Luckily, there’s more to the most gorgeous islands on earth than sitting on the beach all day. Pack your adventuring-shoes and head for these intoxicating destinations where slip-slops and deckchairs simply won’t do…
Reunion
Driving the precipitous road to Reunion’s remote village of Cilaos, it’s easy to believe that the island is trying to kill you. Calmly, and with true Gallic flair, it’s doing its utmost to toss you into the ravine below.
Switchbacks, blind-corners and single-lane tunnels make this mountain-pass the stuff of Thomas Bain’s dreams; a white-knuckle heart-in-the-throat commute from the coast into the interior. But as with all things terrifying it’s oh-so-worth it when you finally make it to this lost-in-time village cast away in the Cirque de Cilaos, an ancient volcanic crater.
La Reunion is all about volcanoes, making it the perfect option for an Indian Ocean escape with a difference. It’s an island built by fire and, although today it’s lush and forested with wonderful winding roads to explore, the 2631-metre Piton de la Fournaise still throws up a bellyful of lava from time to time.
Trekking in the Rempart de Bellecombe ¬– the Piton’s relatively safe caldera – is one of the island’s highlights, but simply marvelling at the mountaintop volcanic desert is impressive enough to make you forget all about those French drivers on the ‘wrong’ side of the road!
There’s still an undeniable French connection on Reunion (it remains an Overseas Department of France, so you’ll need a visa) and it’s not hard to imagine yourself exploring a corner of coastal France.
As you wind your way down to the coast, small villages boast boulangeries on every corner, with piles of piping-hot croissants and local cheese begging to be packed in a picnic basket and enjoyed on the wonderful beaches of the West Coast.
Head in the clouds: read more on Reunion in an article from Shape magazine...
Mauritius
Together with Reunion, Mauritius and neighbouring Rodrigues form the island chain known as the Mascarenes, named for the 16th century Portuguese explorer who discovered these coral-fringed islands.
Mauritius has long been popular with South African holidaymakers who flock to the island’s range of resorts where the luxury on offer is proportionate to the size of your bank balance… or overdraft.
The island has proven especially popular with family travellers, with activities and child-minders on tap to allow frazzled parental units the chance to relax, recharge and perhaps order another multi-coloured drink with an umbrella in it while the kids run riot.
Most resorts offer extensive kids and teen programs with everything from sandcastle competitions to cooking classes to keep them entertained. You’ll also usually find a selection of complimentary water sports on offer, all of which are carefully supervised by instructors and lifeguards. Safe, shallow waters are perfect for young ones learning to swim and snorkel.
It’s not all about the beach though. If you can wash the sand off your feet and drag the kids out of the water you’ll find life is also sweet in the island’s lush interior.
Mauritius was built on the cultivation and harvest of sugar cane and the modern, interactive exhibition at L’Aventure du Sucre is sure to keep kids entertained. The museum traces the way simple sugarcane transformed the island and brings to life the process of transforming cane into crystals. To make it more family-friendly, kids are led on their ‘Sugar Adventure’ by two mascots common to the island; a mynah bird and a mongoose.
If you need to get the kids to work off the sugar rush, the Black River Gorges is another must-see in the hinterland. This 6574-hectare national park protects some of the last remaining indigenous forest on the island, along with endemic plants and rare bird species. Follow the marked trail from Le Pétrin information centre and tell the kids that if they spot a dodo they can have another ice cream.
Now doesn’t that sound more appealing than a day on the beach?
Seychelles
But if there’s anywhere on the planet where a deck chair and powder-soft sand is likely to prove irresistible, it’s the Seychelles. The island chain cast away in the northern reaches of the Indian Ocean (it’s a five-hour flight from Johannesburg) is all about luxury, and boasts some of the world’s most exquisite hotels.
If you don’t want to mingle with the masses, and feel like giving your credit card a workout, there are even private islands to enjoy. Hop on a flight to North Island or Frégate Island Private and you’ll find a tropical paradise to be shared with just a handful of other lucky souls.
All sounding a little rich for your blood? You can still enjoy the flour-soft sands and crystal waters on the main island of Mahe, where four and five-star hotels abound. Beau Vallon, Anse Souillac, Sainte Anne, Anse Patates. How is any mere mortal meant to resist the charms of these impossibly idyllic beaches?
Well, perhaps tales of an erotic seed that love-starved sailors believed came from a mystical tree on the bottom of the ocean could help?
To discover the real story behind the seductive seed of the Coco de Mer palm you’ll need to tear yourself from your deck-chair and hop on the fast ferry (about €8) from Victoria, the Seychellois capital, to the island of Praslin.
It’s here that you’ll find the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to over 6000 of these rare palms. The Coco de Mer may produce the world’s largest seeds, but it’s true that size doesn’t matter. It’s the shape that counts, with the male and female seeds mirroring the human form in a blush-worthy detail; a curvaceous, hip-shaped seed for the female and a long tube for the male.
You can discover more of the intriguing history and horticulture of the Seychelles, along with some pirate history, at the magnificent Jardin du Roi on Mahe or the L’Union Estate on tiny Praslin.
Click here to read more on visiting the Seychelles...
Quirimbas
The tropical islands of the Indian Ocean seem inextricably linked with colonialism. While the French and English made themselves at home in the Seychelles, the Portuguese sailed the length of east Africa claiming harbours as their own. In 1522 they chanced on the Quirimbas Archipelago, in northern Mozambique, and set up shop.
Of course the Arabs who’d traded slaves and spices here for centuries were none too happy about that and the inevitable clashes ensued. It’s just one of the many intriguing tales to be discovered at the star-shaped Fort of São João Batista on Ibo Island.
While the islands of Matemo and Medjumbe to the north offer tropical paradise by the beach-bucketful, the intriguing history of Ibo is certainly worth venturing south for.
Walking tours led by local guides from Ibo Island Lodge take you on a wander through the crumbling ruins left behind by Arabs, Chinese and Portuguese traders. Of course, the mass deportation of foreigners after independence didn’t help either.
As the tour ends at the Fort, history echoes into the present to the sound of silversmiths’ hammers. It’s a craft that’s been on the island for generations and today their fine filigree jewellery makes a perfect, and affordable, souvenir.
Historic tours aside, you can also explore the nearby mangrove forests by kayak, cast a fly for Kingfish or enjoy a castaway lunch on your own deserted island.
As you leave Ibo behind and soar above the eddies and reefs of the Quirimbas it’s easy to see why Bob Dylan sang: ““I like to spend some time in Mozambique/The sunny sky is aqua blue/And all the couples dancing cheek to cheek/It's very nice to stay a week or two.”
Read previous Quirimbas articles from Shape Magazine and Travelideas...
Zanzibar
It would certainly be easy to stay a week or two on the island of Zanzibar, not far north of the Quirimbas. The Arab dhows that sailed the coast of Cabo Delgado province no doubt stopped in here on their way north, and the ‘spice island’ has a long and chequered history that is well worth exploring. While most travellers spend a day wandering the narrow alleys of Stone Town before heading to their beach resort, the island has much more to offer history buffs.
The Mbweni Ruins is a good place to start. Built on the site of an old Arab house, Mbweni was originally the St. Mary's School for Freed Slave Girls. Built in 1871 by the Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA), an organisation established by explorer David Livingstone to educate freed slaves, the ruins are now managed by the Mbweni Ruins Hotel.
Other ruins built with less noble intentions include the Mruhubi Ruins, built in 1880 by Sultan Burghush as a retreat for himself and his many concubines!
Bathing beauties abound in the islands of the Indian Ocean, but remember that it’s not all about the beach. Pack your adventuring shoes and explore the hidden hinterlands beyond the sands.
Originally published in the AA Traveller Magazine, Spring 2009.
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