Cruising the Indian Ocean’s Islands and East Africa on Swan-Hellenic
Once the “usual” warm, sunny tropical islands of Hawaii, French Polynesia, and SE Asia have been explored and enjoyed, venturing to the islands off East Africa’s coast is a marvelous way to experience the region’s natural splendor, unique geography, and flora and fauna. It also of course makes a great prelude or epilogue to a bucket list safari in Kenya or Tanzania, or a life-altering gorilla trek in Uganda. In my case, it was a prelude to a return visit to Kenya, and frankly there is no better way to discovering this region than by a small, luxury expedition ship. Enter Swan-Hellenic Cruises newest belle of the ball, the SH Diana.
In honor of a milestone birthday, the lengthy recovery from an accident requiring months physical therapy to arrive back at my very athletic self, and a massive lifestyle change, there was no better time than the present to reconnect with this wonderful part of the world and better yet, to do so in the luxurious comfort of the SH Diana.
Swan-Hellenic’s Newest Ship: The SH Diana
Built in 2023 with nine decks, the SH Diana is a 410-foot luxury expedition ship. She holds 192 guests and 127 extremely hospitable crew hailing from around the world. On this 10-day itinerary starting in Mahé, the Seychelles main island, and ending in Mombasa, Kenya, there were 120 passengers onboard including guests from Europe, Russia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and about a dozen Americans. It was truly a United Nations on the high seas.
Notably, there were a dozen familiar passengers; they had been on a West African itinerary from Ghana to Senegal on Swan-Hellenic’s SH Vega that I covered last year. Clearly, these guests had enjoyed that experience so much, they booked this one.
Due to SH Diana’s size, a level of intimacy ensues among passengers on an epic adventure of this type. However, owing to the ship’s excellent layout, public areas both inside and on decks, multiple dining areas, and bars, and activity spaces, one always had a multitude of options.
Deck 3 houses Base Camp, the hub for expeditions and Zodiac embarkation and disembarkation. Its spacious design marvelously incudes a locker for each stateroom so guests may leave life vests, water shoes, snorkeling equipment, and other items there at the ready, without requiring carrying them back and forth to staterooms. Deck 3 also houses a well-curated library, Science Lab, and Medical Clinic staffed by both a physician and nurse.
Deck 4 has SH Diana’s main dining room, Swan Restaurant, Reception, a complimentary Launderette, and staterooms. Decks 5 and 6 have the balance of staterooms. Deck 7 has the Club Lounge for breakfast, lunches, and afternoon tea, and the Observation Lounge where daily briefings are held, and lectures are delivered by both specialized expedition team crew, including one on photography that was the finest I’ve ever heard anywhere, and visiting guest academics.
The Pool Bar & Grill is also on Deck 7 and Swan’s Nest viewpoint. Deck 8 has the Wellness Center with two massage treatment rooms and talented masseuses. The Fitness Center is also here with ICG Spinner bikes, TechnoGym treadmills, rower, stair-master, free weights, and exercise machines, all in a light-filled airy space with full-length windows perfect for viewing birds engaging in their own exercise: kamikaze diving for their waterborne sustenance. There’s also a steam room, sauna, and outdoor Jacuzzi. Deck 9 is home to the Bridge and Star Gazing area, and make no mistake, in this part of the world, it’s utterly remarkable.
Sumptuous Staterooms
Staying in a balconied Deck 6 stateroom, the spacious design possessed a calming taupe, crème, and gold color palette with light, elegant woods. A warm ambience was created by a delightful electric fireplace.
It boasted abundant closet, storage, and drawer space, and an incredibly comfortable, king-size bed with high-count cotton sheets, and a 60-inch flat-screen television. An Illy coffee maker made mornings blissful, and a refrigerator was stocked with beers, sodas, water, and champagne. Nuts, dried fruit, and holy grail M&Ms were replenished daily. My cabin steward kept my stateroom spotless and indeed the entire ship was constantly immaculate.
My stateroom also had a comfortable working desk, an ergonomically correct chair perfect for getting work done with both USB, USB-C ports and US and European plug outlets. The smartly engineered desk doubled as a vanity area with an intelligently hidden 16” x 20” lighted makeup mirror. Guests are also provided with terry cloth robes for lounging, a signature waterproof backpack, a refillable stainless water bottle and in-room binoculars for use during the journey.
The large balcony meant that even though hardly an avid birder, I was utterly enthralled by their daily skyward choreography and the nearly continuous spectacle of bird varieties gliding port and starboard while admiring their flight patterns, grace, and serenity as they rhythmically danced with the clear blue horizon as their stage.
The bathroom had environmentally sized Bocelli amenities, plenty of storage space, a Carrera marble-style quartz vanity, and a large walk-in shower with both European and 16-inch rain shower heads. A lighted vanity mirror completed this comfortable bathroom.
Dining for Divas
Executive Chef Eddy Barrett and his team prepared good buffet breakfasts with made-to-order eggs and omelets and lunches in both Swan Restaurant and Club Lounge. At the Pool Grill, lunches of burgers, sausages, grilled shrimp, among other items were served.
At Swan Restaurant, where table serviced dinners were served with fine international wines, the menu changed nightly with a wide variety of salads and appetizer options like wasabi prawns, escargots, and French onion soup, and entrees such as locally sourced fish, sesame encrusted ahi, Angus beef, chicken yakitori, and vegetarian options including eggplant parmigiana and linguini with creamy pesto.
The talented pastry chef Ariel Macau prepared daily a lcornucopia of mouth-watering desserts – salty caramel cheesecake anyone? – and breads and pastries second to none. Proving once again, that carb-free dieting is verboten.
For guests wishing to dine in pajamas and watch a movie, room service is available 24-hours a day and Swan Restaurant’s full dinner menu is available during service hours. A cappuccino machine and snacks are always available at Club Lounge. Hunger here is happily not on the menu.
Itineraries and Excursions for the Curious
Embarking on SH Diana in the Seychelles is a treat into itself. An archipelago state and independent republic since 1976 – formerly a French colony, then British – with a population of only 120,000, it’s comprised of 155 islands, most of which are uninhabited, and several of which are dedicated nature reserves. Home to giant magnificent tortoises and a habitat to a plethora of birds, make it ornithologically speaking, a veritable orgy.
Our first stop was the wild, remote Farquhar Atoll. A living laboratory at the planet’s edge first recorded by the Portuguese in the early 1500s, it’s the Seychelles’ southernmost Outer Island, and its largest atoll. A refuge for the Aldabra giant tortoise, they roam freely here, and it’s also an important nesting area for green and hawksbill turtles. Underwater is a snorkeler’s dream, giant trevally, bonefish, triggerfish, barracuda, groupers, reef sharks, and manta rays. Here too is Captain Joseph Cauvin’s insisted upon vertical grave, so he could ‘stand’ to see the island for all eternity.
Taking Zodiacs to Astove Atoll 650 miles southwest of Mahé, we snorkeled “The Wall,” seeing a plethora of fish and sea turtles.
Sailing towards Cosmoledo that afternoon, aptly called the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean,” was ethereal. Coming into focus, sights of dark rock formations, pristine white sands, and enveloping turquoise waters together turned into a dreamlike trifecta.
Onto Aldabra, 450 miles from Madagascar and the world’s largest raised atoll. It has the world’s largest giant tortoise population and one of the world’s last untouched ecosystems. A research station and associated field camp manages and preserves the island permitting only 1,500 visitors a year to experience what Darwin could only have dreamt about. As he said, “It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is the one most adaptable to change.”
A Zodiac cruise to the Main Channel, Aldabra’s most spectacular lagoon reflected plenty of bird life. Gliding along with the engine off, their music provided melodic ambience. Clear, warms waters are home to plentiful school fish, mantas, and barracudas. This amid Jurassic-like mangrove roots in a cacophony of geometric shaped knots and mini atolls protruded from the sea. Like phoenixes rising, it was akin to a submarine’s telescopic lens rising to surveil its exalted position viewing Mother Nature’s blessed bounty nearly untouched by Father Time. These Outer Islands are truly full-blown voyeurism with a built-in pardon.
The banana-shaped Assumption Island provided the perfect backdrop for lollygagging on its pristine beach, SUP boarding, and kayaking in perfect waters.
Due to political skirmishes in Tanzania, SH Diana expertly pivoted from stops at Pemba and Zanzibar to Shimoni, Kenya – place of the caves – the gateway to Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park with its diverse marine life. As we approached this mesmerizing locale in Zodiacs with countless atolls along the way, dozens of bottlenosed dolphins frolicked alongside in clear, warm waters.
Then to Lamu, the oldest and best-preserved example of a continuously inhabited Swahili settlement in East Africa. Its Old Town’s narrow streets are adorned with impressive carved doors, reflecting a unique blend of Swahili, Arabic, Persian, Indian, and European styles. It’s car free and transport is by one of 2,500 resident donkeys.
After visiting Mombasa’s hilltop UNESCO site Fort Jesus with its 63 cannons and carved Omani doors, it was time to bid SH Diana adieu.
The Lessons Learned
Guests seeking a luxury expedition cruise on unique itineraries with a top-notch expedition team will be very pleased with a sojourn aboard SH Diana. Swan-Hellenic certainly lives up to its motto of “See what others don’t,” with panache and style. Without doubt, guests will be planning another voyage on Swan-Hellenic long before disembarkation.
