#offbeatenpath

The thought of writing about a vacation, although exciting, is often a chore when you are long done with the travel. Which is why, I came up with this idea of writing about the offbeat experiences from our travels in a 3 part post- an idea inspiring enough to make me dig for dusty old pictures and finally get down to writing this post. 

Part I of the ‘Offbeat travels trilogy’

Islands- the quintessential holiday destination, however, few are as titillating as this hidden gem in the Indian Ocean- La Digue. 

La Digue was named after a ship in the fleet of a French explorer nearly 25 years after it was first discovered by French navigator Lazare Picault. This explains the often exotic and tongue twisting names found all across the island. 

- ‘When fish can fly’- swarms of these beautiful creatures suddenly break the monotony of the waves and ‘fly’ above the surface of the water for a few minutes before diving back- this was from a ferry on the way to La Digue 

So, what sets apart this island from any other? Well, there are a few things.  For starters- the island is only 5km x 3 km, with an alluring 15 km coastline- I  might be biased here but in my opinion this is the perfect size for one to be enchanted by an island and to experience the raw magnificence of being surrounded by the ocean while contemplating how infinitesimal we really are in the grand scheme of the universe! 

- Anse Patates beach and it’s timeless granite boulders etched by the patient waves year after year. La Digue belongs to the granitic group of islands forming the inner ring of Seychelles.   The next thing that bewitched both Jin & I, was the refreshing lack of cars or rather any motor vehicles as a regular form of transport. The most dominant form of transport on the entire island is bicycle followed by our very own feet- this made for a unique experience since it was the first holiday where my husband and I bicycled together for days on end in a remote island, stopping when and where we felt like, to either soak in the scenes dotting the gorgeous coastline road or to catch a bite at a quaint little local cafe. 

There are a few cars but these are rare and far between. Most of the hotels here own electric golf carts to transport guests from the jetty to their accommodation. Our Airbnb host was a local guy- Max- who used a modified ‘open cart tricycle’ to transport our luggage while we walked along with him on a narrow grass strewn bylane as he explained to us about the high level of commitment the local village has to keep La Digue the way it is- in the lap of nature and not overrun with development by large private resorts/hotels.  

- Sometimes, this is all you need apart from your own two feet! The well paved roads on the island run along almost the entire length of the coastline. 

The people here are from different parts of the world- Creole, African, French, Indian, to name a few & this makes for a delightful melting pot of cultures and cuisines. Wherever they may be from, the people on the island are friendly, warm & relaxed, always quick to offer both a smile and a helping hand. 

- Where the sea meets the land- views from a quaint cafe by the side of the road. 

It is impossible not to be drawn in by the powerful ‘island vibe’  that resonates in every activity on here- whether it is riding your bicycle while listening to the waves crashing into the huge granite boulders or lying on the warm beach soaking up the sun’s rays or taking a dip in the strikingly blue crystal clear waters... the laid-back lifestyle only adds to the magical moments when you hear nothing but the rhapsody of the waves and feast your eyes upon the magnificent panoramas. 

- Deserted roads lined by humongous granite boulders- best enjoyed by pulling over your bicycle and plopping down on a sun warmed rock to watch the sun sink into the blue sea. 

- Soaking up the rays! 

- You know you are on La Digue when a giant Aldabra tortoise causes a bicycle pile up! This gentle giant was a wild tortoise who showed up at a beach side shack and has since been hanging out (no, he is not bound or fenced in, in anyway) with the old lady who runs the shack- he is estimated to be at least 200 kg (440 lbs)

- Stop & see the finches! Although we were not lucky enough to spot the ‘Seychelles paradise fly catcher’, this little guy flew right into our frame. 

The whole island seems to draw you into it’s mystical fold and leave you with a refreshed, well laundered mindset, necessitating you to step back from the rush of the world, to stop and enjoy the sixty seconds that make a minute & to savour each breath of the sea breeze. 

- Of rocks and more rocks- these carelessly strewn boulders are hundreds, if not thousands of years old & have silently withstood the carving caress of the sea. 

- Unnamed beaches such as this one just lie there along the side of the road- tempting you to abandon all well laid plans and take a stroll, hand in hand under the setting sun!

With a population of just over 2500 people, La Digue is actually the third most populated island on Seychelles. However, every place we went to, it was hard for us to find a crowd- from empty beaches stretching for miles on end with their powder white sands or deserted roads that made us feel like we were the only two homo sapiens on the island- the isolation was a cherry on an already perfect island (at least for city dwellers like us).  

- Jin at Grande Anse. Anse translates to ‘cove’- derived from French, hence the prefix to every beach name in the Seychelles. 

To talk about La Digue and not mention it’s most famous beach is a sin! The Anse Source d’Argent- famed for being the most photographed beach in the world! 

We cycled upto the L’union estate and walked the entire length of the beach to try and find a way to the other side- to Anse Marron, a secluded beach which is only accessible by foot- an arduous journey along steep rocks and maze like woods which definitely requires the assistance of a local. Alas, we couldn’t get to Anse Marron but we did make our acquaintance with a mysterious cat that seemed to want us to turn back and give up our rather brash quest. 

However, on our last evening there, we did see a spectacular sunset where the sun set the sky on fire and turned everything it touched into a shade of gold. 

- Our very own ‘throne’ for a view of the sunset! 

We rode back from the beach well after the sun had set and the twilight had faded. With no lamps on either the bicycle or the stretch of the road leading back to civilization from the estate, it was definitely an adventure that culminated in a happy ending- finding a rustic Italian cafe for a scrumptious dinner. 

- The sky on fire, Anse Source d’Argent

- Golden hour