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Wade Davis has spent his life following the threads of culture, story and human connection. What began as a childhood fascination with the world across the street became a career spent traveling into remote communities, listening deeply and sharing what he found with audiences around the globe. From his years as Explorer-in-Residence at National Geographic to his time teaching thousands of young students, Wade has carried one mission: to reveal the beauty, resilience and brilliance of human cultures. On Swan Hellenic voyages, he brings that spirit to sea. Read on as Wade reflects on serendipit...

Atlantic Africa brings together land, sea, and people in ways that feel both natural and surprising. Traveling along the coastline means encountering deep history alongside everyday modern life, from places connected to humanity’s earliest past to cities shaped by long-standing global links. Deserts give way to rainforests, the influence of ancient kingdoms still shapes daily life, and hundreds of cultures continue to inform how communities live, speak, trade, and celebrate. It is this easy layering of geography, history, and culture that makes Atlantic Africa one of the most varied and engagi...

From an early age, Philip K. Allan found himself captivated by the sea – its characters, its histories and the worlds it has carried across the centuries. What began with sailing on the Atlantic coast of France and discovering the novelists C. S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian gradually became something deeper – a fascination with the sea as both a setting and a character, and a world he would go on to explore through fiction, research and storytelling.There is a distinct calm and clarity in the way Philip talks about the sea. It threads through his work, shaping the historical worlds he recrea...

An Antarctica expedition cruise offers an extraordinary journey unlike any other. It’s a chance to explore the planet’s most remote and pristine wilderness in unparalleled comfort. For travelers craving adventure wrapped in luxury, this is the ultimate escape. From breathtaking landscapes to up-close wildlife encounters, an expedition cruise to Antarctica promises memories that last a lifetime.What Is an Antarctica Expedition Cruise?Antarctica expedition cruises are specialized voyages designed to take travelers deep into the icy wilderness of the southernmost continent. Unlike typical cruises...

You glide through icy waters, crisp Antarctic air filling your lungs as towering glaciers rumble in the distance. Sound like a dream? If you're drawn to Earth’s last great wilderness and wondering which Swan Hellenic cruise to choose, you’re in the right place. This guide brings together all of our Antarctic itineraries, helping you pick the perfect voyage - whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned adventurer.Antarctica: A Wilderness Like No OtherAntarctica is a land of extremes - majestic, remote, and profoundly moving. From surreal icebergs to bustling penguin colonies, from the thrill of ...

Few places on Earth inspire such awe as the Pacific coastline of South America. Here, glaciers tumble from mountains into fjords untouched by time. Further north, deserts stretch beneath skies so clear that the universe itself feels within reach. To sail this coast with Swan Hellenic aboard the boutique expedition ship SH Vega is to experience a rare combination of comfort and discovery.Welcome to the wild beauty of PatagoniaYour journey begins in Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, known as the "end of the world." Here, colorful houses cascade toward the Beagle Channel, framed by the snow...

To travel with Jacqueline Windh is to see the Pacific with new eyes. A geologist, author, paddler, and expedition lecturer with Swan Hellenic, she shares not just knowledge but a way of seeing – where islands are alive, the ocean is a connector, and travel becomes something more profound. From solo kayak journeys to standing on the bow of a ship, reading the shape of volcanic islands, Jacqueline has dedicated her life to understanding the sea and the cultures that depend on it. Here, she reflects on wayfinding, oral traditions, and the wonder of travel.Quote: "The ocean connects rather than di...

Captain Frank Allica’s life charts a course across the world’s oceans. From his teenage years patrolling Southeast Asian waters with the Royal Australian Navy to commanding expedition vessels across Antarctica and the Pacific, his stories span half a century. Few people have lived the sea as deeply; from naval service in Vietnam to sailing the Endeavour replica, Frank’s experiences have shaped a career defined by discovery, curiosity and exploration. A lifetime under open skies, Frank now joins Swan Hellenic as a guest lecturer, reflecting on the journeys that continue to inspire him."When I r...