SPECIAL OFFER -SAVE £500 PER PERSON ISLANDS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN A VOYAGE FROM MAURITIUS EXPLORING MADAGASCAR, THE SEYCHELLES & TANZANIA ABOARD THE MS ISLAND SKY 19TH JANUARY TO 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 Giant Tortoise, Aldabra. Boobie, Aldabra ere is an extraordinary cruise for those who enjoy the natural world and all its wonders TANZANIA Hand are looking for the opportunity to escape the British winter. Join us aboard the all- suite MS Island Sky and enjoy the warmth and beauty of the Indian Ocean as she undertakes Zanzibar exactly the type of itinerary that suits her many talents best. With the vessel’s purpose built Dar es Aldabra Island Salaam roup Zodiacs we will land on otherwise inaccessible beaches, explore vast lagoons and coral Kilwa Farquhar Islands reefs and encounter some of the most extraordinarily beautiful tropical scenery to be found Kisiwani anywhere in the world. Diego Suarez INDIAN OCEAN Sailing from Mauritius we will land on its nearest neighbour, Reunion, a little bit of France Nosy Mangabe Masoala in the Indian Ocean and a stunning place. We will spend the day exploring its truly awesome National Park and dramatic scenery before we continue to Madagascar for four days of exploration of this Toamasina incredibly verdant and beautiful island with its unique flora and fauna. MADAGASCAR Mauritius Reunion From Madagascar we will make our way to the Seychelles with three days scheduled in Island the Aldabra Island group. Being one of the most difficult places in the world to access and having a lack of freshwater has saved Aldabra from any tourism development and there is no landing strip so the only viable means of reaching this untouched region is by ship. Aldabra is the last breeding ground of the giant tortoise and in addition to seeing some of these endearing creatures you should also encounter dolphins, turtles and whales as well as countless birds including the flightless rail, the last flightless bird in the Indian Ocean. Our expedition concludes in Tanzania where we visit Kilwa Kisiwani, a site of exceptional historical interest, followed by a full day in atmospheric Zanzibar. This expedition really is a veritable feast of beauty, the natural world and island culture. You will witness the bounty of the islands, the wildlife from the giant tortoises of Aldabra to the lemurs of Madagascar and an amazingly prolific birdlife. plummet hundreds of feet. The rich The Itinerary soil and mellow climate produce a Day 1 London to Port Louis, lush and verdant landscape which Mauritius. Fly by scheduled indirect is dotted with villages and towns flight. with a uniquely French atmosphere. Fields of sugar cane and plantations Day 2 Port Louis. Arrive today of tropical fruits, vanilla and all and transfer to the MS Island manner of spices perfume the air. Sky moored in Port Louis. Enjoy We will enjoy views from the Nez welcome drinks and dinner as we des Bouefs and see the Piton de sail this evening. la Fournaise crater. After a creole lunch in a local restaurant we will Day 3 Reunion Island. We arrive visit the ‘Cite du Volcan’ Museum. at breakfast in Reunion where we Alternatively enjoy a morning tour have a choice of excursions. On a to a vanilla plantation in St Andre full day tour we will visit the central where we learn about the history highlands where spectacularly and culture of this integral part of rugged peaks of dormant or Reunion’s heritage. Continue to extinct volcanoes cradle huge Salazie, a verdant landscape and amphitheatres known as cirques, home to many waterfalls including where mountains tower to over the ‘Voile de la Mariee’ before Waterfalls, Reunion 10,000 feet and beautiful waterfalls stopping in St Denis for some free www.noble-caledonia.co.uk Stone Town, Zanzibar Exploring by Zodiac Chameleon, Nosy Mangabe Mantella Frog, Nosy Mangabe Black and White Ruffed Lemur time on our way back to the ship. released into the forest. We will use Day 9 Farqhuar Group, Seychelles. should belong to the whole world”. This afternoon is at leisure before our Zodiacs to land on the beach Arriving in the Seychelles this Aldabra is unique and every time we set sail this evening. next to the forest and organise a morning, we will anchor off Farquhar we call at what is believed to be series of nature walks looking at where we will use our Zodiacs to the world’s largest atoll we find Day 4 At Sea. Spend the day at the varied trees, plants and ferns explore the sparkling lagoon of something new of interest. Sightings sea as we sail towards Madagascar. and we hope to spot chameleon, this remote atoll ringed island have been made of the extremely Maybe join a lecture or find a spot lizards and black and white ruffed of coconut and casuarina trees. rare white throated rail and the atoll on deck to relax. lemur. For the birders, we will keep Hawksbill and green sea turtles is also home to the world’s second an eye out for Madagascar buzzard, come to the atoll to nest and largest colony of frigate birds and Day 5 Toamasina, Madagascar. kingfisher and paradise flycatchers. several of the Farquhar Group’s to the largest crab, the coconut Our first call in Madagascar is at We also explore Madagascar’s islands are Important Bird and crab. Whilst exploring by Zodiac it Toamasina, the country’s main port largest protected area, the Masoala Biodiversity Areas. The island is a is difficult to know in which direction and second largest city but also National Park, which comprises of haven providing us with a delightful to look. The clear blue seas abound the gateway to the Pangalanes coastal rainforest, flooded forests, morning of bird watching or with life, the skies are alive with Canals, a series of rivers, waterways marsh and mangroves. Mammal snorkelling. Return to the ship for varied birdlife and ashore giant land and lakes that extend for over 400 species encountered include the lunch and an afternoon cruising. tortoises forage as they have done miles down the island’s east coast. red-ruffed lemur, the red-fronted for millions of years. We hope to Used mainly for transportation and brown lemur and the ring-tailed Days 10 to 12 Aldabra Islands. explore Picard Island with a short fishing, the canals are also home mongoose. The park is also home We have three days to enjoy the walk to see some of the thousands to unspoiled beaches, lagoons and to various species of brightly Aldabra group of islands and of tortoises and numerous robber lakes whilst providing access to coloured Mantella frogs, all manner our itinerary will be in the hands crabs or swim in the lagoon, a vast national parks and private reserves. of extraordinary chameleons and of our Expedition Leader and 17 mile stretch of shallow clear This morning we will take a local is a refuge of the endangered Captain who will monitor the local water. From our Zodiacs we can boat cruise through the canal to Madagascar red-owl, Madagascar conditions to ensure we maximise watch the ever-changing undersea enjoy the scenery followed by a serpent eagle and many endemic our time here. Whilst our itinerary world and snorkel in colourful coral nature walk in one of the private bird species. A series of walks for is flexible, we hope to call at the waters. reserves. Enjoy lunch in the reserve all levels will operate whilst there island of Assumption which was before returning to Toamasina will also be the option to swim off ruthlessly plundered for its vast Day 13 At Sea. Enjoy the day at sea this afternoon. Alternatively visit the beach or perhaps visit the local deposits of guano in the early to relax. the Ivoloina Zoological Parc, a village. 20th century. Happily, peace has 282 hectare property combining returned, and the wildlife of rare Day 14 Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania. a small zoo where we will see Day 8 Diego Suarez. After a birds and green turtles are once This morning we anchor off Kilwa up to 12 species of lemur as morning at sea we will enter again in abundance. Our time here Kisiwani, a site of exceptional well as indigenous tortoises and dramatic Diego Suarez, a stunning will be spent beachcombing, on historical interest, where the chameleons. Meanwhile in the natural harbour with a cosmopolitan nature walks or snorkelling. We also atmospheric ruins represent surrounding forests we may see wild mix of inhabitants including Creoles, hope to reach Cosmoledo where a a wide sweep of East African lemurs or malachite kingfishers on Indians, Chinese, Comorans and huge ring of twelve islands circle a coastal history, from the heights one of the many walking trails. Arabs. This afternoon choose from a lagoon. Many of the atolls are still of the Swahili and Shirazi trading city tour visiting the Commonwealth to be surveyed and we will explore civilisation to the darker days of Days 6 & 7 Nosy Mangabe & Cemetery and Place Joffre, or the some of them by Zodiac. This is slavery and the uprisings against Masoala National Park. Spend a Malagasy Rain Forest at the Mount an Important Bird and Biodiversity German rule. Once one of Africa’s day and a half in Antongil Bay area. Amber National Park. Dividing Area with all three species of booby wealthiest towns, Kilwa Kisiwani is We discover Nosy Mangabe, a into short and long walk parties found in the Seychelles including now a UNESCO World Heritage 520-hectare island reserve and one we will go in search of wildlife as the last breeding site for the brown Site and contains the world’s most of the most diverse areas of virgin we explore the rainforest.