Wrought-iron balconies around Cape Town’s older streets, Dutch gables set against regimented vines promising another fine crop of Cape wines spur us on to more South African pleasures – East London’s Bonza Bay, Durban’s Golden Mile and the pink flamingos that perch around Richards Bay. Languid beaches in Mozambique follow, fragrant frangipani around Nosy Be where sugars turn to rum, rides on Tamarind dhows off the shores of Mombasa. An extended pause invites adventure on a choice of optional safaris before Discovery resumes her trail, exploring Praslin’s garden of Eden strewn with coco de mer palms. Red Sea and Indian Ocean meet around Aden, Yemeni citadels reveal a timeless world, Amun and Ra deities look out over the Nile from Luxor’s glowing granite walls. Completing this eclectic journey is a Syrian visit to Saladin’s Castle and a host of Turkish delights that draw us through the historic Dardanelles to Istanbul.