To cruise or not to cruise
My first voyage was on board a small ship, we flew to Kenya and stayed for 2 nights in Mombasa, were we met with some of our companions for the second leg of our journey. From there we flew a 4 hour journey to the Seychelles, which is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. We boarded the ship and remained in port in Mahe, the Islands capital, for 3 days, in order that we could explore what the Islands have to offer. It certainly doesn't disappoint! We toured around Mahe to discover wonderful beaches and outstanding fish restaurants.
The following day we discovered the Island of Praslin, with the renowned Anse Georgette beach, studded with fantastic sculpted rock formations. It is so perfect, and many a TV ad has been filmed on this idyllic beach. This is where you will still see the coco de mer growing naturally, they are huge!
Day 3 was a visit to the laid-back island of La Digue, where the forms of transport are either bicycle or Ox cart, not being able to ride a bike, I had to opt for the being trundled around in an ox cart, there is a diverse wildlife, stunning beaches and the people are all so friendly.
The next morning we set sail, I was expecting the Indian Ocean to be small and calm, it's not, it's massive and you can sail for 2 days without seeing land, good job I love cruising, there is always something happening to keep you entertained, or a visit to the onboard spa for a bit of pampering, the best bit for me is chatting to so many different, interesting people.
Our next stop was The Comoros Islands, a French islands with lots of pretty coloured houses, and friendly people. From there the highlight for me was a stop at Madagascar, we had a few days here and were able to see the lemurs roaming freely. We took speedboats to the small islands of Nosy Be, where we visited a town called Hell-ville, you do see a lot of poverty in some of these places, but everyone smiles, it's very humbling. I had taken stationery with me to give to the children, and they were so thrilled with pencils and paper, it certainly make you think how lucky we are.
We also visited Nosy Komba, where ladies were sat making beautiful table linen for the tourists to buy. I also had the pleasure of visiting a Yorkshireman who lived alone on the tiny island of Moyenne, surrounded by circa 120 giant tortoise, which wandered freely, it was something that will live with me forever.
Last stop was the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar - the spice islands - the birth place of Freddy Mercury, for any Queen fans. We visited Stone Town, the old part of Zanzibar, there is a meat and fish market, that has been there for centuries, and certainly worth a look at, but you need to be made of strong stuff to stand the smell of the fish in the heat! although it's very different, Stone Town enthralled me, it's like stepping back to biblical times, you can see the former slave market, although its seriously sobering stuff, it's something that I'm glad I did, and I won't forget in a hurry. From there it was a flight back to Kenya, and then homeward bound.
I suppose what I'm wanting to say, is that some of the things I did, and some of the places I saw, and the people that I met, will be in my memories forever, and they would be places I would not have visited, if it hadn't been for this cruise, so sometimes, it's good to step out of your comfort zone, and explore the world, you won't be disappointed, enjoy yourselves, live a little!
Hakuna matata, until next time.....