Mayotte, pearl of the Indian Ocean

In the west of Madagascar, there is an island in the sun, with 163 beaches with no trace of concrete: a small piece of Africa that offers change of scenery and traditions , with the sanitary safety of France since the island has become department French in 2011. After a few social upheavals now calmed, Mayotte relies on its tourism development: an exceptional nature destination .

To the south, near Kani-Keli , a virgin coastline. A white sandy beach curved at the edge of an immense lagoon closed by a barrier of coral but animated by the tides. The water is blue sky, turquoise, or jade depending on the time. Giant baobabs line this beach of N'Gouja, ventrus, strange shapes, roots like elephant's feet. We are welcomed by a "Karibou!" (In Maoré) and a bougainvillea flower necklace. The luxury hotel "Le Jardin Maoré", with its bar and restaurant, extends over a long veranda with an open terrace. And its bungalows are nestled in a flowered tropical park inhabited by makis, playful and familiar lemurs , who leap from branch to branch and let themselves be cuddled.

Mayotte, the lagoon island

From the Maoré Garden , the lagoon is easily discovered. The sea is at 27 °. With fins , mask and snorkel , you swim 100m in shallow water . And under the surface, what a marvel! A falling 30m high, which blooms a garden of hundreds of coral species in all shapes, pink, ocher, yellow, purple, white, red ... One palm amidst colorful fish: clownfish, surgeons , coachmen, parrots, speckled fish, striped, fluo, blue starfish ... It is luminous, one is out of time, in the sweet intoxication of contemplation.

Swimming with Maoure Garden turtles

A sea ​​turtle more than a meter in diameter appears. We swim near her gently to avoid frightening her. From its webbed legs, it evolves in water with lightness and grazes the grass that fringes the coral reef . Its carapace and its head are covered with very graphic scales. On his back, a sucker fish, the remora, is transported! Here are two others, among the 200 "green turtles" (so called because herbivores), residents of the lagoon. Observing them is a great moment of emotion.

Every night, all year long, they come to lay eggs at high tide on N'Gouja beach. They dig a hole and deposit in this nest their eggs which they cover with sand. Then they return to the sea. And 60 days later, it is the hatching of the eggs , or "emergence". Baby turtles are born and start their battle for life alone, crossing the beach frantically towards the ocean to escape predators, birds and stray dogs . The Hotel welcomes eco-volunteers working on the protection of turtles all year round. And during a stay here, we can attend these two unique shows in the world, laying eggs and emergence, with a guide, in the moonlight, in silence.

Escorted by dolphins

The next day, the Maoré Garden offers its guests to meet the other fauna of the lagoon during a boat trip . After a picnic on one of the islets of pristine white sand , we sail along the west coast of the island, to the north. Suddenly, a dolphin leaped out of the water near us. Then, by dozens, "long-beaked" dolphins, attracted by our eddies accompany the boat. Curious, players, lined up like for a ballet, they leap from their beautiful silhouette, or make jumps in spin. Magical.

Then here are two majestic manta rays , devils of 4m of span. They are passing through the warm waters of the Indian Ocean , like humpback whales, here from July to October, migrating from the Atlantic to breed and learn life to their calf. The hotel organizes trips to the sea to observe their acrobatics: one of the few places in the world where you are taken to swim with whales.

Mayotte, musical island

In the evening, at the Maoré Garden, we dine in music on the beach. Pretty women dressed in their shimmering "salouva" play percussion . They slam together two bamboo sticks, or strike them on a drum ... of a washing machine! There springs up beautiful sounds that rhythm the song, and their dance, the m'Biwi, is a sensual rolling of hips to which one can not resist. The Mahorais have a smile on their lips and a gay soul, they love the party.

All the Mahoraises wear the "m'sindzano", a white mask , on their faces, which makes them resemble moonlight. This is the natural beauty product, they are among themselves, sandalwood base. In the lounge of the Hotel, they are watched grated sandalwood against a block of coral. A trickle of water and the cream is ready. It protects from the sun, nourishes the skin and becomes adornment. We offer our face to Maryse, who spreads the mask on the forehead and the cheeks by drawing decorative arabesques . In 2 minutes, the mask is dry, soft and fresh on the skin. And we go to dinner, made up in women flowers.

Exotic Flavors of Mayotte at Maoré Garden

The table of the chef Christophe Longuechaud is a cocktail of colors and smells. He invented a tasty cuisine based on the products of the island. Nutmeg , curry , turmeric , ginger flavors swordfish or grilled tuna sauces. In carpaccio , they melt in the mouth. This evening, it's Mataba, a traditional dish: cassava leaves crushed with crumbled beef, seasoned with coconut milk . Tasty vegetables such as mashed potatoes, chips, breadfruit, and chocolate desserts are dotted with papaya, mango or pineapple. Nature in Mayotte is generous and its botanical resources are discovered during the excursions initiated by the Hotel, in the forests, the family gardens or in the market of Mamoudzou, on the North coast.

This is a spectacular adventure area for hiking enthusiasts. The Maoré Garden proposes several, including the ascent of Mount Chongui , to the South of the island. At the top of this green promontory, (594m), the view of the lagoon is a dream. But before reaching it, one crosses an exuberant tropical forest among the acacias , bananas , frangipani , lianas of jasmine , of vanilla : an attic where all the plants are eaten or heal. Stop! A heady perfume rises from a shrub with large star-shaped flowers with 6 petals, ylang ylang . The next day, we visit a ylang ylang plantation, the Malavounie plantation, in Combani , in the center of Mayotte. Our hosts introduce us to the delicate picking of the flower and its distillation, and the still explains the extract of essential oil of ylang ylang. It is part of the composition of many perfumes including those of Guerlain , who owned a plantation here. It takes 80 kg of flowers to produce 1 liter and a half of essential oil. An elixir. Its captivating fragrance possesses many medicinal virtues and is made provision for embalming the house on return.

Shopping at Les Mahoraises

During the excursions guided by Le Jardin Maoré, you stop in the villages to meet the inhabitants. Women have a respectable place in Mayotte and they like to showcase their terroir and share it. At Brandrélé, in the south-east, they collect the sea salt stagnant on the mangrove silt, dry it and sell it in their Salt Ecomuseum.

At Sada, in the west, at the Maison de l'Artisanat, they perpetuate a know-how of basketwork by weaving pretty baskets in palms of sisal or raffia. What to report? The hat of Sada braided in palm-phenix yarn blue lavender, artistic, vaporous. On the return plane we will not go unnoticed.

Practical information :
- Eco-lodge Le Jardin Maoré: from 591 € per week (7 nights) per person in standard bungalow in half board, transfer from the airport included (www.hotel-jardin-maore.com).
- Flight Corsair Paris / Mayotte A / R from 672 €: 1 flight a week.
- It is between 28 and 32 ° C (but avoid the rainy season from November to March).