Touch down in Cape Town (CPT) beneath the amphitheatre of Table Mountain. After immigration and baggage claim, meet your friendly driver for a private transfer to your hotel. As the city unfurls—Devil’s Peak to the left, the shimmering Atlantic Seaboard ahead—get your first glimpse of the Mother City’s dramatic geography.

Check in and freshen up. The rest of the day is at leisure to set your own gentle pace: wander the V&A Waterfront boutiques and food halls, pause for gelato on Nobel Square, or stroll the palm-lined Sea Point Promenade with waves curling in off the Atlantic. For a colourful first photo stop, head to Bo-Kaap where candy-hued terraces step up the cobbled hillside and the call to prayer drifts from pocket-sized mosques.

If skies are clear and wind conditions kind, take the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (weather dependent) for horizon-to-horizon views over Table Bay, Signal Hill and the Twelve Apostles. Prefer to stay coastal? Sink into the café culture of Camps Bay, where sunset paints the granite buttresses copper and the surf whispers along powder-fine sand.

Ease into your Cape Town holiday—unpack, recalibrate, and savour the city’s first flavours. Tomorrow, your deeper exploration begins.

Wake to the silhouette of Table Mountain and a full day of curated Cape Town sightseeing. After breakfast, meet your guide for an early ascent on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (weather dependent). From the summit’s fynbos-fringed paths, the city fans out in a grand amphitheatre—Table Bay, Robben Island adrift on a pewter sea, and the serried buttresses of the Twelve Apostles. It’s the perfect scene-setter for your time in the Mother City.

Descend for a compact heritage loop through the historic centre: stroll the leafy avenues of the Company’s Garden, pass the neo-classical Iziko South African Museum and Parliament, step inside the cool interior of St George’s Cathedral, and drive by the pentagonal Castle of Good Hope, the city’s oldest surviving building. Continue to kaleidoscopic Bo-Kaap, where cobbled lanes and candy-coloured terraces climb the slope—your guide will share stories of Cape Malay cuisine, faith, and family that shaped this district’s identity.

Break for lunch on the V&A Waterfront—artisan markets, harbour views, buskers, and a choice of fresh seafood or Cape fusion plates. If you’d prefer an art fix, pop into the Zeitz MOCAA to admire bold contemporary African works sculpted within a soaring grain-silo cathedral (time permitting).

This afternoon, trace the azure ribbon of the Atlantic Seaboard past Sea Point and Clifton to Camps Bay, then sweep over the cliff-hugging bends of Chapman’s Peak Drive—one of the world’s most dramatic coastal roads (toll and weather permitting). Cross into the rugged wilds of Table Mountain National Park to reach the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, where two currents meet and winds comb the sea into white lace. Short walks lead to view sites and a historic lighthouse with cinematic ocean panoramas.

Turn north along False Bay for a heart-stealing visit to Boulders Beach and its protected colony of African penguins. Boardwalks thread through milkwood thickets to sandy coves where tuxedoed birds shuffle, preen, and surf the shorebreak—an irresistible highlight of any Cape Peninsula tour. The return to the city meanders through arty Kalk Bay and pastel St James, where Victorian bathing boxes dot the tide line.

Return to your hotel as dusk warms the granite cliffs to ember. Cape Town has revealed her contours—tomorrow invites deeper discovery.

Today you step aboard the all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Voyager to begin Regent’s Shores of Madagascar journey. After a leisurely morning in the V&A Waterfront, transfer to the cruise terminal with Table Mountain rising like a stage backdrop. Porters collect your luggage at kerbside; keep passports, medications and valuables in your carry-on for a smooth check-in. A welcome flute and polished teak corridors set the tone as you cross the gangway—your Indian Ocean adventure starts here.

Settle into your spacious suite—private balcony, walk-in wardrobe, marble-and-mosaic bathroom—then wander the ship: the serene Observation Lounge, a well-curated library, pool deck with glimmering views of Table Bay. Confirm speciality dining reservations, glance through the shore-excursion lineup—Gqeberha, East London, Maputo, the islands of Mayotte and Nosy Bé, and Madagascar’s storied ports like Antsiranana, Nosy Boraha and Toamasina—and mark a few must-dos for the days ahead.

As late-afternoon light turns the Twelve Apostles copper, the horn sounds and lines slip from the bollards. The Seven Seas Voyager glides past Signal Hill and the lighthouse, the Atlantic breathing salt into the air while Cape Town’s skyline recedes in a wink of harbour lights. Find a perch on deck or toast sail-away in a lounge—tonight you chart a course for the Indian Ocean and the warm currents that thread Africa’s southeast coast.

With the Mother City astern and a constellation of ports ahead, your luxury Cape Town cruise is officially underway.

Let the ocean be your soundtrack as you unwind on your private veranda, horizon unspooling in every shade of blue. The Indian Ocean is calm this morning—swell shouldering the hull in long, satin ripples while seabirds trace lazy ellipses off the bow. Order breakfast to your suite, breathe in the sea air, and watch sunlight glitter across the wake; this is the art of a perfectly paced at sea day on a luxury cruise.

Ease into the ship’s rhythm: a stretch class in the fitness centre, then coffee and a pastry in a quiet nook of the Observation Lounge. Late morning, drop into an enrichment lecture—natural history of Madagascar, spice routes of the Swahili Coast, or maritime lore of the Agulhas Current. Between sessions, wander the teak decks, pause at the rail to feel the breeze, and let the gentle hum of engines become white noise for the mind.

After a leisurely lunch, claim a lounger by the pool for a novel-and-nap interlude, or retreat to the spa for a muscle-melting massage and time in the steam room. Browse the library, review tomorrow’s shore options, or simply watch the ship carve a milky trail across indigo water. As afternoon slides towards evening, your veranda becomes the best seat in the house for coppery skies and a glass of something crisp.

Night falls with a clear vault of stars—Orion tilting over the bow and the Southern Cross pricking the dark. From the hush of your balcony to live music in the lounge, the Seven Seas Voyager makes the most of every moment at sea.

Welcome to Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth)—nicknamed the Friendly City for good reason. Cradling wide arcs of sand along Algoa Bay, the city blends layered history with ocean energy. After docking, meet your guide for a curated immersion that threads together San and Khoisan origins, later Xhosa settlement, and the era of passing Portuguese caravels that first took shelter here. British influence followed—forts, lighthouses, terraces—leaving a handsome architectural trail that still anchors the modern waterfront.

Begin with a scenic drive to the Donkin Reserve, where stonework, monuments and public art survey the city and sea. Walk a segment of the Donkin Heritage Trail past Victorian and Edwardian townhouses, airy verandas and neo-Gothic spires, then sweep up to Fort Frederick, the cliff-top stronghold built in 1799 to guard the bay. Along the beachfront, gulls wheel above the surf as joggers trace the promenade between cafés and sculpted dunes—perfect for a mid-morning coffee with an Atlantic breeze.

This afternoon is yours to shape. Glide by kayak across the calm shallows of Algoa Bay, try a beginner’s surf lesson at King’s Beach or Hobie, or browse studios and galleries that showcase Eastern Cape design. For a deeper human story, opt for an ethically-run township tour with community hosts—hear personal histories, sample home-style bites, and learn how contemporary Gqeberha is making culture central to its future.

Today brings two superb paths—both unforgettable. Wildlife lovers can head inland to Addo Elephant National Park for a classic Eastern Cape safari; ocean enthusiasts can stay coastal for a full day of watersports and beach time in warm-current Algoa Bay.

Option A – Addo Elephant National Park: Depart early with a ranger-guide for sunrise light across spekboom thickets. In open vehicles, scan for elephant herds moving like grey islands between waterholes, watch kudu step from the scrub, and keep eyes sharp for lion tracks etched in the sand. A picnic brunch unfolds beneath acacia shade with stories of conservation successes in the Eastern Cape. Afternoon sightings often bring buffalo, warthog and bursts of birdlife before you return to the coast glowing with safari dust and satisfied smiles.

Option B – Ocean Day on Algoa Bay: Warm water and fair breezes make the bay a natural playground. Choose stand-up paddleboarding along gentle coves, a kayak excursion skimming past rocky points where cormorants dry their wings, or a catamaran cruise that traces the coastline in search of playful dolphins. Break for a seaside lunch—line-caught fish, zesty peri-peri—and laze away the afternoon between dips in the surf and a paperback on the sand.

As evening settles, return to your ship with sea-salted hair or dust-kissed boots—either way, Gqeberha’s blend of heritage, wildlife and ocean life will have won you over.

Wake to South Africa’s only river port city, where the Buffalo and Nahoon Rivers meet the warm Indian Ocean. Framed by golden beaches and rolling headlands, East London (often called Buffalo City) is perfectly placed for coastal wanders and Eastern Cape wildlife. Founded around the British outpost of Fort Glamorgan in the 1840s, today it’s an easy-going, outdoorsy city with a flourishing café scene along its lively beachfront.

Start with a breezy stroll along the Orient and Eastern beaches, watching surfers chase clean lines at Nahoon Reef. If culture calls, head into town to admire City Hall and its Jubilee-era clock tower, then dip into the East London Museum, famed for its exhibits on coastal archaeology and the rediscovery of the ancient fish, the coelacanth. Prefer more salt air? Wander the boardwalks of Nahoon Point Nature Reserve where dunes, milkwoods and rock pools form a pocket-sized coastal sanctuary teeming with birdlife.

By late morning, choose your own tempo: linger over a seaside brunch—think fresh line-caught fish and zingy peri-peri—or strike inland for a classic Eastern Cape safari. Private reserves near the city offer excellent chances to encounter elephant, lion, buffalo and giraffe among spekboom thickets and open savanna. Sunset drives often bring glowing light, silhouettes of acacia crowns, and the soft drumming of hooves across the plains—an unforgettable end to the day.

As twilight colours the breakers bronze, return to the ship with sand between your toes or a camera full of wildlife moments—the Eastern Cape has a way of blending sea views with safari thrills like nowhere else.

Life on board can be every bit as enriching as time ashore. This morning the Seven Seas Voyager cleaves a silver path across the Indian Ocean, a low hum of engines and the hush of wind your gentle soundtrack. Order breakfast to your private veranda, watch the wake unspool like lace, and let blue-on-blue horizons reset your senses. An at sea day invites you to slow the pace—stretch, breathe, and savour unhurried hours between sky and water.

Ease into the ship’s rhythm: a mindful movement class, followed by a perfectly pulled espresso in a quiet nook of the Observation Lounge. Join an enrichment lecture that traces the spice routes and seafaring lore of this coast, then wander the teak promenade, pausing to scan for flying fish and seabirds riding thermals off the bow. Midday invites a long lunch—fresh salads, grilled catch, sorbet—and perhaps a paperback by the pool while the breeze lifts the page corners.

The afternoon is yours to curate. Retreat to the spa for steam-and-stone calm, browse the library, or attend a tasting with the head sommelier that pairs ocean-fresh cuisine with crisp whites and cool-climate reds. As the sun tilts, return to your balcony for the evening show—copper light gilding the swell, a horizon line sharpening to indigo, and the first stars pricking the vault above the wake.

Night falls to soft piano in the lounge and the steady heartbeat of the sea. Tomorrow, new shores await; today, the joy is in simply cruising the Indian Ocean.

Step ashore in Maputo, the vibrant capital of Mozambique, where palm-lined boulevards, gilded facades and café culture meet the warm breath of the Indian Ocean. Established in the late 18th century and shaped by Bantu, Arabian and Portuguese influences, the city blends faded Belle Époque elegance with contemporary African energy—street murals blaze with colour, pastelarias perfume the air with espresso and custard tarts, and the waterfront hums to a laid-back island rhythm.

Begin with an architectural ramble through downtown: the domed Maputo Central Railway Station—all green ironwork and grand arches—sets an old-world tone. Nearby, the airy all-metal Casa de Ferro (Iron House) is a curious 19th-century import, while the crenellated Fortaleza da Maputo watches over the bay with cannons and coral-stone walls. Stroll Avenida Julius Nyerere where jacarandas shade embassies and boutiques, then pause for a short visit at the Museu de História Natural to admire its coastal dioramas and carved hardwoods.

Midday tempts with seafood fresh from the channel—think peri-peri prawns, matapa (cassava leaves simmered in coconut), and icy Laurentina lagers by the water. After lunch, dive into the creative heart of the city at FEIMA (the craft, flower and gastronomy market): bright capulana fabrics, ebony carvings, beadwork and basketry make for meaningful souvenirs, and your spend directly supports local artisans. Prefer beachy views? Follow the curve of Marginal to Costa do Sol, where lighthouse light shimmers on the tide and families picnic under casuarinas.

As the sun loosens from the horizon and the sea turns indigo, return to the ship with the taste of peri-peri on your lips, a capulana tucked under your arm, and Maputo’s mix of colonial architecture, Lusophone flair and Indian Ocean sparkle lodged happily in memory.

A velvet-blue morning unfurls as the ship glides north through the Mozambique Channel. Today is designed for restorative idleness: breakfast on your private veranda, the hush of open ocean, and a diary blissfully free of deadlines. With unlimited access to spa facilities, Serene Spa & Wellness™ becomes your sanctuary—thermal suite, aromatic steam, sensory showers and quiet loungers that face an endless horizon.

Drift between wellbeing rituals and gentle activity. Join a guided stretch or yoga class, then slip into the hydrotherapy circuit to soothe travel-tired muscles. Late morning, an enrichment lecture unpacks the cultures and currents of the Indian Ocean—from spice routes to coral kingdoms—while the promenade deck offers an easy mile or two beneath seabirds that stitch the sky. Lunch is light and lingering; afterwards, retreat to the library or doze poolside with a paperback as the wake paints white silk across indigo water.

As dusk settles, the sky turns copper and mauve over a glassy sea. From spa-soft calm to piano in the lounge, this luxury at sea day is a masterclass in unhurried travel.

Another blue-water day invites you to deepen the rhythm you’ve found. Start with sunrise on deck—quiet air, a pale gold rim to the east—then a mindful movement class to wake the body. Spend a slow hour in Serene Spa & Wellness™, alternating between steam, sauna and cold-spray revival, before a barber or salon refresh. Mid-morning, a naturalist explores the Mozambique Channel’s marine life—turtles, dolphins and seasonal pelagics—followed by a mixology demo or coffee masterclass for a tasty interlude.

After lunch, browse the boutiques, practice a few hands in the card room, or lace up for easy laps on the promenade as trade winds comb the swell. Later, return to your balcony for the evening show: sun sinking to a halo on the water, flying fish skittering like sparks, and the first bright stars—Southern Cross—tilting above the wake. Dress for a cosy dinner and, if you wish, cap the night with live music or a stargazing stroll on the open deck.

Two days of ocean therapy behind you, you’re rested, centred and ready for the island colour that awaits ahead.

Drop anchor beside one of the world’s largest enclosed lagoons, a turquoise bowl ringed by a double barrier reef and scalloped with vanilla-sand coves. Welcome to Mayotte—an Indian Ocean jewel and French overseas department—where scuba diving and snorkelling hover over coral gardens and sea-turtle highways, and volcanic silhouettes like Mount Choungui rise emerald from the sea. Ashore, the rhythm is languid: perfume-sweet ylang-ylang plantations, bobbing pirogues, market stalls stacked with breadfruit and lychees, and Creole façades that blush in the afternoon light.

Begin on Petite-Terre with a stroll through Dzaoudzi and Pamandzi, then follow a sandy path to the otherworldly crater lake of Dziani Dzaha, its jade waters cupped by black volcanic rock and coastal scrub. Ferries and shuttles whisk you across to Grande-Terre for market browsing in Mamoudzou and a scenic drive south to Plage de N’Gouja, where turtles graze in the shallows and inquisitive brown lemurs sometimes drift through the beachside trees. With a mask and fins, slip into aquarium-clear water; variegated parrotfish, clouds of anthias and fat sea cucumbers turn the reef into a living tapestry.

As afternoon light turns the lagoon to liquid jade, linger for one last swim or a beachside espresso. Mayotte’s blend of volcanic landscapes, perfumed plantations and world-class snorkelling makes this a day that glows long after the sun slips behind the reef.

Wake to a lagoon the colour of oxidised copper and jade—your ship at anchor off Nosy Bé, the famed Perfumed Isle. Just off Madagascar’s north-west coast, this tropical outpost drifts at an unhurried pace: fishing pirogues slip across glassy water, the air is sweet with ylang-ylang, and market stalls burst with vanilla, pepper and coffee. Step ashore for a day that threads together reef-rich coves, volcanic hills and the star attraction—wide-eyed lemurs in forest shade.

Start with a wander through Hell-Ville (Andoany), the island’s breezy main town, where colonial-era façades front a lively market piled with spice garlands and embroidered linens. Continue into the lush interior: scent-heavy ylang-ylang plantations, palm-fringed lanes, and crater lakes cupped by volcanic ridges. A short, scenic drive leads to Mount Passot (≈285 m), the island’s highest point—on clear days, the observation terraces deliver 360° views across cobalt sea and pepper-green islets.

Nosy Komba beckons just across the channel. Board a local boat for the easy hop to this forested neighbour, where a community-managed reserve shelters black lemurs. Follow sandy footpaths beneath jackfruit and mango trees; with a guide’s help you may spot lemurs leaping like smoky commas through the canopy. In Ampangorina village, browse hand-carved ebony, raffia baskets and beadwork—buying direct puts income in local hands.

Prefer the sea? Nosy Bé’s fringing reefs are a painter’s palette. Slip on a mask at Nosy Tanikely Marine Reserve (time and conditions permitting) to drift over coral gardens busy with parrotfish, anemonefish and the occasional turtle. Between swims, claim a patch of sand in a crescent cove, order a fresh coconut and watch dhows scribble white wakes across the lagoon.

Sail back as the sky turns mango-gold, with salt on your skin, a vial of ylang-ylang in your bag, and the memory of lemur silhouettes stitched against the leaves.

At the far northern crown of Madagascar, the deep, fjord-like harbour of Antsiranana (formerly Diego Suarez) opens onto a world of contrasts—lunar limestone and rust-red badlands, emerald rainforests dripping with bromeliads, and wind-sculpted bays where the Indian Ocean glows electric turquoise. French-colonial arcades shade café terraces, rickshaws rattle past pastel façades, and a necklace of remote beaches curls away toward the Emerald Sea (Mer d’Émeraude).

Start with a harbour viewpoint for a sweep of the headlands and the distinctive Sugarloaf islet at the mouth of the bay. Then choose your adventure: misty montane forest in Montagne d’Ambre National Park, otherworldly hoodoos at the Tsingy Rouge, or a coastal day of wind, sand and sea around Ramena and the Three Bays—Baie des Dunes, Baie des Pigeons and Baie de Sakalava.

Return to the harbour at golden hour with rainforest mist in your hair or salt on your skin. From Amber Mountain waterfalls to wind-bright Emerald Sea lagoons, Antsiranana distils Madagascar’s wild beauty into one unforgettable day.

Slip ashore to Nosy Boraha—a slender, palm-feathered ribbon off Madagascar’s east coast where emerald lagoons meet sugar-soft sand and village life hums at an island pace. Once a notorious pirate hideout, today it’s a peaceful backwater of fishermen’s pirogues, vanilla-sweet breezes and paths shaded by breadfruit and casuarina. The day is yours to weave together history, snorkelling and lazily scenic beach time on one of Madagascar’s most enchanting islands.

Begin in Ambodifotatra, the island’s storybook harbour town. Stroll past weathered Creole façades and the country’s oldest Catholic church before following a sandy track to the moss-soft stones of the Pirate Cemetery, where legends of Kidd and Avery flicker through tales of lost loot and tempest-tossed brigs. After a coffee with ocean views, hop a tuk-tuk north or south along the coastal lane—every bend reveals banyan-framed coves, stilted huts and mirror-bright inlets made for a cooling dip.

Late morning, trade sandals for fins. Over vibrant coral gardens, you’ll drift among clouds of anthias and parrotfish; sea turtles sometimes browse the seagrass meadows, and the water clarity can be superb when seas are kind. For a pinch-me interlude, continue by pirogue to tiny Nosy Nato (Îlot aux Nattes) at the island’s southern tip—sandbars as white as sifted flour, coconut palms leaning into aquamarine, and snorkel spots a few strokes from shore.

Sail away with salt-bright skin, a sliver of island still in your pocket sand, and the romance of Madagascar’s pirate past threading through a day of beaches, lagoon swims and coral colour.

Come ashore in Toamasina—Madagascar’s largest port city—where palm-lined boulevards, weathered colonial façades and a salty Atlantic breeze set an irresistible pace. Nicknamed Tamatave, this east-coast hub brims with Creole vibes: market lanes stacked with lychees and vanilla, bicycle rickshaws jingling through the shade, and food stalls perfuming the air with grills and spice. It’s a day to graze, wander and, if you wish, strike out to rainforest and canal for a deeper slice of the island’s wild heart.

Begin at the Bazary Be (Grand Market), haggling gently for vanilla pods, pepper, clove garlands and raffia baskets. Snack as locals do: hot mofo gasy (rice cakes), flaky sambos and skewers of zebu kissed with chilli-lime. Then saunter the seafront promenade—casuarinas whispering above sandy crescents—before choosing your adventure: a tranquil cruise on the Pangalanes Canal or a rainforest foray toward Andasibe–Mantadia National Park.

As the afternoon light turns syrupy over palms and lagoon, linger for one last market wander or beachside espresso. Toamasina delivers a heady blend of culture, cuisine and nature—the east coast of Madagascar at its most beguiling.

Settle into the art of ocean travel as the Seven Seas Voyager draws a bright white wake across the Indian Ocean. Morning light glitters on the swell; seabirds wheel in slow arcs beyond your private veranda. Order breakfast to your suite—fresh fruit, flaky pastries, steaming coffee—and ease into an at sea day designed for unhurried pleasure and quiet polish.

After a gentle stretch class, take a lap of the teak promenade and breathe in salt-bright air. Drop by the Observation Lounge for a perfectly pulled espresso, then join an enrichment talk on island cultures and spice routes. Between sessions, browse the library’s travel shelves or simply lean on the rail and watch flying fish stitch silver threads through indigo water—the very essence of luxury cruising.

Lunch invites lingering: crisp salads, ocean-fresh grills and sorbet that tastes like sunshine. The afternoon is yours to curate—spa time with steam and sauna, a swim followed by a paperback in the shade, or a sommelier-led tasting that pairs seafood with cool-climate whites. As the sun tilts west, your balcony becomes a theatre: copper light on the swell, the horizon sharpening to blue steel, and the first bright pricks of the Southern Cross above the wake.

Night draws its velvet curtain while piano drifts from the lounge. Today has been pure Indian Ocean theatre—gracious, restorative, and beautifully unhurried.

Landfall at last: the lush, volcanic cradle of Mauritius. Palms nod over the harbour, basalt citadels guard the skyline and the streets of Port Louis hum with a lively blend of African, Indian and Chinese heritage. It’s your final day aboard Seven Seas Voyager—one more chance to revel in all-inclusive experiences while tasting the island’s spice-scented soul.

Begin at the Central Market where pyramids of lychees, vanilla pods and scarlet chilies glow beneath wrought-iron rafters. Sample a warm dholl puri (split-pea flatbread) with tangy achar, then stroll to the Caudan Waterfront for café terraces, artisan boutiques and a breezy marina promenade. History comes into focus at Aapravasi Ghat (UNESCO), whose stone arches honour the journeys of indentured labourers that shaped modern Mauritius.

Climb to Fort Adelaide (Citadel) for a grandstand view over the Champ de Mars racecourse and patchwork city below. If gardens call, drive north to Pamplemousses Botanic Garden where giant waterlilies float like dinner plates and ebony, spice and palm collections whisper of old trade winds. Prefer a deeper taste of island life? Follow the sugar-to-rum story at L’Aventure du Sucre with a sweet finish, or arc west to Flic-en-Flac for turquoise lagoons and an unhurried swim before sail-in twilight.

As dusk lights the basalt hills and harbour cranes wink to life, savour your final evening aboard. Port Louis is both a destination and a curtain call—tropical, flavourful and the perfect endnote to your Indian Ocean cruise.

Step off the Seven Seas Voyager into the warm embrace of Mauritius—all sugar-soft sand, trade-wind palms and a lagoon painted in blues you didn’t know existed. Meet your driver for a smooth private transfer along sugarcane valleys and basalt hills to your chosen beach resort on the west or north coast. Check in, kick off your shoes and wander straight to the shoreline: dhows carve white wakes across the lagoon, while reef breaks murmur beyond the coral shelf.

Settle into island tempo. Float in warm water, claim a lounger under a thatch parasol or explore the resort’s gardens heavy with frangipani and bougainvillea. When appetite calls, graze on Creole flavours—dholl puri wraps, grilled catch with lime, and pickled achar—before a lazy afternoon of paddleboarding, snorkelling over coral heads, or simply napping to the metronome hush of the tide. As the sky drifts towards mango and rose, toast your first night ashore with a Mauritian rum cocktail while the sun melts behind the reef line.

Wake to palm shadows on the terrace and a sea the colour of oxidised copper and jade. Today, weave a little inland wonder into your beach finale. After a relaxed breakfast, set out for the volcanic southwest: viewpoints over the Black River Gorges, a stop at the cascade-swept Chamarel Waterfall, and the surreal ripples of the Seven-Coloured Earths where mineral sands undulate in cinnamon, violet and saffron strata. Nearby, a boutique distillery lifts the lid on the island’s sugar-to-rum alchemy—swirl a tasting flight infused with vanilla and spice before drifting back to the coast for a barefoot lunch.

Prefer to stay seaside? Paddle over neon reef gardens, kayak across glassy lagoons, or book a glass-bottom boat to watch parrotfish, sergeant majors and curious butterflyfish purl through coral heads. As afternoon slides to golden hour, wander a sandbar with the tide whispering around your ankles, then close the day with a candlelit table under almond trees—seafood vindaye, fragrant biryani and a final toast to your Indian Ocean journey.

A last swim, a final horizon shot, and the soft percussion of waves to close your journey. Mauritius delivers a sun-drenched encore—equal parts beachside relaxation and island discovery—before homeward wings beckon.

Let the credits roll on an incredible journey. Wake to the hush of the lagoon, steal one last stroll along the sand, and savour a final Mauritian coffee on the terrace. Your driver arrives for a smooth private transfer to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU), sugarcane fields and basalt hills slipping by as the Indian Ocean glints in the wing mirrors.

At the terminal, check in, browse for vanilla, rum and spice keepsakes, then toast your adventure with a cool drink before boarding. From Cape Town’s amphitheatre of peaks to Madagascar’s lemur-filled forests and the lagoon blues of Mauritius, you’ve traced a luminous arc across the ocean—memories bottled like sunlight to carry home.

Wheels up, horizons widen, and your Indian Ocean story becomes the kind of tale that starts with, “Remember when…”. Until the next adventure.