Tracing the West Coast of Africa
« All Island Sky cruise options
- Day 1 Arrive Douala, Cameroon
- Day 2 Embark the Island Sky
- Day 3 Principe Island, São Tomé & Principe
- Day 4 São Tomé
- Day 5 At Sea
- Day 6 Cotonou, Benin
- Day 7 Lome, Togo
- Day 8 Accra, Ghana
- Day 9 Takoradi
- Day 10 Abidjan, Ivory Coast
- Days 11-12 At Sea
- Day 13 Aberdeen, Sierra Leone
- Day 14 At Sea
- Day 15 Banjul, The Gambia
- Day 16 Dakar, Senegal / Disembark
| Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | |||||
| Category 1 | Cateogory 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 | Category 5 | Category 6 | |
- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double occupancy. Request the Twin Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
-Cabins are available for single occupancy between 1.6-1.7 times the double occupancy rate. The supplement for a suite is 2 times the shared rate.
Deposit & Payment -Cabins are available for single occupancy between 1.6-1.7 times the double occupancy rate. The supplement for a suite is 2 times the shared rate.
Day 1 Arrive Douala, Cameroon
Independent flights to Douala, Cameroon. Upon arrival, enjoy a complimentary transfer to your included hotel for overnight.
Day 2 Embark the Island Sky
After breakfast set off to explore Douala, including the colorful, open-air market where a vast array of crafts illustrate the country’s rich artistic tradition. Continue to the port and embark the Island Sky, enjoy lunch on board, and settle in.
Day 3 Principe Island, São Tomé & Principe
Spend the day anchored off idyllic Bom Bom Resort on Príncipe’s northern tip. Birders and hikers set off for the interior to discover exotic endemic trees, orchids, and birds. The rest drive to supremely photogenic Santo Antonio, home to 1,500 welcoming residents, lovely Portuguese architecture, and fresh produce markets. Return to the ship for lunch on board. This afternoon Zodiacs take you to Banana Beach for a swim in the warm, crystal-clear waters with the option to snorkel among the ancient volcanic rocks.
Day 4 São Tomé
Set out by Zodiac for the town pier at São Tomé. Drive into the interior and take a short walk through the lush forest to the stunning Sao Nicolau Waterfall. From here continue to the Monte Café Coffee Plantation for a guided tour and tasting of what some consider the world’s best coffee. You may then choose to enjoy lunch at the Bombaim plantation, view and photograph another beautiful waterfall, and continue to tiny, picturesque Trinidade Village. Or, opt for lunch in São Tomé and a tour of the town; visit the Cathedral, the National Museum, the local artisans gallery, and enjoy a folkloric dance performance.
Day 5 At Sea
Spend a day at sea as lecturers enlighten you on what lies ahead.
Day 6 Cotonou, Benin
Arrive in Benin early this morning and disembark in Cotonou, the birthplace of voodoo. Board pirogues for a fascinating tour of Ganvie, said to be Africa’s largest lake village — made up of wood and thatch houses on teak stilts — and home to some 15,000 people. A traditional mask dance awaits you here; symbolizing the purification of the village and its people. After lunch ashore visit Ouidah, one of the foremost slave-trading posts between Europe and the Dan-Homey Empire. Visit the Sacred Temple and the Ouidah Museum of History.
Day 7 Lome, Togo
Togo’s vibrant capital, Lome, was the only African town colonized by the Germans, the British, and the French. This morning learn more about voodoo and enjoy a rare opportunity to take part in a traditional ceremony. Also tour the city where in and among the faded colonial architecture, kaleidoscopic marketplaces hum with activity. The famous Nana Benz, in the Grand Marché, create and sell some of the world’s finest batik cloth, while the nearby Fetish Market offers curative lotions and magical potions for every need imaginable.
Day 8 Accra, Ghana
A country of many contrasts, Ghana’s “Gold Coast” topography includes a sandy coastline, saline lagoons, and dense rain forest. Today drive into the mountains to the Krobo region, where artists are famous for their magnificent beads made with colorful crushed glass. After watching the intricate process, try your hand and create a bead of your own. A tour of Accra, Ghana’s capital, visits the National Museum and the Krumah Mausoleum, as well as a coffin builder, specializing in fantasy coffins whose shapes include animals, fish, automobiles, airplanes, and fruit.
Day 9 Takoradi
This morning choose a tour of the Cape Coast Castle, a World Heritage Site, built by the Swedes in 1653 and subsequently conquered by the Danes, the Dutch, the local Fanti tribe, and finally the British, who established the seat of the British administration of the Gold Coast here until 1877. Or, elect to travel into the Kakum National Park for a rain forest canopy walk that includes the longest and highest suspended rope bridge in the world. Both groups enjoy lunch at a nearby beach resort before setting off to visit the 15th-century Portuguese Elmina Fort—Africa’s oldest permanent building.
Day 10 Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Cosmopolitan Abidjan is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast and a city tour takes you through the business district of Le Plateau, filled with gleaming sky-scrapers, chic boutiques, and outdoor cafes. Observe interesting colonial architecture and colorful markets as you continue on to Abodo, Africa’s largest outdoor laundry where hundreds of Fanicos (washers) crowd together in a stream to wash their clients’ clothes.
Days 11-12 At Sea
Our two days at sea offer the chance to relax and attend lectures on western Africa’s momentous history, diverse cultures, and natural wonders.
Day 13 Aberdeen, Sierra Leone
Today arrive in Aberdeen, a suburb of Freetown, with beautiful white sand beaches lined with lively shops and restaurants. Permission pending, visit the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. After lunch continue on to the Greatest Goal Ministries, a volunteer organization started by a Seattle medical team who founded a soccer club in Sierra Leone to help amputee war victims. Here enjoy a lively soccer match and meet with the team.
Day 14 At Sea
Your lecture series continues as you enjoy a relaxing day at sea.
Day 15 Banjul, The Gambia
Birders set out this morning for the Abuko Nature Reserve where more than 290 bird species can be seen — including African paradise flycatchers, violet turacos, little greenbuls, and Abyssinian rollers. A second group departs for a tour of the Makasutu Culture Forest showcasing the five ecosystems protected here. Traditional Joal tribal dancing, a pirogue ride, and palm wine tasting are highlights. During lunch sail upriver and take Zodiacs to Albreda Village and James Island, a World Heritage Site, where The Gambia’s slave history began.
Day 16 Dakar, Senegal / Disembark
Your final day in Africa brings you to Senegal’s energetic, eclectic, and cosmopolitan capital. Visit the infamous slave-trading center, Gorée Island, a World Heritage Site. Witness the contrasts between the dungeon-like slave quarters and the elegant colonial mansions of the slave traders and explore the moving 18th-century House of Slaves, the Women’s Museum, and the fortified Le Castel. Return to the ship for lunch. This afternoon join a tour of Dakar which includes the Great Mosque, French colonial buildings, the President’s Palace, and the impressive new American-African monument. After dinner, disembark the Island Sky for your late evening flight and return home.
Itinerary Notes
InclusionsAccommodations in hotels and on board the Island Sky as outlined in the itinerary; all onboard meals; all group meals on land; group transfers; services of the expedition staff, including lectures, briefings, slide/film shows; all group activities and excursions; landing and port fees; $50,000 of emergency sickness/accident medical expenses and $75,000 in evacuation insurance; all gratuities.
Exclusions
All air transportation; excess baggage charges; airport arrival and departure taxes; transfers for independent arrivals and departures; passport and/or visa fees; accident/baggage/cancellation insurance; items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar charges, alcoholic beverages, e-mail/Internet/fax/telephone charges.
Deposit & Payment
Initial deposit is 30% cruise cost, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, and Discover. Alternatively, you can send a check to our Missoula, Montana, office or register online at: https://www.adventure-life.com/forms/fourways.php
Final payment is due 130 days prior to departure.
Final payment by bank transfer, check or Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Amex.
Booking last minute? No problem! Please contact one of our trip planners, and we can get you on your way if booking less than 130 days prior to departure.
Click here to see a copy of our Terms and Conditions.
Cancellation Policy
| Days Prior to departure | Fee |
|---|---|
| 130 days or more | $600 |
| 129-60 days | 55% cruise cost |
| 59-0 days | 100% cruise cost |
Island Sky
- Ship Highlights
- Passengers : 100
- Luxury Expedition Ship
Built in 1992 and recently refurbished, the Island Sky is a spacious, yet intimate, expedition vessel. Public spaces available include a large lounge, elegant bar with piano, library stocked with fiction and reference books along with a selection of games, and a single sitting dining room. Outside decks feature a bar, spa pool, and a rear sun deck where meals are served in clement weather. For excursions ashore, the Island Sky carries a fleet of Zodiacs, and bridge visits allow for the chance to see her expert officers and crew at work.
General information regarding the Island Sky
• Five decks of passenger facilities:
Magellan Deck – passenger cabins, restaurant, doctor’s office
Columbus Deck – passenger cabins, lounge, reception
Marco Polo Deck – passenger cabins, club, library
Erikson Deck – passenger cabins with balconies, bridge, outdoor bar and café
Explorer Deck – passenger suites with balconies, salon, sun deck, and spa pool
• Stairs and an elevator service all decks
• The bridge is available to visit most times throughout the day, contingent upon weather, security, and navigation conditions
• Smoking is permitted only on outside decks
Accommodations
All cabins feature ocean views and have two twin beds that can be reconfigured into one queen, a sitting area, en suite bathroom, large wardrobes, vanity table, small refrigerator, television, personal safe, hair dryer, assorted toiletries, and individually controlled air-conditioning and heating, and American style outlets (two flat prongs) at 110 volts. Cabins range from 215-312 square feet and have a variety of window and balcony configurations to select from.
Dining aboard the Island Sky
The main restaurant can accommodate all passengers at one seating. Most diets can be catered for on board, but special dietary requests must be made in advance. Breakfast is served buffet-style and there is also an omelet station. When weather permits, lunch can be served on deck, but is usually served in the main restaurant with a self-serve soup and salad option. Dinner is also served in the main restaurant. Afternoon tea is served in the lounge and coffee and tea are available 24 hours a day in the club.
Services
• Island Sky carries a fleet of Zodiacs and a small tender.
• Public spaces include a large lounge, smaller bar with piano, and library with games, reference books, novels, and computers with Internet access.
• There are two sun decks: one on the aft of the Erikson Deck with an outdoor bar and café, and one on the Explorer Deck with a spa pool.
• Laundry services (no dry cleaning), a hair salon, and a small doctor’s office are available on board. Rates are posted.
• The U.K. pound is the currency used on board. Traveler’s checks, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are accepted for payment of shipboard accounts.
| Cabins | |
|---|---|
 | Category 1 Magellan Deck, Suites #254-262. 215 square feet and have two to four portholes. |
 | Cateogory 2 Columbus Deck, Suites #331-348. 215 square feet and have a large picture window. |
 | Category 3 Marco Polo Deck, Suites #416-430. They range between 225 to 240 square feet and feature large picture windows. |
 | Category 4 Marco Polo Deck, Suites #414-415. They range between 225 to 240 square feet and feature large picture windows. |
 | Category 5 Erikson Deck, Suites #505-512. 265 square feet and have patio doors leading to private balconies. |
 | Category 6 Explorer Deck, Suites #601-604. 312 square feet and also feature private balconies. |
