You’ll start your journey in Durban, a city that has the pulse, the look, and the complex face of Africa. If you wander into the Indian District or drive through the Warwick Triangle—an area away from the sea around Julius Nyerere (Warwick) Avenue—Durban rises up to meet you. Traditional healers tout animal organs, vegetable and spice vendors crowd the sidewalks, and minibus taxis hoot incessantly as they trawl for business. It is by turns colorful, stimulating, and hypnotic. It's also a place steeped in history and culture. Gandhi lived and practiced law here, and Winston Churchill visited as a young man.

Go for a stroll and get your big-city fix here before your 6 p.m. departure aboard Silver Discoverer. After a mandatory safety drill, you’ll meet the expedition team, including naturalists, historians, and other lecturers. Then take some time to familiarize yourself with the ship before cocktails, dinner with open seating at The Restaurant, and opportunities to meet your fellow travelers.

Founded in the 1880s, during the Anglo-Zulu colonial wars, Richards Bay was named after British Rear Admiral Sir Frederick William Richards, who landed a naval force here. An early claim to fame came in 1891, when colonial adventurer John Dunn killed a 22-foot crocodile in the estuary (still one of the largest ever documented) but the town remained a backwater with a population of less than 200 people until as recently as 1968. Today, Richards Bay is the major port in the region and is adjacent to significant mineral deposits, which have contributed to the town's massive growth. For travelers, the town’s principal appeals are its beaches facing the Indian Ocean or opportunities to explore some of its nature reserves.

This afternoon you’ll arrive at Mozamibique’s Inhaca Island. Located some 25 miles from the country’s capital, Maputo, it’s a popular destination for day trippers from the big city. It is, however, far enough that you will feel like you have arrived in a distant corner of the Indian Ocean. The island is home to a major marine research center and it’s almost a major destination for birders. Bring your check list and binoculars, as 300 different species can be spotted here.

The next day gives you time to bask in life aboard Silver Discoverer. You likely will want to take advantage of the lecture series covering the natural and human histories of the Indian Ocean. The expedition team is comprised of experts from a variety of backgrounds and their entertaining presentations, rich with images and videos gathered over the length of their long careers, typically spark thoughtful discussions. There are also less cerebral activities to choose from: wine tastings, spa treatments, or borrowing a DVD from the library to watch in your suite.

The six islands of the Bazaruto archipelago lie just a few miles off the coast from the town of Vilankulo but they feel lost in time. While Mozambique suffered from a long civil war, these islands were protected both from its ravages as well as those of developers who have turned some other islands in the Indian Ocean into homes to enormous resorts. The islands are now part of a protected marine park, and you’ll have a full day to snorkel alongside tropical fish or simply enjoy a Robinson Crusoe experience on some of Africa’s most beautiful and untouched islands.

Enjoy this day at sea as a perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. Whether that is whale watching from the Observatory Lounge, writing home to your loved ones, or simply working on your tan by the pool, blue sea days are the perfect balance to others spent exploring the sites of Africa shore side.

Maputo, formerly Portuguese-ruled Lourenço Marques, is the laid-back capital, an incongruous mix of palm-lined streets, an elegant promenade with ritzy villas, and once-grand colonial buildings—which often sit side-by-side with shanties and concrete, Soviet-style buildings dating back to the 1950s, when Russia and Cuba had a finger in the political pie here. An economic upturn since the end of the civil war in the late '90s has brought new investment in infrastructure, and buildings are rising at a fast pace, especially near the port.

You will disembark Silver Discoverer after breakfast, but you may want to extend your stay in Maputo to explore this fascinating city or Mozambique generally.