Exquisite Lunch in Paradise - Pirogue Restaurant and Bar in Praslin, Seychelles

In the exotic island of Praslin, in luxurious Seychelles, everything is expensive. Believe me there's no hyperbole involved when I say that no meal can be had below $30. The towns are few and far apart, and activity takes the glacial pace.

This so-called island paradise, with its tropical forest shelter, is drop-dead expensive, so much more than the Maldives. Prince William of Britain took her bride Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, here for their honeymoon. Seychelles sits at the southern corridor of mainland Africa, a jewel of the Indian Ocean. The people are a mixture of African and Indian race.

Meals are to be had in hotel and resort restaurants. There are no fast food chains here though there's a take away pizza place near Villa Confort in Amitie in the Grande Anse area. I hired a taxi to take me around the island. At lunch time, I was taken to the Pirogue Restaurant and Bar in beautiful Cote D'Or, Praslin's "Gold Coast". I tried not to be intimidated, but every new place in a strange country is an adventure. What if it were too expensive? I was seated beside the balcony with a pesky Zebra Dove taking the place of a fly. It wouldn't leave and would take fast pecks of my dish, I wanted to swat it away for good. Shooing it wasn't working.

PARROTFISH AND BIOEROSION

I ordered the "Grill of the Day" - the Parrotfish. They are supposedly named as such due to their dentition, numerous teeth arranged in tightly packed mosaic on the external surface of their jaw bone, forming a parrot-like beak to rasp algae from coral and other rocky substrates. As such, they contribute to bioerosion. In the Carribean, their population is controlled to save the islands from hastened erosion. Would I eat something that's multi-dentitioned? Well, consider my meal as contribution to environmental protection... a very satisfying one.

I am not a "fish person" but my expensive parrot fish has since converted me into one. It was so good I didn't mind the price - about 250 SR (Seycheles Rupees). 

MADAGASCAR THEMED

The restaurant itself is a well designed sprawl, themed as a Madagascar restaurant. Its name, Pirogue, refers to a wooden boat used by fishermen all over Madagascar. The restaurant even has a sample of the boat on display. It also has paintings and framed photographs of Madagascar. In my travels around the Seychelles, locals love to dish out what they know and dislike about Madagascar. It's more of a love-hate relationship, but it's obvious that an invisible rope links these two countries together, whether they like it or not.

I spoke to the owner, in a photo below, a silver-haired gentleman who threw easy banters with my taxi driver. He was mild mannered. His eyes filled with mirth and laughter. It's understandable why my taxi driver Clint spoke very highly of the restaurateur. If only the waitresses were half as charming and adorable...

This is the Eye in the Sky! 

A pirogue on display at the restaurant, it's way prettier than the ones I rode in Madagascar.

A pesky Zebra dove wouldn't leave me alone.

Accidentally snapped a photo of the restaurant's owner.

A photograph of the Malagasy coast on display.

From my lunch, I crossed the street. A few strides away was this view of Praslin's Cote D'Or (Gold Coast) with hardly anyone there.

Returning Back to Male: At the Somerset Hotel (Maldives Diaries)

Back in Male

Maafushi, Maldives - By the time my body touched my bed at Room 201, I was in dreamland. It must have been 9:30 PM or thereabouts. Record time. Why I was particularly tired was a bit of a mystery to me, but there are days such as that. An excellent day, but tiresome nonetheless. Ho-hum.

Call for prayer came again at 4:45AM, drowning the early morning drizzle. And I couldn't sleep right back to REM. At 6:20, I was all packed and ready for check out. The kitchen staff prepared breakfast 15 minutes earlier than their 7AM time. It was as filling as the previous buffet set. Mashuni was again served. The stir fried mushroom was particularly tasty, obviously worth several returns. At 7:10AM, I was walking towards the jetty for its 7:30 ride back to Male. The weather promised a sunny day. Imagine if this were the weather in Anantara; it would have been perfect.

Ferry boat to Male

Red painted this return boat to Male, not the one that clunked out on our way to Maafushi. One way blue, and return was red. That’s some color-coding scheme. Exactly as it was during my November trip. An hour into the smooth glide into the waters, a very polite gentleman started collecting fees. $2 (PhP90) or 30 rufiyaa per person. I handed my Maldivian legal tender. “Thank you,” said the ticket man. Despite full house patronage, the trip back to the big city was fast, I could see Male 20 minutes before 9AM. On a good day, it only takes 1 ½ hours from Maafushi to Male. On average, it's 2 hours.

I was keeping my fingers crossed someone would pick us up from the jetty. On my previous arrival last year, “The Boutique Inn” didn't bother to pick me up so I had to hail a cab. Easy, except that many taxis didn't have the foggiest where Boutique Inn was. The advantage of fixed rate taxis is that you don’t have to haggle. If they give you the run around, it’s their petrol they’ll be wasting. That, or there must be something nefarious in the works.

Yup, a couple of guys holding “Somerset” cards were waiting at the port, just two steps straight out of the boat. How convenient. We had a chat and one of the guys offered island hopping excursion for the next day. I was thrilled! I was willing to vomit dollars to see a little more “local”. The ride to Somerset was a breeze. I was in the same street 4 days ago, trying to find Somerset Hotel and Keneree Magu. From the National Museum, I crossed the street and asked around. The little alleys didn't have names so I had to ask. No one knew. Now I am here hitting my forehead with disbelief. Had I walked a block further, I’d have found Somerset, which is quite central.

Somerset Hotel is a new name in Male, with quite posh and modern interiors. If there was a boutique hotel that justified this category, Somerset would qualify. I was given my deluxe room. I also booked for a smaller one.

Spacious, bright, with a symphony of three-tiered pillows and the smoothest fabrics for bed sheets. The walls were either beige or white. The wall leading to the balcony had wall-to-wall beige curtains. Four bas-relief artworks hang just above what should be a dining table; a huge abstract painting of what looked like yellow skies and blue waves was on display just before turning to the main bedroom. There’s a sofa bed facing the LCD cable television; a mini-ref; coffee and tea; an oblong shaped lamp shade; another modern bench covered with satiny red cushions. There’s a digital clock and a telephone beside the bed. Two 5-foot wall mirrors adorn the bedroom and bathroom respectively. In short, this was a step above most hotels in Male.

CONFUSION AND ANXIETY

Upon check in, there was a lot of confusion involving a non-functioning wifi (a requirement when I book a hotel room), some forms that I had to handcarry from my room at the 3rd level and back to the front desk, and a passport that they photocopied earlier but forgot to return (and they weren't even aware that they actually misplaced it - which is a big "mortal sin" among the traveling kind - the staff doesn't seem to realize the serious  implications of a missing passport), but I'll get to that separately.

At 9:30AM, I was allowed early entry. But where else would I ago after a very early morning? I needed time to recuperate and gather my strength before I resume my activities. The island hopping trip would set me back by $89.10 without the meal. This already includes 10% service tax and TGST (tourism goods and services tax) of 8%. Had it been a hotel, there would have been another percentage for bed tax. That’s a whopping 20% or more for mere taxes. Ouch. Indeed. Regardless, new places light my sensibility. I have never heard of Himmafushi and Huraa before, and I was set to "hop" onto them.

But I was getting ahead of myself. I've somewhere else to revisit.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

The deluxe room's living room leads to the main bedroom.

Balcony

     

From the Somerset, you can walk to the Friday Mosque and other sites.

The Presidential Palace looks like a doll house and unlike many sovereign establishments, it isn't manned by  a lot of guards.

This area in Male has the country's tallest buildings (not a lot actually). From this building is the main square and the Presidential Jetty.

Maafushi: A Glimpse of the Island Life (Maldives Diaries)

Maafushi. It's the biggest island in the remote South Male Atoll (one of the country's 26 atolls) with a population of barely 1,200. It is also a "local island", governed by traditional local laws and Muslim discipline. This is why wearing bikinis isn't allowed in much of the island except at the designated "Bikini Beach". I like taking leisurely walks at the town center, far from the beach-front promenade where most hotels and guest houses are.

But the next several years will change the "face" of the island. During my walk, I saw 4 two-story hotels/guest houses being constructed. There's a football field - called Football Grand - in the center of town, as well as a mosque. The map shows another mosque at the northern end of the island near the prison which is the biggest in the country. At night, the center of town takes in the "noise" from the power plant. Otherwise, the island sleeps early. There are 2-3 convenience stores easily accessible from most hotels. Internet or wifi signal is mostly good, except at the Kaani (which has 3 branches). There's a hospital just across the football field. Water has good pressure, but is believed to be non-potable. Where do they get their water? I asked and was told, "the sea". They have a desalinating plant. I've never seen an internet cafe so far.

Maafushi doesn't have public motorized vehicles although several hotels have vans. Otherwise, most arriving guests from the jetty simply walk to their hotels alongside their official welcome party. Near the hotels are a number of souvenir shops which peddle local products rather inexpensively. You wouldn't believe how cheap they are compared to the shops in Male. A mask, for example, would cost $80 to $200 in the capital. the same product would cost $15-30 in Maafushi. the same is true in other local islands. It is thus important to remember this when you're thinking of buying lots of souvenirs for family and friends. I was, of course, too late to realize this, but "gifts" are never about prices, right?

This is the Eye in the Sky!  

Entrance of the more central mosque.

Iuma is a convenience store which opens until 9 PM.

A local restaurant with relatively affordable food. I'd get my rice meals here for my dinner. I've never seen a foreigner dine here - so when you enter, people gaze at you. They're very friendly.

Inside the souvenir shop has so many local products on display.

The "dark and scary old man" is a traditional figure commonly seen around the Maldives (check the bigger version from the first photo above).

Sampaguita in Maafushi. If it looks and smells like one, it must be one. :)

Football Grand

Manta rays in the center of town

Kilometer Zero. The green fence (left) leads to the hospital.

I've never seen canals in Maafushi. Thus when it rains, there are milky puddles everywhere.

Island Map of Maafushi - This is quite a rare find and probably the first to be posted online. I saw this pasted on a souvenir shop's wall and is quite messy, I had to clean it up a bit.

Swinging in Maldives (Maldives Diaries)

Sandbars appear and disappear in the South Male Atoll of Maldives. When they're submerged underwater, solitary swings rise from these sand bars.

Let's throw our cares and swing away, shan't we?

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Images from Gulhifushi and Its Natural Ocean Pool

Gulhifushi is practically deserted, but for a pair of adorable staff who keeps giving apples and drinks (for free!) It's a newly developed part of Anantara designed like a "desert island". It has a main cottage which functions as a lobby, bar and restaurant table that occupies a dozen. There are a few more tables outside and a hut with a long table.

One of its features is a Natural Ocean Pool. They've sequestered a piece of the ocean, cordoning it into a cove, one side open to the ocean. Employing coral stones, the floor towards this is a bit rough on barefoot. Around this islet, navigable in 15 minutes or less, are cots and bean bags facing the Laccadive Seas.

To get here, you only have to ask the reception staff at Dhigu for a boat to take you to Gulhifushi ("gulhi" means "paradise", "fushi" means "island"). Just across Gulhifushi is the bigger local island called "Gulhi", the only stopover when traveling from Male to Maafushi.

Gulhi's natural pool is open from 10 AM to 6 PM, although if you've booked for a special dinner under the stars, the staff will stay on, serve your food and wait for you. Restaurant is open from 11 AM to 5 PM.

FOOD SELECTION

Food selection, as per menu, is interesting. There's Asian salad (Vietnamese summer rolls and Thai chili mayonnaise); caprese salad (buffalo mozzarella, roma tomato, basil extra virgin olive oil with extra tandoor salmon); Fatoush salad and tandoor prawns with grilled garlic pita at $30; prime beef burger with pickle and cajun potato wedges at $26; Thai prawn burger with onion bagel, coconut sambal and fries at $26; Paella sushi with focaccia square, greek tzatziki and fries at $26; Maldivian tuna at $26; tofu mushroom spinach with sunflower whaet roll, and cajun potato wedges at $26; chicken breast with nan bread and coconut sambal and fries at $26; lamb shish at $26; sliced tropical fruits at $11; pancake burger with banana toffee pecan nut coulis at $12. Then there's the fresh catch of the day - the snappers (red and white) and the garoupa, or whatever is available.

If you get hungry, you'll have enough items for gastronomic options.

Once you're ready to head back to Anantara's main island of Dhigu, you can just tell your waiter and he'll call the boat for you. Dhigu is just 5-10 minutes away.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Natural Ocean Pool is open from 10 to 6. No lifeguards on duty.