Pharaohs and Prophets

Muscat to Alexandria

Join Smithsonian Journeys Guest Speaker Jennifer Neils and Special Guest Lecturer Richard Bangs on this voyage.

The voyage is filled with ancient wonders, exotic scents, and a modern-day miracle. In Oman, you’ll visit the Salalah Frankincense Museum and the tomb of Job, sacred to all three Abrahamic faiths. Stop in Eritrea, with its evocative Ottoman architecture. Visit the tombs of the pharaohs in Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. And explore the rose-hued ruins of Petra, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, before transiting the Suez Canal.

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Muscat, Oman
Arrive in Muscat, Oman and check into your included hotel. Muscat is a thriving port and the capital of Oman. It’s been an important trading center since ancient times when fish, mother of pearl and dates were its most important exports. Over the course of its history, Muscat has been ruled by competing Arab tribes, the Persians, the Portuguese and the Turks. In the late 18th century, the Al Bu Sa’id dynasty rose to power and has ruled here ever since. Today, Muscat is an amazingly diverse place, where the cultural influences of its former occupiers can still be seen.

Day 2 - Muscat, Oman
This morning is at your leisure, so you can relax with a quiet breakfast at the hotel or you might want to wander over to the Mutrah souk, which is often described as the best in the Gulf region. In this labyrinthine open-air market, you can purchase jewelry, traditional Omani handicrafts and Omani food at very reasonable prices. Several shops even accept credit cards. Prior to embarkation, you’ll enjoy a highlight tour of Muscat en route to the ship.

Day 3 - Sur, Oman
Today we are in Sur, a maritime center once vital in the East-African trade and still renowned for dhow building. (A dhow is a traditional Arab sailing vessel with one or more lateen sails.)

Oman is a haven for rare sea turtles and the beaches around Sur are home to their nesting grounds which we hope to visit - endangered Green, Loggerhead, Olive Ridley and Hawksbill turtles can be found. It’s a good day to pack your camera and binoculars! (Zodiac landing or touring)

Day 4 - At Sea
Enjoy a relaxing day on the water as we head west through the Arabian Sea toward the Gulf of Aden.

Day 5 - Salalah, Oman
Welcome to Salalah, the capital of the southern Oman province of Dhofar. Salalah is, quite literally, a royal city, since it is the birthplace of the Sultan, Qaboos bin Said, ruler of Oman. This rich, fertile land is the only region in the Gulf reached by the monsoons. The coastal area is carpeted with coconut groves, while thick stands of frankincense trees cover the nearby mountains. Once a center for the frankincense trade, Salalah is said to be the perfume capital of Arabia.

Days 6-8 - At Sea
During day 6, 7 and 8, we sail west through the Gulf of Aden, then north into the Red Sea as we travel to our first destination in Africa.

Day 9 - Massawa, Eritrea
Colonized by Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, Italy, Great Britain and Ethiopia, Eritrea finally won its independence in 1991. You begin your adventure here in Massawa, Eritrea’s Red Sea port, where there are many fine examples of Ottoman-style coral buildings.

Then we’re off to Asmara, the capital of Eritrea and its largest city. Once the seat of Italy’s African Empire, Asmara was so changed by the Italian occupation that it earned the nickname “Piccola Roma” or “Little Rome.” Its gracious avenues are lined with structures that reflect a wide variety of early-twentieth-century European architectural styles, including the art deco Cinema Impero, Cubist Africa Pension, the futurist Fiat Tagliero Building, the neo-Romanesque Roman Catholic Cathedral and numerous Italian colonial villas and mansions.

Day 10 - Dahlak Archipelago
Today we take out the Zodiac boats and head into the Dahlak Archipelago, encompassing two main islands and more than 200 smaller islands, most of them uninhabited. Not only are the islands themselves pristinely beautiful, they’re a birder’s paradise as they provide habitat for a large number of nesting birds. Keep on the lookout for terns, crab plovers, Eurasian spoonbill, lark, osprey and herons. Our Exploration Leaders will take us to the best viewing spots and possibly land the Zodiacs on a deserted island. (Zodiac landing or touring)

Days 11-12 - At Sea
During day 11 and 12, sit back and relax as your Exploration Leaders provide a detailed overview of ancient Egypt, a civilization that continues to fascinate after thousands of years. You’ll explore the religious beliefs that led to the construction of the pyramids. You’ll also learn about early agriculture and trade, the development of written language, and the lives of the pharaohs.

Day 13 - Safaga, Egypt
Today we arrive in Egypt and enter the port city of Safaga.

Safaga is also a good starting point for our next adventure as we embark on a drive to Luxor and the Valley of Kings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Luxor was once the ancient city of Thebes, the capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom and sacred to the god Amon-Ra. Here in this mysterious place on the Nile River, you’ll explore the ruins of the temple complexes of Luxor and Karnac. On the Nile’s West Bank, you’ll wander through the Valley of the Kings, where from the 16th- to 11th-century B.C., tombs were built for Egyptian royals, among them King Tutankhamun.

Day 14 - Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El Sheikh, a pleasant coastal town on the Red Sea, is a Mecca for vacationers. Its warm, clear waters and stunning underwater scenery are ideal for snorkeling. If you’d prefer to stay at sea level, there’s plenty to do there as well, including boating, canoeing, parasailing and wind surfing. (Zodiac landing or touring)

Day 15 - Aqaba, Jordan
We arrive at Aqaba on the southernmost tip of Jordan, the country’s only seaport and a popular beach and diving resort. Aqaba is a thoroughly modern city, but with a rich and storied past which you’ll experience today on our Ultimate Explorers Excursion to Petra.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Petra was constructed more than 2,100 years ago by the Nabateans under King Aretas IV. It is renowned for its rock-cut architecture and was once described as a “rose-red city half as old as time.” Your tour of Petra will take you to the Palace Tombs with their 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple façade carved into the face of the El-Deir Monastery. As the sun sets, we’ll return to Aqaba after our unforgettable encounter with the ancient world.

Day 16 - At Sea
The Spirit of Oceanus heads south through the Gulf of Aqaba, sailing round the tip of the Sinai Peninsula, then north toward the Suez Canal.

Day 17 - Port Suez / Canal Transit
Today you will transit the nearly 119-mile Suez Canal, sailing from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, the most direct water route between Asia and Europe. There are no locks; seawater flows freely through the canal.

The Suez Canal first opened in November 1869, after eleven years of construction. At the present time, more than 8% of the world’s shipping traffic passes through this “line in the sand,” which is owned and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Day 18 - At Sea
Now in Mediterranean waters, you can spend your day enjoying the sunshine and the passing scenery, while participating in today’s onboard enrichment programs.

Day 19 - Alexandria, Egypt
Having reached the end of an eventful voyage, you arrive in Alexandria, Egypt, where you will either disembark or continue your journey with the next voyage.

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