Rodrigues Island: Mauritius’ Hidden Paradise

Marooned some 370 miles north-east of its big sister isle Mauritius, time seems to have stood still on Rodrigues. This small jewel, of volcanic origin, in the Indian Ocean is one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands. Its distance from the rest of the world is central to its charm. Unspoiled, with beautiful beaches and a fascinating history including 159 years of British rule, Rodriguans are fiercely proud of their identity. Their easy smiles are infectious and from the moment you land, you instantly feel the laid-back, friendly nature of an island community who are only too happy to share their good fortune. Rodrigues is different, very different. Be prepared to leave the swagger of Mauritius behind as you board the one and a half hour flight to Plaine Corail Airport on Rodrigues. Feel yourself instantly slow down and relax as you skim over the red corrugated rooftops beaming through the island's green landscape, fringed by white sand and the bluest of blue turquoise shores. Sleepy Rodrigues carries echoes of Mauritius more than 30 years ago. Nothing happens in a hurry. There are no traffic jams, no street lights, no forms of pollution, just an easy-going village-like ambience. Everyone knows everyone so locals rarely lock their doors. Even Port Mathurin, Rodrigues’ capital, enjoys a slow languid pace where the local market offers an affectionate insight into the lifestyle. In many ways, isolation has been a friend to Rodrigues, protecting it from the world and its noise.

The island is surrounded by a reef that creates a very shallow lagoon. From above, you can see the concentric circles of ocean, lagoon and land. White crashing waves mark Rodrigues’ outer limits as they break upon the ocean whilst the dazzling inner lagoon is a near-perfect aquamarine. Trips to the small islands offshore are a navigational adventure. When the tide is out, the lagoon is so shallow that boats must follow a scooped out channel that runs along the coastline.

Octopus is the big thing here – a centrepiece of the island culture, a staple on every restaurant menu and generally eaten at least once or twice a week in every household. Wooden frames draped with octopus limbs drying in the ocean breeze are a common sight on the narrow roadsides. This is an island with a ramshackle charm best discovered by exploring. Unlike in Mauritius, where your hotel is your cocooned base for enjoying some well earned beach relaxation, Rodrigues has a feel-good factor that leaves you yearning to learn more. Everyone smiles. In the evenings, embrace the local tradition and watch Sega dancing - another integral part of the island culture.

On the west coast, it’s worth visiting the Francois Leguat Tortoise Reserve, named after the Frenchman who arrived on the island back in 1691. Leguat and his exiles planned the first colony on Rodrigues but left after two years, as the isolation was too much to endure. Leguat described how there were valleys on Rodrigues so full of giant tortoises that you walked across on their backs. Sadly, during the 19th century, seamen of the Royal Navy and trading ships blown off course, replenished their food supplies by eating the tortoises, wiping out two species. Now they're being reintroduced from Madagascar.

Rodrigues is 90% Creole, the islanders carrying traces of their past from Africa and Europe. There’s an enduring charm here which oozes happiness and for those seeking an off-the-radar adventure, it’s the perfect twin with Mauritius. Kite-surfing is big here too. Be prepared to be spellbound!