Indian Ocean Islands

Having done a lot of travelling I get to meet some interesting people along the way. On the island of Sumatra I met a guy by the name of Tony (can’t believe I still remember his name – 1997)

His travelling mission was to visit all the islands of the world, no matter the size. I remarked to him that “surely all Islands look the same: white beaches, turquoise seas and chilled cocktails”, he was mortified by my remark.

Interesting facts:

• The population of all the world’s islands is over 730 million people, approximately 11% of the world’s total population.
• Earth is home to over 100 000 islands

It’s been 20 years since I encountered Tony, the island hopper. Wonder how many Islands he has visited?

Talking about Islands, let’s get onto some fascinating information on 3 Indian Ocean Islands, of which I have had the privilege of visiting them all.

Madagascar

It is the 4^th Largest Island in the world covering approximately 587,000 square kilometres.

Daily flights from South Africa to Antananarivo take 3 hours. There are around 50 domestic airports on the island and Air Madagascar offers a great domestic network.

Antananarivo, also known affectionately as Tana by the locals, is home to over 3 million people. The language spoken is firstly Malagasy and secondly French. English is on the increase due to the tourism sector. Sadly it is one of the poorest African cities.

There are mainly 2 seasons, the hot rainy season (from November to April), and a relatively cooler dry season (from May to October).

Approximately 90% of all animal and plant species found in Madagascar are endemic, including the lemurs, which are a type of prosimian primate( more closely related to monkeys, apes, and humans), many beautifully coloured birds and the carnivorous fossa (cat like mammal) . This ecological diversity has led some ecologists to refer to Madagascar as the “eighth continent”. In 2010 this island has been classified by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot. More than 85 % of Madagascar’s 13,900 plant species are found nowhere else in the world, including 5 plant families.

    

As a child I kept Chameleons as pets and could not imagine to come across giant chameleons in Madagascar. He / she looked like it was on steroids, approximately 45cm in length and 25cm in height. The lemurs are gorgeous and so curious. Currently all lemurs are endangered species, due mainly to habitat destruction (deforestation) and hunting. Today Madagascar is home to nearly 60 “taxa” of lemurs compared to the 100 taxa found a century ago.

With less than 200 000 inbound passengers a year you can be guaranteed that Madagascar offers something completely different; wide open sparsely populated areas with unparalleled contrast and natural beauty.

Where to travel in Madagascar

With almost 48 nature reserves on the island you are spoilt for choice and then there are the welcoming coastal towns. Since this is such a huge island it is impossible to visit it all in one trip, so we recommend that you give us a minimum of 7-10 nights to plan a great trip. The best is to try and combine beach and nature to really experience a taste of Madagascar.  If time is an issue we can offer you a nature experience for a minimum of three nights and a beach package for four nights.  We have many different itineraries to suit everyone.

Mauritius:

This island is one of Africa’s great destinations, located in the middle of the turquoise Indian Ocean. It is inhabited by a multi-racial, peaceful people, covered in great golf courses, offering a myriad of water sports, mountain trekking, bird watching, luxurious resorts, colonial buildings, great food, fabulous range of hotels to suit all budgets, one of the world’s best botanical gardens, great nightlife and, last but not least, beautiful white sandy beaches.

       

It is particularly geared up as a beach destination and I call it the “love” island as 70% of the visitors are there for their honeymoon.

The population of almost 1.3 million is 68 percent Indian, but also comprises Creole, Chinese, French, plus a smattering of English and South Africans. Between them they speak English, French, Mauritian Creole, Hindi & Tamil.

Besides lazing on the beach there is so much to see in Mauritius. I love the capital, Port Louis. It has such interesting buildings and they have incorporated a lot of new buildings without taking down the old rickety buildings. I love street food and there is no lack in that area and it is closely controlled by the Health authorities as they do not want their tourists to get belly ache. We went along to the Natural History museum which is in need of some maintenance but who am I to judge. It is a very informative museum and I do love that it’s not all modern and lends itself to being old and lived in. I even expected the paper mache Dodo egg to come to life.

       

Food is divine in Mauritius, the freshly caught fish is barbecued and we sampled seafood like snapper, dorado, prawns, octopus and lobster and there is no lack of ice cold Phoenix beer and one has to sample the delightful Green Island rum with coke. I had the best Chinese food on the island and don’t get me started on the huge buttery melt-in-the-mouth Croissants.

To work off this food before it stuck to my hips I ventured to the turquoise sea for some snorkeling at Trou aux Biches Beach. One does have to swim out about 100 metres before you get to the reef, but once out there you’re in another world.

So, what would I suggest you do in Mauritius… here’s an over view of what to see and visit:

• UNESCO World Heritage Site at the magnificent Le Morne mountain
• Champ de Mars, the oldest horseracing track in the southern hemisphere.
• Black River Gorges National Park – hiking trails
• Le Chamarel Restaurant & Rum Distillery. Has incredible views across the south of the island
• Chamarel 7 coloured sands
• Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens
• Day outing to Port Louis, include the natural History Museum
• Dolphin and Island Catamaran cruise

I have always enjoyed staying in The Grand Bai area, mainly because I’m romantic and love to watch sunsets, but that does not mean there are equally beautiful places all the way round the rest of the island.

Seychelles

One of my best friends comes from Seychelles and I have visited her on numerous occasions. It is by far the most beautiful island that I have ever visited, wonder if Tony would agree. Flights from Johannesburg to Seychelles takes approximately 5 hours.

The Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. It is home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as the giant Aldabra tortoise. Lodoicea, commonly known as the sea coconut, coco de mer, or double coconut, is part of the palm family. Coco de mer, is endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles.  The beaches of Seychelles have been described as the most beautiful in the world.

My husband and I both agreed that our honeymoon was to be celebrated on the idyllic Island of Mahe – Seychelles and we stayed in a gorgeous Boutique hotel on the West Coast.

We also spent 5 days on a catamaran cruising around the islands; an unforgettable experience. Snorkelling off the boat in areas not accessible from the islands allowed us to see colossal amounts of tropical fish that was just as inquisitive as we were.

The Seychelles are different from most holiday destinations around the world due to its makeup of a wide range of islands.

Every island in the Seychelles archipelago is unique. These islands can be divided into two groups – the central group of islands and the outer group of islands. For instance, Mahe Island which falls in the category of central group is made out of granite and the outer islands are formed through coral accretion. Apart from Mahe, the islands which attract the most number of visitors each year are Praslin and La Digue. The weather stays pleasant almost throughout the year, making it a must to experience the beauty of more than one island in your Seychelles trip. There is a Ferry that connects passengers from the main island of Mahe to Praslin and LaDigue.

My favourite island is La Digue. No cars are allowed on the island, which I love. It’s just like going back in time by 70 years, where the only transportation is ox drawn carts and old rickety bicycles.

It’s always sad to leave Seychelles, there is a certain magic there that you want to hold on forever.