introduction

Rodrigues is the smallest of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius.

It is located 560 km east of Mauritius island, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a coral reef and has an area of about 109 km. The capital of the island is Port Mathurin.

In 2006, the island was reported with a population of about 40,000.

The main language is Rodriguan Creole, but French and English occasionally are spoken or understood by some of the inhabitants.

history

From the 10th century, Arabs have been known to visit the Mascarene Islands.

A 12th century map by the Arab geographer Ash-Sharif al-Idrisi, clearly shows the three islands of the Mascarenes as Dina Arobi (Mauritius), Dina Margabin (Réunion) and Dina Moraze (Rodrigues).

The island was named after the Portuguese navigator Dom Diogo Rodrigues in 1528.

travel

Air Mauritius operates daily flights connecting Plaisance Airport and Rodrigues. The flight time is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes.

Coraline sails once a week to Rodrigues Island and to Reunion island from Port Louis Harbour.
Mauritius Pride, launched in 1991, and Mauritius Trochetia, in service since 2001, are the two ships operating for the island.
The ships also have Madagascar as a destination.

 

where to stay

Visitors coming to the island have a large choice of hotels, bungalows, apartments and villas. There is a very large range of accommodation available in Mauritius and there is a large number of high class accommodations which receive important/VIP people from all over the world.

However, all main hotel groups still offer a large number of rooms to the visitors from low budget to luxury with a range of facilities and activities.

Hotels can be found everywhere on the island on the coastal areas but also in the town and cities of the island.

what to pack

Be aware of the hot weather and bring 30+ SPF sunscreen, a hat, thongs, loose clothing.... all that you'll need, to protect yourself from the heat. Also, bring cash with you incase you can't find an ATM to withdraw money. You would probably find a bank but it will charge you a hefty fee! So be warned.

Bring along your medications and first aid kits for any misadventures. You may want to travel around abit too, so don't forget a backpack and sneakers! 

And of course, bring a camera, there're plenty of photo opportunities here to impress your mates with back home. And take a good protection for your camera from the sand.

what to do when its flat

Rodrigues is a tiny, rugged, volcanic island which lies 550km northeast of Mauritius. It is known as the ‘anti-stress' island.

The capital, Port Mathurin, is only seven streets wide, with a Creole population. Rodrigues offers walking, diving, kitesurfing and deep sea fishing.

 

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