My Ultimate African Journey: 20 Days, Overland Safaris & A Cruise

While we were scheduled to embark on the Azamara Onward from the beautiful island of Mahe in the Seychelles—and I highly recommend staying there for a couple of days if your schedule allows—flight availability can be incredibly tight into the islands. When our own flight routing could not get us to the ship before departure day, we pivoted, using the opportunity to create an intentional, high-value 22-hour layover in Kenya instead.

Upon arriving, we headed straight out for an urban safari in Nairobi National Park, which I highly recommend because it is the only place on earth where you can spot wild rhinos and giraffes roaming freely against a dramatic city skyline backdrop. We capitalized on our evening by heading to the exclusive neighborhood of Kitisuru for an amazing, upscale dinner at La Villa Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar. I recommend ordering their exceptional handmade pasta paired with a selection from their spectacular wine list to decompress from your international flight. The next morning, we caught a regional flight to meet the cruise ship at its first port of call.

We arrived in port and successfully boarded the Azamara Onward to spend our first few days settling into life at sea as the vessel navigated our initial multi-day ocean leg. I strongly recommend using this initial maritime window to familiarize yourself with the ship’s intimate, boutique layout and to meet the stellar hospitality team that makes this vessel feel like an elite, floating luxury home.

I was completely blown away by the level of personalized care on board, particularly how the crew members and exceptional staff all knew our names within hours of us stepping on deck, making the entire experience feel remarkably intimate and high-touch. We spent our afternoons enjoying the quiet top decks, indulging in the specialty dining rooms, and pacing ourselves for the intense overland adventures ahead. One of our absolute favorite rituals was enjoying a private breakfast on our veranda each morning; the staff beautifully set it up with full-table linens, which made our mornings at sea feel luxurious.

When the ship docked in Mombasa, we shed our cruise attire for safari khakis and journeyed inland for our first major overland safari adventure. We independently pre-arranged this entire private multi-day excursion before the cruise began, allowing us to step right past the standard group tours and head straight into the wilderness with our own dedicated guide and vehicle.

We arranged the night at the iconic Salt Lick Safari Lodge, an architectural marvel that I highly recommend because its luxury thatched roof rondavels are elevated on stilts directly above a bustling, active wildlife waterhole. I spent hours completely mesmerized, watching beautiful herds of impalas gather right below our private viewing platforms.

On our first day, we set out for spectacular afternoon and night game drives through the private Taita Hills Sanctuary, where we encountered elephants, towering giraffes, zebras, and impalas grazing against the savanna backdrop before using our spotters to track nocturnal wildlife under the stars. We spent our second day exploring the vast, legendary landscapes of Tsavo East National Park, which I highly recommend experiencing for its strikingly beautiful red dirt roads and the breathtaking sight of massive herds of red elephants roaming across the plains.

We dropped anchor at the historic spice island of Zanzibar and immediately executed a brilliant, custom itinerary designed to experience both the island's famous coastline and its rich cultural history.

To avoid Zanzibar's dramatic low-tide cycles, which can pull the ocean back for miles on certain parts of the island, we spent most of our day up north at Kendwa Rocks, securing a day pass to the Kendwa Rocks Beach Hotel. Kendwa is renowned for having a flawless, pristine beach that remains completely unaffected by the tides, making it the absolute best spot for uninterrupted swimming and soaking in the classic turquoise water.

For lunch, we ate at the hotel, right on the water, where I had a traditional Swahili beef curry (mchuzi wa nyama), a beautifully aromatic, slow-cooked local specialty layered with fresh ginger, garlic, and authentic Zanzibar spices, served over a bed of fluffy rice. ‌This is a delicious dish that I recommend! To cap off the day, we made our way back into the labyrinthine corridors of Stone Town to explore its heritage, visit the historic Freddie Mercury house, and marvel at the town’s famously intricate, ornately carved wooden doors.

We sailed into the waters of Mayotte, a hidden French island territory surrounded by an extraordinary marine natural park and one of the largest closed lagoons on earth. We spent our day completely immersed in its remote beauty, choosing this as the single destination where we booked the excursion directly through the cruise line to join a group tour out to a pristine, untouched islet.

As we sailed past the island’s magnificent, sprawling barrier reef systems, we were unforgettably greeted by dolphins leaping playfully alongside our boat. We spent most of our hours lounging on a breathtaking stretch of entirely empty white sand, swimming in the warm, crystal-clear water, and experiencing a level of untouched, castaway privacy that is incredibly rare to find. I highly recommend touring this island by boat!

We enjoyed a dedicated day at sea, navigating southward along the eastern coast of the continent. We embraced a slow, deeply relaxed rhythm on board, using the time to recharge after consecutive days of walking, beach transits, and wildlife tracking. We spent our afternoon lounging poolside, attended the ship’s premium vintage wine tastings, and secured an evening table at Prime C, where we indulged in an exceptional steak dinner paired perfectly with a beautifully structured, velvet cabernet sauvignon as the ship tracked south.

We dropped anchor at the fragrant, beautiful island of Nosy Be, Madagascar, and stepped directly onto a private, independently pre-arranged marine charter to explore the surrounding archipelago away from the crowds. Seeing the lemurs is an absolute must-do, quintessential experience if you are in Madagascar; we spent our morning on the lush, forested island of Nosy Komba, interacting with the famous, friendly black lemurs that live in the tropical canopy. From there, our private boat transited over to the pristine, protected marine reserve of Nosy Tanikely.

We spent hours snorkeling directly off the powder-white sand beach, gliding over vibrant coral reefs teeming with colorful tropical fish. I highly recommend keeping a close lookout while swimming through the shallow coral gardens here, as Nosy Tanikely acts as a protected sanctuary where you may find yourself swimming alongside majestic, critically endangered hawksbill and green sea turtles. To cap off the island excursion, we enjoyed a spectacular, relaxed lunch right on the beach that was freshly prepared and served by the locals, offering an incredibly authentic taste of Malagasy hospitality.

Before heading back to the ship, we hopped into a local tuk-tuk for a buzzing, colorful ride into the main town of Hell-Ville to explore its bustling central market (Bazar Be), taking in the vibrant sights and local crafts. While exploring the market’s famous aromatic columns of fresh spices, make sure to purchase some authentic Madagascar vanilla beans and locally harvested pink peppercorns to take a piece of the island’s incredible flavor profile home with you.

We experienced a glorious three-day deep ocean crossing as the ship tracked southwest toward the South African coast. This extended blue-water transit was where we felt the close-knit, community aspect of a boutique cruise ship truly shine, allowing us to embrace a deeply restorative rhythm.

We spent our unhurried days swapping travel stories with friends we made, having deep-tissue massages at the Sanctum Spa, and completely unwinding. For an unforgettable culinary highlight, we booked the exclusive chef’s table experience, indulging in a magnificent, multi-course dinner meticulously paired with exceptional premium wines from around the world.

While the ship’s itinerary continued down the coast toward Durban, we strategically executed our plan to disembark early at Richards Bay, transitioning directly to the absolute pinnacle of our African odyssey. Seamlessly pulling off this sea-to-land transfer required complex, logistical planning, including submitting a formal downline request to the cruise line well in advance to secure official approval to temporarily depart the vessel at an alternate port and reboard later in the voyage in Cape Town. Once cleared, we coordinated our private bush transfers and checked in for three nights of pure, unadulterated luxury, perched in the cliffside majesty of andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province.

This leg proved to be an absolute masterclass in luxury safari execution, and we highly recommend it because of the unparalleled intimacy and Phinda's legendary off-road tracking capabilities that bring you astonishingly close to the heartbeat of the bush. Unlike public national parks that restrict vehicles to marked roads, Phinda's private reserve status grants rangers the exclusive right to track off-road, which heavily regulates the number of vehicles at any single sighting to guarantee an elite, private viewing window completely free from commercial crowds.

Because of this exceptional access, our game drives yielded a breathtaking, cinematic parade of wildlife drama: We witnessed a pride of lions feeding on a zebra, three cheetahs that had remarkably formed a rare coalition tracking and feeding on an impala, and the deeply moving, unforgettable sight of a lioness and her four tiny cubs being carefully reintroduced back into her pride. We tracked massive cape buffalo, leopards, white rhinos, zebras, and towering giraffes.

The adventure extended beyond the 4x4 vehicles; we also took a spectacular river safari boat ride, gliding past massive pods of hippos and spotting crocodiles basking along the banks. Back at the lodge, playful monkeys populated the canopy; one even boldly swung down to our lunch table and snatched a piece of bread right out from under us, a delightful moment of unfiltered nature. Our culinary experience was flawlessly executed as well, featuring a stunning, surprise bush breakfast in the heart of the wild and two magnificent dinners hosted in their dramatic, open-air boma under a canopy of stars.

Ultimately, we highly recommend this property because its entirely all-inclusive nature removes all friction; from the premium regional wines that flow effortlessly all day to the top-tier dining and elite game viewings, every single desire is met with quiet, understated sophistication.

We flew into Cape Town to experience the final chapters of our journey on land, expertly splitting our time between a stylish city stay and a celebratory return to the sea. For our first night on land, we selected the charming, design-forward Cloud Nine Boutique Hotel, perfectly nestled in the historic, vibrant neighborhood of Tamboerskloof. For our first dinner, we walked right next door to Kanji Ramen, a fantastic, cozy neighborhood gem where we enjoyed exceptional, comforting bowls of authentic ramen and Japanese small plates.

The following morning, we rented a car for an independent coastal and winelands road trip. We drove out to Boulders Beach to watch the famous, charming colony of African penguins nesting along the granite boulders before heading inland to the historic Stellenbosch wine region. We spent our afternoon at the stunning Eikendal Vineyards and had lunch at Giovanni’s Restaurant. We opted for their magnificent, freshly baked artisanal pizzas and a bottle of their estate cabernet sauvignon; we were completely blown away by the incredible value here, indulging in a massive eight-slice pizza for just $6 to $8 and a premium estate bottle for $23.

To cap off the entire multi-week cruise experience, we executed the final step of our custom downline plan: We headed to the port and reboarded the Azamara Onward in Cape Town for one final, celebratory night at sea. We spent our final evening on the pool deck raising a glass of local South African Cap Classique, toasting the success of the trip under the starry African sky with all the incredible friends we made along the way.

After enjoying our final breakfast on board the ship, we officially checked out and disembarked the Azamara Onward in Cape Town to begin the long journey home. We coordinated our private transfer out to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) to clear customs and board our long-haul international flights. We utilized the extended flight hours to rest, scroll through our massive collection of wildlife photography, and journal our favorite moments of the trip as we transited across time zones.

Our transcontinental flights safely touched down on Day 20 in New York, bringing a seamless and deeply rewarding end to our epic three-week African odyssey. Returning to the familiar sights of home, we unpacked our safari gear and suitcases, fully rejuvenated by a journey that beautifully proved you can successfully blend the finest luxuries of the sea with the rawest, most authentic adventures on land. ‌This was the trip of a lifetime.