IMAGES: ALAMY; GETTY


INDIAN OCEAN


UNDERWATER


ADVENTURES With low-lying islands surrounded by shimmering reefs, the Maldives is a superb place to learn to snorkel and scuba dive, or perhaps advance your skills. For the ultimate indulgence, you can experience the ocean from the comfort of your bed by booking the ultra-exclusive The Muraka, at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. Launched in late 2018 for an eye-watering $200,000 (£160,000) per four-night stay, this two-level lagoon suite has a submerged bedroom with huge windows and an arched ceiling of transparent acrylic. It’s like sleeping in a private aquarium. kagimaldives.com


vanilla


Around 80% of the world’s vanilla pods are grown in Madagascar. With a minimum export price of £280 per kilo, it’s a treat when hotel housekeepers leave them on your pillow. Sweet and evocative, vanilla is so quintessential an island commodity that Madagascar, Seychelles, Réunion, Mauritius, Comoros and Mayotte chose the name Vanilla Islands for their tourism partnership, which encourages visitors to island-hop. vanilla-islands.org


WATERSPORTS Mauritius has a wild side. In the south west, a basalt monolith, Le Morne Brabant, acts as a natural throttle, whipping up winds that set hearts racing among the windsurfers and kitesurfers who flock here. One Eye break, to the west, is famously lively and should only be tackled at high tide. For beginners, Le Morne Lagoon is ideal, with resorts such as Lux Le Morne offering lessons. luxresorts.com


XYLOPHONE MUSIC Handmade from wood, with hollow gourd resonators beneath the keys, the marimba is Africa’s xylophone. In Kenya and Tanzania’s laidback beach resorts, you’ll oſten hear rippling marimba melodies floating on the breeze. Together with acoustic or electric guitars and wood-and- goatskin drums, they’re a mainstay of the local bands that entertain at hotels and bars. magicalkenya.com tanzaniatourism.go.tz


FROM TOP: Vanilla extract for sale at a market in Madagascar; windsurfing in Mauritius; musician playing the marimba


Jul/Aug 2020 105


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