Earlier this year, we ran a competition to win a luxury break at the newly refurbished Cotton Bay Hotel in Rodrigues, and one of our lucky winners was Pascaline Bussier who visited the island with her grandmother. Here’s an account of her visit in her own words…

‘Let me start by saying that we had a magical time in Rodrigues. For my grandmother it was a very nostalgic trip as she’d lived on the island for a few years in the 1960s and hadn’t been back for more than 50 years. I have been to Rodrigues before and I still find the island very charming. For my grandma, who has been away for so long, the changes were much more dramatic than she had imagined. We’ve both been to different places, and during the journey to the island I listened as my grandmother told stories so beautifully about Rodrigues “back in the days”, which made the trip more interesting and wonderful.

‘At Cotton Bay, we had a great room right next to the beach which greeted us with the sound of the ocean waves day and night. It couldn’t have been any better. The “soirée typique” was amazing – my grandmother travelled back in time to the ‘old days’, dancing with a handkerchief, which is an old traditional dance. The food and service were good at Cotton Bay and we both really enjoyed our stay there.

[caption id="attachment_2900" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Leguat Réserve and St Gabriel Church[/caption]

‘While on Rodrigues, we visited several sites like the Francois Leguat Giant Tortoise and Cave Reserve, and two beautiful churches: St. Gabriel and “Eglise Pintade”. We also drove the famous “52 Contours” road during a road trip around the island. On my last day I did the famous Tyrolienne zipline, and walked from Graviers to St Francois passing through Anse Bouteille and Trou D’Argent which has the most beautiful coastline.

[caption id="attachment_2901" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Views of Rodrigues - Le Mauritius boat, in Leguat Museum - Hutte de Madame Solange[/caption]

‘Rodrigues is a very peaceful island. If you’re looking for a place to enjoy nature and relax, this is the place to be. The people are very friendly and always ready to give you any help you need. As a mountainous island, Rodrigues offers some magnificent views which are best appreciated by doing some hiking. There are some things I’d probably do again, but next time I’ll definitely try kite-surfing and more hiking. Rodrigues is a place I’d recommend to anyone looking for a break from the daily rush.’

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Photo: Cotton Bay Hotel