The hook
Mauritius's small, far-flung sister island, a slow, unspoiled world of a huge shallow lagoon, hilly Creole villages, and empty beaches, the way the main island was decades ago.
01Why it's worth it
Several hundred kilometres east of the main island, Rodrigues is a different, gentler Mauritius. Tiny and hilly, it sits within an enormous lagoon, far larger than the island itself, dotted with sandbanks and offshore islets, whose clear shallow water is the centre of local life and the visitor's pleasure: boat trips to castaway sandbanks, snorkelling, and watching the traditional octopus fishing on the reef flats at low tide. The island has escaped the resort development of its bigger sibling, so it remains rural, friendly, and low-key, a place of small Creole villages, hillside farms, hiking and cycling routes, lively markets, and famously warm hospitality, with a distinctive Creole culture, music, and cuisine. There are few sights in the conventional sense; the appeal is the slow pace, the lagoon, the empty coast, and the sense of an island that time has largely left alone. For travellers wanting the Indian Ocean without the crowds and gloss, Rodrigues is a quiet gem.
02How to experience it
Fly (or take the long ferry) over from the main island and settle into the slow pace: boat trips across the lagoon to sandbanks and islets, snorkelling, low-tide octopus-fishing walks, and hiking or cycling the hills and coast between villages and markets. Go in the drier season, and don't over-plan; the unhurried calm is the point.