10-14 June 2026
When Dave and I saw a cruise advertised that travelled up the west coast of Africa, stopping in 12 destinations, we knew it was for us.
As you may know, we are a bit competitive in my family. With Dave having visited 123 countries, me on 73 and Will on 83, the concept of another 12 countries to add to my list was too good to resist!
As I mentioned in my last post I do like Cape Town. When we were here in 2024, we visited all of the well-known tourist sites, like the Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island, a city food tour, rode the trams around Stellenbosch wine region and took the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain.
We had Will and Emma with us then, who were wonderful company. We hired a car and Will drove, so that made it extra easy. This time I decided driving was a bit ambitious and probably not needed, so we arranged for a transfer from the airport and caught Ubers for any other trips. Ubers are cheap with each short ride costing around $5. We took an Uber to Jonsson’s Workwear (more on that for another post), to a breakfast spot to meet some of Dave’s friends, to the Waterfront district for some shopping; and the morning we boarded the ship, we also took an Uber – even though it was less than 2km from our hotel.
As we did last time, we caught up with the delightful Ray and Jacqui at the Waterfront for dinner. I think I ordered the same as the last time we were here – on Jacqui’s recommendation. It was as yummy as I remember, with chicken pan-fried in a creamy white wine sauce with mushrooms and pasta.
Generously, they had picked us up at the hotel and dropped us back afterwards. Ray is the son of dear friends of ours who immigrated to Australia from Africa in the early 2000s. Ray is closer in age to us than his parents, and it was lovely to hear about what their children are up to, who are not a lot younger than ours.
We are cruising on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator. At only 172 metres long, with eight passenger decks and accommodating 490 passengers, it makes it one of the smaller ships around and certainly much smaller than any we have been on before. The main dining room (Compass Rose) holds about 300, and there is also a speciality steak restaurant, and the area where a buffet serves breakfast and lunch is converted to an Italian restaurant in the evenings. There is also a ‘Pool Grill’ beside the small pool which serves food all day, including an ice-cream bar. Given its relatively small size that is still a lot to choose from!
The ship also has a gym, library, games room, beauty salon, theatre (with live shows) and quite a few bars. Interestingly the majority of the passengers on this trip are Australians, with a few Americans, Chinese and others. The crew of 300 is very diverse, although Dave hasn’t found anyone from Zimbabwe to speak Shona to yet!
Wonderful Day in Namibia
We boarded on Thursday at lunchtime, departing Cape Town just on sunset. Friday and Saturday were extremely relaxing and enjoyable ‘Sea Days’ while the ship travelled north to its first stop in Walvis Bay, Namibia where we docked around 8am on Sunday.
Sunday turned out to be one of those unexpectedly special days that often become the highlight of a trip.
We were met at the port by Allison and Danie. Allison is another friend of Dave’s from his time living in Africa in the late 70s, and Danie and her generously gave up their day to show us around their corner of Namibia. It was fabulous to experience the country through the eyes of locals rather than from a tour bus.
Our first stop was the magnificent sand dunes that rise dramatically from the desert landscape. The sheer scale of them was impressive, their golden colours constantly changing with the light. From there we ventured out to the Moon Landscape, a remarkable stretch of deeply eroded valleys and ridges that looks more like the surface of another planet than somewhere on Earth. We enjoyed morning tea there while chatting and it was lovely to get to know them both. I had a coffee frappe and a toasted cheese and ham sandwich for morning tea – costing around A$6 for both. The Aussie dollar again goes a long way here – with the Namibian dollar tied to the South African Rand at a conversion of about 12 to A$1.
After the amazing spectacle of the moonscape, we continued on passing lots of well, nothing! Just lots and lots of sand and the very occasional small desert bush. We then stopped at the golf course near Swakopmund for a refreshing drink and to spot the Springboks who hang out on the oasis of green at the golf course, before stopping at Alison and Danie’s home. There we met their four beautiful dogs, who are definitely well loved and on a good wicket! Allison generously gave us a bottle of locally made olive oil – grown and pressed just a short distance from their home. It was a lovely glimpse into everyday life in Namibia and one of those personal moments that makes travel so rewarding.
I’m always a bit worried when not on a ship-organised tour about getting back to the ship in time. There are whole TV shows dedicated to people missing their ships departure (Pier Runners). Rather than have lunch in Swakopmund, Allison and Danie decided to take us to their favourite seafood restaurant back near where the ship was docked in Walvis Bay. We drove (approx. 30km) back along the water’s edge. The contrast between the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the stark desert landscape on the other was striking and a reminder of how unique this part of the world really is.
We enjoyed a leisurely and very delicious lunch at Anchors waterfront restaurant only a few hundred metres from where the ship was docked. Dave and I shared a seafood platter with grilled Kingklip (fish), fried calamari, buttered garlic mussels and fries, adding three fresh local oysters (for me), while gazing out across the water (joined by numerous friendly pelicans!) and continuing to chat to the delightful Allison and Danie about all things Namibia. It was the perfect way to end our day ashore.
As we sailed away from Walvis Bay, I reflected on how fortunate we were to spend the day with such welcoming hosts. Namibia’s dramatic landscapes were certainly memorable, but it was the warmth and generosity of Allison and Danie that made the day unforgettable.
Three more days at sea then next stop Sao Tome. Bring on the relaxing!
