Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
ÎLE AUX COCOS
There are 17 small islands sprinkled around Rodrigues' lagoon and the most interesting of these to visit is Île aux
Cocos. Around 1.5km long and 150m wide at its broadest point, Île aux Cocos is a nature reserve and the only is-
land on the Indian Ocean where four seabirds - the lesser noddy, brown noddy, fairy tern and sooty tern - all
breed on the same island. The southern quarter of the island is fenced off as a restricted zone. Elsewhere, there is
a virgin quality to the island here - the lesser noddies and fairy terns are remarkably tame, just as all wildlife (in-
cluding the ill-fated dodo) was when the first sailors arrived on Mauritius and Rodrigues.
The reserve is overseen by Discovery Rodrigues (
Click here
) - they meet all boat arrivals and give a brief (and
mostly French) overview of the island's more interesting features. They do not, however, organise the boat trips
themselves. To do that you will need to make the arrangements through your hotel, a tour operator or directly
through the boat owners.
Most boat trips depart from Pointe du Diable, although check with the boat owner when making the booking. If
you don't have your own wheels, the owners may be able to arrange a pick-up from your hotel. Departure time
could be anywhere from 7am to 10am depending on the tides, and the boat trip takes an hour each way. You'll
probably end up spending around three hours on the island - bring your swimmers.
A trip to Île aux Cocos will cost around Rs 1500 if you organise it through your hotel, but will cost signific-
antly less (Rs 900 to Rs 1000) if you go directly to the boat owner. This price includes boat trip, park admission
and a picnic lunch.
Boat owners we recommend include:
Rico François
(
875 5270) Departure from Pointe du Diable.
Tonio Jolicouer
(
875 5720) Departure from Pointe du Diable.
Berraca Tours
( 875 3726) Departure from Pointe du Diable.
Joe 'Cool'
( 876 2826) Departure from Pointe La Guele.
Christophe Meunier
( 875 4442, 429 5045) Departure from Anse aux Anglais. Christophe also uses a sail-
ing boat (rather than one with an outboard motor) and sometimes factors in extra time for snorkelling.
Sleeping
The main concentration of hotels and guesthouses is found 2km east of Port Mathurin at
Anse aux Anglais, at St François on the east coast and along the south coast. Elsewhere,
the guesthouses in the quieter parts of the island offer the getaway-from-it-all experience
par excellence.
TOP OF CHAPTER
