Islands

Seychelles

The Seychelles are a series of some 155 islands making up an archipelago nation situated to the north and northeast of Madagascar. Originally of French colonial interest, but later British, Seychelles has no indigenous population and is inhabited wholly by immigrants who arrived and populated the islands as immigrants or slaves. The population has a Creole flavor, with black, Indian, European and Chinese merging in different concentrations.

The mixture of granite and coral islands that make up the series are among the most quintessential tropical island idylls in the world. With crystal seas, white sand beaches fringed with palms, and with heavily foliated hillsides and jungles, these islands are so beautiful that it seems that nothing but indolence and leisure should occupy the native and the visitor, and often it seems that this so.

There are many islands that have no permanent population, and others that are undeveloped, but on most of the main islands a highly developed and hardly inexpensive tourist industry is the pride of the nation. The authorities are not fond of budget travelers, and little scope is made available for the ad hoc, island hopping backpacker.

Mauritius

East of Madagascar lies the island nation of Mauritius, part of the Mascarene chain, and originally a Dutch settlement, but later part of the complex chain of French dependencies that also included the Seychelles and Madagascar. The main island is Mauritius, but other principal islands include St. Brandon, Rodriques and the Adalega Islands. Part of the fame of the Island of Mauritius is that it was the only known home of the Dodo

Another realm of languid beaches, islets, jungle clad hillsides and a merger of expatriates and Creole residents fused from Indian, African and French origin. Mauritius also enjoys a diverse and highly developed tourist industry, with a widely scattered array of beach resorts catering mainly to the high end. Mauritius is somewhat more tolerant of the budget traveler, and in particular on Mauritius island the accommodations options are varied.

Enjoy the food and the culture along with the obvious attractions of sand and sea, and there are a number of sporting options from golf to diving to back country quad biking. Mauritius is also something of an expatriate haven, and if you have a great business idea, or even better if you have a bit of money, it is a reasonably accommodating place to live.

Comoros

No less a realm of sea and sand, the Comoros Islands, situated at the head of the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and northern Mozambique, sit at the cross roads of many cultures, in particular Arab and African, and has a far more edgy temper that its more laid back cousins of Seychelles and Mauritius. The Comoros have experienced some 20 coups d’état and a disputed claim to the French protectorate of Mayotte.

The union of Comoros practically consist of three main islands, Grand Comore, Mohéli and Anjouan. The question of sovereignty over the fourth island of Mayotte is still unresolved. Comoros is as much a travelers as tourist destination, with no shortage of accommodation options across the spectrum, and a number of high end beach resorts. The islands are volcanic in structure, and tropical in aspect.

Réunion

Mayotte

Kenya

Lamu

Manda

Pate

Tanzania

Mafia

Pemba

Zanzibar

Mozambique

Angoche Island

Bazaruto Archipelago

Inhaca Island

Island of Mozambique

Madagascar

Île Sainte-Marie

Nosy Be

Nosy Boraha