THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY
Jean-Bernard Carillet, Anthony Ham
Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles
p154Rodrigues
p175Réunion
p46MauritiusMadagascar
p270Seychelles
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Welcome to Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles . . . 4
Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles Map . . . . . . . . . .6
Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles’ Top 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Need to Know . . . . . . . . . .16
If You Like . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Month by Month . . . . . . . 20
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Diving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Hiking in Réunion . . . . . . 35
Islands at a Glance . . . . 43
MAURITIUS . . . . . . . . 46Port Louis . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Central Plateau . . . . . . . . 58Père Laval’s Shrine . . . . . . 58Pailles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Moka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Curepipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61The North . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Port Louis to Grand Baie . . 64Grand Baie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Pereybère . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Cap Malheureux . . . . . . . . . 81Grand Gaube . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Pamplemousses . . . . . . . . . 82The West . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Albion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Flic en Flac . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Tamarin & Black River (Rivière Noire) . . . . . . . . . . 92Black River Gorges National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 95Chamarel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96La Gaulette . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Le Morne Peninsula . . . . . 102The South & Southeast . . . . . . . . . . . 105Mahébourg . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Pointe d’Esny & Blue Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110South Coast . . . . . . . . . . . 114Southeast Mauritius . . . . 118The East . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120Trou d’Eau Douce . . . . . . . 120Île aux Cerfs . . . . . . . . . . . 125Belle Mare & Palmar . . . . 125Poste de Flacq & Poste Lafayette . . . . . . . 128Understand Mauritius . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Mauritius Today . . . . . . . . 128History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129The Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Food & Drink . . . . . . . . . . . 137Environment . . . . . . . . . . . 139Survival Guide . . . . . . . . 144
RODRIGUES . . . . . . 154Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159Sleeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Understand Rodrigues . . . . . . . . . . . . 165Rodrigues Today . . . . . . . . 165History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
RÉUNION . . . . . . . . . .175St-Denis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178The West . . . . . . . . . . . . 186St-Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186Les Hauts de St-Paul . . . . 188Le Maïdo & Around . . . . . 189Boucan Canot . . . . . . . . . . 190St-Gilles-les-Bains . . . . . . 191L’Hermitage-les-Bains . . . 195La Saline-les-Bains & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198St-Leu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200Le Tévelave . . . . . . . . . . . .204Étang-Salé-les-Bains . . . .205St-Louis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206Entre-Deux & Le Dimitile . . . . . . . . . . .206The Cirques . . . . . . . . . . 208Cirque de Cilaos . . . . . . . .209Cirque de Salazie . . . . . . . 217Cirque de Mafate . . . . . . . 222Les Hautes Plaines & the Piton de la Fournaise . . . . . . . . . . . . 223Plaine-des-Cafres & Bourg-Murat . . . . . . . . . . . 223
PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD
DH
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TORTOISE, CURIEUSE ISLAND (P299)
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BOTANICAL GARDENS (P83), PAMPLEMOUSSES
Contents
Piton de la Fournaise (The Volcano) . . . . . . . . . . 227Plaine-des-Palmistes . . . . 229St-Pierre . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230The Wild South . . . . . . . 235St-Pierre to St-Joseph . . . 236St-Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238St-Joseph to Grand Coude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239St-Joseph to St-Philippe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241St-Philippe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243Le Grand Brûlé . . . . . . . . . 245The East . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246Ste-Suzanne & Around . . 246St-André & Around . . . . . . 248Bras-Panon . . . . . . . . . . . .250St-Benoît & Around . . . . .250Ste-Anne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253Ste-Rose & Around . . . . . 253Understand Réunion . . 255Réunion Today . . . . . . . . . 255History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255The Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . 257Food & Drink . . . . . . . . . . . 259Environment . . . . . . . . . . . 261Survival Guide . . . . . . . . 263
SEYCHELLES . . . . . 270Mahé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273Ste Anne Marine National Park . . . . . . . . . . 279Beau Vallon & the North Coast . . . . . . . . . . . .280Morne Seychellois National Park . . . . . . . . . .284East Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . .284West Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . 288Praslin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292La Digue . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302Other Inner Islands . . . 310
Silhouette . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310Denis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311Bird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311Frégate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312Outer Islands . . . . . . . . 312Understand Seychelles . . . . . . . . . . . 313Seychelles Today . . . . . . . 313History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313The Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . 314Food & Drink . . . . . . . . . . . 315Environment . . . . . . . . . . . 316Survival Guide . . . . . . . . 318
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 329Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 351
SPECIAL FEATURES
Diving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Hiking in Réunion . . . . . 35
A Glimpse of Paradise . .167 Most gîtes offer Creole meals, which are
normally hearty, though a little rustic for some palates. The standard fare is carri poulet (chicken curry), boucané (smoked pork) or rougail saucisses, often with local wine or rhum arrangé (rum punch) thrown in. Breakfast usually consists of just a cup of coffee with biscottes (rusks) – or, if you’re lucky, bread – and jam.
If you plan to self-cater, you will need to bring plenty of carbohydrate-rich food. Note that only a few gîtes are equipped with cooking facilities; you are best off bringing a camping stove. Bear in mind that you are not allowed to light fires any-where in the forest areas. Some villages in the Cirques have shops where you can pur-chase a very limited variety of food.
Bookings Book your accommodation before ar-riving in Réunion, especially during the busiest months (July, August and around Christmas). At other times it’s best to book at least a couple of months in advance, particularly for popular places such as the gîtes at Caverne Dufour (for Piton des Neiges) and Piton de la Fournaise.
The gîtes de montagne are managed by the Centrale de Réservation – Île de la Réunion and must be booked and paid for in advance. This can be done through its website and at tourist offices. When you pay, you will receive a voucher to be given to the manager of the gîte where you will be staying. You must call the gîte to book your meals at least one day in advance; this can be done at the same time as the original booking if you’d rather, but meals still have to paid for on the spot.
For the privately owned gîtes things are less restrictive in terms of logistics; you can book directly through the gîte.
Best Multiday Hikes
The Haut Mafate What’s not to love in the Haut Mafate? Surrounded by ramparts, criss-crossed with gullies and studded with narrow ridges, Cirque de Mafate (p 222 ) is the wildest and the most remote of Réunion’s Cirques. The most scenic areas of the southern part of the Cirque can be com-pleted in a four-day loop that takes in the hamlets of La Nouvelle, Roche-Plate and Marla, which all have gîtes d’étape. There are various access points into the Haut Mafate, but the most convenient option is the Col des Bœufs car park, in the Cirque de Salazie. This loop can easily be com-bined with the Bas Mafate and Tour des Cirques.
Highlights include the forested Plaine des Tamarins, the deep valley of the Rivière des Galets, the waterfall at Trois Roches and the ruins of Maison Laclos, which is said to be the oldest dwelling in the Cirque. Of course, you’ll also enjoy phenomenal views.
IGN’s 1:25,000 topographic map 4402 RT covers the area.
The Haut Mafate Hike at a Glance Duration 4 days
Distance 20.4km
Difficulty moderate
Start/Finish Col des Bœufs car park
Nearest Town Grand Îlet
Tours & Guides Réunion’s hiking trails are well established and reasonably well signposted, but you may get more information about the envi-ronment you are walking through if you go with a local guide.
Fully qualified mountain guides can be contacted through the Centrale d’Information et de Réservation Régionale – Île de la Réunion Tourisme and local tour-ist offices. Rates are negotiable and vary according to the length and degree of dif-ficulty of the hike; an undemanding one-day outing should start at around €50 per person (minimum four people).
Allons Bat Carré (%0692 43 06 79; [email protected])
Aparksa Montagne (p 212 )
Austral Aventure (p 219 ) Kokapat Rando (%0692 69 94 14, 0262
33 30 14; www.kokapatrando-reunion.com) Réunion Mer et Montagne (%0692 83
38 68; www.reunionmeretmontagne.com) Réunion Randonnées (%0692 64 45 26;
www.reunion-randonnees.com)
Run Evasion (p 213 )
Sleeping & Eating Most of the accommodation for hikers con-sists of gîtes de montagne (mostly found in isolated locations on the trails themselves) or of privately run gîtes d’étape along the walking trails. Both offer dorm beds and meals. There’s often very little to separate the two types of gîte in terms of comfort or facilities. Almost all gîtes provide hot showers (they’re solar heated). A third op-tion consists of small, family-run chambres d’hôtes (mostly found in the villages at the ends of the hiking trails). Your choice of where to stay will most likely be based on where you can find a room. There are also a few hotels in Hell-Bourg and Cilaos for that last night of luxury (and central heat-ing) before you set out on your hike.
One night’s accommodation without food costs between €16 and €18. For half board, reckon on €40 per person.
You can also camp for free in some areas in the Cirques, but only for one night at a time. Setting up camp on Piton de la Four-naise (the volcano) is forbidden for obvious reasons.
The trail to Piton de la Fournaise (p227)
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Hikers in the Haut Mafate
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PLAN YO
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SURVIVAL GUIDE
Mauritius
Réunion
SSR
AirportInternational
Rodrigues(600km)
I N D I A N
O C E A N
Blue Bay
I N D I A N
O C E A N
Poste de Flacq
Pereybère
Triolet
Grand Gaube
Belle VueMaurel
Trou aux Biches
PORT LOUIS
Grand Baie
Belle Mare
VieuxGrand Port
Beau
Rose Hill
BassinQuartierMilitaire
Rose
Phoenix
Curepipe
Centrede Flacq
MontagneBlanche
Mahébourg
Rivière des
Souillac
Anguilles
Belle
Trou d'Eau Douce
St-Benoît
St-AndréBras-Panon
Ste-Suzanne
Quatre
Albion
VacoasTamarin
BornesFlic en Flac
CheminGrenier
Baie du Cap
La Gaulette
La Possession
St-Gilles- les-BainsSt-Paul
Le Port
ST-DENIS
Ste-Rose
Le Tampon
Entre-Deux
PalmistesPlaine-des-
St-Philippe
St-JosephGrandBois
Petite-Île
CilaosTrois Bassins
St-LouisLes Avirons
St-Leu
L'Hermitage-les-Bains
St-Pierre
Hell-Bourg
PierrefondsAirport
National Park
Black RiverGorges
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Piton de laFournaise(2632m)
(3069m)Piton des Neiges
20º00'S
58º00'E57º45'E57º30'E
20º30'S
20º15'S
57º15'E
21º00'S
20º45'S
57º00'E
56º00'E55º45'E55º30'E55º15'E55º00'E
21º30'S
21º15'S
Île Ronde
Coin de Mire
Îlot Gabriel
Île PlateNature Reserve
Île aux Serpents
Nature Reserve
Nature Reserve
Nature Reserve
Le MornePeninsula
InternationalRoland Garros
Airport
650m
0
150m
250m
500m
ELEVATION
2000m
200m
400m
0
1000m
ELEVATION
RodriguesGrand Baie
Blue Bay
Cirque de Mafate
Black River Gorges National Park
St-Denis
Piton de la Fournaise
St-Leu
A gem of an island (p154)Great nightlife andseafood restaurants (p70)
Snorkel the fantastic beaches ofSoutheastern Mauritius (p110)
Sensational hiking amidmemorable landscapes (p222)
watching (p95)Superb hiking and wildlife
heritage (p178)Revel in the city's architectural
A giant, rumbling volcano(p227)
Try paragliding (p201)
Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles00
20 km12 miles
12 miles20 km
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See Main MapInner Islands
Seychelles
I N D I A N
O C E A N
O C E A N
I N D I A N
VolbertAnse
Grand AnseBaie Ste Anne La Passe
La Passe
VICTORIAVallonBeau
National ParkCurieuse Marine
Ste Anne Marine
National Park
National ParkMorne Seychellois
National ParkBaie Ternay Marine
Port Launay Marine
National Park
4º15'S
4º30'S
55º45'E
4º45'S
55º15'E 55º30'E
Praslin
Bird IslandIslandDenis
IslandDesroches
GROUPCoétivy
Île Plate
Mahé
AMIRANTESGROUP
O U T E RI S L A N D S
ALPHONSE
Aride Island
Petite Sœur
Grande Sœur
Félicité Island
Marianne
La Digue
IslandFrégate
La FoucheIsland
RoundIsland
PraslinCousinIsland
CousineIsland
Curieuse
SD
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Íle Cocos
Providence
Atoll
AtollAtoll
IslandAstove Farquhar
IslandSt PierreAtoll
Aldabra
Island
Cosmolédo
Assomption
ALDABRA GROUP
RE
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RocksBrissare
IslandNorth
IslandSilhouette
FARQUHAR GROUP
Mamelles
Îlot FrégateÎle aux Récifs
Mahé
IslandSte Anne
Cerf Island
AirportInternationalSeychelles
500m
1000m
1500m
0
200m
ELEVATION
Denis
Vallée de MaiAnse Lazio
Morne Seychellois National Park
A fabulous hideaway (p311)
voluptuous nuts (p292)Trees with amazingly
(p293)A glorious white beach
wild side (p284)Discover Mahé's
250 miles400 km
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12 miles20 km
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p154Rodrigues
p175Réunion
p46MauritiusMadagascar
p270Seychelles
On the Road
Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use .
OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.
Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9838th edition – Dec 2013ISBN 978 1 74220 045 3© Lonely Planet 2013 Photographs © as indicated 201310 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved . No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher . Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries . Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels . Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet .com/ip .
OUR WRITERSJeanBernard CarilletCoordinating Author, Réunion, Seychelles Paris-based journalist and photographer Jean-Bernard has clocked up numerous trips to the Indian Ocean and written extensively about Réunion and the Seychelles. A diving instructor and a fan of all things outdoorsy, he never misses an opportunity to explore these islands in more depth. In Réunion he tackled paragliding, hiking, horse riding, diving and canyoning. In the Seychelles he examined every burg, shore and cove
while searching for the perfect beach, the best dinner buffet, the best-value hotels and the most sensational panoramas. As an incorrigible Frenchman and foodie, he confesses a pronounced penchant for the delicious Creole cuisine (hmm, those hearty curries). Jean-Bernard’s wanderlust has taken him to six continents, inspiring numerous articles and his writing of some 30 Lonely Planet guidebooks.
Jean-Bernard also wrote the Welcome to, Need to Know, Islands at a Glance, Diving, Hiking in Réunion, A Glimpse of Paradise and Health chapters.
Anthony HamMauritius, Rodrigues Anthony has spent much of his adult life writing and photo-graphing his way around the world, particularly Europe, the Middle East and all corners of Africa. His passions are wildlife, wilderness and wild places, and it was these that gave him particular pleasure in Mauritius (where he found himself
drawn to Île aux Aigrettes, Black River Gorges and the wild eastern coast) and deliciously remote Rodrigues. After 10 years living in Madrid he recently returned to Australia, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.
Anthony also wrote the Top 17, If You Like…, Month by Month and Itineraries chapters.
Read more about Anthony atlonelyplanet .com/members/anthony_ham
Start near the airport along the stunning sands of Pointe d’Esny. Snorkel through the sparkling azure lagoon at Blue Bay, eco-explore Île aux Aigrettes, then slip up to sleepy Mahébourg for the Monday market.
Drive north along the coast. Embrace the fisherman lifestyle in Trou d’Eau Douce then glide through the crystal lagoon to Île aux Cerfs. Pass through the endless acreage of sky-reaching sugarcane before emerging on the north coast to take in the views at Cap Malheureux. Hop on a catamaran bound for the scenic northern islands then treat yourself to a round of repasts in lively Grand Baie. From Grand Baie, a day trip loop could take in the botanical gardens and sugar factory at Pamplemousses and the lovely Chateau Labourdonnais in Mapou.
Emerge on the west coast for a spot of diving in Flic en Flac then base yourself around Black River. From here, there are plenty of exhilarating options to get the blood flowing: canyoning through the Black River Gorges National Park, biking in Chamarel or climbing the iconic Morne Brabant. Don’t miss a morning of dolphin-watching just off the coast of Tamarin.
Essential Mauritius
Blue Bay
LabourdonnaisChateau
Black River
Pamplemousses
Chamarel
DouceTrou d'Eau
Grand Baie
Mahébourg
PORT LOUIS
Tamarin
Flic en Flac
National ParkGorges
Black River
CerfsÎle aux
Île aux Aigrettes
ISLANDSTHE NORTHERN
Pointe d'Esny
Cap Malheureux
AirportInternational
SSR
BrabantMorne
Itineraries
2 WEEKS
22
Tour of Réunion
les-BainsSt-Gilles-
les-BainsL'Hermitage-
St-Joseph
Hell-Bourg
St-André
Ste-Rose
ST-DENIS
Cilaos
St-Pierre
FournaisePiton de la
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2 WEEKS
From sophisticated beach resorts to mountain villages, art galleries to volcanoes, two weeks is perfect to sample the variety Réunion has to offer. Get hooked on the hiking and you could easily fill a month. This tour covers around 400km.
Spend a day sampling St-Gilles-les-Bains. This is a classic Indian Ocean resort, with all the accompanying highs and lows. We prefer to focus on the former – white sands, good surfing for beginners, diving and snorkelling and some pretty rowdy nightlife. The best beach to recover from it all is L’Hermitage-les-Bains. Allow three days to make the most of the area’s botanical gardens, museums and water sports.
Head next to the Cirque de Cilaos, where you should allow at least two days to soak up the rugged mountain scenery and the laid-back atmosphere. Hiking and canyoning get you up close and personal with some of the best scenery you’ll see anywhere, while there are also thermal springs, wine to taste and ecotourism possibilities thrown in for good measure.
There aren’t many places in the world where you can climb an active volcano, but Piton de la Fournaise is one of them and in fact is one of the most accessible on earth. Base yourself at the Gîte du Volcan, ready to make a dawn ascent for stunning views.
Next make for the bright lights of St-Pierre – if possible, get here for the huge Satur-day market and stay the night near St-Joseph. Don’t miss Ste-Rose, where lava laps at the door of a church and narrowly misses the Virgin Mary. It can also serve as a return to civilisation (without the clamour of a big city) if you’ve been climbing volcanoes and hiking the circques.
As you head to the north of the island, go inland and stay at least two nights in Hell-Bourg, exploring the Cirque de Salazie. Finally, set off towards the capital via the Indian-influenced St-André and end your trip sampling cafe-culture and Creole archi-tecture in the capital, St-Denis.
23PLAN
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Essential Seychelles
VICTORIABeau Vallon
IslandCurieuse
IslandCousin
Mahé
La Digue
Praslin
d'ArgentSourceAnse
Anse Lazio
Grand Anse
Petite Anse
VolbertAnse
Vallée de Mai
National ParkSte Anne Marine
National ParkMorne Seychellois
2 WEEKS
Two weeks is fine for a taster of the Seychelles’ islands – allowing plenty of time for en-joying the very best of the country’s superb beaches.
On the first day, tune into island life in the capital, Victoria, checking out the market and strolling among the palm trees in the botanical gardens. Move on to Beau Vallon, where three days can easily be spent messing around in and on the water – schedule in a day’s diving or a boat trip to Ste Anne Marine National Park. Devote the next two days to the beaches and byways of Mahé, and walking in the stunning Morne Seychel-lois National Park, which has a little bit of everything: a colonial-era ruin, a tea factory and some fabulous hiking.
Next, cruise over to Praslin which closely resembles paradise. Ogle curvaceous coco-de-mer nuts in the Unesco World Heritage–listed Vallée de Mai, hike amid massive palm fronds and then flake out on the perfect, sugar-white sands at Anse Lazio, which is one of the prettiest beaches we know. Fill the next four days with snorkelling, diving and swimming off Anse Volbert, getting up close and personal with giant tortoises on Curieuse Island, home to a large breeding farm of giant Aldabra tortoises, and walk-ing among cacophonous clouds of sea birds on Cousin Island with more than 300,000 birds and numerous endemic species – even amateur bird-watchers will want to spend more time here than most tours allow.
From Praslin, set sail for La Digue – if you thought Praslin was paradise, just wait until you lose yourself on La Digue. Three days is the perfect amount of time to lapse into La Digue’s slow vibe. Visit Anse Source d’Argent – the archetypal idyllic beach, although it’s by no means the only one on La Digue. Get there late afternoon for the best atmosphere and try to avoid high tide when the beach all but disappears. Take a snorkelling trip around nearby islands, then find solitude on the beaches of Grand Anse and Petite Anse. All too soon, it will be time to tear yourself away for the trip back to Victoria.
24
PLAN YO
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Rodrigues – The Other Mauritius
Nature ReserveGrande Montagne
PatateCaverne
ReserveLeguatFrançois
St FrançoisLa PasseSt François
Port Mathurin
Graviers
HermitageÎle
ChatsÎle aux
CocosÎle aux
d'ArgentTrou
1 WEEK
Some call Rodrigues a mini-Mauritius, even though it’s different in almost every way. What they really mean is that this is the closest you can get to what Mauritius was like before tourism took off, with a marked lack of development compared to the mainland. Few tourists make it out this far on the 1½-hour flight into the Indian Ocean. A week is ample time to discover the delights of this small, mountainous island. Depending on the weather you can divide the days between walking, diving and taking boat trips to nearby islands. It’s a lot easier to fully experience the island’s charms if you rent your own vehicle.
First, though, spend half a day strolling the streets of Port Mathurin and make sure it’s a Saturday when the island’s endearingly sleepy ‘capital’ springs into life, when it seems the entire population descends for the weekly market. Two of the not-to-be-missed sights on the island are the giant tortoises at François Leguat Reserve and the caves at Caverne Patate. Another day could be taken up by the classic coastal hike from Graviers to St François, passing en route a gem of a beach at Trou d’Argent. From St François either walk back the way you came or take a bus to Port Mathurin. Another day should be dedicated to the boat excursion to Île aux Cocos with its quiet beaches and lively seabird colonies, with a couple of hours set aside for a hike in search of endangered species in the Grande Montagne Nature Reserve.
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to diving. Top spots include the channel off St François, La Passe St François, on the edge of the lagoon, with more options beyond the reefs. There’s good snorkelling around the little-visited Île aux Chats and Île Her-mitage off the south coast.
And of course, you’ll want to dedicate as much time as you can to simply kicking back on the beach for hours at a stretch and indulging in seafood feasts at one of the great family-run restaurants scattered around the island.
25PLAN
YOUR TRIP iT
iNER
AR
iES
Réunion’s Sud Sauvage
Blue Bay
PortGrand
Bel OmbreSouillac
AnguillesRivière des
Vieux
Moka
Trou de Fer
MahébourgChamarel
du VolcanMaison
St-Philippe
Ste-RosePalmistesPlaine-des-
Grand Bassin
St-Joseph
St-PierreBlack River
GorgesNational Park
FournaisePiton de la
AigrettesÎle aux
MorneLe
FerneyVallée de
BélouveBébour-Forêt de
des-CafresPlaine-
BrûléLe Grand
Rem
partsR
ivière des
MountainLion
1 WEEK
Réunion’s ‘Wild South’ offers volcanic land-scapes, massive ravines, wave-lashed cliffs and sensational hiking trails. You can dis-cover the best of the region in a reasonably leisurely week.
Start at Ste-Rose and head south to find the first tongues of lava tumbling down to the sea. Cross the threatening lava fields of Le Grand Brûlé, to spend a night or two near St-Philippe or St-Joseph; stay up in the hills for a real taste of rural life. From here you can hike the spectacu-lar Rivière des Remparts.
Pass quickly through St-Pierre en route to the high plateau of Plaine-des-Cafres to visit the Maison du Volcan. Take the magnificent forest road up to Piton de la Fournaise, Réunion’s rest-less volcano. Now drop back down to Plaine-des-Cafres, where you could spend a couple of days hiking to Grand Bassin, a village at the end of the world. Finally, head for Plaine-des-Palmistes, where the hikes through the Forêt de Bébour-Bélouve and to Trou de Fer provide un-forgettable experiences.
Southern Mauritius1 WEEK
The south of Mauritius offers the perfect combination of outstanding beaches and glorious natural scenery.
Blue Bay is everything its name sug-gests and its proximity to a host of postcard-pretty landscapes makes it the perfect base for the island’s southeast. Don’t miss the excursion to Île aux Aigrettes where you can spy pink pigeons and giant tortoises. Vieux Grand Port is where Mauritius’ human story began centuries ago, and there’s an untouched feel to the forests of Vallée de Ferney, home to the iconic Mauritius kestrel. Lion Mountain is a challenging but extremely rewarding hike. From your Blue Bay base, consider a day trip inland to Eureka in Moka high on the Central Plateau.
Now head west, pausing at La Vanille in Rivière des Anguilles, then in Souillac and Bel Ombre to enjoy the pretty coast. Continue on to Unesco World Heritage–listed Le Morne where dramatic hiking trails await. Climb up into the hills to Chamarel, with its terrific eating scene, the perfect base for scenic drives and hikes through Black River Gorges National Park.
26
PLAN YO
UR TRIP iTiN
ERA
RiES
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