Island Updates

1/1/2008

Horse Riding at Benguerra Lodge, Mozambique -

Benguerra Lodge has introduced horse riding as an additional activity for guests staying at the Lodge. Squib was the first horse to set foot on Benguerra Island when Pat Retzlaff and his team brought the small herd of 10 horses, consisting of Arabs, Thoroughbreds and South African Boerperd to the island on a barge. All the horses were originally rescued from Zimbabwe during the land reform process, so each has a special and sometimes sad story. The horses have settled in well on the island. Guests who have taken part in the island rides can testify that this is an exciting new way of exploring Benguerra Island, from the beautiful white beaches to the top of the hills to watch beautiful Mozambican sunsets.

North Island - Seychelles -

The Seychelles represents an archipelago of timeless beauty, tranquility and harmony. Comprised of 115 granite and coral islands it is famous for some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. But there is much more to the Seychelles than just beaches, the island is a living museum of natural history and a sanctuary for some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on Earth. Nowhere else will one find unique endemic specimens such as the fabulous coco-de-mer, the largest seed in the world, the jellyfish tree, with only eight surviving examples, the Seychelles paradise flycatcher and Seychelles warbler. In addition, the Seychelles is home to no less than two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the legendary Vallée de Mai on Praslin where the wondrously shaped coco-de-mer nut grows high on ancient palms and fabled Aldabra, the world's largest raised coral atoll, first seen by early seafarers of the 9th century B.C.

Following an extensive refurbishment early in 2007, North Island continues to garner awards and was recently recognized by Tatler magazine as the "Most Consistently Brilliant Hotel in the world for 2008!" More importantly, the Island continues to progress in its Noah's Ark environmental rehabilitation program. The recently introduced Seychelles White-Eyes have begun to breed and this marks the culmination of 10 years of environmental work to date. There is a long way to go, and rehabilitation efforts currently focus on an expansion of marine monitoring of the reefs around North Island and the finalization of the vegetation management plan through to 2011.

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