We did this trip to Îlot Fourneau on the 6th of January, 2022. The Idea + Attempt #1 When we moved from Souillac to La Gaulette by taxi, we drove past Le Morne Village. We both saw the small islet called Îlot Fourneau off the coast. I want to visit as many islets in Mauritius as possible; they are the best kind of day trips. So when we settled into our home in La Gaulette, I did some digging into going there. I found a blog post about walking to the islet in shallow waters at low tide and thenContinue reading
Author: Iris Veldwijk
How Difficult is it to Travel as a Vegetarian in Mauritius?
Short answer: not hard at all. We didn’t expect it to be this easy, but it’s really, really easy. Below is a list of some vegetarian dishes common to Mauritius. But first, let’s talk about why it’s so easy to find vegetarian food in Mauritius. Contents1 Why is it Easy to be a Vegetarian in Mauritius?2 How to Order Vegetarian Food in Mauritius?3 What Restaurants Have Vegetarian Food?3.1 4 List of Vegetarian/Vegan Dishes in Mauritius4.1 The Two Mauritian Condiments: garlic sauce and green chili sauce4.2 The Carby Classics4.3 Found at Snack Places4.4 Found at Regular Places4.5 Dumplings4.6 Foods that are notContinue reading
(Craft) Beer in Mauritius Guide—What a Lovely Surprise!
Trying new beers in a new country or city is one of my favorite things. That’s even better when the beer is crafty. On day 1 in Mauritius, this country already surprised me with its rather thriving craft beer scene. I haven’t fully explored all options yet since I’ve only been here for a few weeks, so I’ll update this post if I encounter more gems of liquid gold. Contents1 Mauritian Craft Beer Companies2 But First, A Note on Bottle Deposits and Fridge Fees in Mauritius3 Flying Dodo Brewing Company3.1 NEIPA — New England India Pale Ale3.2 IPA — IndiaContinue reading
Hitchhiking Bucket List: #6 Ice Road (Truckers?)
Places that are hard to reach fascinate me. You might know that I’ve already been to the largest city unreachable by road—Iquitos in Perú. That journey from Pucallpa to Iquitos and from Iquitos to El Coca in Ecuador takes several days by boat. But what about areas that freeze? Some locales I’ve been dreaming of for a long time are only accessible by seasonal ice road. And yes, I’m looking at you, Yakutsk. Yakutsk in the Sakha Republic of Russia is the second-biggest city that is not (yet) reachable by permanent road. In the summer, they have car ferries across theContinue reading
Île aux Fouquets (aka Île au Phare)—Snorkeling and Urban Exploring from Mahébourg
All this happened on December 9th, 2021. I passionately wanted to visit the abandoned lighthouse at Île aux Fouquets (also known as Île au Phare) from Mahébourg. We joined a boat trip organized by a snorkeling shop/tour operator in Mahébourg. This included three snorkel sessions. This post doesn’t contain underwater photos taken by me, so if you’re disappointed because I only took pictures of concrete, you’ve been forewarned. Contents1 Arranging the Trip2 Getting Snorkeling Gear in Mahébourg3 Snorkeling at Île aux Aigrettes4 Wakashio Oil Spill Cleanup and Salvaging Efforts5 Urban Exploring at the Île aux Fouquets Abandoned Lighthouse6 Snorkeling inContinue reading
Taking Our First Rapid Antigen Self Test on our Fifth Day in Mauritius
According to the entry rules for Mauritius in 2021, we had to do a covid-19 rapid antigen self test on the fifth day. This was the first time we did a different test from the PCR test. Buying Our First Rapid Antigen Self Test December 6th, 2021 After making an appointment at a local dentist in Mahébourg and eating lunch, we walked past a pharmacy called Al-Shafa. “Tomorrow is our fifth day here, right? That means we have to do the covid test” I say to Jonas. “Already?” he replies, taking a moment to think. “No, the day after tomorrowContinue reading
How to Get a SIM Card in Mauritius
First, there’s a bit of story on the obstacles we faced when trying to buy a Mauritian SIM card. Click here to skip over that and go directly to the how-to for buying a Mauritian SIM card. FYI, the country code for Mauritius is +230 Contents1 Our Experience Buying a SIM Card in Mauritius2 FAQ SIM Card in Mauritius + Internet Freedom2.1 Which provider should I choose?2.2 Where can I buy a SIM card in Mauritius?2.3 What documents do I need to buy a SIM card in Mauritius?2.4 How do I activate the SIM card?2.5 Should I download the my.tContinue reading
Bonzur, Mahébourg?! Traveling from Istanbul to Mauritius (Semi-Live Blog)
On the 3rd of December 2021, we’re hopefully flying from Istanbul Airport (IST) in Turkey to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU aka Port Louis Airport) in Mauritius. I’m updating this post as we go. If you’re here for the documents checklist to enter Mauritius, click here. Contents1 Booking Mauritius2 Omicron Variant Enters the Stage3 PCR Test in Edirne + Onward Ticket4 Day of Departure to Mauritius4.1 Packing + Edirne bus station + ride to Istanbul Airport4.2 Can we have boarding tickets, please?4.3 Immigration and security4.4 Mandatory time-wasting before the Mauritius flight4.5 Gate reveal and boarding5 Flying toContinue reading
Things to Do in Edirne, Turkiye
We visited Edirne from the 24th of November till the 2nd of December, 2022. Here are some things to do in Edirne and our itinerary for the week we stayed there. Contents1 Why Visit Edirne?2 How to Travel to Edirne?3 Things to Do in Edirne4 Map of Landmarks in Edirne and Karaağaç5 Our Edirne Itinerary6 Good info? Buy me a Turkish coffee!7 Wish to share this post? You’re the best. Why Visit Edirne? Edirne is an old city in the west of Turkiye, in the ‘European’ part of the country on the Balkan Peninsula. The region is also known asContinue reading