Exploring Africa’s Wild West Coast. An Epic Expedition Cruise From Ghana To Angola With Swan Hellenic.

Andy Mossack takes in six countries exploring Africa’s wild west coast. A thrilling adventure discovering voodoo, wildlife, colonial heritage and intensely colourful communities.

“Welcome to Ganvie the Venice of west Africa,” said my guide. Something of an understatement I would say under the circumstances. I was sitting in a boat on Benin’s colossal Lake Nokoué, a body of water stretching all the way to Nigeria, and about to enter the remarkable, stilted village of Ganvie, home to over 20,000 souls. It was a permanent haven for their Fon ancestors looking to escape slavery in the 1700s and today is an astonishing example of how a self-governing community can flourish through fishing and the green shoots of tourism.

As I watched the local fishermen stand in their canoes and throw out their nets, I felt privileged to be welcomed into this authentic snapshot of daily life.

We floated past churches and mosques (three different religions co-exist here), schools and even a hospital, it all felt so serene. My guide again: “Each family has three boats, one used for fishing, another to go to market on the mainland and the third for the children to paddle themselves to school”. A thunderous traditional masked Egungun dancing display in the tiny village square rounded off a memorable afternoon.

This excursion to Ganvie from Benin’s port at Cotonou was just one example of many memorable experiences aboard SH Diana during my Swan Hellenic expedition cruise along Africa’s spectacular west coast. A voyage that began in Ghana’s capital Accra and continued south to Togo, Benin, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon and Republic of Congo before ending in Angola’s capital Luanda.

My previous Swan Hellenic expedition cruise was an epic voyage to the Canadian Arctic aboard SH Vega, but a chance to experience a hot weather cruise was a perfect opportunity to compare and contrast.

Expedition cruising is light years away from simply grazing the Med or poodling down the Danube. It is the ultimate marine adventure. Often in the wake of famous explorers, you’re in boutique but still luxurious polar ice-class ships carrying between 150-190 guests, visiting remote parts of the world be it arctic or jungle, safely cosseted by a highly experienced team of specialists. You spend time in powerful Zodiac inflatables out in the wild exploring glaciers, getting close to wildlife or enjoying beach landings on deserted islands.

Attenborough moments literally every day.

And after all the excitement? Back on the ship for some well deserved luxury. so you can relax sharing your experiences with shipmates and enjoy a briefing on your next day’s adventures. Here’s the thing too about the service. With almost one crew member to every guest, you’re all quickly on first name terms; housekeeping and restaurant teams get to know your preferences, and it’s pretty much like a large family. And remember, your food, beverages and selected wines and spirits are all included. It only took one day for the bar team to discover I’m partial to a wee dram before dinner, and it somehow materialised in front of me as I sat down each evening.

Exploring the ship

SH Diana is Swan Hellenic’s latest addition to the fleet with 9 decks, just 96 spacious staterooms, stunning Scandi-inspired interiors and plenty of floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the great outdoors.

My stateroom room was on Deck 6, and to my great joy I found I had bagged an upgrade to a suite no less. It was a truly delicious space. A spacious lounge leading out through sliding patio doors to a decent size balcony with table and chairs.

The bedroom was dominated by a king bed, the wrap around windows almost gave me a 180 degree outside view. Really impressive. A dresser and walk-in closet finished off a very satisfying bedroom space. Back in the hallway plenty more cupboard and wardrobe space and a coffee machine, kettle and fridge. The bathroom was a surprise. Not only a walk in push button rainforest shower, but a full size bath too. Excellent high end toiletries as you would expect, and, for once, plenty of large fluffy towels.

A lovely welcome note from my personal room attendant Kadak, with another surprise – free laundry service every day!

The Observation Lounge is Diana’s beating heart. A huge space with a large bar area, lavish lounge furnishings and a performance space for entertainment, expedition and guest lectures and video presentations. This is where the destination team can really show off. A talented bunch of outstanding outdoor specialists led by team leader Sara Filié, an expedition cruise veteran. It’s a team full of marine biologists, anthropologists, African experts, sailing experts and even an astronomist, perfect for those dark skies at sea.

Central to any cruise ship is the dining, and SH Diana has four eating options, all of them offering exceptional food. The Swan is the main restaurant and is unashamedly a fine dining venue with menus designed by Michelin star award-winning consultant chefs Andrea Ribaldone and Sang Keun Oh and lorded over by Executive chef Ernesto. The Club Lounge is a more relaxed all day space for light breakfasts, buffet lunches, high tea in the afternoons and 24-hour beverages.

Leading out from here is the Pool Grill and Bar, a shaded outdoor barbecue and pizza area around the small infinity pool. Perfect for a relaxing lunch with a chilled glass of something fresh and fruity.

Lastly, room service is available free 24 hours a day with a varied menu of options if you just fancy staying in your stateroom.

Close to the top of the ship on Deck 8 you’ll find a well-equipped gym, a sauna, an outdoor jacuzzi and a Balinese spa and wellness centre. Trained therapists are on hand to offer an impressive range of treatments from massages to pampering body care and hairdressing.

Exploring Africa’s West Coast

Lome, Togo.

Our guided tour of Togo’s capital proved to be an eye-opening introduction to Africa. Beaches, colonial history, bustling markets and riots of colour. Top of my list though was the Akodessewa Fetish Market. Together with neighbouring Benin, the Voodoo (Vodun) faith is practiced by practically everyone and is considered by many to be the religion’s historical home.

The market’s grisly products of animal heads, skulls, snakes and pinned dolls were real artifacts locals used to connect with their ancestors. I was assured by one market trader his pinned dolls were “perfectly safe because they are not activated!” I guess salespeople are the same the world over. That said I felt this really was an authentic experience.

As was a trip to Lome’s artisan quarter where a community of talented artisans live and work together creating some excellent pieces at very reasonable prices.

Cotonou, Benin

We docked at Benin’s capital to an enthusiastic welcome by three groups of traditional dancers. Some quite remarkable moves in concert with percussive rhythms was a thrilling introduction to the country.

As we made our way out of the port to the aforementioned stilted village of Ganvie we paused to get a close up look at Cotonou’s record breaking graffiti wall mural. At almost one kilometre and painted by some of the country’s most talented artists, it’s Africa’s longest mural and depicts scenes celebrating its ancient Dahomey Kingdom heritage.

Sao Tome and Principe

After a day at sea sailing along the Guif of Guinea, we arrived at this twin island nation now independent from Portugal since 1975. Perched almost on the Equator these two islands are now designated UNESCO marine biosphere reserves but at one time had a very dark history.

In the 16th century the islands were a major hub for the Atlantic slave trade and enjoyed a wealthy income from sugar and cacao exports using forced labour in the plantations. Today the cacao from these islands is still considered some of the best in the world.

Plenty of additional excursions around the islands for bird watching in particular with five endemic species to look out for: Príncipe Kingfsher, Príncipe Sunbird, São Tomé Paradise Flycatcher, the Oriole and the Giant Sunbird.

58% of Principe is national parkland, and another Zodiac excursion took full advantage by sliding us directly onto the deserted Macaco beach for sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling in crystal clear water.

Mayumba and Pollywogs, Gabon.

Gabon’s glorious Iguela coastline is dominated by the protected Loango National Park which enjoys the company of many wild animals who often come to the beach to cool down. We took a Zodiac cruise along the waterfront spotting for wildlife. No takers this time but plenty of flying fish for company.

Officially crossing the Equator by sea into the Southern Hemisphere is a Big Thing for first timers. And involves a traditional fish-kissing ceremony and plenty of vodka in order to become an official Pollywog. There was much merriment as the destination team suitably hammed it up and plenty of fish kissing ensued with a frozen beast from the galley freezer.

There was also the added frisson of witnessing the Equatorial autumnal solar zenith (when the sun is directly overhead and you have no shadow) which I found particularly fascinating.

One memorable Zodiac excursion worth noting was to Mayumba, an historic Catholic mission settlement far up the Banio river. This involved a tricky manoeuvre for the Zodiac drivers because the river fed directly out into the Atlantic which was also trying to force its own way into the river. It was a titanic battle but a thrilling ride for us. And of course we had to do it all again coming back!

Mayumba was well worth the jeopardy. An impressive 19^th century church high on a hill in the middle of nowhere, but we were also entertained with a tribal fire dance that came with its own jeopardy to manage as we joined in.

Pointe-Noire and Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Republic of Congo.

Early morning at the port in Pointe-Noire, Congo’s second largest city, and full on excitement ensued. We had our own police escort at the front and back of our bus complete with sirens and lights blazing as we were guided through the rush hour traffic. Clearly, we were considered VIPs, the road clutter parting before us like the Red Sea.

This is the star act. The top billing excursion for all of us – a visit to the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Centre founded by the Jane Goodall Institute. Jane made it her life’s work to research the lives of wild chimpanzee communities throughout Africa and create community-led conservation programmes to protect our closest living biological relatives.

The Tchimpounga Sanctuary cares and rehabilitates chimpanzees injured or orphaned through illicit wildlife traders by using three remote islands on the Kouilou River. Each island is a safe natural environment for the chimps to roam freely and form new social communities before being released back into the wild when they are considered ready.

Visits are strictly controlled by the Institute which only allow access to the islands via traditional flat bottomed motorised pirogue boats departing the small port settlement at Kouilou. It’s an hour’s journey upriver, which is an adventure in itself, before arriving at one of the islands in time for the daily feeding.

That’s when the magic happened. Floating just offshore we watched spellbound as a troop of around thirty chimps gathered patiently waiting for the rangers to get into the water and throw them fruity goodies. It was a breathtaking twenty minutes observing these beautiful primates in the wild, clearly happy and doing almost human-like behaviour. Waving for more food or walking out of the water with their hands in the air to keep their food dry.

Then, the Alpha male called it a day, and they all disappeared back into the forest.

What a privilege. What an experience.

Before setting off for our final stop at Luanda, a half day tour exploring Pointe-Noire was a fascinating insight into the city’s colonial heritage. The historic Congo Ocean Railway terminus. A station that in 1934 completed the 95-mile extension between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, a route which took the lives of over 20,000 labourers. The ancient post office was well worth a look, still in use today, and the African Circle Museum has a fascinating collection of Voodoo ritual objects and local art.

Luanda, Angola.

Journey end for our epic voyage, but with two more nights on board we had the chance to explore Angola’s capital. A city offering a stark contrast in fortunes. On one hand enormous skyscrapers and wealth from oil, gold and diamonds, making it one of the richest cities in the world. On the other, poor neighbourhood ghettos called musseques, not unlike the favellas you find in Brazil. It is such a fascinating city it deserves a more in-depth dive which you can find in my Insider Guide to Luanda.

Swan Hellenic’s expedition cruise from Ghana to Angola was a revelation. An opportunity to immerse yourself in six west African countries at the very start of their tourism journey. A chance to discover welcoming communities, fascinating cultures, outstanding wildlife, spectacularly colourful clothing and incredible rhythms and music. But also, perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to understand how the region’s tumultuous colonial history has shaped its way of life today.

Rarely, in my opinion, will any other cruise offer such an authentic African experience. An absolute privilege.

Images (C) Andy Mossack, Matias Cervilla and Berlon 26.

Tell me more about this expedition cruise from Ghana to Angola with Swan Hellenic.

For more information about Swan Hellenic please call 020 3503 1130.

A 13 night  Cultures and Traditions of Central Africa, a journey from Luanda to Accra cruise departing 09 April 2027, on board SH Diana, starts from £11,225 per person (in a double occupancy room) and includes group return transfers from the airport to the cruise port, one-night pre-cruise accommodation with breakfast in a 4/5-star hotel.

All meals onboard, 24-hour room service, coffee, tea, soft drinks, and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours per day, lecture programme by experienced expedition team and guest speakers, one selected shore excursion / activity per port of call, standard Wi-Fi, waterproof backpack and refillable water bottle,  memory package, all onboard gratuities and port taxes. At each port of call numerous additional paid for excursions are available to book in advance of sailing.

Airport Parking

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