12 Night Cruise sailing from Accra to Dakar aboard Silver Explorer.

Silversea's purpose-built Silver Explorer expedition ship (formerly the Prince Albert II) has been designed specifically for navigating waters in some of the world's most remote destinations, including both of earth's polar regions. A strengthened hull with a Lloyd's Register ice-class notation (1A) for passenger vessels enables Silver Explorer to safely push through ice floes with ease. A fleet of Zodiac boats allows Silversea Expedition guests to visit even the most off-the-beaten path locations and an expert Expedition Team provides insight and understanding to each unforgettable Silver Explorer cruise adventure.

Onboard, savour a convivial cosmopolitan ambience and many special amenities usually found only on larger ships, including a spacious Library with an Internet Cafe, boutique shopping, a full-service spa, beauty salon, fitness centre, sauna and two top-deck whirlpools. Prince Albert II even features live evening entertainment and The Humidor, where connoisseurs can enjoy the finest cigars and cognacs - diversions offered by no other expedition ship.

Highlights of this cruise:

Banjul
The Republic of The Gambia borders around the Gambia River, thus appearing on a map as a sliver out of Senegal. It enjoys a cooperative relationship with its neighbour Senegal, having separated from their federation of Senegambia in the early 1990s. This Western Africa country, which its shores on the northern Atlantic is approximately 4,363 square miles (11,300 km sq) in size, smallest country on the continent. Its first historical accounts come from the records of the Arab traders in the 9th and 10th centuries, who were in search of gold, ivory and slaves. The Portuguese then ruled over the area and subsequently sold the trade rights to the British. It officially became a British colony in 1889. Today, it is an independent democracy.

Sadly, as many as three million of its inhabitants were taken from the country and enslaved until the British ended the practice in the 1800s. Alex Haley in his epic "Roots" was able to trace his family ancestors to rural Gambia, where Kunta Kinteh's trail began. Today, The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has made it one of the larger markets for tourism in Western Africa.

Banjul, capital of The Gambia, began as Bathurst, a British, military outpost in 1816. Located where the Gambia River enters the Atlantic, this port city is known for its colourful market with its batik cloth and Arch 22, its commemorative entry. Towns and beaches outside of the city are referred to as Kombo. Natural parks in the rural areas are home to over 250 species of birds as well as different monkeys and crocodiles. Banjul is a destination suited to those who can look beyond the developing infrastructure and see the natural beauty that awaits.

Dakar
Senegal is the western-most nation in Africa, stretching out into the Atlantic and bordered by Mauritania, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Curiously, the tiny nation of Gambia lies entirely within Senegal's borders. As with most of Africa, Senegal was touched by the slave trade; traces of this sad history remain just offshore, on Goree Island.

Dakar, capital of the Republic of Senegal, is a historic collection of 19 communes with a population of just over 1 million in the central area. Although seemingly trapped in an apparent economic struggle for its life, the city is a mix of striking contemporary architecture set off by historical colonial buildings. If you can look past the obvious drudgery, trash, and toil of the community, it reveals to you a vibrant city full of galleries, boutiques and street vendors offer everything from paintings, sculptures and crafts to colourful clothing and imported goods.