India & the Indian Ocean

As with all cruise routes, it is hard to group them. Unlike land borders, we cruisers tend to think in cruise routes – I guess that makes us seafarers.

There are three common ways for cruisers to discover the Indian Ocean.

  • When travelling around the coast of Africa the first island, and it is huge, is Madagascar.
  • Going out to sea from the ocean side of Madagascar, one finds La Reunion, as the French did, and Mauritius as the English did. Seychelles.
  • Staying on the African coast one would sail into Arabia, then cross from there to find the west coast of India, which sees the island of Sri Lanka which the Portuguese discovers in 1504.

There are other islands, but listed here are the ones with used cruise ports.

Cruise Ports for Islands in the Indian Ocean

To follow

iVisa.comCURRENCY: Sri Lankan Rupee is divided into 100 cents. ₨ is generally used, but the official currency code “LKR” is used to distinguish it from Indian and other rupees.

VISA: The ETA is initially limited to 30 days validity from the date of arrival although it may be extended for up to six (06) months. You can apply online or use the assistance of iVisa service.

Sri Lanka has ruled out shipbreaking as an industry going against the trend in the region. Its neighbour, India, scraps over 50% of doomed cruise ships.

 

 

LANGUAGE: Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages of Sri Lanka.

Thank you (very much) Bohoma istouti
Welcome Paiḷaigaænaīmae
Goodbye Ayubowan

 

TRAVEL ADVICE: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sri-lanka

 

The nine districts in Sri Lanka that have existed since the 19th century. However, they were only given legal status in 1987 when the constitution established provincial councils.

Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon and had Portuguese influence from around 1500, though its rich history goes back as far back as 500,000 years. It is now the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. It is an island just off southern India in the Indian Ocean, separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. It lies southwest of the Bay of Bengal and southeast of the Arabian Sea. Cruise routes to India and South Africa might stop here, just as a world cruise might. The Seven Seas Marina normally has it on its route around March. 

Colombo
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The busiest cruise port in Sri Lanka , Colombo is the Captial of the Western state.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – What to do in Colombo

Colombo is the capital of the Western Province of Sri Lanka, one of nine Provinces

Galle
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Galle was fortified by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century.

GALLE, Sri Lanka – What to do in Galle

Galle is a city on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka,

Hambantota
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Hambantota

Hambantota, Sri Lanka – What to do in Hambantota

Hambantota was hit hard by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Trincomalee
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Trincomalee

TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka – What to do in Trincomalee

Trincomalee is a port guarded by 17th century Fort Frederick built by the Portuguese with stones from the temples.

CURRENCY: Rupee, the same name as used in India and other Indian Ocean countries, but they each have their own Rupee. The Mauritian rupee is the currency of Mauritius. One rupee is subdivided into 100 cents. Visa, MasterCard, Diners and American Express debit and credit cards and the US Dollar are widely accepted in most places. 2021 there are nearly 60 rupees to a GB pound.

VISA: None. Passports stamped on entry allow 60 days stay.

LANGUAGE: English. There is a local french creole used. Like Bonzour for hello.

TRAVEL ADVICE: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mauritius

WARNINGS: Drug possession carries a severe penalty.

Port Louis
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Trincomalee

What to do in Port Louis, Mauritius

The most beautiful paradise island. Although known for its French colonial architecture, it

The official flag is the French flag, the unofficial flag, or the local flag uses the colours other Indian Ocean islands use.

CURRENCY: Euro. VISA and other cards are widely accepted.

LANGUAGE: French.

VISA: Reunion is part of the EU. British Citizen passport, you don’t need a visa to enter Réunion for stays of up to three months.

TRAVEL ADVICE: Controlled by what is said in Paris, France. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/reunion

Crime levels are low, and it is relatively trouble free.

St Louis
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Trincomalee

What to do in Saint Denis, Reunion

Saint-Denis is the capital of Reunion, which is a French territory and uses the Euro. 

Note the colours that repeat in most Indian Ocean Islands.

CURRENCY: Anything goes except in local markets, local bars and nightclubs where local currency is king. They have their own Rupee, SCR or Seychelles Rupee. Also called roupi and roupie in French. One rupee is subdivided into 100 cents. Visa, MasterCard, Diners and American Express debit and credit cards and the US Dollar are widely accepted in most places. (2021 17.5 rupees is roughly equivalent to 1 GB Pound)

VISA: No visa required.

LANGUAGE: local Seychellois Creole language and French, as well as English in commercial places.

TRAVEL ADVICE: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/seychelles

WARNINGS: Most travel is trouble-free, but there is a problem with drugs in Seychelles, in particular heroin. Crime levels have risen as a result, and certain areas are avoided at night.

Curieuse Island

Curieuse Island, Seychelles – What to do in Curieuse Island

Curieuse Island is the most beautiful island famous for around 500 Aldabra Giant Tortoise, turtles, giant crabs, snorkelling and

Desroches Island

Desroches Island, Seychelles – What to do in Desroches Island

Desroches Island or Île Desroches is the main island of the Amirante Islands. This group of small beautiful Islands,

La Digue
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La Digue

La Digue, Seychelles – What to do in La Digue

La Digue is the quiet, sleepy sibling to larger Seychelles islands Mahé and Praslin.

Mahē
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Mahe

Freddie Mercury house in Zanzibar

Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar. It is a strictly religious country so is not as proud of him as you might expect.

Tema Accra cruise port

Tema Accra is a popular port receiving over 1500 vessels a year. It is popular with cruise ships.

Abidjan, the Ivory Coast

Abidjan is an economic centre with modern landmarks like La Pyramide, and St. Paul’s Cathedral which has a

Which beach was the Bounty advert filmed on?

Back in the 1980’s Sierra Leone was not a big tourist destination and its beaches were empty enough to film the memorable A TASTE OF PARADISE

Cruise Africa – not just when the Suez Canal closes

Cruisers know only too well that life can throw a curved ball. A pandemic, a storm or a war can change best laid plans. Those who WORLD CRUISE,

Richards Bay in South Africa

No apology for no apostrophe. Richards Bay or Richardsbaai is a city in KwaZulu-Natal,

Port Elizabeth is now known as Gqeberha

It may have changed its name but it is still referred to as P.E. and sits on Algoa Bay.

Mossel Bay

Afrikaans: Mosselbaai, is a harbour town of about 120,000 people on the Garden Route in South Africa’s Western Cape Province.

Praslin Island

What to do in Praslin Island, Seychelles

The fantastic beaches of Praslin Island make it not just one of the Seychelles top tourist destinations but a world gem.

400 miles off the coast of Mozambique, forming a channel in the Indian ocean.

CURRENCY: Euro. US dollars and GBP are easily changed at banks. Or local cash from ATM.

VISA: You can buy a 30, 60 or 90-day tourist visa on arrival at the airport in cash using US$, Euros, or Malagasy Ariary

LANGUAGE: Malagasy is the common language, but French is spoken among the educated population.

TRAVEL ADVICE: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/madagascar

Diego Suarez

Diego Suarez, Madagascar – What to do in Diego Suarez

Named after the 16th-century Portuguese navigator and explorer,

Tôlanaro
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Fort Dauphin

What to do in Fort Dauphin

Fort Dauphin is also called “Tolagnaro.” Occupied by Europeans in the 17th century it was a trading post.

Ile Sainte Marie

What to do in Ile Sainte Marie

Nosy Boraha [ˈnuʃ buˈrahə̥], was previously known as Sainte-Marie.

Nosy Be
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Nosy Be

What to do in Nosy Be, Madagascar

Nosy Be is the busiest tourist area in Madagascar. David Attenborough enjoys the unique wildlife here.

Tamatave

What to do in Tamatave, Madagascar

Toamasina is also called Tamatave. It is a port city on the east coast of Madagascar.

It’s complicated. The archipelago of four islands is now split. In a vote on independence, Mayotte voted to be a French territory and use the Euro. The other three islands are the Union of Comoros. Not only does that make money different but travel regulations become complicated when France shuts down as it did with COVID.

CURRENCY: The Comorian franc (KMF) is pegged to the euro at an effective rate of about 492 KMF to 1 EUR. One franc is divided into 100 centimes, but you won’t find a centime – they’ve never been issued.

VISA: Visas are available at your points of entry.

LANGUAGE: Official languages are Comorian, French and Arabic.

TRAVEL ADVICE: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/comoros

 

Comoros
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Moroni is the port for Comoros which is in the Mozambique Channel. It is the capital of the Union of Comoros. Comoros is a volcanic archipelago off Africa’s east coast.

What to do in Moroni, Comoros

Surrounded by beaches but not without litter. The lava from the active Mount Karthala Volcano is also evident.

Mayotte
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Moroni is the port for Comoros which is in the Mozambique Channel. It is a French terretory, unlike the other three islands. The four islands of Comoros form the volcanic archipelago off Africa’s east coast.

What to do in Mayotte, Comoros

Mayotte is surrounded by a coral reef, so the seas and snorkelling

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