HITTHE SADDLE! EN SELLE ! In a time of eco-friendly, rejuvenating slow travel, what could be better than a cycling trip? As part of its “Sports & Nature” activity programme, Shandrani Beachcomber Resort & Spa offers memorable excursions, led by mountain bike guides who love the island. À l’heure du slow travel écologique et régénérant, rien de mieux qu’une escapade à vélo. Parmi son riche programme d’activités « Sports & Nature », Shandrani Beachcomber Resort & Spa offre des excursions inoubliables, conduites par des guides vététistes amoureux de l’île. BY FANNY RIVA PHOTOGRAPHS NATHALIE BAETENS In the southeast of the island, from the tip of Le Chaland, to Blue Bay beach, and as far as the former capital Mahébourg, cycling is a gentle and easy way to explore some delightful unspoilt territories. Be sure not to miss cycling through the sugar cane fields, a surprise encounter, as you round a bend, with a hundred-yearold baobab, the thirst-quenching meeting with the women who that morning are working in the pumpkin fields. The luminous appearance of the horizon over the ocean, and soon the lagoon, which escorts you up to the Mahébourg Waterfront, where the weekly market is held every Monday. UNIQUE YET VARIED “Each day is a different trip with its own discoveries. Our mountain bike excursions are athletic, human and cultural experiences all in one,” smiles Patrick, 41, a passionate cyclist and sports instructor who grew up in the region. With his customary warmth and energy, he will share with you the memories of the places you have been through, introduce you to birdsong and the scents of the lush vegetation. A trip within a trip, part nature, part culture, for young and old, hardened athletes or enthusiastic amateurs. Crossing Pointe d’Esny, with its pumpkin fields grown by the women and, further off, the view over the Lion mountain. La traversée de Pointe d’Esny, avec ses champs de giraumons cultivés par les femmes et, au loin, la vue sur la montagne du Lion.
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