13
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY Jean-Bernard Carillet, Anthony Ham Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion p46 Mauritius Madagascar p270 Seychelles ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

  • Upload
    buinhan

  • View
    230

  • Download
    3

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Jean-Bernard Carillet, Anthony Ham

Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles

p154Rodrigues

p175Réunion

p46MauritiusMadagascar

p270Seychelles

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Page 2: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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

MIG

PH

OTO

GR

AP

HY / G

ET

TY IM

AG

ES ©

TORTOISE, CURIEUSE ISLAND (P299)

JEA

N-P

IER

RE P

IEUC

HO

T / GE

TT

Y IMA

GES

©

BOTANICAL GARDENS (P83), PAMPLEMOUSSES

Page 3: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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)

RIEG

ER

BE

RT

RA

ND

/ GE

TT

Y IMA

GES

©

Hikers in the Haut Mafate

JEA

N B

ER

NA

RD

CA

RILLE

T

39

PLAN YO

UR TRIP HIK

ING

IN R

ÉUN

ION

38

PLAN YO

UR TRIP HIK

ING

IN R

ÉUN

ION

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Page 4: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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

af et

e

MC

a

ri euq d

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

00

Page 5: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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

AL

S

N

Íle Cocos

Providence

Atoll

AtollAtoll

IslandAstove Farquhar

IslandSt PierreAtoll

Aldabra

Island

Cosmolédo

Assomption

ALDABRA GROUP

RE

NI

N

ILes

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

00

12 miles20 km

00

Page 6: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

p154Rodrigues

p175Réunion

p46MauritiusMadagascar

p270Seychelles

On the Road

Page 7: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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

Page 8: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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

Page 9: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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

eSa lazi

Cirque ed

soali

Cedeuqri

C

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

YOUR TRIP iT

iNER

AR

iES

Page 10: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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

UR TRIP iTiN

ERA

RiES

Page 11: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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

Page 12: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

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

Page 13: Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/.../mauritius-reunion-seychelles-8-contents.pdf · Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles p154 Rodrigues p175 Réunion

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’