A Break on La Digue
In mid-January, I travelled to the beautiful island of La Digue for a two-week holiday. The journey began with a direct flight from Frankfurt to the island of Mahé, where I was welcomed by a member of staff from Creole Travel Services after the roughly 10-hour flight. The entire transfer to my guesthouse went smoothly, so my holiday could now begin in earnest. The semi-chalet Kokorouz at Bois d'Amour, which I had booked, had been lovingly decorated with flowers for my arrival and also featured a wonderful veranda where I spent my evenings unwinding.
I spent the first two days exploring the surrounding area on foot and finding places to shop. There is a small supermarket about 100 m from the semi-chalet where you can buy all the essentials for your daily needs, which proved very convenient.
As La Digue is known as a cycling island, I decided to hire a bicycle for the duration of my stay and use it to explore the island. I began with a short ride along the coast. The route follows the north coast past Anse Severe and Anse Patates, both of which are certainly worth stopping at.
Almost the entire route offers wonderful sea views, which make you forget the effort of cycling over the small hills. The road ends on the east coast, shortly after Chez Jules. Other excellent cycling routes include the road to L'Union Estate and the one leading to Grand Anse. I particularly enjoyed the views of the lush green hillsides and the sound of native birdsong.
If you cycle south, you will reach Grand Anse. Here, a fine white sandy beach awaits, framed by granite rocks and turquoise waters.
Continuing along a small footpath, you will reach Petite Anse, which is slightly smaller than Grand Anse but just as impressive, with turquoise waters and a wonderful sandy beach. From there, another somewhat more challenging path leads to Anse Cocos after around half an hour. There is also a small beach bar here that regularly holds a barbecue, which is well worth experiencing. A visit to Anse Cocos should be planned as a full-day excursion, as the routes there are long and a relaxing day at the beach is only truly worthwhile if you have enough time. Swimming at the beaches along the south-east coast is too dangerous because of the strong currents. However, at Anse Cocos it is possible to swim and snorkel in an area sheltered by rocks.
Other wonderful places to visit include L'Union Estate and Veuve Reserve. L’Union Estate Park is a national park that also provides access to Anse Source d'Argent. You can explore the park by bicycle before continuing to the beach on foot.
Admission to the park costs SCR 150, which is used in part towards its maintenance. Among the attractions here are a vanilla plantation, tortoises, a medicinal garden and countless coconut palms. Veuve Nature Reserve, by contrast, is considerably smaller and offers an insight into the endemic bird species as well as the trees and plants found there. It is worth taking a guided tour of the reserve, as you will learn far more interesting information this way than you would from the signs alone.
Another excellent way to explore the landscape is a tour to Anse Marron. In a small group, I hiked around the southern tip of the island and learnt a great deal about the local jungle, flora and fauna. Our guide, Rondy, made the fairly challenging hike a fantastic experience and was always on hand to help wherever necessary. Once we arrived at Anse Marron, we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the water. While we did so, Rondy prepared a fruit platter for each of us and served it on a palm leaf. After around 2 hours, the tour continued until we reached Anse Source d’Argent. This tour was an absolute highlight, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys hiking and has an interest in it.
A snorkelling trip to the neighbouring islands is a wonderful way to discover the underwater world. I chose a half-day excursion to Sister Island, Coco Island and Felicite. Thanks to his experience, our guide was able to show us the best snorkelling spots, where we saw a sea turtle, a ray and a reef shark, among other things.
The sunsets at Anse Severe were a wonderful way to unwind in the evening, as we watched the sun disappear behind the island of Praslin.
After 2 weeks filled with relaxing days on the various beaches and exploring the island, I took the ferry back to Mahé before continuing to the airport, where I boarded my direct flight to Frankfurt.
Overall, I had an indescribably wonderful time on La Digue. The island offers plenty of possibilities both for those seeking peace and quiet and for people who enjoy being active in nature. As private vehicles are not permitted on the island, cycling is also great fun because you encounter very little traffic. It certainly will not be the last time I visit this island and its unique natural beauty.
