Getting a SIM Card in Madagascar: Orange, Telma, and Airtel

We bought our Malagasy Orange and Telma SIM cards on the first full day in the country, the 16th of November 2022. The last SIM card in Madagascar, Airtel, was trickier to get in the capital. I’ll explain below why we’re getting multiple SIM cards from different providers.  Contents1 TL;DR Which SIM Card in Madagascar Should I Choose?2 Our Experience Buying a SIM Card in Madagascar3 Orange SIM Card in Madagascar3.1 Where to buy an Orange Madagascar SIM card3.2 Topping up your mobile data via Orange Money3.3 Checking your Orange data and balance4 Telma SIM Card in Madagascar4.1 Getting theContinue reading

Madagascar Tourist Visa Extension in Toliara: 30 Days Extra

We tried to extend our tourist visa in Madagascar in the coastal city of Toliara, aka Tuléar or Toliary. Our first visit attempt was on Friday the 23rd of December, and the next time Monday the 26th of December. Trying the Madagascar tourist visa extension around Christmas was obviously not ideal. Contents1 Why Extend the Madagascar Tourist Visa?2 Where to Extend Your Tourist Visa in Madagascar3 Researching the Malagasy Tourist Visa Extension4 Attempt 1: Friday before Christmas5 Attempt 2: Visa Extension Progress?5.1 Bitter boomers5.2 A useless sidequest5.3 Paying for the visa extension6 Attempt 3: We got it!7 Madagascar Tourist VisaContinue reading

Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants in Port Mathurin and Beyond

Finding vegetarian food in ‘mainland’ Mauritius is incredibly easy. But is it also possible to maintain a vegetarian diet on the smaller island of Rodrigues? I found out there are quite some restaurants in Port Mathurin and the rest of the autonomous island that serve delicious meatless and fishless foods. Below you’ll find them with a description and a location on the map. These restaurants are in no particular order. All of them are in Port Mathurin unless indicated otherwise. Contents1 What’s the Food Situation in Rodrigues?2 Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants in Port Mathurin2.1 Rodrigues Friendly2.2 Faratha Chou2.3 Manzé Lakaz2.4 Kafé Rose2.5Continue 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

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