If you came to East Africa on a cruise ship, seeking your ideal longstay destination, you have found it. It would be difficult to find a wider range of accommodation – from cosy guest houses, convenient apartments and intimate small hotels to attractive all-inclusive, prestigious resorts and sophisticated villas. The restaurants in these countries are also varied in their fare if not in their high quality. The range stretches from Polynesian to Mexican to Japanese to Chinese to Indian to Italian to French to Greek and, of course, to the best, Bajan cuisine and not forgetting the African Dishes. The cruise duration is drawn out below for you necessary arrangements,
Day 1: Mombasa - Zanzibar
Board the ship at Kilindini and sail overnight to Zanzibar .
Day 2: Zanzibar - Comoros
After breakfast, take one of several shore excursions or explore ancient Stone Town on foot. Depart Zanzibar in the late afternoon for Mayotte in the Comoros islands.
Day 3: Sailing to Mayotte
At sea, giving an opportunity to find out about the many facilities and activities on board, read that book you have been promising yourself for months, play a variety of deck games with your fellow passengers or simply watch the flying fish glide by from the comfort of a deck chair.
Day 4: Mayotte
Wake up and take in the view of Mayotte . Go ashore using the ship's tender (this shuttles passengers to and fro from ship to shore every 30 minutes while at anchor) to take a tour of remarkable Lake Dziani lying in the crater of an extinct volcano, and then a stroll through the port's street markets and cafes.
Day 5: Madagascar
Arrive at the island of Nosy Bé , off the north-west coast of Madagascar , before dawn. This is a delightful island and, after exploring the capital with the intriguing name of Hell Ville, take a 40-minute boat ride to the adjacent and even prettier island of Nosy Komba to see a colony of Red Lemurs (a species of primate) then partake of a Creole-style lunch in a simple restaurant right on the beach.
Day 6 and 7: Sailing
These two days spent at sea sailing as you finish reading your book.
Day 8: R éunion Islands
As the sun rises, the ship docks at the spectacular volcanic island of La Réunion, rising almost vertically from the sea. Part of France, the island is prosperous but is a largely unspoilt mix of towering mountains, plunging valleys and waterfalls. One volcano is still active and visible from the ship but is dormant as we sail by.
Day 9: Mauritius
At sun up, the ship comes alongside right in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, ready for a day and a half of sightseeing and shopping. Once a sleepy backwater producing nothing but sugar cane; Mauritius has re-invented itself over the past 20 years, as an offshore financial hub and manufacturing centre. There are lots to see, including a trip to the scenic northern end of the island where the top beach resorts are located. The botanical gardens and the national museum with its prize exhibit of a stuffed dodo (see box), a large, flightless pigeon unique to the island that has been extinct since 1681 when passing seafarers had the last one for lunch.
Day 10: Mauritius - Mombasa
The final morning spent strolling through the centre of bustling Port Louis, taking in the 100-year-old covered market, designer shops and cafes. After lunch on board, we are taken to the airport for the flight back by African Safari Airways, the company's sister airline, to Mombasa. A great holiday ends.
