The Mascarene’s punch-packing paradise

Nirvana – thatʼs the first word that popped into my head as our buzzy red-and-white plane dipped its port wing to give me my first birdʼs-eye view of the island of Rodrigues. A dozen different shades of ocean blue; idyllic beaches and hide-away bays lining the shoreline; jade hills undulating onto the rugged Indian Oceanʼs edge; and an expansive coral reef system circling ever outwards from the central island.

Once on terra firma, there was an innate sense of endless adventures awaiting. I was fortunate (and forever more grateful) to have discovered Rodrigues when I was part of a global media team covering the annual Expedition Africa adventure race, arguably the best way to explore every