‘Empty’ paradise island where beaches are deserted is ‘like Mauritius 30 yea…

Hundreds of kilometres away from its closest neighbour in the stunning Indian Ocean is a tiny volcanic paradise with fewer than 50,000 permanent residents.

The island of Rodrigues is marooned 600 kilometres away from the island of Mauritius, and it offers an escape like no other.

This tiny nation is just 108 square kilometres, but as we all know, good things come in small packages.

The Sunday Times described Rodrigues as an ‘empty’ paradise that is reminiscent of Mauritius 30 years ago before it was discovered by tourists.

But while Rodrigues may be quiet, there’s plenty to offer any  keen traveller

Rodrigues is famous for its vast lagoon which is perfect for water sports and fishing, as well as its delectable local cuisine. 

There’s also a nature reserve on the island where you can spend a day among giant tortoises who amble freely in the park.

Visit Of The Giant Tortoises Park is a 20 hectare nature reserve where you will get to discover more than 110,000 endemic and native plants as well as the giant tortoises.

Tickets are just 16 Euros and expert guides will take you through the park, teaching you all about its flora and fauna. 

If you’re more of a water baby then Rodrigues can indulge that too. There’s plenty of snorkelling and swimming to be done in the balmy azure Indian Ocean that surrounds the island.

Day trips with local guides start at 20 Euros,which will take you to three separate spots around the island perfect for snorkelling and marvelling at the beautiful seascape.

After a busy day of snorkelling and wandering with tortoises, you will have worked up an appetite. Rodrigues’ local cuisine is influenced by Creole culture and features a lot of fresh seafood as well as curries and salads.

This is because over time, the cuisine picked up European, Indian and Chinese influences. One of the national dishes of Rodrigues is Rougaille,  a popular Creole dish. This rich tomato stew is made with a base of onion garlic and thyme and then a protein such as fish or octopus is added.

If you want to add a trip to Rodrigues to your bucket list, then you’ll need to fly into Mauritius first before booking another flight to the island. The trip lasts an hour and a half between the two islands, and flights from England leave to Mauritius daily. 

There’s no bad time to visit the island either as it enjoys a mild tropical maritime climate throughout the year. Average summer temperatures are 25.9C, while winter temperatures average around 22.3C.