Lovers of luxury as well as lovers of ports filled with wonder and delight will enjoy services offered by cruise ships that sail up Africa's eastern shores.

By Janice Wald Henderson

I'm the Cowardly Lion of the travel world. I'm terrified of bugs and reptiles and I despise dirt. On the other hand, my husband lives for white-water rafting and jumping out of planes. When planning our annual vacation, what saved us from divorce court this year was a 15-day South African sailing offered by Silversea Cruises.

We could stalk lions by day and nibble (ITAL) foie gras (uqTAL) at night. We would shower with Bvlgari (cq) toiletries and sleep on Frette sheets, yet we could stroll exotic markets hawking witch doctor potions. We decided that this 296-passenger Silver Wind (one of two luxury vessels operated by Silversea) cruise was a compromise from heaven, our proverbial cup of tea.

First, of course, we flew in from Los Angeles to Cape Town prior to sailing. Before we set sail from Cape Town, we toured the city. Cape Town doesn't look African. It resembles San Francisco; the city center is sandwiched between majestic (more than 3,500-feet-tall) Table Mountain and the sparkling blue Table Bay. Drive some 15 minutes, though, and the landscape enchants with 18th century Cape Dutch manors, estate wineries and white-sand beaches framed by craggy mountain cliffs.

There's much to do in Cape Town, from taking a cable car ride to the Table Mountain summit (reserve ahead to avoid a lengthy wait), to visiting museums such as the South African Cultural Museum, offering an excellent overview of South Africa's early settler history.

Cape Town is also home to world-class hotels (such as Mount Nelson), shopping centers and sophisticated restaurants. St. George's Mall, a pedestrian promenade lined with vendors hawking arts and crafts from all over Africa, is one of the more exotic sights. It's a great place to rub shoulders with friendly locals, and buy souvenirs if you bargain like crazy.

As for dining, we skipped hotel restaurants for more atmospheric establishments like Floris Smit Huijs (55 Church St., Cape Town, tel. 021 23 3414). Housed in a restored 18th century townhouse, this trendy eatery offered an eclectic Asian-, African-, European- and Malay-influenced menu.

When we were about to board the Silver Wind, we ran into a snag. The ship was anchored up the coast in Durban because a storm was brewing. Taking quick action, Silversea chartered a plane to fly us to Durban and then we would backtrack to the ports we missed.

It was dreary and rainy when we arrived in Durban, but the sight of the ship made this luxury-lover grin. The 16,800-ton Silver Wind resembled some billionaire's oversized yacht, all clean lines and elegant curves. The indulgence began the moment we boarded. Senior crew members lined up to greet us, while white-gloved attendants offered crystal flutes of Champagne.

There are no cabins aboard Silversea Cruises. Instead, guests reside in suites; more than 75 percent feature private verandas. When we entered our suite, my husband let out a loud whistle. For once, our accommodations looked larger in real life than in a travel brochure. I never even filled all the drawers, and I don't pack light. The bathroom (usually an abomination on a cruise ship) was lavishly accented with marble and filled with Bvlgari bath amenities.

While I take to indulgence like a kitten to cream, I like privacy even more. So I flipped for this cruise line's low-key philosophy, translating to camaraderie only if we wanted it.

The single-seating dining room allowed us to dine at will, with other passengers or alone. But after a busy day exploring a port, we often supped in our suite, with meals served course by course by an attendant who pampered us.

Sometimes we took in a show or cabaret; usually we watched in-room movies. We spent hours buried in books on our private teak veranda. No cruise director ever got in our faces; the Silver Wind activities director was uncanny in sensing who wanted to remain low-profile and who wanted to party hardy.

And, oh, the ports we visited. Durban, located in the KwaZulu-Natal province, sparkled with exotica. South Africa's third largest city, Durban has a large Indian population that greatly contributes to the city's ambience. Unlike Cape Town, with its Mediterranean/San Francisco nuances, and Johannesburg, with its Los Angeles-like suburbs, Durban has a true African pulse, an almost hypnotic beat punctuated by the mingling of the Zulu, Indian and white residents, a rarity in South Africa.

In Durban, the Indian District markets (a short taxi ride from the port) were a thrill a minute. At Victoria Street Market, for example, vendors shouted greetings, trying to lure us into shops with wares like goat and sheep heads stacked in neat rows. Women, their hair wrapped in colorful scarves, balanced woven shopping baskets on their heads.

An African herbal store, teeming with powders, liquids and mixtures I couldn't identify, intrigued me most. Nearby, a ``medicine man'' street vendor hawked rat and skunk skins among other exotic ``ingredients.''

The Indian spice shops put their bottled competitors to shame. Cumin, coriander, turmeric and other freshly ground condiments were mounded in giant cone-shaped heaps. Their aromas were so powerful that it was actually difficult to breathe. A beautiful Indian woman mixed me a custom curry blend. Its scent was so strong that I had to seal the mixture in four layers of plastic bags to keep my suite from smelling like a curry factory.

Durban's African Art Centre was a real shopping find. This nonprofit shop sold high-quality Zulu beadwork, ceramics, wire baskets and wood sculptures. When I left, my arms were laden with intricately woven bead bracelets and necklaces.

Further up South Africa's eastern shore lies Richards Bay, home to some of the country's greatest natural treasures. The ship offered a myriad of shore excursions to such nearby wonders as the Hluhluwe (pronounced shoosh-louie) Umfolozi Game Reserve in Zululand.

Our outing to Hluhluwe Umfolozi was unforgettable. To reach the reserve, we drove down eucalyptus tree-lined roads dotted with thatched huts. Along the roads, locals were selling pineapples, woven baskets and haunches of meat which hung from the trees.

At the park, we transferred to 10-passenger open Land Rovers. We bounced on bumpy dirt roads, getting up-close-and-personal with zebra, wildebeest, wart hogs, lions and nyala. A giraffe towered over us by the edge of a trail, eyeing our car with utmost curiosity.

The cacophony of sounds in the bush was overwhelming. Some calls were so loud that we had to shout to be heard. Trills, tweets, hoots and cries; different pitches from different insects, amphibians and animals. Like Alice through the Looking Glass, I felt as if I had fallen into the Discovery Channel and I was dizzy with glee.

Soon after that outing, the Silver Wind veered away from South Africa's coast to Madagascar, the world's fourth largest island. In such an exceptionally poor, underdeveloped country, I was struck by the warmth of the Malagasy people and their eagerness to make visitors feel welcome. Despite meager shopping options, I managed to buy delicate hand-stitched tablecloths and primitively carved wooden trays.

The Berenty Reserve for lemurs, a Silversea excursion from Fort Dauphin, was a Madagascar highlight. Getting there was a struggle as the roads needed much repair. Still, the countryside vistas -- enveloping rugged mountain peaks, the bush and a forest -- made the arduous, bumpy trip worthwhile. The family-owned reserve includes some 247 acres of protected forest, much of it home to lemurs, as well as fruit bats (which we, thankfully, did not see) and many species of birds. After a folkloric dance by a local tribe, we walked about 45 minutes on forest trails to view the lemurs up close. The ring-tails were particularly brazen; brave visitors (not me) offered bananas to the critters, who promptly jumped on the tourists' shoulders and gobbled up the fruit.

The French island of Reunion, east of Madagascar, is more fortunate than its neighbor. In fact, it's paradise. Reunion looks like Tahiti's twin, with jagged mountain cliffs, lush foliage and white-sand beaches. Our taxi driver proudly reported that the African, Caucasian and Asian races live here in harmony. The French and Creole cuisine, highlighting fresh seafood, was awesome. I was even able to buy Madagascar vanilla beans here -- something I couldn't do in Madagascar.

Our last stop was Mahe, the largest island in the Seychelles archipelago, home to 68 spectacular white-sand beaches. Like Reunion residents, people here are also a fusion of Europeans, Asians and Africans. Besides snorkeling in perhaps the world's most pristine water, another highlight was visiting the (ITAL) coco de mer (uqTAL) (double coconut) trees, the Seychelles' claim to fame.

I arrived home a different person. For the better, I like to think. Going to Africa got in my blood. The exotic rhythms, the distinctive beats. Encountering wildlife in its natural environment and seeing an unspoiled ecosystem at work somehow put the order of this crazy planet back into perspective. I'm happy a coward like me found a cushy haven from which to explore the world.

I might even do it again.

INCIDENTAL INTELLIGENCE

In 2000, Silversea Cruises plans to offer six sailings around Africa. They include: a 16-day cruise from Cape Town, South Africa, to Mombasa, Kenya; a six-day sail from Cape Town to Durban, South Africa; ten days on the water from Durban to Mombasa; a 16-day sail from Mombasa to Athens, Greece; a 10-day cruise from Mombasa to Safaga, Egypt; and six days on the water from Safaga to Athens. The price range for the Vista suite varies from $5,295 to $12,795, depending on the cruise.

Four- and five-night, pre- and post-cruise safaris are also offered. All-inclusive fares feature ocean-view suite accommodations; round-trip economy air transportation; deluxe pre-cruise hotel accommodations; all beverages including wines and spirits; all gratuities; all port charges, transfers and porterages; a special shoreside event on select sailings.

In keeping with government-issued worldwide alerts, Silversea Cruises is taking all precautions, increasing security and vigilance for all land-related activities.

(Janice Wald Henderson lives outside Los Angeles, Calif.)

(c) 1998, Janice Wald Henderson. Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate.