Travel Guide Anonyme

Anonymous? Not really... Named after a 180-ton ship that sailed from Chandernagor in February 1756 and called at Mahé before setting sail again for the islands of France and Bourbon, this granite islet (anchored off the coast of Mahé international airport) opened up to tourism in 2000 with a small luxury hotel (15 minutes by boat from the capital Victoria), aimed at a few happy few in search of an island just for them, or almost. But the three cottages and the presidential villa on this elite little island haven't exactly lived up to expectations. Closed for several seasons, the hotel is due to reopen... one day. By the summer of 2023, it still hadn't... Nature-wise, this big green rock of some forty acres and a little over ten hectares really isn't lacking in appeal. There are a number of footpaths to be explored, always very close to the sand or rocks. In fact, if you're not afraid of climbing a few of them and walking halfway into the sea, you can walk around it at very low tide in just over an hour, not including a break at Anse l'Amour. Coconut palms and cinnamon trees share this granitic land with birds and a few giant tortoises. The highest point reaches 37 m, and the botanical curiosity is a huge, sprawling banyan tree at least two centuries old, into which a tombstone was once inserted. It's also a prime spot to enjoy a blazing sunset.