Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This town is growing; it has several boutiques and a patisserie which runs out of bread
in the late morning. Market days are Tuesday and Thursday, and there's a small but well-
stocked supermarket,
Super-Mahafapou
(
Mon-Sat 07.30-12.00 & 14.30-19.00, Sun
07.30-12.00
), on the north side of the harbour.
The tourist information office is situated nearby (
57 901 47;
m
034 57 901 47;
Mon-Sat
08.00-12.00 & 14.00-18.00
).
WHERE TO STAY
LaBigorne
(5 bungalows) 57 401 23. About 400m north of the harbour. A good bar
& restaurant with en-suite bungalows crowded in the back garden. €€€
Hortensia
(12 rooms) 57 403 69. Just 250m north of the harbour. Clean, spacious
rooms with hot water. Family rooms have sea views; dbl rooms have balconies facing the
road. Good, reasonably priced restaurant. €€-€€€
Drakkar
(8 bungalows) 57 400 22. About 650m north of harbour. Simple bamboo
bungalows with cold shower. Rather grim, but cheap. €€-€€€
Palmiers
(6 bungalows) /
f
57 402 34;
m
032 04 960 94. Some 200m up a track from
Drakkar. Simple bungalows, some with kitchenette. €€-€€€
Zinnia
(6 bungalows & 5 rooms) 57 400 09. Right by the harbour wall. Dbl bunga-
lows with cold showers, fans & outside flush toilet. Rooms with shared facilities. Pleasant
restaurant, excellent food & great coffee. €€
WHERE TO EAT
Barachois
Across from the harbour. Outside tables good for people-watching. Very
comprehensive menu.
Banane
m
032 02 280 26/032 02 663 85. 200m north of the harbour. A
vazaha
hangout
with sea-view terrace, bar, pool table & good food. Also has rooms & dorm.
Gargotte a Bord 'Eaux
Small cosy restaurant-bar on the path to the pirate cemetery.
P'tit Chez Vous (Chez Jeremy)
m
032 04 270 30. Pleasant little restaurant 1km north
of the harbour. Not always open as the owner reportedly has a habit of shutting up shop &
heading off travelling whenever he has enough money.
zimba
Snack bar near Air Mad (take the turning opposite Hortensia).
MONEY
There are two banks: a BFV with an ATM (Visa) and a BOA where you can
change travellers' cheques. Be warned that MasterCard is not very useful on Ste Marie;
most hotels don't accept cards and the BOA can take up to two days to clear a cash with-
drawal.
