How and why visiting several Indian Ocean islands in one single trip?
The Vanilla islands, composed of Comoros, Reunion island, the Seychelles, Mauritius island, Madagascar, and Mayotte, have much to offer to those who visit them. It would be a pity to make the trip without taking full advantage of the multitude of landscapes, activities, and discoveries they have to offer.
What are the advantages of visiting several Indian Ocean islands in one trip?
First, although sharing a common history, each Vanilla island has its own culture and traditions. Travelling through several islands will allow you to appreciate this diversity and to discover various treasures.
In addition, each island has a traditional gastronomy, which will never cease to delight your taste buds. Islands’ cuisines blend the generosity of local ingredients with century-old influences from Africa, India, and Asia. Eating local will definitely make your trip more authentic!
Also, worth mentioning: the visit of different islands will allow you to discover a unique fauna and flora. Indeed, most of the islands benefit from many endemic species, which you will not be able to observe elsewhere.
Moreover, if your bucket list includes the visit of several islands, combining their discovery allows you to make the journey only once, which will limit the environmental impact of your trip.
Last but not least, during past years everything has been thought of to facilitate your travels and reduce the cost of your trip. Travel formalities between islands have been reduced and the number of air links has been increased. The airline Air Austral has launched the “Vanilla islands Pass”, which allows travelers with a long-haul ticket to benefit from inter-island flights at reduced fares.
How to effectively plan an unforgettable trip?
The first step will be to determine whether you are going to organize your trip by yourself, or whether you prefer to entrust this task to a specialized organization. You may also choose to take this trip on a cruise to several islands for a few days or weeks.
If contracting the services of a travel agency or going on a cruise makes the trip easier, organizing your trip yourself gives you greater flexibility. You will be free to choose the duration, destinations, type of accommodation, activities, and much more.
You will then have to decide which islands you wish to visit – which will certainly not be easy. Will your choice be the splendid seabed and traditions of the Comoros, or the breathtaking walks and volcanoes of Reunion island? Will it be the relaxing beaches and excellent gastronomy of the Seychelles, or a return to nature in the heart of lush Mauritius? You might also choose the discovery of the fauna and flora of Madagascar, the largest island in the Indian Ocean or the charm of the Mahoran traditions, preserved from mass tourism.
Once the destinations chosen, it is time to book airline tickets and inter-island connections. The increase in the number of air links will make this task much less tedious than it was a few years ago. You will have to define the duration and order of your trip to the islands you are going to. Be careful, however: it is tempting to try visiting everything, but you should try to stay long enough on each island to be able to fully appreciate them without rushing. If you can, count at least 4 full days per island!
You are now ready to imagine the trip of your dreams by combining the best of the Vanilla Islands. We wish you a wonderful stay to discover the jewels of the Indian Ocean.
