Paradise isles in the Indian Ocean
Sarah Lucas finds her paradise islands in the astonishing Western Indian Ocean
IIf your image of a dream paradise island shows palm trees, silver sands, turquoise seas and a basking turtle or two, you might just need to visit the Western Indian Ocean. It’s the vast home of glamorous islands such as the Maldives and the Seychelles, nature’s singularities such as Madagascar and less familiar treasures – Mozambique Island, the Comoros and Ile de Réunion.
East Africa’s islands were strategic bases along trade routes linking the Arabian Peninsula, Europe and India. We dipped into this rich bazaar of cultures from Fred. Olsen’s ship Boudicca, starting in Zanzibar.
I’d been to Stone Town – the old part of Zanzibar city, full of twisting streets and overhanging balconies – 20 years earlier. Someone had tried to buy my daughter in the night market, but we weren’t selling. This time we drove through Jozani Forest to the coast for lunch at the Rock restaurant perched above the waves.
In temperatures of 30C, we sailed to Mozambique Island, once a centre for boat-building. Our dhow (ancient Arab fishing boat) skirted the shores.
The Comoros archipelago lies between Madagascar and Mozambique. The fourth-largest island, Mayotte, voted to remain an overseas department of France, so though it’s thousands of miles from Europe, it feels familiar. Deep ravines, volcanic peaks and the largest lagoon in the Indian Ocean make it special.
A double barrier reef is home to 250 species of coral, eels and tropical fish – surgeon fish, fusiliers, riflemen and clowns. It’s a haven for snorkellers.
Hundreds of dolphins joined our Zodiac boat trip in a dazzling display of ocean acrobatics. A hawksbill turtle popped its head up like a periscope, then quickly disappeared when it spotted us. They lay their eggs on Mayotte’s beaches. Avocados, pineapples, chillies and coconuts were selling in Mamoudzou, the capital, and the children carry on playing as you pass by.
Isle de Réunion is a volcano sticking out of the Mascarene Trench, a mountain sitting in the ocean.
Had it not been for low-lying cloud, we would have had a helicopter flight over the island, but we could still appreciate its lunar landscape even if we couldn’t see the Piton de la Fournais, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Elsewhere, waterfalls hurtle down sheerwalled canyons, gorges are covered in vegetation and the beaches are empty. No wonder Réunion is a World Heritage Site. St Denis, the capital, is a French provincial town, with its patisseries, furniture in Roche Bobois and clothes in Camaieu.
About 650 passengers were on board Boudicca, an additional island in the Indian Ocean, a floating world of shuffleboard and talks on African wildlife, and the outcome that befell the ship Warren Hastings when she ran aground off Réunion in the 19th Century.
Traditional afternoon tea is delivered every day with ‘white-glove service’. Guests can join a choir or have some ‘ukulele fun’. In the evenings a power-house vocalist or soulful singer will serenade you.
Our final trip was to the Bois Cheri tea plantation on Mauritius, where I learned the Chinese became aware of the health-giving properties of tea as early as the 2nd
Century BC. We sampled flavoured teas: cardamon, caramel and coconut and vanilla.
Then it was back to Boudicca for a cuppa.
One couple were on their sixth ‘Fred’ cruise. They’d chosen it for the destinations (Fred. Olsen has been named Cruise Critics’ ‘best for itineraries’ two years in a row) and thought it had been an adventure and great value for money. So what had they particularly enjoyed? ‘Everything!’