This report by SY Yindee Plus:

Visiting Tortoise Park (Francois Leguat) by bus:

Buses leave from the main bus station next to the produce market in Port Mathurin. Although you can get a free island map with bus times from the Harbour Master, it doesn’t include the bus times to the airport, which is close to the Park.

Take the bus to Plaine Corail. When we took it, it left from stand 2. Ask at the kiosk in the bus station for bus times (ours was scheduled to leave at 11:15 but departed 11:35). The trip took about 1.5 hours as the roads are steep and it makes lots of stops.

Get off the bus when you see the sign for the Tortoise Park on the left side of the road, just a short distance before the airport. Take the side road to the left and follow the signs to the Park, a distance of about 3km on paved and dirt roads.

For the return walk, either return to the main road the same way or walk to the airport to catch the bus there: just outside the park, go through the tall, pink gate on the right and follow this narrow fenced track through a gully, across a stream, and up to the airport fence. Turn right at the fence and follow to the road. There’s a small shop there where you can buy snacks and drinks while waiting for the bus. Similar distance to the other route. The last bus is at 16:30 hrs.

Orange SIM information:

Many cruisers bought SIMs from Orange or the other provider. The internet service is not that fast, but it is useable and can be used in Mauritius too. Several steps are required to set up your SIM:

• Buy the SIM at the main counter in the Orange shop next to the market. Register the SIM, with your passport, in the same office but with one of the customer service staff at their computers. Ask them for a ‘package’ print out so you see what your options are for data etc.
• Wait a couple of hours for the SIM to be registered. You’ll receive a text with the phone number on it when it’s done.
• Buy credit for the SIM, with a voucher bought either in that Orange shop or one of the many outlets in the town. They will apply for the credit; a text will confirm it’s on the device.
• Then you have to buy your data. Check the package information sheet and send a text to the number at the top of the column, e.g. ‘buy 3gb’. You should get a text to confirm the purchase.
• There’s no automatic set-up on Android phones, so if your data is not working, check the setups: Settings / More Networks / Mobile Networks / Access Point Names. The following should be set: Name Orange; APN orange; Proxy not set; MCC 617; MNC 01; Auth none; APN type default. This should get it working: good luck!

Receiving DHL parcels in Rodrigues:

The Retourco car hire office in Port Mathurin acts as a DHL agent too. Yachts in transit, by law, should be exempt from customs duties and VAT (“the appropriate procedure for the import of the replacement parts for the yacht should be Landing/Shipping under Customs supervision (Regime 80 & 38), whereby duty, if any, and VAT would not be payable” Mr Emamboccus, senior Customs Official).

However, DHL insists on collecting VAT of 15% on each parcel received for yachts. If you try to protest, DHL will send you a generic letter with intimidating suggestions of fines/charges for storage etc.

Mauritius customs have been made aware of the situation.

Susan Bright

SY Yindee Plus