We did this paddling trip on Monday the 23rd of May, 2022. The route went from Pointe Monnier in Port Mathurin to the artificial Îlot des Hollandais, Île aux Fous, and Île aux Diamant. All these islands are located in the gigantic lagoon of Rodrigues, Mauritius. Contents1 The Idea to Paddle to Île aux Fous2 Where to Rent a Kayak in Rodrigues?3 Kayak Time!4 Paddling to Îlot des Hollandais5 Paddling to the Main Objective: Île aux Fous6 Hiking to the Beacon of Île aux Fous + Lunch7 Paddling to Île aux Diamant8 The Cave + Peak of Île aux Diamant9Continue reading
Author: Iris Veldwijk
Strolling up Mont Limon, the Highest Peak of Rodrigues
We hiked up the peak of Mont Limon on Friday the 15th of April and the 7th of June, 2022. It’s not an impressive feat, but I thought I’d share some pictures anyway. Rodrigues Island Highest Point I already knew for a long time that I wanted to travel to Rodrigues in Mauritius and visit the highest peak. On the only usable map of Rodrigues – OpenStreetMaps – it showed that there’s a big road next to the peak called ‘Mont Limon’ and some stairs up that later become a trail. No big deal. Close to the peak is aContinue reading
Arriving in Rodrigues by Plane from Mauritius
This article is about how we finally managed to travel to Rodrigues by plane on the 12th of April, 2022, despite some hurdles. Rodrigues is a smaller island in the Indian Ocean that’s part of Mauritius and much further east of it. It’s autonomous, which is why they’ve closed to international tourism and even domestic travel for about two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contents1 The Idea of Visiting Rodrigues2 Booking the Flight + Rodrigues Entry Requirements3 Air Mauritius Flight to Rodrigues3.1 Drive to the airport3.2 Rodrigues departures in Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport3.3 Traveling to Rodrigues on the MauritianContinue reading
How to Get the 1-Year Mauritian Premium Visa – Digital Nomad Special!
This article is about the (elusive) Mauritian Premium Visa, also known as the ‘Digital Nomad Visa’. It is valid for 1 year. You can apply for it before you travel to Mauritius or while you’re already in the country. You can only apply for this visa if you work online—this is not a tourist visa. To read about how to get the maximum days on your Mauritian tourist visa and how to get the 90-day tourist visa extension in Mauritius, visit the dedicated article. Contents1 What is the Premium Visa?2 I’m Sold. How Do I Apply?2.1 1. Apply before comingContinue reading
How to Get a Tourist Visa Extension in Mauritius (90 Days Extra!)
This article details how we (EU passport holders) obtained our 90-day tourist visa extension in Mauritius. This was in addition to our original 90 days for a total of 180 days. To skip over our experience and find out what documents you need + the address, click here. If you’re looking for info on how to get the 1-year premium visa, read the dedicated article. This article also has a Russian 🇷🇺 translation: «Как продлить туристическую визу на Маврикии (90 дополнительных дней!)» Contents1 How to Get the First 90 Days in Mauritius?2 Failed Attempt! How to NOT Get a TouristContinue reading
Getting the J&J Booster Vaccine in Mauritius as a Non-Citizen
This happened on Tuesday the 15th of February, 2022. Jonas and I had an appointment at the Wellkin Hospital in Moka for a booster vaccine. The only vaccine available to us as people under 40 years of age was Johnson & Johnson. This is a European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved vaccine, so this will help us travel in Europe too. Before this, we only had two doses of Sinopharm thanks to Kyrgyzstan. First of, Fuck the European Medicines Agency Secondly, I Was Not Excited about the Booster But it had to be done. Predicting shit during this pandemic is extremelyContinue reading
Pirogue Sailing to Île aux Bénitiers: Our Second Lesson with Christopher
This happened on Tuesday the 18th of January, 2022. We took our second sailing class with Christopher, this time in his yellow pirogue. The main photo was taken by Christopher. Click the menu in the top-left corner so you have the “pirogue” layer on. This map contains the approximate routes of all 3+ sailing classes we took with Christopher. Here’s a video of all four classes, starting at the footage of the second class: Christopher’s Yellow Pirogue We received the message that the wind was good for sailing a bit later than last time. Christopher asked us at 10:15Continue reading
Sail Mauritius: Dinghy Sailing a Tiny Catamaran in La Gaulette
This happened on Friday the 14th of January, 2022. We received the message that there was enough wind to go sailing. We met our instructor Christopher at the waterfront in La Gaulette where his two small (dinghy) sailboats are at: one catamaran and one monohull. Click the menu in the upper-right corner so you have the “catamaran” layer on. This map contains the approximate routes of all 3+ sailing classes we took with Christopher. The Idea + Gaps in Our Resumés Finding someone in La Gaulette willing and capable to rent us a kayak was very difficult, but findingContinue reading
Île aux Bénitiers + Crystal Rock by Kayak! (Mauritius)
All this happened on the 10th of January, 2022. After asking around far and wide for a place that would rent us a kayak, someone came through. The caveat? The two-person kayak only had one paddle. But we made do and paddled to île aux Bénitiers and Crystal Rock. Watch the vlog to see what that’s like! Contents1 Green Village Saves the Day2 Paddling to Île aux Bénitiers3 Mystery Rock + Crystal Rock4 Crossing Île aux Bénitiers on Foot/Paddling Around the North5 Paddling Back to Green Village/La Gaulette6 Contact Info7 Good intel? Consider buying me a tamarind juice! Green VillageContinue reading