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Indian Ocean Islands - Tour Destinations
- Mauritius, Reunion & the Seychelles
Click here for Trip Reports of previous tours
Sprinkled on the tropical seas off East Africa are a series of islands where paradise is defined. Our tour is designed to maximize our experiences of these idyllic isles by visiting those with the richest bird life and most incredible scenery, be it rugged, forest-clad volcanic peaks or white beaches, fringed by warm waters and teeming coral reefs. We can hope to find an incredible 36 regional endemics including some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after birds.
Our tour begins in Mauritius where we are too late to find the unfortunate Dodo, but we will see some prominent birds including Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon and Mauritius Parakeet, all recently snatched back from the jaws of extinction. Our explorations of Mauritius take us to the dramatic Black River Gorges National Park where the final remnants of Mauritius’ rainforests are protected. Here we will search for Mauritius Cuckooshrike, the aberrant Mauritius Grey White-eye, Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher and lovely Mauritius Fody. Other sites that we visit include a small offshore island where breeding endemics are protected from disturbance and are therefore very approachable. We will also take a boat trip to search for the rare Trinidade (Round Island) Petrel and other tropical seabirds.
The French governed Réunion is a rugged volcanic island, rich in land endemics and some very special sea birds including Barau’s and Réunion Petrels. Here we will walk stunning forest trails for Réunion Cuckooshrike, 2 endemic white-eyes and Réunion Bulbul. More open areas harbour Réunion Stonechat and Malagasy Marsh Harrier.
The granitic Seychelles are generally acknowledged as being the most beautiful islands in the world. We will explore five of these isles to observe some of the planet’s rarest birds as well as some of the world’s greatest tropical seabird colonies. Highlights will include Crab Plover, the fabulous all black Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher, Seychelles Scops Owl, Seychelles Magpie-Robin and Seychelles Blue Pigeon. Seabirds colonies that we will visit contain hundreds of thousands of nesting Sooty Terns, lesser numbers of Bridled and Angel Tern, Wedge-tailed and Audubon’s Shearwater, Greater and Lesser Frigatebird, Brown and Sooty Noddy and more than 20,000 White-tailed Tropicbirds!
A relaxed exploration of these paradise islands is a perfect add-on to our Madagascar tours, thus providing the ultimate Western Indian Ocean Island experience.
Please note that we are not offering a standard set departure tour to The Indian Ocean Islands during 2010. We are however still arranging customized private tours to this country and we will gladly assist you in arranging the perfect guided birding or wildlife adventure to The Indian Ocean Islands for you.
Please contact the Rockjumper Office should you have any queries about this tour.
| Tour dates | |
| Tour size | 12 & 2 Rockjumper leaders |
| habitats covered | coastal and montane forest, open sea, beaches, lagoons, islets and sea cliffs |
| climate | warm and tropical |
| tour pace & walking | leisurely pace, undemanding walks |
| accomodation | luxurious lodges |
| ease of birding | relaxed and easy birding |
| no. of species expected | 80+ |
| top birds | Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon, Seychelles Magpie-Robin, Seychelles Blue-Pigeon, Réunion Petrel, Rodrigues Fody, seabird colonies |
| other attractions | coral reef snorkeling/scuba diving, paradise beaches, volcanic craters, dramatic mountain scenery |
| photographic opportunities | excellent |
