The Goldring Travel 2025 Culinary & Cultural Journey started with a fantastic custom Botswana safari,
- Goldring Travel’s 2025 Culinary & Cultural Journey – Botswana Safari & Expedition Sailing the West Coast of Africa (Ambercrombie & Kent + Silversea Silver Wind)- Part II – Botswana I
- Goldring Travel’s 2025 Culinary & Cultural Journey – Botswana Safari & Expedition Sailing the West Coast of Africa (Ambercrombie & Kent + Silversea Silver Wind)- Part III – Botswana II
and now it was time to transition to a 19-Day Silversea Expedition on the Silver Wind sailing up the west coast of Africa calling on a variety of ports in South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome & Principe, Togo and Ghana.
A preface: When I decided to make this a Culinary & Cultural Journey, Silversea had not yet determined what the on-land experiences would be, not having had a similar voyage in many years, if ever. With my confidence in the Silversea Expedition team I felt the risk would be worth the reward, especially when the uniqueness of the itinerary was taken into account.
As the Silversea experiences developed (at least on paper) I saw a a wonderful balance between landscapes, wildlife, and culture, but I also was getting the sense that the normal Goldring Travel “figure it out a great event on the fly” or even in advance wasn’t going to be quite so easy because of concerns over both health and safety started to come into focus. (A current cholera outbreak in Angola – while not a real threat – certainly underscored that my concern was legitimate…with a number of guests opting to miss a planned Silversea lunch.)
Once this journey commenced, it became clear that this is not really a Silversea “Expedition”, but rather what I shall call a Silversea “Adventure” Cruise. That’s right: A cruise with a delivery of typical shore excursions, albeit some with a bit of flare. Heck, the fact is that other than Goldring Travel’s clients, the majority of the Silversea guests are loyal, older, and very well-traveled; making this a cruise for those who have “been everywhere else”.
OK, now onto the cruise! I am staying in a Classic Veranda Suite on Deck 7 of the intimate Silver Wind, which celebrated her 30th anniversary just before we boarded. She is very well maintained and, while she doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of modern cruise ships, she is definitely at the higher end of expedition ships when it comes to amenities and comfort. By that I mean Silver Wind is an open bar, included gratuities, four restaurants, three bars, butler-served, experience when most expedition ships are one or two restaurants, a single small bar, and everything else being ala carte.
My first outing was a Hike in the West Coast National Park in Saldanha, South Africa. After spending over a week sitting in planes, safari vehicles, and then a tour van, it was good to get out and stretch my legs. It was basically a 4+ mile easy hike on a trail to a high point, then down to the beach, and back to the bus. Not exactly what I expected of an expedition hike, but as an adventure cruise it delivered.
The highlights for me was seeing a Bontebok (a previously unknown to me species of antelope) and a Black Oystercatcher (something to add to my birder’s life list.)
And then, after a wonderful Italian dinner at La Terrazza, something special: A day off! Yes, that’s right, we had a sea day. No travel, no safari, no tour, no hike. Rest. Ahhhh. Honestly, it was hard to believe we had gone non-stop for so long, and only now was there a chance to reflect just a bit on all that we had experienced to date.
Finally, we were arriving in Namibia. I have wanted to visit Namibia for decades. My visions have been of sweeping sand dunes along the coast and the pans of Etosha (even though we wouldn’t be visiting the latter). However, I do have to say that my first experience was a bit underwhelming as Hiking the Luderitz Peninsula was little more than a beach walk and without much interaction from the expedition team. Fortunately for me, with my marine biology background, I was able to perform my own interpretive walk. But I wanted more than to see a single African penguin, a dead baby shark, and various detritus. However, keeping things in perspective, I was wandering along the Namibian coast, and who gets to do that?!
At the end of our walk, just past the lighthouse, was Skip Skop, a charming beachside shack, with beers and snacks served by the most endearing staff. It definitely put a smile on everyone’s faces!
Finally, we arrived at Walvis Bay, Namibia for an overnight stay. While the port is very commercial, it is a gateway to The Dunes and I couldn’t wait to get there…but I had to. The morning was a Seal Cruise on a catamaran to see the Cape Fur Seals. While the local guide spewed all sorts of incorrect information, and the Silversea expedition member was pretty uninvolved, the guide was incredibly amusing, as were the two African White Pelicans and the one Cape Fur Seal that invited themselves onboard with perfect timing.
Add some Namibian tea (aka some very potent sherry), a wonderful spread including lots of fresh oysters, beer, and sparkling wine, and you’ve pretty much had a fun party.
The evening brought the Marquee Dinner in the Dunes, which most of the ship went to. It was about an hour drive to Dorob National Park where we arrived just before sunset for champagne and oysters as guests climbed up the dunes.
This was followed by a beautiful dinner under a tent, complete with fire dancers, fire pits, and a buffet, which included delicious Gembok (another antelope). Some local singers were also quite good and got the crowd up dancing.
But I still wanted my time “in the sand”!
The next morning was the Sandwich Harbor excursion, which I heard was a lot of fun driving in the dunes. One downside was that some of the vehicles were quite narrow, and packing three people in the rear seat (especially when Silversea did not advise that people could be stuck in that dreaded position) was not acceptable. Fortunately, my girlfriend and I were able to avoid that issue and rode with the man they call Grandpa, who basically runs that show. He made it a memorable experience to be sure.
There was a moment when our group had stopped for lunch and had the requisite climb up a dune when I saw two jackals scurrying down a dune in the distance. Just beautiful.
On the other hand, on our drive back, we had some fun “dune busting”! Grandpa was clearly the group’s expert and made it just that little bit more exciting!
We saw a small herd of Springbok. I had thought from television that they were beautiful antelope. In reality, not so much. (But I did recall dining on Springbok at Nobu a few days earlier, and that looked amazing and was delicious!)
Photographs just don’t capture the size and beauty of the dunes. It is a definite you gotta be there to understand. Grandpa and I had quite a few conversations about how camping alone in the dunes would be amazing. Of course, he does it, and I need to come back to do it!
There is so much to see in Namibia and for me this short visit was just a taste. As I often say, when you are on a cruise, adventure cruise, or expedition, it gives you the opportunity to say, “I want to come back” or “That was enough”. For me, I need to see more of Namibia. More of the Dunes, Etosha, Okavango Delta, and more!
Next up: The Adventure Cruise continues!
