NC & RC Dubai to
Cape Town cruise - Updated to January 10, 2023
This will be our last post as we are headed home
tonight.
Thank you for your interest in our phenomenal trip.
Note, some
photos have captions that you can view by clicking on the (i)
for information.
Life on board the Nautica: Updated (Jan 3) Fantastic food, service, and
activities.
Dec 27th to Jan 3rd:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MGHnDxLagJGPDKFU6
Christmas on the Nautica: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4VQThUjZRBTQmqJK7
Dec 4 - Dec 26th: https://photos.app.goo.gl/YsTNfy9A9ctNNJ2E6
Cape Town, South Africa (Jan 5-9)
We lost a day in Cape Town due to high winds preventing the ship to dock but had nice views of the city/area from the ship. Cape Town is a very nice area (at least where we stayed) but high crime and you need to stay vigilant if walking in the downtown.
We went to Signal Hill, Bo-Kaap (brilliantly colour houses), Simons Town where there is a colony of Penguins, Cape of Good Hope the most southern part of South Africa (saw some wild Ostriches). A highlight was taking the gondola up to Table Mountain (beautiful views) and reconnecting with Nancy’s friend Pauline who she met while living in England.
We got around easily with Uber which was cheap and convenient.
We were close to the V&A Waterfront a busy, fun area with entertainment, shops, restaurants, etc.
We spent our last day at Camp’s Bay Beach a very nice beach on the West coast side (not that warm).
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mMJLXeinkZCsWPw77
Mossel Bay, South Africa (Jan 3) Cancelled
due to windy conditions.
Durban, South Africa (Jan 2)
We didn’t do an excursion here. There was a large outdoor mall, Sea World and a walk to the beach near the ship. We walked along the boardwalk and took in Sea World. The aquarium was fantastic with all sorts of exotic fish, large sharks etc. all for an entry fee of $12 CND. There was a seal and dolphin show.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6TN9L8PvWCCWirCd9
Richards Bay, South Africa (Jan 1)
The first pictures are of the pilot being dropped off by helicopter.
Despite her fear of snakes, Nancy agreed to visit a Croc/Reptile Sanctuary! She was a very brave girl! During the drive there, we passed huge Gum Tree farms, which are used for wood & paper products. They were planted in rows, just like any other crop. The Zulu Croc Sanctuary was really interesting, we were given a talk on the various snakes, with the option to pat an African Rock Python. Then we saw the 3 various types of crocodiles common to South Africa and some from other countries there to try and breed them as they are endangered. It was interesting. There were no markets open as it was New Years Day.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7Ss1zSFUNb1dtRsQ8
Maputo, Mozambique (Dec 31)
After a rough, stormy night on the ship, 40 knot winds & 14 ft seas, we arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. On a tour, we went to the Central Railway Station, the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Conceiao, the natural history museum & a couple of markets. The street hawkers are super aggressive, and you must avoid eye contact, or show any interest, or they are all over you! Tough way to make a living.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GtbV1ZRAPwxRvgK98
Mayotte, French Comoros (Dec 28)
The French administered, Mayotte, is independent from the rest of the Comoros islands. We did a “Nature & Bird Watching Tour” as that was the only tour available and saw lots of lemures, rare birds, cinnamon trees, jack fruit, etc. It seems that the island is not very well setup for tourism. Only the EURO is accepted for commerce, so we didn’t buy anything in a large market next to the dock. There was a rustic restaurant across from the market (see pictures with all the smoke) but when we entered to take a look, it wasn’t very welcoming, so we quickly left.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mvrDqWoqqSrRjfcr8
Zanzibar, Tanzania (Dec 26)
Today we docked in Zanzibar the birthplace of Queen’s Freddie Mercury. We did a tour of Stone Town, the older part of the city, with winding narrow streets, old buildings, street markets and lots of history, especially about the slave trade. It was a great day!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LgFYiG4bnkgKa3Ug6
Tsavo East National Park, Kenya (Dec 25)
On Christmas day we were on a 11-hour excursion to Tsavo East National Park. The park is 13,747 square miles and provides natural habitat for the animals. The park was a 2-hr drive north of Mombasa in a mini air-conditioned bus. When we got to the park, we changed to viewing ranging vans and drove through the park for 70 Km on a dirt road to a lodge for lunch (Approx. 2-hrs with all the stops for viewing the animals). It’s a huge park and the animals could be in any part of it as they roam on their own schedules. We were lucky as along with zebras, giraffes, elephants, etc. we also managed to see a lion, which is rare. It was awesome seeing these animals in their natural settings.
We stopped at a lodge for lunch where we saw the last remaining hippo in the park (only his ears and eyes from far).
The elephants are protected by park rangers from poachers. The ride was rough as there were dirt speed bumps every 300-400 meters to stop speeding on the dirt roads.
It was hard but an incredible trip. At the end of the trip, we were covered in red dust and we’re still trying to get rid of it!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KL5B43wpQrs2Metk7
Seychelles (Dec 21-22)
The Seychelles consist of beautiful islands with white sandy beaches.
Dec 22 Mahe
We docked at Mahe in the evening on the 21st and went for a stroll to Victoria, their capitol city, a lot smaller than ours, however, lots of Christmas lights!
In the morning, we went on an excursion on a Catamaran. The trip included a tour of the islands, transfer to a glass bottom boat, snorkeling, and a stay at a beach. It was a great day!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EpfE9rCFE9qw2iiU6
Dec 21 Coco
Island
We dropped anchor and tendered to Praslin Island and went on a snorkeling excursion to Coco Island. It was very nice trip with great views of some of the islands.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fuPcRYBVdN717CK47
Crossing the Equator (Dec
19)
We crossed the
equator. Nancy did the Crossing the Equator ceremony. Rene refuses to kiss a
fish.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rPtZTsTnk2yztC93A
Male, Maldives (Dec 17-18)
Male was a little bit disappointing as this is a two-mile-wide island that is all city. If you have the time you have to go to other atolls/islands to see the beautiful beaches. Like India it was very hot but not quite as much. We made an error not booking a snorkelling excursion (they were all booked up) and the timing of the ship leaving was not conducive to going with a non-Oceania excursion. We have booked for the Seychelles in a few days.
Still there were interesting places to see such as the Fish Market and we walked around the shoreline. In the jetty by the Fish market, we saw dozens of huge Sting Rays. We walked to an artificial beach where Nancy would have had to wear long sleeves to go in as this is a strict Muslim country. She decided not to.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Mvn1NvXMacGmhy5z6
Cochin, India
(Dec 16)
Our last stop in India Cochin in the province of Kerala. Cochin has a tropical climate and is very green. Our excursion was called “Tranquil Backwaters” that was a cruise on Kerala’s famous backwater region. The cruise included stops at a local home, a Church, passing the famous Snake Boat building yards. We stopped for lunch at the Lake Palace Resort in Alleppey.
Cochin as in many places in India has a majority Hindu, then Muslim and then Christian. There is still one synagogue where there remain only two worshippers both senior citizens. India is tolerant of different religions.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/47KccTRAApiYWXf89
Mangalore, India (Dec 15)
We did an Oceania tour today, first going to Belmont House which was built in the 18th century, with interesting architecture, and is still lived in by the current owner who are Mangalorean.
Next was St. Aloysius Chapel, a Christian chapel whose paintings on the walls and ceilings were spectacular and are second only to the Sistine Chapel, they included paintings of statues behind the alter that where 3D-like. Then we went to the Gokamath Temple, a huge Hindu temple made up of various buildings with numerous alters. We had to leave our shoes in the bus as you couldn’t walk in any area around or in the buildings with shoes on.
Our final stop was the Achal Cashew processing factory. The cashews are in a shell that is cooked, the shell is cracked, and the cashew removed, they are then roasted & followed by the removal of a second inner shell which is done by hand. The result is tasty, a birthday treat for Rene!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CNCNKUbd15Pe6RtM9
Goa, India (Dec 14)
This time our guide had an air-conditioned SUV and it was just the two of us. We kept him for more touring after the initial tour of the museum and market that we had booked.
Goa is much different than Mumbai, very lush much cleaner, no noticeable air pollution and much less traffic although still nuts. Lots of palm coconut trees etc. A few cows around.
Our first stop was the Chitra Ethnographic Museum. The museum is based in the former Portuguese colony of Goa. It has a large collection—over 4000 artifacts —focusing on Goa's traditional agrarian technology and lifestyle. It was very interesting and the guides very good.
We then drove to Margao market that was very busy and a little too crowded.
Next, we went to Utorda beach where the cruise lines drop off people for a day at the beach. The beach was clean, and the water seemed fine. Nancy was thinking of taking a dive but in the end decided not to and just walked in the water. It was another very interesting day.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jFekRun5efvJqAdo9
Mumbai, India (Dec 13)
We had a guide that took us by taxi to various places around Mumbai. It was 33C and 90% humidity, plus smoggy! Riding in the taxi was very nerve-wracking, crazy drivers, no seat belts in the back seats but the driver & guide had them! There were constant horns honking and heavy traffic, scooters, cars and pedestrians all in a semi-controlled chaos.
Our first stop was the Slum area, the taxi dropped off us & the guide and he walked us through a maze of narrow streets/corridors. Much of the area is about recycling items from Mumbai, including plastics, car parts, cardboard, etc. We saw a tannery for goat skins, people making luggage and clothing. Everything was happening in tiny quarters and not great conditions. The shops and workshops were on the ground level with very rustic housing above, up steep ladders. There are some photos of the wiring, which would never be allowed in Canada.
Our guide flagged down another taxi and we toured the city some more, ending up at street market and the Gateway to India (a large arched building on the water).
In summary, Mumbai was very interesting to see but we wouldn’t want to live there!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/62K7TNg4CXLbZWEd6
Muscat, Oman (Dec 10)
Today we did a Hop On, Hop Off Bus Tour. The first stop was a Souk, which is a market made up of a maze of stalls, selling all kinds of stuff. They are known for Frankincense, which is a hardened sap of a tree. The city is built in the valleys of very rugged hills & mountains. We toured around for about 2-3 hrs visiting various sites. Muscat is a beautiful city, there is a huge statue of an incense burner, lit up at night in changing colours that we saw when we were leaving the harbour.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/c8vsj9VuoKveT4TT9
Fujairah, U.A.E. (Dec 9)
We shared a taxi with another couple and did a 45 min drive to the Friday Market, which is apparently open every day of the week, not just Friday! Some of the pictures show the fruit, veggies and various wares that were sold there. The taxi then took us to the Al-Badiyah Mosque, which we weren’t able to enter as it was Friday, a religious day. The taxi driver was super nice and very informative, it was like a private guided tour. We took us around various sites, including a stop at a Fort.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7jzuWfv41F8c2qLq9
Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. (Dec 8)
We took a taxi to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque today. It was stressful because we decided to just take a credit card. When we got there (30-minute trip) the cab driver informed us that he did not take credit card. The ride was 53 Dirham. It was a panicky moment until Rene remembered he had 50 Dirham with him which the driver accepted. We made sure the cab back took credit cards. Anyway, the Mosque was spectacular. Nancy had to wear a head scarf and long sleeve covering and pants. I had to wear long pants. It was the only outing we did today.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UQrqogAUhoKd8xJ27
Dubai, U.A.E. (Dec 4-7)
Dubai is a modern, bustling, clean city with cheap transportation. As an example, the 35-minute taxi from the airport was $40.
To get to venues Nancy and I used the metro, $8 per day unlimited.
We visited, the tallest building in the world going up to the 125th observation deck.
The largest mall in the world Dubai mall, the museum of the future, The Emirates mall that contains an artificial ski hill that includes a luge track and other winter sports.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mNShS6SuvfVQr8ZL9