Best cruise destinations in Africa

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Africa's cruise offer ranges from the established Indian Ocean island itineraries and the scenic coastal routes along the continent's Atlantic and eastern seaboards to the river cruising networks of the major inland waterways. The continent's coastline is considerably less developed as a cruise destination than other regions, giving itineraries here a quality of genuine discovery that more saturated cruise environments cannot match.

The Indian Ocean island groups provide the most developed cruise infrastructure in the region, with established port facilities and itineraries combining luxury resort islands with culturally distinct smaller destinations. The Nile remains one of the world's most iconic river cruise routes, with a mature small vessel infrastructure delivering access to ancient sites along one of history's most significant waterways. West and east African coastal itineraries are less developed but growing in availability through small expedition vessel programmes.

Port infrastructure varies considerably across the continent and itinerary flexibility is more common here than on more developed cruise circuits. Health precautions and visa requirements vary significantly by country and require advance preparation. Your money goes a long way across most of the continent's port destinations making shore excursions and extended pre or post-cruise stays practical on modest budgets.