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
Africa
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
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
Cabo Verde Itinerary: 7 Islands over 88 Days
This is the summary of our travel itinerary in Cabo Verde from the 15th of January till the 12th of April 2019. We visited 7 out of 9 inhabited islands in Cabo Verde during 88 days. To stay that long, we had to extend our visa on the ground. We’re Digital Nomads, meaning we work and travel at the same time. This also means that we don’t see everything on every island since we spend about one-third of our days working from our apartments. If you’re looking for tips on how to work while traveling in Cabo Verde, check outContinue reading
Land Transportation in Cabo Verde: A How-To Guide
This article is about land transportation in Cabo Verde as opposed to flights and ferries. I mostly discuss taxis and the little minivans/pickup trucks, collectively known as ‘aluguers’. You can also rent vehicles like scooters/quads/4WD cars on some of the islands. Since this is a hitchhiking blog, I also included some information on hitchhiking. I’m still planning more dedicated articles on hitchhiking in Cabo Verde. This is all the information I’ve gathered on land transportation in Cabo Verde over 88 days and by visiting 7 out of 9 islands. Contents1 The Reality On The Ground2 Public Transit2.1 Taxi Pricing2.2 AluguerContinue reading
Cabo Verde Packing List – Prepare Well!
I’ve spent 88 days in Cabo Verde and visited 7 out of 9 islands. This makes me somewhat an expert on what stuff to pack before you go. On the distribution curve of travelers going to Cabo Verde, I’m a light packer. Here are the items that sparked the most joy on my hand luggage-only trip to the archipelago! Make sure to check things off on this packing list (automatically saved in your browser). Must Bring: These items I cannot stress enough. You need to bring them! Either because they’re unavailable in Cabo Verde, or because they’re very, very expensive.Continue reading
Hiking to Farol de Dona Amélia, São Vicente
How to Get There I’d first spotted this lighthouse from the back of a scooter when I visited São Vicente for the first time. I already knew I wanted to dedicate a day to visit the lighthouse upon return to São Vicente after Santo Antão island. The lighthouse is called “Farol de Dona Amélia,” but if you’re in a public vehicle or a taxi in direction of São Pedro, all you need to know is the word Farol – ‘lighthouse’. Everybody knows which one you mean if you’re in the right area. This lighthouse is located on the tip knownContinue reading
(Hitch)hiking Monte Verde, São Vicente
The Setup Monte Verde is the highest peak on the island of São Vicente, Cabo Verde. As the bird flies, it’s only 6 kilometers 744 meters east of Mindelo, the island capital and Cabo Verde’s second-biggest city. The mountain and its plants are protected inside the Parque Natural Monte Verde. The island main ‘ring road’ surrounds the entire mountain, and is a cool trip for one or two people in itself; you can hitchhike, take an aluguer (minivan/pickup, public transit), or rent a scooter/car for a day to see basically the entire island. The peak of Monte Verde is quiteContinue reading
How to get a 90-day visa for Cabo Verde: Part II – the Cabo Verde Visa Extension
Read Part I of trying to get a visa extension in Cabo Verde here. Disclaimer: This article on securing a 90-day visa extension after getting a 30-day entry to Cabo Verde applies mostly to EU+ citizens. This new visa policy only applies to holders of EU, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, and UK passports. Passport holders of other nationalities can still apply to a Cabo Verdean visa at embassies and consulates the regular way. If you don’t want to read the backstory, read The TL;DR or ‘What to bring’ for a summary of findings. The Immigration office in Espargos, Sal We first tried toContinue reading