You’ve read the hashtags #solotravel #coupletravel and might follow some travelers based on these attributes. But what about the people who started out as solo travelers and then found someone? I asked travel bloggers to share their experiences on how the transition to couple travel has changed their travels. Adjusting to a whole other person while adventuring definitely comes with its challenges, disadvantages, and, of course, advantages—otherwise, we wouldn’t do it. Kate (+ Partner): Solo to Long-Distance to Couple Travel Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I had really hit my groove with solo travel. I had spent three months backpackingContinue 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! Green Village Saves the Day During our stay in La Gaulette, we had quite some trouble getting both a scooter and a kayak. We eventually got a scooter, but the kayak was still such a difficult quest. We had messaged and called severalContinue reading
Îlot Fourneau: Peak Hike via an Interpretive Trail
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
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. Why is it Easy to be a Vegetarian in Mauritius? Hinduism and to a lesser extent Buddhism. The majority of people in Mauritius are of (north and south) Indian descent. They practice many different religions, but many of them practice Hinduism. And though it’s not obligatory to have a vegetarian diet in Hinduism, many prefer itContinue 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. Mauritian Craft Beer Companies The first two companies I encountered were Flying Dodo Brewery Company and The Thirsty Fox. The former has a delightfully basic website that leaves you guessing whatContinue 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. Arranging the Trip After some early day cocktails, we walked back home via the famous ‘Case Nautique‘. It’s a few blocks from our house, but so far we never managed to visitContinue reading