychelles. Discovered in the mid-18th century by the French captain Nicolas Morphey, this bean-shaped island covered in dunes and shrubs is relatively flat. A handful of people live there, in a small village in the island’s west.

The island’s beaches are a major egg-laying and breeding site for sea turtles. The surrounding waters are ideal for scuba diving. This is where Jacques-Yves Cousteau filmed some of the scenes for his famous documentary film “The Silent World”, released in 1956.

At Sea on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center.

Depending on the season let you be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing.

This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the onboard photographers in their dedicated space.

As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude, combining comfort, rest and entertainment.

Kilwa Kiswani on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

Near the Tanzanian coast, around 300 km south of Dar es Salaam, the island of Kilwa Kisiwani is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Occupied from the 9th century to the 11th century, it reached its heights in the 13th and 14th centuries.

It was described by the Moroccan explorer Ibn Battouta as “one of the most beautiful cities in the world.” A former Swahili trading city, the island prospered from the trade of gold and ivory from the inland regions.

The remains of its former port city cover a large part of the island. That of its superb Great Mosque, the oldest mosque remaining on the coast of East Africa, is well worth a visit.

Misali Island on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

Renowned for its underwater world, Misali became a protected conservation area in 1998.

So, it’s possible to admire its seabeds and swim there, but not to fish. If conditions allow, you’ll perhaps have the chance to see varied underwater fauna.

To the northeast of the island, a white sandy beach, bathed in stunningly transparent turquoise water, is an ideal place to relax.

Pemba Island on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

The second-largest island in the Zanzibar Archipelago edged with fine sand and bathed in a sea in infinite shades of turquoise, Pemba Island astounds with the whiteness of its shores and its abundant tropical forest. It is mountainous with hills full of fertile land and has the nickname “the Green Island.”

You’ll fall in love with its quiet shores, full of authenticity. Banana trees, coconut trees, clove trees, nutmeg trees… its lush vegetation ensures the local production of spices that have made its reputation (essentially cloves but also nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, turmeric, pepper, etc.).

Zanzibar | Disembark on 13 Days 12 Nights Zanzibar Boat cruise Safari in the Indian Ocean Tour

Once a mythical post along the legendary Indian Ocean trade route, today a certain whiff of adventure still pervades in Zanzibar.

Located off the coast of Tanzania, this place often referred to as “spice island” is brimming with natural treasures, such as Jozani Forest, the last remains of the huge primeval forest that once covered the island, home to a unique ecosystem.

This port of call will also be the moment to discover ”Stone Town”, the historical center of Zanzibar, a UNESCO World Heritage site. A veritable labyrinth of narrow streets lined with houses made from coral stone, it is home to sumptuous buildings in a multitude of architectural styles, the result of the blending of African, European and Indian cultures.

Please Note:

Ports of call, visited sites, outings and landings will depend on weather conditions, position of ice, winds and the state of the sea. These can force a change of plans at any time. The Captain and the Expedition Leader may at any time cancel or stop any activity, or even modify the itinerary.

The Captain, who will take into account the touristic quality of the sites and above all, the safety of the passengers, will confirm the final itinerary. His decision will be based on advice from experts and authorities.