Go with Henry: snorkeling

Showing posts with label snorkeling. Show all posts

Monday, 5 October 2015

Preskil Beach Resort water sport and activities

Honeymoon in Mauritius

Mahebourg, Mauritius

July 2015

Seven years after we got married, we were able to have the honeymoon we always wanted. We could only afford it after working for 6 months in Saudi Arabia, earning very good money. So I booked a full 7 day, 7-night hotel package for us at the four stars Preskil Beach Resort in Mahebourg, Mauritius through Flight Centre.

In my first and second posts, I focused on the Preskil Beach Resort facilities, including the beach, marina, and lagoon. Here I would like to share some pics of some of the kind of activities there are to do at Preskil. There are more activities than just the 2 I include here.

About Mauritius

Mauritius (French: Maurice), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometers off the southeast coast of the African continent. The country includes the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues [560 kilometers east of Mauritius], and the outer islands (Agaléga, St. Brandon and two disputed territories). The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues form part of the Mascarene Islands, along with nearby Réunion, a French overseas department. The area of the country is 2,040 km2. The capital and largest city is Port Louis. Formerly a Dutch colony (1638–1710) and a French colony (1715–1810), Mauritius became a British colonial possession in 1810 and remained so until 1968, the year in which it attained independence. The government uses English as its main language.

Kayaking on the Vieux Grand Port lagoon

Rowing towards the beach

At the beach in my kayak

Windsurfer - Vieux Grand Port lagoon

Paddle boat trip to I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve

Ansu and I rented a small paddle boat to paddle across the Vieux Grand Port Lagoon to the I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve, a small island protected by the government. I snorkeled a bit near the island, while she enjoyed the sun and took pics. After about an hour we paddled the 700 meters back to Preskil Beach resort.

About Ile aux Aigrettes

Ile aux Aigrettes is a small (27 ha) island situated in the Mahebourg Bay, about 850 m off the south-east coast of Mauritius. Ile aux Aigrettes is made up of coralline limestone, unlike the mainland which is of volcanic origin. It is home to the last remnants of dry coastal forest, once found around most of Mauritius. Ile aux Aigrettes was affected by tree logging and land clearance, and the introduction of exotic animal and plant species almost destroyed the native fauna and flora. In 1965 the island was declared nature reserve.

Paddling on the Vieux Grand Port lagoon towards I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve

Ansu - Paddling on the Vieux Grand Port lagoon towards I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve

Paddling on the Vieux Grand Port lagoon towards I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve

I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve

Paddling on the Vieux Grand Port lagoon towards I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve

Clear turquoise waters of Vieux Grand Port lagoon

I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve

Preparing to snorkel

Snorkeling near I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve

Ansu on I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve 'beach'

Clear turquoise waters of Vieux Grand Port lagoon - paddling back to Preskil

Snorkeling in the Vieux Grand Port Lagoon

I paid a local Mauritian about R1000 to take me on his speed boat on the Vieux Grand Port lagoon to do some sightseeing and snorkeling for a couple of hours in the late afternoon of our last day at Preskil, which was a fabulous sunny day.

Clear turquoise waters of Vieux Grand Port lagoon

My guide

Clear turquoise waters of Vieux Grand Port lagoon

Beach side residences - Vieux Grand Port lagoon

Clear turquoise waters of Vieux Grand Port lagoon

I'lle aux Aigrettes nature reserve

The guide threw bread crumbs in the water to attract fish...I saw beautiful fish...including a lionfish. The corals, however, have degraded and died in many places probably due to the 'footprint' left by excessive tourism.

Snorkeling in Vieux Grand Port lagoon

Selfie in the boat

Dhow in Vieux Grand Port lagoon

Island Hopper catamaran in Vieux Grand Port lagoon

SEE MORE!

Day trips we made with our rented car:

Exploring Mahebourg & Blue Bay

Exploring Eastern Mauritian Fishing scenery & villages

Exploring Western Mauritius

Friday, 11 December 2009

Holiday fun at Al Sawadi

English Teacher in Oman

Beach camping - 2008

Staying at Al Sawadi Beach Resort - 2009

Oman

Background

Al Sawadi was one of my favorite places in Oman. There was a three-star Beach resort (recently closed) that had chalets close to the beach. It had a great beach with luke-warm pristine water. One could rent a boat to take you to the Sawadi islands to snorkel.

We also camped on the beach on another occasion.

Al Sawadi

About Oman

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan.

From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar (today part of Tanzania, also former capital). As its power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom.

Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat was also among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean.

Oman is an absolute monarchy. The Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said has been the hereditary leader of the country since 1970. Sultan Qaboos is the longest-serving current ruler in the Middle East, and sixth-longest current reigning monarch in the world.

Oman has modest oil reserves, ranking 25th globally. Nevertheless, in 2010 the UNDP ranked Oman as the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. A significant portion of its economy is tourism and trade of fish, dates, and certain agricultural produce. This sets it apart from its neighbors’ solely oil-dependent economies. Oman is categorized as a high-income economy (Wikipedia).

Fishing boat

What does Lonely Planet say about Al Sawadi?

A popular day-trip an hour or so drive west of Muscat, Al Sawadi is a beautiful spot: two gorgeous, gently sloping golden beaches slowly elide into each other at a sand bar that, at low tide, extends to some islands scattered offshore.

There’s good snorkeling off the islands, and local fishermen line up by the sand bar to take visitors to the best sites. At low tide, you can walk to a watchtower on the largest of the islands, none of which are inhabited. But beware: the tide returns very quickly leaving a very strong chance of being marooned.

Camping at Al Sawadi - 2008

Fishermen - Al Sawadi

Our tents - Teachers from Ibri COAS who camped out on the beach for a weekend

Blair (Australia), still fast asleep in the early morning hours

Our tent

Salim, an Omani kid, who came to speak to us. I asked him what one
calls chocolate in Arabic, to which he answered Galaxy...
which is a brand of chocolate you find in Oman.

The fishing boat that took a bunch of us over to the island to do some snorkeling

The boat 'captain'

Some of the teachers enjoying the sun and snorkeling on the little island.
We stayed here for a couple of hours before we were fetched again to return to the mainland