Day 13, West Africa Cruise – Principe

Our day in Principe was perhaps the most atypical stop we’ve had, or will have, on our entire trip. Rather than going out to visit sites or meet local people, today was devoted to rest and relaxation. G Adventures rented several cabins for the day at the Bom Bom Resort on the northern point of …

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Day 12, West Africa Cruise – Sao Tome

Latitude: 0° 20.9204’ N Longitude: 6° 45.7471’ E On day 12, the G Expedition pulled into the tiny island of Sao Tome. I’ve spoken previously about the poor conditions and lack of a tourist infrastructure we found in Angola and Congo. On paper, Sao Tome is poorer than either of those two countries (primarily because …

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Day 11, West Africa Cruise – At Sea, Off the Coast of Gabon

Latitude: 0° 54.7307’ S Longitude: 7° 46.5771’ E I should probably spend a bit of time talking about the internet and communications because I know many people have questions about it. The internet connection aboard the Expedition isn’t great and it isn’t cheap. I can’t complain about it too much however, as I am still …

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Day 10, West Africa Cruise – Point Noire, Republic of Congo

Latitude: 4° 37.0843’ S Longitude: 11° 51.5024’ E The benefit of traveling by ship is that you can explore 70% of the Earth’s surface. The downside is that you are limited to only exploring places on land which are near the sea. I don’t this is effect more pronounced than in the Republic of Congo. …

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Day 8, West Africa Cruise – Lobito/Benguela, Angola

Latitude: 12° 19.6046’ S Longitude: 13° 34.6452’ E I wasn’t sure what to expect in Angola. Angola has a horrible reputation amongst travelers. It is one of the most difficult and expensive countries in the world for which to get a visa. Simple, non-luxury hotel rooms can run $500/night. Meals and other services for travelers …

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Day 7, West Africa Cruise – At Sea, Off the Southern Coast of Angola

Latitude: 13° 21.6551’ S Longitude: 12° 20.2529’ E Thoughts On the Map of Africa The map of Africa is one of the most nonsensical and artificial things on Earth. With the exception of the recent border between Sudan and South Sudan, every one of the lines on the map was drawn by European powers without …

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Day 6, West Africa Cruise – At Sea, Off the Coast of Northern Namibia

Latitude: 17° 46.8330’ S Longitude: 11° 31.5789’ E The next stop for the G Expedition is Angola, which is the first real country we visit which will require visas for everyone. Traveling to West Africa with a boat full of people from multiple countries is a giant immigration nightmare. Most of the countries we will …

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