CRUISE INDIAN OCEAN DESTINATIONS
on a colonial-style organic vanilla farm where creamy ‘vanilla chicken’ was followed by the tastiest vanilla ice cream, all served in verdant, hilly surroundings (from £105 for a full day).
w THE SEYCHELLES Next on the itinerary was Praslin Island, a lush, forested chunk of land framed by idyllic beaches and the second-largest in the Seychelles, once used as a hideout for pirates before being settled by the French in the 18th century. Today it’s well known among wildlife enthusiasts for Vallée de Mai, the rainforest and Unesco World Heritage Site home to the enormous coco de mer, a towering palm endemic to the Seychelles that bears the biggest seeds in the world – great, woody things twice the size of my head. Wandering through the rainforest
gave us a chance to glimpse these impressive structures up close from beneath a canopy of lush, fanned-out palm leaves as the sunlight streamed through and the iconic black parrot perched overhead in the trees. Fred Olsen pairs a visit here with
a stop at Anse Lazio. A regular contender on TripAdvisor’s list of the world’s best beaches, this colourful scene is about as close to paradise as you can get – all white sand and rippling turquoise water, framed by
HOW TO SELL
The Indian Ocean isn’t
often associated with cruise, but this is an easy, relaxing and good-value
way to tick off lots of islands in a short time, giving clients a taste for each place without the time
commitment.
ABOVE: Agents at Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, Mauritius
BELOW: Port Louis, Mauritius
Candy-coloured houses, historic monuments and dishevelled shopfronts line streets full of tropical music
huge granite boulders and deep green palm trees; the half-day trip costs £76 per person. From here we cruised past the aptly named Silhouette Island to nearby Mahé, the biggest of the archipelago and a symphony of dramatic green hills, exotic flora and sprawling colonial homes alongside the country’s capital, Victoria. Here, candy-coloured houses, historic monuments and dishevelled shopfronts line streets full of tropical music. Life centres around the local market – an overpowering fusion of seafood, meat, herbs and spices, complete with whole fish laid out in large, fleshy slabs, wide eyes glaring up at us.
Our visit here was part of a full-day
excursion that combines a guided tour of the city with other intriguing stops. Among them was Cap Lazare, a rustic restaurant set beside a
secluded, sandy bay, where Creole- inspired coconut curries and a giant red snapper were served against a backdrop of bright blue sea that we had to ourselves. The eight-hour trip costs £116 per person. Our fam itinerary ended here, but the cruise continues on to Zanzibar and French island Mayotte – home to the Indian Ocean’s largest lagoon with striking fish, coral reefs and dolphins. All itineraries then feature a day
on Reunion Island, where hiking and helicopter excursions take place over volcanic landscapes, before returning to Mauritius for the final hurrah.
w LIFE ON BOARD In between ports we had plenty of time on days at sea to lie back and enjoy the facilities on board, which include two outdoor pools, a gym, cafe, five restaurants and several bars. The brand clearly knows its market and does a good job of catering to it – the average age across Fred Olsen is 67 – with simple, traditional entertainment, food, decor and a British home-from- home feel. Restaurants span formal, à la carte dining to buffet service – think soups, salads and classic British dishes alongside more exotic takes such as lobster risotto on formal night, when passengers get out their glad rags for a black tie evening.
8 March 2018
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PICTURES: MAURITIUS TOURISM AUTHORITY; SEYCHELLES TOURISM BOARD
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