DEGAS Jean-Pierre / hemis.fr
Feature
Mayotte, the beautiful stranger
There are some journeys we don’t want to share with anyone in case the destination is spoilt. Mayotte is one of these. Tucked away in the Mozambic canal, between the African coast and Madagascar, this tiny scrap of land is one and a half times bigger than Marseilles. There are no luxury resorts and the island is small. The biggest hotel on the island has 30 bungalows, just think of it ! There is a Polynesian air about it, with its coconut trees, its lagoon and little white sand islets jotted along the reef, an incredible natural aquarium haunted by turtles, dolphins and whales. It also has an African air about it with its beaches lined with boabab trees and the women dressed in multi-coloued boubous, Salouva mahorais. Now a French department in its own right, this tiny piece of land situated at a distance of over 9000kms from France, is of astonishing beauty. There are 160kms of costal paths and a short walk quickly becomes a botanical adventure, redolent of the rare perfume of the Ylang-Ylang flowers. This delicate, sweet-scented flower, all the great perfumers consider as priceless, has invaded the tropical forest . Giant bamboos are to be found everywhere and bright green geckos come for a rest on the roses of porcelaine. Families of maki lemurians, always ready to pinch a banana or two, complete the beauty of the scene. It is heavenly, but don’t tell anyone !
HEMIS_491430 : France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), infinity pool of the Sakouli hotel, located in the Oriental part of Grande Terre, overlooking the lagoon and facing the Bandrele islet
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, Mill Bay with mount Choungui in the background, arrival of the fishermen and their fishing boats at low tide
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Dapani, one of the biggest closed lagoon in the world (1500 km)
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Combani, ginger torch, native of South-East Asia, growing in places sheltered from the wind, a Gecko, small green lizard feeding on dew on a flower
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, fisherman's beach facing mount Choungui, boat moored opposite the village at low tide, also a departure point for excursions for the Pointe Saziley and white sand islet
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Tsimkoura, the Haroussi is a festival that lasts two weeks and celebrates the union of a couple, brides dressed in traditional and modern behaviors, waiting for the Debbah, a Custom ceremony of religious dances reserved to women
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Sada, located on the Western coast, village known for its jewelleries having the most ancient handicraft tradition, women weaving coconut fiber for making baskets in the cooperative
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Kani Keli, N'Gouja beach, the Fare, famous in ths island, built of wood and palms leaves locate don the footbridge overlooking the laggon, privileged aera for the observation and the clutch of sea turtles, group of friends at sunset
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Kani Keli, N'gouja beach, tourist strioking a Maki, small omnivore lemur, espaccialy frugivore, native from Madagascar, emblem of the island, very sociable et easily observable in the forest where it lives in groups
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Ouangani, weighed of the flower Ylang ylang at the distillery out of which is extracted an essential oil used in perfumery, harvested at dawn when the level in essential oil is the highest, a hundred kilo of flowers is necessary to produce about 2,5 kg of Ylang Ylang oil
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mamoudzou, Adrien Souli Avenue on the seafront, arrival at the port of the barge from Dzaoudzi on Petite Terre island, administratif center of Mayotte, separated from Grande Terre island by an arm of sea of 2 km long
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Hamouro, beach of brun sand facing the Bandrele Pass, arrival of fishermen and their boats with colorful rockers at dawn
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Tsimkoura, traditional marriage, gold jewelry and Masked hands with henna, the success of the wedding is depending on the dowry which will give the social status to the future married man at the eyes of the other members of the village
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mirereni, Combani Forest Reserve, hiking trail across a wild bambouseraie, hiker observing giant bamboo 15 meters high
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, women wearing colored Salouva (traditonal clothes) making up, realizing a festival mask, the M'zinzano, which means sandalwood in Shimaore language, native of the Swahili language
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, beach Sakouli, frangipani flowers, native of Western India, medicinal plant which has the reputation to be everlasting as the flowers and the leaves continue to grow once picked up
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mamoudzou, large central market at the port, pedestrian passing in front of a souvenir shop selling baskets in coconut fibre with the colors of the island
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HEMIS_491498 : France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mtsamboro, one of the biggest closed lagoon in the world (1500 km), plunged into a mask and snorkel, sightings of dolphins
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Dzaoudzi, pier for the barge to Mamoudzou on the island of Petite Terre, administratif center of Mayotte, separated of the island of Grande Terre by an arm of sea of 2 km long
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Tsimkoura, MahorĂŠ wedding, traditional and modern brides coexist, maked up like two princess of the Thounsand and One Nights before the Debbah, Custom ceremony reserved to women only which shows dances with deliberatly slow body language
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Tsimkoura, Debbah (or Deba), Custom festival, religious dances performed by women only deliberatly in a very slow rythm perfectly synchronized that mime the invocations to God and the Prophet
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), MahorĂŠ Custom festival, reserved to women only, women wearing colored Salouva (traditonal clothe) realizing a traditional festival mask using kaolin during a religious traditonal festival
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Tsimkoura, cooker wearing a colored Savoula (traditional clothe) grating coconut during a Mahoré Custom festival, the festivals are not only between the members of the same family but between all the inhabitants of the same villages or sometimes, different villages
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Tsimkoura, the Haroussi is a festival that lasts two weeks in Mayotte to seal the union of a couple, women orchestra on the mat preceding the Debbah, a Custom festival of religious dances reserved to women only
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Tsimkoura, Mahoré wedding, reconstitution of the wait of the bride, traditional and modern brides, maked up and dressed as sumptuously as possible, must stay apart of the others during 8 days
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Combani, Botanical Garden, located near the Coconi breeding-ground, free access, show-window of the Mahoré biodiversity, reader sitting on a bench under a clump of bamboo
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Sada, eco museum of Ylang and vanilla, Vanilla manual fertilization with a spine of lemon tree, this operation must be done early in the morning before the big heat
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Ouangani, picking the flowers of ylang ylang in a farm, named the queen of the flowers, its golden petals are very much wanted by great perfumers and essential oils makers, 100 kg of flowers is needed to produce about 2,5 kg of Ylang Ylang oil
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Coconi, Vanilla manual fertilization with a spine of lemon tree, this operation must be done early in the morning before the big heat
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Ouangani, Ylang Ylang flower in a hand decorated with golden jewelleries, named the queen of the flowers, its golden petals are very much wanted by great perfumers and essential oils makers, 100 kg of flowers is needed to produce about 2,5 kg of Ylang Ylang oil
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Ouangani, weighing of flower Ylang ylang at the distillery of which is extracted an essential oil used in perfumery, harvested at dawn when the level in essential oil is the highest, about 100 kg of flowers are necessary to produce 2,5 kg of Ylang Ylang oil
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Ouangani, distillery of Ylang Yalng flowers after harvest, product of essantial oil obtained after 18 hours of distillation and listed in 6 different qualities, about 100 kg of flowers are necessary to produce 2,5 kg of Ylang Ylang oil
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Ouangani, weighing of flower Ylang ylang at the distillery of which is extracted an essential oil used in perfumery, harvested at dawn when the level in essential oil is the highest, about 100 kg of flowers are necessary to produce 2,5 kg of Ylang Ylang
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Combani, bottles of ylang ylang flowers on a background of traveler's tree sundried, about 100 kg of flowers are necessary to produce 2,5 kg of Ylang Ylang oil
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HEMIS_491438 : France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, Sakouli beach, boats on the shoreline at the foot of a bungalow of the Sakouli Hotel overlooking the lagoon, volcanic black sand beach with unique specie of baobab of the African continent seen on Mayotte island Page 13 / 26
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Combani, ginger torch, native of South-East Asia, growing in places sheltered from the wind, a Gecko, small green lizard feeding on dew on a flower
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Ouangani, traditional make up session with kaolin to realize a mask for the M'zinzano festival which means sandalwood in Shimaore language, native of the Swahili language
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Poroani, traditional make up session with kaolin to realize a mask for the M'zinzano festival which means sandalwood in Shimaore language, native of the Swahili language
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Ouangani, Mbiwi, traditional MahorĂŠ dance reserved for large traditional weddings, woman wearing a sandalwood beauty mask embellished with a kaolin festival mask
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Bandrele, eco salt museum, mama shingo (shingo means salt in MahorĂŠ language), natural home made salt from the mangrove swamp obtained by an ancestral cooking technique, woman taking a handful of salt in a receptacle braided in palm leaves
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Bandrele, traditional wedding, MahorĂŠ woman wearing Salouva (colored boubou) grating coconut for the preparation of the meal and makes up with a beauty mask, the M'zinzano based on sandalwood, that they mainly wear when they are exposed to the sun
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Bandrele, Mama skewers, traditional cuisine, specialty zebu brochettes accompanied with plantains bananas and fried manioc, little stand on the side of the road very popular and spread out
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Poroani, tradional make up session based on kaolin to realize a festival mask, the M'zinzano, meaning sandalwood, drawing typical wedding pattern with henna on the arm
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mirereni, Combani Forest Reserve, hiking trail circling the island, hikers on the ridge overlooking both sides of the island allowing to watch both sunset and sunrise
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Moutsamoudou, hiking trail around the island, hikkers
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mirereni, Combani Forest Reserve, hiking trail circling the island, hikers in the middle of fields of ylang ylang with palm trees
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mirereni, Combani Forest Reserve, cinnamon tree, cutting the bark which after being dried up will furl naturally, used in pastry but also to season cocktails and rhum, alcool which is not produce in Mayotte
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mirereni, Combani Forest Reserve, Maki, a small omnivore lemur, espaccialy frugivore, native from Madagascar, emblem of the island, very sociable et easily observable in the forest where it lives in groups
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, Sakouli beach, baobab trees on the Oriental coast on the side of a volcanic black sand beach, this tree is the unique variety of baobab of the African continent seen in Mayotte island
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mtsamboro, Foubouni beach, departure point for Choaziland M'tsamboro islets, overlooking the lagoon and falling from the site Chifouni
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Moutsatoundou, Musical Beach, fishermen pulling a net keeping fish caught during the day and left in the water until their return in the evening
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HEMIS_491506 : France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Ouangani, woman in traditional makeup session realizing a beauty mask, the M'zinzano, which means sandalwood in Shimaore language, native of the Swahili language a Page 18 / 26
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, Sakouli beach, boats and baobab trees on the shoreline at the foot of a bungalow overlooking the lagoon
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mtsamboro, one of the biggest closed lagoon in the world (1500 km), diving mask and snorkel on the plateau of the reef before falling
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, Laminoir Bay, Fishermen Beach, craft fishing village facing Brandrele islet, departure point of the boats for the Saziley Pointe and white sand islet
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Moutsamoudou, White sand islet, walker on a reef of sand in the middle of the lagoon surrounded by water blue turquoize, its size changes depending to the tie
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Soha, beach, boys playing on one of the longest light brown sand beach of Mayotte, that crosses the hiking trail circling the island
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mtsamboro, on of the biggest closed lagoon in the world (15MM km), sightings of dolphins and diving mask and snorkel from the coral reef
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Kani Keli, N'Gouja beach, Fare the most famous on ths island located at the end of a wooden footbridge overlooking the lagoon, privileged place for the observation and the clutch of sea turtles
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mtsamboro, beach island Mtsamboro, a nesting ground at night and observing sea turtles
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Kani Keli, N'Gouja beach, late afternoon on the sand at the foot of the palm and baobab
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Hamouro, brown sand beach facing the Bandrele Pass, arrival of fishermen and their boats with colorful rockers at dawn
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Sada, Boueni Bay, lush vegetation at sunset toward mount Choungui, Boueni Bay would be the site of a former collapsed crater that would crash into the lagoon
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Kani Keli, N'Gouja beach, one of the biggest lagoon in the world, fare and boardwalk advancing on the lagoon bordered by a thick forest overlooking the sand (aerial view)
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, infinity pool of the Sakouli hotel, located on the Oriental part of Grande Terre overlooking the lagoon and facing the Bandrele islet
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, Sakouli hotel, located on the South Coast of mayotte island facing the Bandrele islet and the lagoon protected by the reef, bungalow surrounded by baobabs overlooking Sakouli Beach
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, Sakouli hotel, located on the South coast facing the lagon protected by the reef, infinity pool on the outside restaurant
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Nyambadao, Sakouli hotel, bedroom with canopy bed and mosquito net
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HEMIS_491480 : France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mirereni, Combani Forest Reserve, Mont Combani cottage, relaxing in a hammock in the tropical forest, step on the GR1 trail track circling the island
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Trevani, traditional wooden houses stained near the oldest hotel of the island on Trevani beach, closest to Mamoudzou
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mirereni, lodging mount Coumbani, Banga, traditional home of wood and earth, reader sitting at a table outside a hut in the forest, step on the GR1 trail track circling the island
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mirereni, Mount Coumbani lodging, young woman inside a wooden bungalow and its mousquito net
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Combani, Guerlain Plantation, hiker consulting a map in front of a Banga in the Botanical garden which still has its own still for the distillation of Ylang Ylang of the estate
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Sada, local craft store, woven baskets in coconut fiber
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mamoudzou, large central market at the port, MahorĂŠ women selling fruits and vegetables, main places of life of Mamoudzou where one could also find materials (lambas) and small handcrafts (some of them coming from Madagascar)
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mamoudzou, jewellery craftsman, repairing of a golden neckless for a big wedding, at this occasion, families spend huge amount of money to show their wealth
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mamoudzou, large central market at the port, stacking sticks of cinnamon, used in pastry, this bark has highly perfumed smell with a sweet and savoury taste
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mamoudzou, large central market at the port, bunch of green bananas to cook of which the island is proud to possess more than 36 varieties mostly used in cooking as vegetable
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mamoudzou, handcrafted baskets fiber in the colors of the island
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Jimaweni, Mahore Salouva, colored boubou wear by women, cloth printed with the colors of the archipelago
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France, Mayotte island (French overseas department), Mamoudzou, landing of the barge from Dzaoudzi on Petite Terre island, administratif center of Mayotte, separated from Grande Terre island by an arm of sea of 2 km long
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