Sometimes the desire to ‘get away from it all’ really does take you places, and my latest travels were no exception.
I boarded a luxury Silversea Expedition Cruise in Puerto Williams, Chile, bound for some of the most remote islands in the world, with a sense of adventure that only comes from heading off somewhere you’ve never been before. The 22-day transoceanic voyage aboard the luxury expedition ship Silver Wind took me to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha, through the southern Atlantic to the shores of Africa. I have to say, it was my kind of adventure!
Puerto Williams claims to be the southernmost city in the world (as does Ushuaia in Argentina!). Wild and windswept, Puerto Williams offers a more homely, small town feel than the larger, bustling, Ushuaia. We settled into our luxury cabins and cast away for our first port of call, New Island. To the west of the Falklands, this island offers sweeping landscapes and crowds of delightful rockhopper penguins, along with battlefields and memorials of the 1982 British clash with Argentina.
On West Point Island I came across a shipwreck on the beach. Built as a minesweeper in 1942, this vessel worked UK waters before being taken to the Falklands after the war to hunt seals. It was damaged and bought by a local farmer as a ‘do up’, but it was in a worse state than he had hoped so he just beached it …and there it lies. All this history from the wildlife warden who spends the summer on West Point. She comes from Mairangi Bay in Auckland!
On to East Falkland Island, and Port Stanley, capital of the Falklands. You are immediately struck by the Englishness of Stanley, with its English-style pub, a fish ’n ’chip shop and statue of Margaret Thatcher overlooking the memorial to those lost in the Falklands War. Here we encountered thousands and thousands of penguins, quite unperturbed by our presence – a truly unforgettable experience.
Another day at sea, and we arrive at the wildlife mecca of South Georgia, welcomed by a cacophony of birds, boisterous elephant seals and crowds of king penguins as far as the eye can see. South Georgia also boasts historical links with Ernest Shackleton, as his Endurance crew were saved when he reached these shores in 1916.
At the very isolated Shag Rocks, a small group of tiny islets rising from the sea floor providing incredibly rich feeding grounds for marine animals, I enjoyed one of the great spectacles of my life. To marvel at around 15 Blue and Fin whales, the largest two species of whales on earth, feeding around the ship is a memory I shall never forget. In the still air you could clearly hear them ‘blowing’ and sending small geysers of water rising as the blew. A true ‘David Attenborough’ moment.
You know you’re going somewhere very special when another four days at sea are in order. Not a hardship aboard a Silversea cruise of course, with the 24-hour gourmet dining and bar options, butler service and superb entertainment on offer. I particularly enjoyed the lectures given twice a day about the islands we were visiting, which lent a fascinating insight into their wildlife and history.
We arrived relaxed and ready-to-go in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, an overseas territory of the UK and somewhere I’d always wanted to visit. Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world. As there is no airstrip on the main island, the only way in is by ship, a mere six-day journey from South Africa. Other islands in the group are Nightingale, Inaccessible and Gough Islands. Set within a vast Marine Protection Zone, you’ll find here a plethora of seabirds, including some found only on these islands. Marine life includes several species of whales, dolphins and fur seals.
As for human life, Tristan da Cunha is home to just 250 hardy permanent residents. They speak perfect English, but it was fascinating to hear them talk amongst themselves, using a local island language unlike anything I have ever heard. Uniquely, all resident families farm the land, all of which is communally owned. The only other industry is fishing for the enormous lobsters the island is famous for, and tourism from the handful of expedition ships that stop by each year. I even played a few holes of golf at the world’s most remote golf course, and as a result became a life member of the Tristan da Cunha Golf Club.
Another stint at sea served to remind us of the remoteness of where we’ve just been, and we arrived in Walvis Bay, Namibia on the Atlantic coast of southern Africa. There are wonderful wildlife watching opportunities here too, but we were drawn into the endless sands of the Namib Desert to the extraordinary andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. In a setting equally serene and dramatic, this luxury lodge harnesses the energy of its extreme environment, using the power of the sun to provide all the modern comforts of a luxury lodge. All suites include a skylight above your bed, taking advantage of the region’s Dark Sky Reserve status – the sheer number of stars visible here is simply dazzling.
The incomparable Sossusvlei Dunes are the major drawcard of the area. Towering orange-sand dunes, ancient dry riverbeds with petrified trees, and desert-adapted wildlife make this a photographer’s dream – the shifting sun casting ever-changing, almost sculptural, shadows on the dunes.
Silversea are running this cruise again in 2025 and in 2026, but ending in Cape Town. If you too are in search of adventure, but are also partial to a touch of luxury, I simply cannot recommend this cruise highly enough. Dramatic, remote and so far off the beaten track, it really is a rare privilege to have experienced these destinations. I also personally recommend you extend your time in Africa at cruise’s end as we did – whether that be to the dunes of Namibia, or perhaps a luxury safari in South Africa, or (my favourite), Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
Inspiration for African extensions…
Sossusvlei in Style – staying at the extraordinary andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
Rovos Rail, Cape Town to Pretoria – a luxury rail journey aboard Rovos Rail, with all the comfort and style en route
andBeyond Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve – the most prestigious game reserve in South Africa, famed for its incredible leopard sightings!
Botswana with Victoria Falls – experience thrilling wildlife encounters in Chobe, Savute and the Okavango Delta, plus the iconic spectacle of Victoria Falls
