A West Africa Voyage: Wildlife, National Parks & Human History

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

Cruise Line Terms and Conditions of Carriage Road Scholar participants enrolling in this program are subject to Variety Cruise Line’s terms and conditions of carriage, which include an assumption of risk agreement, waiver of liability, and other important information regarding your rights and obligations. Participants are therefore encouraged to carefully review them in advance of the program. You may view Variety Cruise's terms & conditions by visiting the below link: varietycruises-usa.com/terms-conditions/ ITINERARY NOTE: All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary. Sea conditions affect the progress of the ship, making it run late and sometimes miss ports because it is not safe to dock. Because of this, the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. The operators reserve the right to change the content of excursions without prior notice. The time available in each port is set by the cruise line. This may mean that free time in port is limited. Regardless of the time in port, Road Scholar delivers a robust educational program.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

Gambia

• Your passport must have 1 blank passport page(s) for entry/exit visas in this country.

• A travel visa is required and it may be obtained upon arrival.

• The cost of this visa is not included in the cost of your trip.

• You’ll receive detailed information about your required entry documents in the information packet we send after you enroll.

Please note: In Gambia, participants will be under a special visa agreement for the whole ship, which is different from the visa that visitors arriving by air would receive. This process will be handled by ship staff for all participants, and a visa fee of €110 per person will be charged to your shipboard account.

Senegal

• Your passport must have 1 blank passport page(s) for entry/exit visas in this country.

• A travel visa is not required

• The cost of this visa is not included in the cost of your trip.

Please note: visa is not required when in transit with the ship.

The CDC recommends taking the below precautions for travel to Senegal & Gambia: Malaria- prescription medicine recommended. Depending on the medicine prescribed, some need to be taken days before the program as well as during and after the program. Typhoid- recommended for those visiting smaller cities or rural areas Yellow Fever- recommended, but not required Chikungunya- there has been evidence of this in The Gambia, Cikungunya vaccination may be considered for people aged 65 years or older, especially those with underlying medical conditions who may spend at least 2 weeks in indoor or outdoor areas where mosquitoes are present Please speak with your doctor or go to a travel clinic for advice related to these recommendations from the CDC.

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on January 22, 2027

Meet the group at Noom Hotel Dakar Sea Plaza in Dakar

Start of Trip:  3:00 p.m. hotel check-in, Welcome Dinner

Getting to the site: Road Scholar no longer offers complimentary transfers to participants with “Program Only” Status. However, the arrival transfer on this program is an exception to that policy due to the complicated nature of transfers in West Africa. The group arrival transfer time will be shared via email closer to the program's start date. Transfer times will vary from departure to departure. There is no guarantee that the transfer schedule will coincide with independently booked flights. If you have booked your flights independently and you are arriving on the program start date (January 21st), please e-mail us at rsadventuresafloat@roadscholar.org to let us know your flight details so that we can accommodate you in one of our transfers

Getting to the site by train or bus: public transportation is not recommended

Your trip ends on: Sunday, January 31, 2027 in Dakar at Noom Hotel Dakar Sea Plaza

End of Trip: Hotel Check Out 12:00 p.m.

Getting to the airport: Road Scholar no longer offers complimentary transfers to participants with “Program Only” Status. However, the departure transfer on this program is an exception to that policy due to the complicated nature of transfers in West Africa. The group departure transfer time will be announced by your Group Leader during the program. Transfer times will vary from departure to departure. There is no guarantee that the transfer schedule will coincide with independently booked flights. If you have booked your flights independently and you are departing on the program end date (January 31st), please e-mail us at rsadventuresafloat@roadscholar.org to let us know your flight details so that we can accommodate you in one of our transfers

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Road Scholar no longer offers complimentary transfers to participants with “Program Only” Status. However, the departure transfer on this program is an exception to that policy due to the complicated nature of transfers in West Africa. If you have booked your flights independently and you are arriving on the program start date (January 21st) or departing on the program end date (January 31st), please e-mail us at rsadventuresafloat@roadscholar.org to let us know your flight details so that we can accommodate you in one of our transfers. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.