Otok Rodrigues 1. del

Otok Rodrigues, zadnjo zaplato zemlje na poti z Mauritiusa proti Avstraliji, sem imel priložostno obiskati dvakrat. Rodrigues definitivno ni tisti klasičen “postcard” tropski otok, kjer se lahko pohvališ s kakšno fajn fotko ležanja pod tropskimi palmami ali pa ob uživanju v infinity bazenu nekaj zvezdičnega hotelskega kompleksa. Vulkanski otok, skoraj 600 kilometrov oddaljen od večjega Mauritiusa, je praktično čisto nasprotje Mauritiusa – skoraj gol, s slabo turistično infrastrukturo, skoraj “brez” večjih hotelskih kompleksov (vsaj ob mojem obisku) in brez tistih “must see” lokacij, ki so v programu vseh obiskovalcev. A mogoče mi je tudi zaradi tega otok še posebej simpatičen. 😉 Če je glavni otok Rodrigues v notranjosti precej hribovit (glavna vzpetina visoka cca. 400 metrov) in s fantastičnimi razgledi, je obala raznolika in polna nedotaknjenih peščenih plaž. Okrog celotnega Rodriguesa poteka spektakularen koralni greben, ki ponuja vrhunski ribolov in nekaj top potapljaških destinacij. Znotraj grebena pa najdemo še nekaj neposeljenih otokov, ki ponujajo predvsem zavetišče oz. gnezdišče za ogrožene tropske ptice. Glavna “akcija” na otoku se dogaja predvsem na otoškem letališču po prihodu letal in v simpatični prestolnici Port Marthurin, ki se lahko pohvali predvsem s svojo “chill out” atmosfero. 🙂 Med obema obiskoma sem spal v najeti sobi pri domačinih, zelo blizu najvišjega vrha “Mont Lubin”. In kljub temu, da so avtobusne lokalne povezave dobre, je najboljši način za raziskovanje otoka pohodništvo. Otok Rodrigues je namreč pravi raj za ljubitelje pohodništva in med obema obiskoma sem ga prehodil podolgem in počez. 🙂 V tem postu najprej nekaj splošnih fotografij, več pa v postih, ki sledijo. 😉

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I had the opportunity to visit the last patch of land on the way from Mauritius to Australia, Rodrigues island, twice. Rodrigues is definitely not that classic “postcard” tropical island, where you can enjoy lying under tropical palm trees or have fun in the infinity pool of some star hotel complex. The volcanic island, which lies almost 600 kilometers away from greater Mauritius, is practically the exact opposite of Mauritius – almost bare, with poor tourist infrastructure, almost “without” major hotel complexes (at least when I visited it) and without those “must see” locations that are in the program of all visitors. But maybe that’s why I like the island so much. 😉 If the main island of Rodrigues in the interior is quite hilly (the main hill is about 400 meters high) and with fantastic views, the coast is diverse and full of pristine sandy beaches. Around the whole of Rodrigues there is a spectacular coral reef, offering top-notch fishing and some top diving locations. Within the reef, there are few uninhabited islands, that offer mainly a shelter or nesting ground for endangered tropical birds. The main “action” on the island takes place mainly at the island’s airport after the arrival of the planes and in the charming, chill out capital Port Marthurin. During both visits I slept in a rented room with the locals, very close to the highest peak “Mont Lubin”. And despite the fact that local bus connections are good, hiking is the best way to explore the island. The island of Rodrigues is a real paradise for hiking enthusiasts, and during my visit i walked everywhere. 🙂 In this post, first some general photos, and more in the posts that follow. 😉