I heart Ile Hermitage

In the heart of the lagoon surrounding Rodrigues island lies Ile Hermitage. No, I mean literally, in the heart. The way the coral reefs are set around the islet creates a colour contrast shaped like a heart in shades of turquoise and blue immediately surrounding Ile Hermitage. It’s a beautiful site to behold from the mountain areas.

In an attempt to find the hidden treasure said to still be buried on Ile Hermitage, I take a boat from the Mourouk Ebony hotel, set against the hilly landscape facing the lagoon. It’s a windy morning and kitesurfers are making the most of it. Some reckon this is one of the best places in the world to kitesurf because of the large lagoon and the amount of wind that the island gets on the south eastern side.

The little blue boat makes it safely to Ile Hermitage despite the slightly restless sea. While my boatman makes a fire (allowed since this is not a nature reserve like Ile aux Cocos) in order to prepare some fish for lunch, I head off to explore. First up is the top of the hill, from where I get a good idea of the area. At a reasonable pace, it would probably take me fifteen minutes or so to walk around the whole islet.

Despite the size there are lots of little beaches and nooks in between the rocks. Finally I find my spot, a tiny beach just big enough for my sarong and the paw paw that washed up with the seashells. I sit down for a bit to soak up the sunshine and the lullaby of the waves. Other than the boat man I am alone here on Ile Hermitage today and I imagine that this is my island - lets call it 'Ile Lize' - suitably set inside a big turquoise heart.

My treasure is not buried underneath the sand but inside my own heart. All I need is the magic words. I whisper a dream out onto the wind and send it off with a prayer.

Is this a dream or am I flying across the Montagne Bois Noir?

Just around the corner from Cases a Gardenias in the Montagne Bois Noir, there is a zipline called Tyrodrig. The cables are set across a 400 metre canyon with a view of the Rodrigues lagoon and the idea is to slide across the valley from cliff to cliff.

It is always fun discovering a place from the sky and it is no secret that I have a fascination with flying. Lets just say that it is a little fantasy dream. Little do I know that flying is exactly the sensation I would feel when trying out the zipline.

As the Tyrodrig officials fasten the harness around my body a nervous energy takes hold of me. I am always up for a bit of adventure but have no idea what to expect when I step off the cliff and sit into the harness. The moment I let go of solid ground I scream like a, well, girl. It’s kind of satisfying actually to shout all of that anxiety into the valley and refill my lungs with new air.

Yet soon I am floating in between the mountains like a bird. It is quiet and serene and not at all the fast and scary ride I anticipated. Once I relax into it I can’t get enough. Luckily we make four different crossings between the cliffs and I get to have a different angle on the mountain greens and sea blues of Rodrigues island every time.

So there, stepping off that cliff is one of the most wonderful things I have ever done. That just goes to show that while letting go of solid ground can be frightening, the unknown always has potential to bring closer all of those rediculous dreams. Now the challenge is just to believe.

The secrets of love and raspberry wine

While I do love the beach it is mountains and forests that make me feel most in tune. The cool air and lush vegetation fills my senses as I arrive at Cases a Gardenias guesthouse in the Montagne Bois Noir (Black Wood Mountain) region of Rodrigues island.

Marie-line guides me through her stylish garden past a koi fish pond and into her French colonial style home beyond. It is a surprise to discover such a European sophistication on this simple tropical island. Over a cup of tea and home made chocolate chip cookies Marie-line tells me that she and her husband Fernand lived in Bordeaux for 35 years before seeking out the stillness of Rodrigues. They brought along all of their favourite antique furniture and a whole lot of interesting travel stories to fill their extended home at Cases a Gardenias: "The extra rooms were for the children at first but I enjoy having a home full of people and they can't visit all year round. So we started a guesthouse and now Fernand is also building some villa style accommodation next to the main homestead."

Later, when Fernand gets home from the building site, Marie-line treats us to some raspberry wine. It's a perfectly sweet and subtly tangy aperitif. She made this herself, thanks to a science background and the interest she took in wine making during her time in Bordeaux: “All our friends had vineyards there and I took the time to experiment with different fruits in my cellar.”

In Rodrigues she has had success with making wines from tropical produce such as star fruit, tamarind and hibiscus and likes to experiment with anything that will grow abundantly in the rich volcanic soil around Cases a Gardenias. The raspberries are from her garden too. Fernand never knows what to expect next from his beautiful wife and it certainly keeps their relationship exciting and his taste buds tingling. Marie-line is also a bee keeper that markets her own honey as well as sweet and savoury preserves under the Marie Island Products label.

As night falls, the candles and lights in the garden turn the patio into a serene romantic space. While the warm night air certainly sets a tropical tone, this could be anywhere in the world. Elegant company, interior style and the promise of gastronomic excellence... Marie-line’s table d’hôte is well praised for incorporating local and European cooking styles and I am looking forward to trying it out.

“I will make, for instance, French pork rillette and add a bit of cinnamon; or make pain d'epice [spiced bread] the traditional way but adapt the recipe to include different spices. I also make a selection of preserves to use with foie gras, such as onion and dates from the garden.”

Dinner opens on a finely flavoured prawn broth which balances nicely with the main course of rich, creamy farm chicken served with perfectly al dente tagliatelle. The subtle French way of balancing flavours is evident and offers an exciting addition to the Rodriguan culinary scene. Marie-line and Fernand are also wonderfully warm hosts and I get the feeling of visiting family or old friends. Dessert is a slow cooked papaya crème brûlée, bowling me out with its utterly decadent fusion of French and tropical elements.

We stay around the dinner table chatting deep into the night over some coffee liquor, which, of course, Marie-line made herself, with local Rodriguan coffee beans. We talk about love, love and more love and they share a few secrets of how to make it last: "Number one rule: never take any problems to the bedroom," says Fernand, "number two: always light a candle and enjoy a glass of wine together at the dinner table."

After my fair share of raspberry wine and coffee liquor I vehemently agree with their sentiments that love is the only thing truly worth aspiring to. Only, while they stare admiringly into each others’ eyes, the chair next to me at the intimate 4-seater table is still free.

La Belle Rodriguaise' beautiful beach barbecue

A hike along the eastern beaches of Rodrigues island has the potential to work up quite a bit of an appetite. Even a simple meal would have been heaven after a hike, but then my driver Jean-Paul takes me to La Belle Rodriguaise for a barbecue on the beach. Françoise Baptiste has been hosting a cooking class for a couple of French guests all morning and by the time we arrive the fish and crayfish is just about to come off the fire.

It all smells wonderful and everyone looks proud of their communal cooking effort and what they have learned from Françoise, who complied local recipes from all over the island in a recipe book called ‘Les délices de Rodrigues’. It is clear as she welcomes me to the party that Françoise is only too happy to share her love of food with like minded people. 

Together with her husband Laval, they run a guesthouse in Graviers on the south east of Rodrigues, with a gorgeous view from each of the 12 refreshing rooms. La Belle Rodriguaise also has a splash pool and can organize kite surfing and mountain biking excursions on request, says Laval. There are also numerous hiking trails in the immediate area as I just found out for myself.

The Baptistes have created a simple stone barbecue area and a thatched veranda on the beach outside their guesthouse where they set up a table for lunch overlooking the lagoon and the fishing boats. I see the pure joy of this moment reflected in all of the guests’ faces as I take a sip of my rum cocktail, this time mixed with lime, honey and fresh fruit juice.

I decide not to sit at the table and instead bury my feet in the soft sea sand and sit down on a low log bench with Jean-Paul. We feast on the seafood, bread, preserves, chili pastes and salads in an awed silence, occasionally getting topped up by our hosts. I also really enjoy the red pork with yellow rice and red beans which is also part of the large buffet of dishes prepared during the lesson. The cooking party crowd provides a festive soundtrack of laughter and a little further away a young romantic couple is enjoying a private moment at a neatly set up table slightly separate from the rest. Joy, love, natural beauty and great food; I am overflowing with gratitude.

After lunch some of the guests enjoy massages in a private nook on the beach, waves hushing in the distance. They deserve it after a long morning of food preparation and learning. I enjoy an amazing espresso made from freshly ground local coffee beans and have a look through Françoise’s cookbook, conjuring up more beautiful foodie dreams.

The secret beaches of Rodrigues island

The beaches along Rodrigues island are as though deserted. It’s not really a local pastime to frolic on the beach and since Rodrigues is a small island blessed with abundant beaches no reasonable amount of tourists could have them crowded. Even if the beaches around the hotel areas do fill up by chance, there are many small bays such as Trou d’Argent that can be discovered on foot. 

Exploring the eastern beaches of Anse Ali, Saint Francois and Trou d'Argent is in fact best done walking while some of the most beautiful beaches in Rodrigues can only be reached by well heeled footpaths. Setting off on a hike is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with the volcanic rocks, the sea shells and the natural fauna and flora in the area. 

While your footprints are often the only ones in the bright white sand along the turquoise seas, you may be sharing the longer stretches of beach with herds of cows or goats kept by local farmers. With around 20 beaches (and cliffs in between) to choose from you are bound to have your personal favourite picnic spot where you can be completely private. This may be an especially quiet area of the island but it is never dull - depending on how you behold beauty and of course your own imagination.

Set in a protected reserve, Trou d’Argent has recently been voted one of the 30 best preserved beaches in the world. I stay here for a while just to absorb the beautiful energy and the sound of the water splashing against the glowing limestone cliffs and around the small cavern. There is something mesmerizing about the way the breeze whispers from across the lagoon and the clarity of the sea murmering onto the glaring white beach here.

The pristine state of the walking trails and natural beaches also makes a hike along the east coast of Rodrigues a perfectly private outing for nudists and those who are keen on some sun tanning away from wandering eyes. What’s more; sheltered coral reefs are often just a short distance away from some of the inlets and bays so keeping snorkeling gear handy might just make for a magical refresher on a hike in the hot Indian Ocean sunshine.

Rodriguan cooking lesson at Villa mon Trésor

After a few delicious Rodriguan meals at Coralie la Difference and Bambou Restou, as well as the Pointe Venus hotel restaurant, I am curious to learn a few local cooking secrets. So Marie-Louise from Villa mon Trésor in Anse aux Anglais kindly invites me into her kitchen for a cooking lesson.

On arrival at the pretty pink guesthouse Marie-Louise treats me to a cup of tea and some snacks. I am especially fond of the deep fried chili peppers stuffed with spicy white fish, an Indian inspired delicacy sold at the beach front just around the corner. We get to know each other a little better and soon Marie-Louise hands me an apron before we head over to the homely Villa mon Trésor kitchen.

She already has some red beans going in a pressure cooker and most of our ingredients are set out on the kitchen counter. It is no secret that the abundance of natural ingredients and richness of the volcanic soil on Rodrigues island make their produce some of the tastiest in the Indian Ocean region – and any cook will tell you that using good ingredients is the number one secret of any truly successful meal. Marie-Louise tells me that she gets up at 4am on market day every week in order to make sure she gets the pick of the crops. She also grows some of her own ingredients in a large garden surrounding her home.

We start with chopping up a nice fatty piece of local pork and then add it to a pan with garlic, ginger and onion. Leaving the lid on, we let the fat cook out of the pork before we brown the meat. We then add some chopped tomato, salt, pepper and curry powder and later some fresh curry leaves and a sprig of thyme from the garden. In the meantime we also fry some aubergine in a little olive oil, to be added to the pork curry just before serving, together with a sprinkle of parsley.

Some maize is cooking in a separate pot and we also grate some green papaya for a salad mixed with spring onion and freshly squeezed lime juice. Marie-Louise’s husband gets home to the smell of welcoming curry aromas. He pours us ladies some vodka mixed with chilled coconut water – a first for me and I am delighted with the invigorating drink.

Time for dinner. The pork curry is wholesome and homely with the maize and red beans, flavours carefully balanced, while the green papaya salad provides the perfect zesty balance to the rich meat dish and also helps with digestion. Marie-Louise has that true passion for cooking and an understanding of good ingredients and cooking time that only comes with experience and experimenting.

We end our meal with a dessert of fried banana topped with warm orange and passion fruit juice and served with ice cream and orange zest. I cannot think of anything more delicious when it melts in my mouth. My cooking teacher seems to be quite the expert at creating her own recipes. Marie-Louise recently won a local cooking competition with a steamed sweet potato gnocchi creation, topped with traditional Italian Napoletana sauce and some smoked fish. Sounds like another dish I will definitely have to try at home.

Ile aux Cocos with Captain Christophe

A wooden sail boat awaits me across the beach on the turquoise Indian Ocean lagoon. It is as though I wade through the warm tropical sea right into a film set. To my right a small Rodriguan boat is painted with cartoony pirate signs. Ahead of me Captain Christophe holds out a gentlemanly hand to help me onto his wooden sail boat bound for Ile aux Cocos, a small island reserve in the large lagoon surrounding Rodrigues island in Mauritius.

The captain takes out his French island charm to tell me that I am ‘tres jolie,’ very beautiful, before we set off on our sailing excursion. I tell him that he has a beautiful boat and soon the story behind his Ile aux Cocos island tours unfolds. Rodrigues island has its own special way of building fishing boats that are perfectly symmetrical. However, Christophe went to work in France for a while and met someone there who lived inside the belly of a boat. This encounter changed his life in that Christophe learned the art of building traditional wooden sail boats and brought the skill and the romance of it all back to Rodrigues with him.

Today Christophe has the most beautiful boat in all of Rodrigues. He built his own wooden sail boat which is now the love of his life and also his bread and butter. He would like to find true love with a real live girl, he says, but so far his boat has been his only faithful companion. And so he takes good care of her and makes day trips to the protected bird sanctuary of Ile aux Cocos, entertaining guests and tourists with his own special flavoured rum. His boat is always equipped with a bottle of rum infused with fresh limes, local honey and Madagascan vanilla. I must be turning into a pirate princess as it is a surprise for me to find the sweet rum so delightful, aye cap'n!

I am not quite sure if it’s the rum, the pure oxygen or the tranquil lagoon blues, but by the time we reach Ile Aux Cocos I feel like someone waved a magic wand all over me. It is as though I am enchanted as I step onto the soft beach scattered with sea shells and walk into a paradise of tropical birds. The island is named after the birds' eggs or 'cocos' originally found on the island, rather than the coconut trees, says our guide. He introduces me to the birds: mostly noddies, lesser noddies and fairy terns. The latter is my favourite, pure white birds that hover in one place and flutter their wings, creating a Tinkerbell effect. We also see a tiny red cardinal, a scarlet bird native to Madagascar and commonly found in forest areas all around the Indian Ocean islands.

Our lunch is a spread of cold grilled fish, mixed salad, potato salad, octopus salad and chili paste. No fires are allowed on Ile Aux Cocos so lunch was prepared early in the morning by Christophe’s mom. She is clearly an exceptional cook and I can taste the love and care that went into the preparations. We wash all the deliciousness down with a bit of South African rosé wine and then move back onto the rum after a dessert of coconut cake and sugared peanut sweets.

Back on the boat there is not a trace of the real world left in me and laughter is flowing freely while we sail along this large lagoon around Rodrigues for a few hours, taking in one breathtaking view after the other. By the time Christophe drops the anchor for a bit of snorkeling just off the shore at Anse Aux Anglais, I am the little mermaid that finally finds Nemo in her fantasy garden of corals and dreams unda da sea.

Fun in the sunset at Bambou Restou

When the sun sets in Anse aux Anglais, also known as English Bay, it’s time for an apéro at Bambou Restou. Locals and tourists alike gather all around the beach area to watch the sunset. It’s a communal moment of awe for the sheer magic of this place. Some enjoy the stillness of watching the sunset from the beach, but for a nice social energy the best vibe on Rodrigues island seems to be at Bambou Restou, a sidewalk café on the beach road.

Dario from Bambou Restou is a vibrant character who knows how to have fun. His bar is a treasure trove of collectibles which is bound to make for interesting conversation after a few drinks. The bar also boasts a big screen for watching sport, or screening music videos. Soon the Bambou barman whips up some bright orange cocktails with a bit of passion fruit for us. Served in martini glasses and garnished with yellow Nasturtium flowers, they look really pretty and festive. Jean-Paul, Dario and I toast to new friends and, hmm, this cocktail tastes so deliciously sweet and fresh-fruity that I might have to have a few.

The apéro (a colloquial word for ‘aperitif’) offering at Bambou includes all kinds of little snacks to enjoy with cocktails. The exquisite salt and pepper octopus gives me flashbacks to the Sheraton hotel buffet in Brisbane where I experienced this delicacy for the first time. So delicious! We also enjoy some sandwiches and shrimps as well as a taste of pizza with ‘secret ingredients’. All the while the in-house performer, Miko, sets the soundtrack with a few passionate chords on his guitar and a husky voice. It is intimate yet unobtrusive. Dario refuses to share his pizza ‘secrets’ even after a few drinks and I try asking Miko, with not much luck. Eventually I am left believing that it is just an ingenious combination of fresh herbs or simply a drunken guessing game.

On a really good night, guests might end up at Le Cocotiers nightclub, which is just around the corner and plays from local sega music to pop. In favour of my early morning boat trip, however, I give in to the call of my very comfortable bed at the Pointe Venus hotel which is also just a few minutes away.

Anse aux Anglais is the only village on Rodrigues island with a bit of a nightlife buzz. So for those keen on alternating the daytime serenity with a bit of a party energy at night, this is definitely the best place to stay.

Of romance and Rodriguan cuisine

During the one and a half hour flight from Maurutius to Rodrigues, the familiar question comes up: “Are you married?”

It seems that this is the only line single Mauritian men know when they first meet a woman. Where is the romance? These are meant to be French islands after all! By the time we disembark the plane at Rodrigues airport I am dodging five fans begging for my Facebook details.

What's more, my charming Rodriguan driver, Jean-Paul, makes a quick stop to welcome me to Rodrigues with a single long stemmed red rose - the most elegant and romantic of flowers and certainly a much more pleasant flirtation.

Soon he announces that we’ve arrived at my 'hotel'. It is set on a hill overlooking the ocean. The low whitewashed wall boasts a sweet painting of a Solitaire bird (the Rodriguan version of the Dodo, which is also extinct) and the words ‘Rodrigues Prison’ in big red letters. Behind the gate lies a small building with lots of open windows. I laugh. Clearly there is not a lot of crime on this island, which is always nice to know.

Since I’m not that keen on prison food Jean-Paul takes me to Coralie La Difference for my first taste of Rodriguan cuisine. Here I meet Sandrine, from the local tourism office, for a lunch and a glass of French Chardonnay on the terrace. While Coralie La Difference has a spacious and pleasant interior (great for a wedding, while we're on the topic), the large garden terrace set on the top of a hill has a bird's eye view of the ocean. The sun is dancing all over the shades of blue in the lagoon and it's just dazzling.

Sandrine and I both enjoy a starter of fresh-fresh salt and pepper calamari with garlic bread. The portion is generous and luckily I’m starving because the main of octopus curry and basmati rice is definitely up there with some of the best meals I’ve ever had. Perfectly tender octopus infused with spices and coconut milk – I’m still trying to coax the recipe out of Madame Brigitte who recently breathed new life into this picturesque venue.

As two single ladies Sandrine and I have a good laugh about the inability of the Mauritian men to understand that a woman alone is not always necessarily looking for a man. Not just any man, anyway. Chocolate will do. Especially the rich rolled chocolate cake Madame Brigitte spoils us with for dessert.

The local coffee here is good too and a strong espresso is just what I need to keep going after such a beautiful lunch - that includes the food, the wine, the company and, of course, that view.

Stopping over at the Le Palmiste in Mauritius

It feels as though the tropical weather gives me a warm hug as I get out of the taxi in front of the Le Palmiste hotel in Mauritius. I love that humidity on my skin; it helps me to wind down to a slower, island pace.

The big wooden gates open to let me in and reveal the dim lit palm trees, pools and wood carved cabins of the Le Palmiste resort. My flight from Johannesburg arrived early evening and after an hour’s drive to Le Palmiste in the north it is already dark.

The live band is playing Waka Waka as if on cue and that typical Mauritian island hospitality makes me exhale. Glass of fruit cocktail in hand I am ready to ease into this Mauritian overnight before continuing my journey.

First up: some fairly large helpings of the Chinese food buffet on offer at the Le Palmiste this evening. Wonton soup and prawn crackers, spring rolls, sweet and sour pork with sticky rice, chicken noodle stir fry – all washed down with some fresh lime juice and a bit of dry white South African wine.

My suitcase is safely delivered to my suite when I arrive. I sit quietly on the romantic wooden balcony for a few moments, overlooking the lights on the pool and the palm trees and listening to the music and the lovers dancing in the background. The scent of Frangipani and a feeling of melancholy overwhelms me.

Grand Baie is only 15 minutes’ drive away and I am contemplating meeting some Mauritian friends for a bit of sega dancing there tonight. Sega is the local rhythm and any African woman worth her salt should be able to get into it fairly easily. It’s all hip-shaking and lots of laughing.

Before I know it though, I have my head on a pillow and sink into a restless sleep. Luckily there is always Bois Cheri, the local vanilla flavoured black tea, to wake me up for my flight connection to Rodrigues island in the morning.