Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
»Don't travel at sea during the cyclone season, between January and March.
PIROGUE
Engineless pirogues or
lakanas
(dugout canoes), whether on rivers or the sea, are the
primary means of local transport where roads disappear.
Pirogues can easily be hired, along with a boatman, but bear in mind there are no amen-
ities on board and the ride can be quite rough.
ROAD SOLIDARITY
Public transportation is few and far between in remote areas - and sometimes
nonexistent during the six months of the rainy season. If you've hired a 4WD to
drive through remote areas, you'll see many locals hitching for a lift to the next
town or village; your driver may be keen to help out his fellow countrymen, but
he will always ask you whether you're happy to take on extra passengers. Note,
too, that villagers reuse water bottles to store chutneys and juices and will often
ask you whether you have any spare (to the cry of 'Eau Vive! Eau Vive!'), so
don't throw them away.
