The African continent has a complexity that defies description. As the second largest continent on Earth, it contains more countries than any other with 1,000 languages spoken. The game parks and wildlife reserves are extraordinary, but with a history of human habitation that begins with the oldest known ancestors of man, the continent’s cultural wealth easily matches its natural attractions.

While one generally thinks of an African safari or the Pyramids of Egypt for an African vacation, this continent’s diversity lends itself to many other travel discoveries. Below are some of the ‘other’ places to explore in this multi-faceted land.

Oceania Cruises
Aboard Nautica
November - December 2010

On two, never before offered voyages of 30 and 35 days, Nautica sets sail to discover the very best of the African coast. Navigating new routes to uncover the wonders of this ancient land, she’ll make stops at stunning new ports. On  “Enchanted Africa”, you’ll discover Dakar with its French colonial architecture, Abidjan, the “Paris of Africa” in the Ivory Coast, Ghana’s Monkey Hill, a tropical reserve for primates, and the spectacular views from the high dunes in Namibia. On “Safaris, Sands & Splendors” from picturesque Cape Town, lying in the shadow of Table Mountain, you’ll explore other cities in South Africa, as well as the bustling, Tanzanian seaport city of Dar es Salaam, the palm-fringed paradise of Zanzibar and the indigenous wildlife of Kenya.

Travel Dynamics international
Aboard Corinthian II
March, April, November & December 2010

Aboard the elegant 57-suite Corinthian II, you have many options in which to explore this vast, remarkable continent. On a 35-day voyage from the Cape of Good Hope to Gibraltar, you’ll discover the cultural and natural diversity of Africa’s west coast – stopping at almost every country from the towering dunes of Namibia to Gabon’s rainforests to the colorful markets of Ghana and Senegal. On a 17-day voyage along North Africa’s entire Mediterranean Coast, you’ll explore sites whose history spans the centuries from Egypt to Morocco. And on a grand voyage from Morocco to Patagonia, you’ll follow the route of the early explorers discovering the Saharan dunes of Africa, the volcanic Cape Verde Islands and then crossing the Atlantic to South America.

Fred.Olsen Cruises
Aboard Balmoral, Boudicca, Braemar or Black Watch
Year-round departures

On these 12-18 night cruises, you will explore the beauty that is West Africa and the Canary Islands. Scattered about 70 miles off the coast of Africa, the Canaries combine European style with an African setting and year-round warmth. With stops at La Palma, Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, these volcanic islands offer beauty, rugged scenery and quaint villages. In French-speaking Dakar, Senegal’s energetic capital, you’ll discover old colonial buildings and animated street markets, with a wealth of tribal dialects heard all around. And in Morocco, you’ll visit modern Casablanca and the largest mosque in the world outside of Mecca.