Into the wild frontier

Our initial meeting with the tour leader for our Pakistan tour was at 12:30, so over breakfast we scrutinised every non-Pakistani trying to figure out if they were from our tour. As it turns out none of the people we suspected were, once our unexpectedly small group of just five (two UK, one Russian/US, and us) assembled. There was one more UK person expected, but they weren't joining until tomorrow.

After introductions and discussion of logistics  followed by a small lunch we jumped into our 21 seater bus, great for our small group as we could spread out.

First stop was the National Museum of Pakistan, which was very quiet, it was almost as if it had been opened just for us. The exhibits covered periods from pre-history through to present day, giving us a taste of what we'd be seeing later on the tour.

As we drove past the Empress Market our tour guide Sala decided to stop. This time we entered through the meat section that we'd deliberately missed yesterday, the swarms of flies around the hanging meat confirmed that yesterday's decision was the right one!

Next to the Mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam, the resting place and tribute to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. There were many locals visiting, and K along with others in our group were in high demand for photos, especially with women and children, with some young men also getting in on the act.

We took a trip through some expensive and more contemporary looking buildings to see Clifton Beach on the Arabian Sea. The sand was very grey and not appealing to us, but there were many people there enjoying their Sunday afternoon. It  reminded us of the beach at Lomé in Togo, the water was a long way from the road and there were people coming by on horses asking if we wanted a ride.

We visited our first Sufi shrine, the Shrine of Hazrat Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Sufism being a more mystical or spiritual component of Islam, focusing on an individual's relationship with God. The shrine was very busy, it was shoes off, headscarfs for women as well as separate entrances.

Dinner was at BBQ Tonight, which meant lots of barbequed marinated chicken and beef kebabs, along with naan and paratha. It was very tasty and quite pleasant sitting in the outdoor area.

I hope Disney don't find out

Day 8 - Karachi

We are staying at the Beach Luxury Hotel, which doesn't have a beach and being a 3 star hotel isn't that luxurious.

Breakfast was in the 007 restaurant, and the sign is complete with a black pistol. There was a table of western women at breakfast who were from the UK and were performing at the World Culture Festival 2025 in Karachi.

We booked a car using the InDrive app and went to the Empress Market in an old English colonial building. We wandered through the busy market, admiring the chillies, spices, sweets and snacks, as well as the shop selling stuffed animals.

A friend of M's had grown up in Karachi and we had the address of her old family home which wasn't far from the market, so we decided to walk there. We quickly realised that crossing the road in Pakistan is the same as in India, just step out and the traffic will miraculously weave around you (hopefully).

The building was easy to find as it had a large, grand facade, and a closer look showed that the roof had been removed and the interior had been gutted, it obviously wasn't in use but we couldn't tell if it was being demolished or renovated.

We booked another InDrive to take us to the Mohatta Palace Museum, originally built in 1927 as the summer home of a wealthy businessman. As we arrived we were greeted by a group of school children who were excited to meet their first Australians. 

In the museum entrance there were signs saying photos were prohibited, and we had to hand in our phones before entering. Staff members also followed us and directed us through the museum. There were two exhibitions, one of photographs of Mohammed Al Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, the other on the craft of embroidery as practiced in many areas of Pakistan.

After a mid afternoon snack back at our hotel we walked around the hotel grounds. It was Saturday and a lot of people were at the hotel. A group of beautifully dressed women wanted their photo taken with us, and found they were professionals from a nearby hospital celebrating the retirement of one of their colleagues.

Looking at Google Maps we could see a place by the water a few minutes walk from the hotel called Port Grand, with what appeared to be a few restaurants, and as it had.some positive reviews we decided to visit. 

There was an entry fee of 1000 rupees each (about $5.50), and it turned out to be something like an amusement park geared towards families, with a few rides and attractions for children, some restaurants and kiosks, as well as a slightly off brand Minnie Mouse like character to entertain kids.

It appeared to be all locals there, so we were a bit of a novelty, and K had many requests for photos, mainly from women, many of them in groups and very beautifully dressed. We probably should have gone there a little later as it was still quiet and most of the nicer looking restaurants hadn't yet opened. Once we'd finished exploring we called it a night and headed back to the hotel.

Fan service

Day 7  - Bangkok to Karachi (Pakistan)

Our flight to Karachi wasn't until after 6pm so we took the train to Siam Centre for a very tasty Thai lunch, then walked to MBK shopping centre as K wanted to buy a hand fan. We expect it to be quite hot in Pakistan and women need to be covered up in public, so K was a bit concerned about how she would handle the heat.

We returned to the hotel with enough time to pack and get to our flight to Karachi. Boarding the flight it was very noticeable that there were very few women on the flight and only one other western looking lady.

We landed at Karachi close to midnight. Getting through the border checks was straightforward, just a little slow. We were grateful for the complimentary hotel pick up, only to have the van get a flat tyre half way to the hotel. We waited in the bus for almost half an hour before we were collected by another car that was sent to collect us.

We checked in to our room at the Luxury Beach Hotel, nodded awkwardly at the porter when he lingered in the room hoping for a tip, and got to sleep some time around midnight.

3 airports in one day

Day 6 Penang to Bangkok

A travelling day today. We left at lunchtime for the 1h45 minute flight to Bangkok's Don Mueang airport. We flew Air Asia which is fine for short flights, and were actually quite happy with the food they provided, small servings but tasty and quite spicy.

After we landed we needed to find the free shuttle bus to transfer us to Bangkok's main airport, Suvarnabhumi about 45 minutes away. It was a little tricky as it wasn't well signposted. We found the bus but we then needed to go back inside the terminal to register before they'd let us on.

We spent the night at our usual airport hotel and decided to stay there for dinner.

View from above

Day 5 - George Town, Penang, Malaysia

We woke to no rain and a not too cloudy sky so we decided to have another try at the funicular. Our Grab driver, like the others, also acted as a tour guide, suggesting places to visit and eat at as well as filling us in on some history along the way.

We had read of people waiting in the queue for up to three hours so we were pleased to find there was no delay and we were pretty much straight on. We've taken a lot of funiculars in a lot of countries so didn't have high expectations for the trip only to find it was much better than average.

We were in the front right next to the driver so when it stopped at a temple we could watch as a group of men transferred large storage tubs filled with foods like curries, dahl and salad from the front of the train.

The trip up was about 2km, quite steep and fast in places. The area at the top was nicely developed with good views over George Town and across the bay to Butterworth on mainland Malaysia. 

In the afternoon M walked from the hotel to Gurney Mall via Gurney Bay Park, which was quite empty and looked like it could use a could tidy up. There had been no rain at all even though we had been expecting it.

That evening was another trip to Chulia St followed by rendang and chicken curry at Jawi House Cafe Gallery, the place we'd eaten at two nights earlier. This time the food was even better, M says he would happily eat there every night!

To the beach

Day 4 George Town, Penang, Malaysia

This morning the rain had stopped by the time we finished breakfast so we booked a Grab (Asia's Uber) and visited Batu Cafe which was right on the water. 

We then decided to take the Penang Hill Funicular but checking with our driver we decided that it was a bit too cloudy and the views wouldn't be great, so we thought we'd check out Ferringhi Beach, a popular beach near George Town. There was a nice stretch of restaurants and cafes with seating on the sand but nothing opened until midday so the area was dead.  

We walked along the beach and the jetty then decided to head back to the hotel. Although it seemed very quiet we had no trouble getting a Grab, and on the way back the driver explained the Grab system, and how trips are auto assigned and if a driver knocks one back they are locked out for ever increasing periods, so eventually a driver has no choice but to accept a low fare.

A cafe near our hotel was recommended by our last driver so we headed there for a coffee only to find out they were a Melbourne based operation.

That afternoon M visited some of the other clan jetties, then walked back towards the fort to find that a huge cruise ship (4800 passengers) was in town.

We spent the evening enjoying the George Town area, this time opting for a place on Chulia St where we had some happy hour drinks then a meal (not rendang this time).

Rendang Part 2

Day 3 George Town,  Penang, Malaysia

We woke to steady rain which cleared late morning and the cloud cover meant the temperature was good for walking. 

We walked to Chew Jetty which is very close to our hotel. The jetties are part of the waterfront settlement area called clan jetties. They were built by Chinese immigrants and are rows of houses on stilts on either sides of the wooden walkways. Families still live here but some have also turned them into shops for tourists. They also feature street art on the side of the buildings so are very popular for sightseers. At the end of the jetty there was a number of tourists waiting, and we saw a sign advertising 20 minute boat rides. We decided to wait as well, but after 25 minutes and no boat we all realised it wasn't happening and left.

We walked down to the fort area, also not far from the hotel. It's the largest fort in Malaysia and has a moat surrounding it, however by now the sun had broken through the clouds and it was way too hot so we headed back to our hotel until the temperature dropped.

In the evenings once the sun drops the weather is warm but pleasant, we found a rooftop bar on Chulia St, which is full of bars offering "cheap" drinks for happy hour, though in reality they don't seem such a good deal especially compared to the price of a meal. After that we headed to a well reviewed restaurant nearby and had beef rendang for dinner again, which was well worth the visit.

Love is in the air (kind of)

Day 2 Singapore to Penang (Malaysia)

Everything in Singapore seems to run like clockwork and we had no trouble getting the shuttle bus to Terminal 4. As it wasn't close to the other terminals we were expecting it to be of a lower standard but thankfully it was contemporary and efficient.

We arrived at Penang airport about 1pm and the difference to Singapore was noticeable, it had the old airport feel about it. We grabbed a Grab to get to our hotel in George Town.

As it was Sunday we went to visit the Hin Artisan market, which disappointingly was more craft and twee than actual art. After a quick look around we went back to the hotel to wait until the heat had dropped before venturing out again. 

About 6pm we walked to Armenian Street and wandered around the souvenir shops whilst enjoying the street art. We found the umbrella Street which was pretty with all the fairy lights decorating the umbrella's edges. 

M found a restaurant highly recommended for its rendang curry and and after dinner we walked back to our hotel stopping for a drink on Love Lane along the way.

... and they're off again ...

Day 1 - Melbourne to Singapore

A 1pm flight meant a leisurely start to the day before our flight to Singapore, our first step on the way to Penang. 

After landing in Singapore we quickly made it through customs (no queues, it was all automated), collected our luggage then made our way through the airport to the Crowne Plaza near terminal 3, a very nice and convenient place for an overnight stopover.

Wrapping up

Days 48 to 50 - Patong

We spent the next three days in Patong, there's not much to say as it was just a relaxing time at our hotel, occasionally heading out to visit some of the local attractions and restaurants. 

The days were quite hot so we spent some time in our plunge pool, the hotel we stayed at was a little way out of town so when we needed to go anywhere we booked a Grab which generally worked pretty well.

One day we headed to Bang Tao to see how it had changed from the times we'd spent there previously (our last visit was 2021). The nice peaceful beach area with just a few restaurants was now full of beach clubs, the beach was full of umbrellas and sun lounges, and there was loud music coming from a place next to the Aloma restaurant we'd eaten at many times in the past. The area where before was just a car park was now full of small shops, and it was very, very busy. The old Bang Tao we had enjoyed didn't seem to exist any more, that's "progress" I guess.

When we ventured into Patong we were also surprised by how busy it was, perhaps we should have expected it but the number of tourists was incredible. Not only that, we had been looking forward to having some spicy Thai food but we found that all meals we tried were a little disappointing. The flavours were on the bland side, and prices were quite expensive compared to what we'd paid on previous visits. 

This is probably the last time we'll go to Phuket, it was always busy and touristy but now, for us at least, it's no longer worth a visit.

Day 51 - Patong to Bangkok

We had an early afternoon flight so headed to the airport after breakfast. We had a domestic flight to Bangkok, then an overnight stay at the airport hotel, so it was very much just a travelling day.

Day 52 - Bangkok (Thailand) to Melbourne (Australia)  

We left the hotel very early as our flight was scheduled for just after 8am. As with pretty much all of our flights on this trip it was uneventful (fortunately), and we arrived home into cool weather conditions late in the evening.    

Glad we took photos!

Days 46 to 47 - Saint Pierre (Reunion) to Bangkok (Thailand) to Patong (Phuket)

Day 46

Our flight to Bangkok wasn't until 8pm, we had originally planned to check out around 2pm but once again we had to change our plans because of our Airbnb host and ended up meeting them at 12.

We drove back to Saint Gilles for lunch as we wanted to return after our first visit and had a nice lunch near the water.

Then it was back to the airport to return the hire car, strangely with this company we had to clean the car before returning it, the only other time we had to do that was in Albania! It was a relief to hand the car back, especially with some of the cheap local providers. In this case they found issues with the car but fortunately we had photos from when we picked it up so were able to provide the issue wasn't caused by us.

Day 47

Our overnight flight was uneventful and we arrived into Bangkok around 7am the next day. After collecting our luggage and passing through customs we went to the domestic terminal for our flight to Phuket. 

We had allowed some time between landing and our flight in case of our plane being delayed, so we had a long time to wait. We went to the Thai Airways office at 7.30am to see if we could change to a flight earlier than our scheduled one at 11.30am, but no places were available so we cooled our heels for a few hours until we eventually took off just after 12pm.

We took a Grab from the airport to our hotel, which has a great view of the Patong bay and a nice little plunge pool.

It's not that scary once you get used to it

Days 43 to 45 - Saint Pierre

Day 43

We had to be at the airport for our helicopter flight by 7:30am, while driving there we could see a lot of the mountains in cloud but it appeared to be clearing. There were only two flights scheduled that day, we were on the second one. The first one was delayed about 45 minutes and by the time it was our turn we couldn't fly over the Piton de La Fournaise volcano (one of the most active volcanoes in the world, last erupting in August 2023) because of cloud. We did however manage to see the amazing landscape of the island, with views that could only be seen from the air, into areas that can only be reached on foot after a long hike. 

The helicopter was going close to the mountains and cliffs, manoeuvring through crevices and hovering near waterfalls, in the beginning it was a bit scary, by the time we relaxed and started to really enjoy it our 45 minutes was over. Everyone had a great time and it was well worth it, even if we couldn't see the volcano.

It was only a 15 minute drive back to our apartment and by the time we arrived it was raining very heavily, we were so lucky to get the helicopter ride in. We went across the road to a nice bakery, bought some baguettes and cakes and ordered a cappuccino, no idea what went wrong but we ended up with what seemed to be a hot chocolate! 

  

Day 44

As we'd missed flying over the volcano we decided to take a drive up there. We drove for about an hour and a half, up some very windy roads, though they were surprisingly good quality (except when Google maps got lost and took us onto some goat tracks). The landscape changed from green pasture and cattle to desolate lava fields at the Plain des Sables.  

We drove across to the crater viewpoints when the clouds descended and the rain started. In between showers we managed to peer over the rim and see a vague outline of the crater in the mist, it is possible to do the 5 hour return hike to see it close up, but we had decided not to do it.

On the way back our navigation played up again, taking us back to Saint Pierre via a rough, narrow, winding road in the fog and rain.

Day 45

Our last full day so we headed east to visit the town of Saint Phillippe for lunch, however we discovered it wasn't quite what we'd expected, there wasn't much in the way of cafes or restaurants on the water, rather it was more like holiday houses and rentals with all the shops on the main road some distance from the coast. 

We drove back towards Saint Phillipe, stopping at Cap Machant along the way, where there are some interesting rock formations on the water caused by lava flows. There was a nice (and quite busy) restaurant here so we had lunch, then walked along the coast to see the lava cliffs, smoothed over time by the crashing waves.

Back in Saint Pierre M explored the town, finding that there were lots of small beaches and informal bars heading north from where we were.

We didn't expect to see kangaroos here!

Day 42 - Saint Gilles to Saint Pierre

Before leaving Saint Gilles we went for a walk, and in the daylight we discovered that on the other side of the marina was a surf beach where we could watch people catching the waves from a café on the promenade.

We drove on to Saint Pierre as the Airbnb we had booked, which we thought was self check in now required us to meet someone, and they wanted to do it at 11am. We are really over Airbnb's, sometimes it's not easy having to keep to specific times for check in and check out, especially when we are covering large distances and no common language .

When we arrived there was a lady waiting for us who by using google translate asked us to wait, after about 10 minutes we were wondering what was going on, and she just took us up, no ideas why we had to wait. The car park was a problem, we had the smallest most awkward spot which we had to park in while other cars were constantly arriving and leaving.

It was a very busy area, right on the main road running along the coast and close to some busy beaches, probably compounded by it being Saturday. Although it was hot the humidity didn't feel as bad as Mauritius.

There was a nice restaurant across the road, fortunately the waitress spoke English, and they also had kangaroo on the menu! 

So far the cyclone season had been kind to us, it was humid but we'd had very little wind or rain. We were interested in a helicopter flight over the island, but the weather forecast looked like it was going to turn, with storms expected over the next few days, and the only clear morning being the very next day. It was short notice and we contacted a few companies, luckily managing to book a flight the next morning. 

Are we in Europe?

Day 41 - Mahebourg (Mauritius) to Saint-Gilles (Réunion)

We had an early afternoon flight so M explored Mahebourg before we left for the airport, checking out the waterfront promenade as well as the lively local market. 

The flight to Réunion was 50 minutes, we spent more time at the airport than in the air, though we we were able to take advantage of the Air Mauritius lounge which was modern and a relaxing place to wait.

On our arrival into Roland Garros airport we went to pick up our hire car. The girl serving us had just spent a year in Australia and was interested in know what we were doing in Réunion.

We drove to a nearby shopping centre to get a sim card, what a cultural shock! We felt like we'd been transported to Europe. It was very modern and the supermarket was one of the largest we'd ever seen. K when shopping for bearnaise sauce, her go-to purchase whenever she's in Europe. We found the supermarket so busy that it was quite overwhelming. As we still had a 40 minute drive ahead of us and we didn't want to arrive in a new place in the dark we left to get to Saint Gilles.

We were very surprised by the size and condition of the roads  and the modern buildings. We had expected Réunion to be like Mauritius but it appeared very different. We took the Nouvelle Route du Littoral (New Coastal Road) which was over the water and parallel to the coast, quite an impressive road (and Melbourne can't even get a train from the airport to the city!).

We arrived into Saint Gilles at dusk after negotiating narrow, one way streets and a carpark designed for matchbox cars. We checked in and decided to have a quick look around, we turned right from our hotel to find that we were staying right next to a delightful marina with lots of bridges, restaurants and bars. 

We chose a low key place near the water where the menu specials included kangaroo! Using google translate K explained to the waitress that in Australia it's not something we eat ourselves, instead we feed  it to our pets!

The sun setting over the ocean and the pretty twinkling marina lights were a beautiful setting for the best pasta carbonara that K had ever tasted. We felt that we had stumbled upon a tiny pocket of the French Riviera.

We are not the target market

Day 40 - Gran Baie to Mahebourg

We reluctantly departed Grand Baie to drive to Mahebourg near the airport as we had a flight the next day to Reunión.

We took the coastal road along the eastern side of the island, finding it less developed than where we'd been, so less resorts and more natural looking beaches, many of which were empty.

We stopped at another Hindu temple at Sagar Shiv Mandir, this one was right on the water and much smaller than the one we'd seen a few days ago. We witnessed what we think was filming for a music video, where a middle aged Indian looking woman in traditional garb mimed a song with other dressed up men and woman standing nearby. The song didn't sound that great, but I guess we're not the target market!

We stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant just outside Trou d'Eau Douce, which seemed quite busy given the location, but we worked out that we were very close to the point where you could a boat to Ile Aux Cerfs, an island famous for it's beaches and golf course, which might have been worth a visit if we'd had more time.

We made it to Mahebourg by around 3pm, visiting the waterfront before checking in to our Airbnb.

 

Settling in

Days 38 and 39 - Gran Baie

We had two more nights in Gran Baie and wished we'd booked more, it was lovely sitting on our balcony watching the boats and catamarans gearing up to take tourists out for the day and then seeing the groups piling in for their day sailing amongst the islands.

The village feel of Grand Baie was a lot more enjoyable than the resorts and hotels of Flic en Flac. There was a great French bakery in the main shopping centre, and nice cafes and bars quite close to the apartment so we took it easy during the very hot days and ventured out in the evening.

K also took the opportunity to do some shopping, though she found the shops near the marina were quite pushy in trying to get her to buy something.  

Best location ever?

Day 37 - Flic en Flac to Gran Baie

We headed to the north coast of the island, passing through the busy capital of Port Louis along the way. We briefly diverted into the city and drove past the main market, negotiating the heavy traffic of cars, buses and people.

It wasn't far to our ultimate destination of Gran Baie, so we drove a little further on to have lunch at a rooftop bar close to Pereybere Beach before checking in to our great apartment right on the marina in Gran Baie.

This apartment had one of the best locations we'd ever stayed in, with a view of the marina and beach, close to shops, bars and restaurants. It was also very nicely set up, with a great kitchen, and three big bedrooms. 

The cyclone had passed us by and the overcast skies were replaced with bright blue ones. This meant the heat and humidity were now overpowering making daytime activities very unpleasant. As the sun set we visited an outdoor bar in the main street but the lack of air flow made it stifling. We then went to a restaurant on the beach as the sun was setting but even there with no wind the humidity made it unpleasant to stay long, so after a very quick meal we went back to our more comfortable apartment.

 

Not our idea of a "beach bar"

Day 36 - Flic en Flac

Flic en Flac's name comes from an Old Dutch phrase meaning "free and flat land". It's a small popular beach town on the west coast of Mauritius. We were staying at the northern end of the town and beach which meant we weren't as close to restaurants and cafes as we'd like, but there were some decent options  in walking distance and a nice resort where we could have a drink by the sea.

We went for a drive along the coast, passing a lot of high end resorts. We entered one to have lunch at what they called a "beach bar", but it wasn't quite what we expected, and quickly departed when we saw the prices!  

That afternoon M walked quite a long way north along the beach, and once past the main town beach found that much of the coast was taken up by beach lounges belonging to the resorts we'd driven past earlier. The whole area appeared to be geared towards resort holidays, and was also quite busy with some places having no spare lounges.

The evening was spent at the resort bar we'd visited the previous night, where we saw quite a striking sunset. 

Back on the air

Day 35 - La Gaulette to Flic en Flac

Some research indicated the local supermarket in La Gaulette sold sim cards, so first stop for the day was to get that sorted, followed by a pretty decent coffee at a local cafe.

Now that we had internet and navigation sorted we drove to the Le Morne Slave Monument, right next to the imposing Le Morne Brabant monolith. Yesterday was the public holiday for the annual remembrance of the abolition of slavery, so today there were workers dismantling the marquees and seating. 

The slave monument included a series of sculptures that tell the history of the atrocities and how many escaped to the Le Morne mountains and caves.

After some time pondering the sobering history of the island we drove inland to the Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth Geopark. Here there is an area of small earth dunes which are meant to show different colours due to their different mineral composites in a very small area. However, as it had been raining the colours were very subdued.

What was more interesting to us was the Aldabra tortoises, the second-largest species in the world. These were imported from the Seychelles, a cousin of the extinct Mauritian domed and saddle-backed giant tortoises. 

There was also a nice twin waterfall in the area, with just a small climb needed to get to some good views. 

Then we visited the Grand Bassin temple, a massive Hindu temple complex on the shores of a small crater lake. The statues were huge, as was the car park, they must expect some pretty big crowds during festivals, though today it wasn't too busy.

We drove on to our destination for the next few days the weirdly named town of Flic en Flac, to stay in a nice hotel by the ocean.

They sell them at petrol stations, they said

Day 34 - Beau Vallon (Seychelles) to La Gaulette (Mauritius) 

We left Beau Vallon early to return our rental car before our 2h40m flight to Mauritius.

We had learnt that today was a public holiday to commemorate the abolition of slavery, so most shops would be shut and supermarkets would close at lunch, but we weren't expecting this this to be a problem. 

We had ordered sim cards through the car hire company so we didn't buy them at the airport on arrival as we normally would have. However when we picked up the car they told us they didn't have the sims. We said we'd go back into the airport to buy them but they told us that would be a waste of time as we could buy them at any petrol station. 

The first petrol station we stopped at didn't sell them, and of course all other shops we went past were closed. We had to meet our Airbnb host at 3pm and as we had no internet we had no way of contacting him. 

We took the coastal route from the airport to reach La Gaulette, passing many beaches along the way with lots of family groups, we weren't sure whether this was normal or if it had something to do with it being a public holiday. 

We followed the instructions we had to get to where we thought our Airbnb was but we'd taken a wrong turn somewhere, we were looking for a gate with a butterfly but it was nowhere to be seen. After speaking to some very helpful people on the street we finally managed to find the house, but then of course the gate was locked, the host was inside on the top floor and couldn't hear us yelling out for him. 

After all that was resolved and we had checked in we drove to a nearby shopping centre, the supermarket was open but the mobile phone place was closed, sim cards would have to wait until tomorrow. 

We had learnt from our host that a cyclone was in the area, it was a category 1 which is the lowest category so we were hoping that it wouldn't affect our trip. January to March is the worst time to visit Mauritius apparently, something that we didn't even consider when we were planning the trip!

Island life

Days 30, 31, 32 -  Beau Vallon 

Day 30

Today was a day to take it easy after our sometimes challenging travels through Africa. English is spoken by pretty much everyone so the Seychelles was a pretty easy place to be, the only thing we really had to contend with was the heat and humidity, but the evenings were much more pleasant and a good time to sit by the beach for a drink.

M went exploring and walked along the main beach, past a number of resorts and restaurants, then following the road for a while to get to the small town of Bel Ombre with it's historic church.

Day 31

We spent the day driving around the island. The island is quite small, so in total we probably only spent three hours in the car, if that. There were some nice beaches but apart from the capital Victoria there isn't that much development, we drove past a few resorts but overall the island didn't appear too busy, in particular the southern and western areas seemed quite peaceful. There is a rule that no building can be higher than 6 metres, which certainly helps give the place a nice tropical and low-key vibe. 

Day 32

M started the day by exploring the beach in the northerly direction, but had to turn back due to the large boulders blocking the way. We had seen these boulders and rocks all around the island on our drive yesterday.

Up to now we had only driven through the capital of Victoria so we headed in to check it out. There were some tourists around and quite few stalls selling souvenirs, though they generally (as is often the case) were selling pretty much the same stuff.