Gabriel Island; the islands closer to the shore are range among Mauritius’ favourite tourist attractions. Boats of any shape and size take off every morning, a veritable armada, setting out to conquer Flat Island and Gabriel Island; the latter being rather small but harbouring one of Mauritius’s nature treasures: an endemic shrub with interesting pharmaceutical properties which exists exclusively on Gabriel Island.
Gabriel Island has recently been taken under the wing of a local tour operator who besides offering eco-tours around the island, installed a restaurant and an open air church for couples willing to tie the knot as well as some beach massage bungalows for unlimited wellness. The island sports a very pretty beach and a colony of white tailed tropical bird that breed on the island. Visitors are asked to not under any circumstances pick up eggs or fledgling young birds who have escaped from their nests.
As boats bound for the northern isles leave the protective reef behind and the Ocean swell can be quite rough on the stomach, travellers are advised to take precautions. Sea sickness tablets are available in the local pharmacies.