Île aux Cerfs Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Despite what the signs say, there is no public ferry to Île aux Cerfs. Guests of Le Touessrok get whisked over to the island for free on the hotel launch. Lesser mortals have to use one of the private operators in Trou d’Eau Douce. Those with a reliable reputation include Vicky Tours (754 5597; Royal Rd; 9am-5pm), Trou d’Eau Douce Co-operative Ferry (519 0452; Royal Rd; 8.15am-5pm), Croisières des Îles (519 0876; Royal Rd; 8am-5pm), and Société F.Lacour & Fils (480 2311; Royal Rd; 8am-5pm), all at the north end of town. You can also arrange boats through Resto 7 and Chez Tino or through your hotel or guesthouse.

Prices tend to be fairly standard, at around Rs 300 per person for the return trip by ordinary boat (15 minutes each way) and Rs 500 by speedboat (five minutes). Depending how busy it is, boats leave roughly every 30 minutes between 9am and 4pm, with the last boat back at 5pm at the latest.

Most operators also offer various combinations of Île aux Cerfs with glass-bottomed boat trips, snorkelling and a barbecue lunch.