Whilst St Marie island is wonderfully unspoiled and relatively undiscovered in tourism terms, the best kept secret of the entire Indian Ocean is perhaps a tiny little island located just off St Marie’s southern tip – the stunning tropical paradise that is Ile Aux Nattes! To get there you hop into a pirogue (dugout canoe) to make the journey across the narrow 200 metre crossing between the 2 islands - it really is like stepping back in time!

That same impression continues once you’re on Ile Aux Nattes itself – for one thing there are no roads on the tiny island and hence no cars to disturb the wonderful sense of tranquility that reigns here. And because the island’s so small – about 3 kilometres in diameter – it takes just a few hours to explore by foot. Or even better yet, why not hire a pirogue to take you round the island to discover your very own deserted beach – wherever you look you’ll find little sandy coves lined with palm trees on one side and the aquamarine coloured waters of the coral reef fringed lagoon on the other. If there’s an island more stunningly beautiful than this in the entire Indian Ocean please let us know!the best kept secret of the entire Indian Ocean is perhaps the tiny little island located just off St Marie’s southern tip – the stunning tropical paradise that is Ile Aux Nattes!

Accommodation on Ile Aux Nattes is similarly low-key, with a handful of simple lodges offering traditional wood and bamboo bungalows spread amidst the palm trees. Our choice at Barefoot Breaks is La Petite Traversee (or “the little crossing” on account of its location near the pirogue crossing point on the northern tip of the island) Whilst the lodge’s name might be French, the owner and host here is a larger-than-life South African called Ockie Snyman – a real character who’s attained near legendary status in these parts since he first started running his dream island lodge here back in 2005.

Whether you want to arrange deep-sea fishing, go on a glass bottomed boat trip over the nearby coral reefs, enjoy a fiercely contested game of Uno or just chat about the rugby over an ice-cold Three Horses Beer (or THB as its better known) in the pub, Ockie’s your man! And regardless of whether you just want to chill on the beaches or cram your day full of activities, this is a great place to be! There’s great swimming at the sandy point less than a minute’s walk to the left from the lodge (one of the most gorgeous, clear water beaches we've ever had the pleasure of swimming at!), or take a pirogue trip around the island and go snorkeling on coral reefs (you’re advised to take your own mask, snorkel and flippers), go scuba diving with the nearby dive centre on St Marie (whilst on St Marie make sure to check out the fascinating old pirate’s graveyard), or perhaps the biggest highlight of all may be the famous humpback whale migration from July to September where small boats take you to literally within metres of these ocean giants!

One thing about which Ockie is immensely proud is the breakfast served at La Petite Traversee – forget about the light continental breakfast of fruit and pastries typically on offer at the more French flavoured lodges on the island; here you’ll enjoy a gigantic spread including eggs, bacon and even boerewors that’ll keep even the largest South African appetite happy! Dinner’s too are a delight with fantastic fresh seafood, whilst the pizzas on offer at lunchtime are delicious and very reasonably priced too! One thing to note is that come dinner-time the tables in the restaurant are pushed together and guests come together to happily chat and compare their days – so, to be honest, La Petite is probably not the place for you if you’re looking for romantic gaze-into-each-others-eyes honeymoon type atmosphere!

The lodge itself is a simple affair with just 7 wood and bamboo bungalows hidden in the palm trees and tropical vegetation that line the water's edge – stumble out of bed and within 10 metres of so you’ll have your toes in the beach sand! Again the rooms are very simple but clean with comfortable double beds (Ockie is also justifiably proud of his top quality South African mattresses which are a much more comfortable affair than the thin foam imposters doing duty at most other lodges in this price bracket) If you were really fussy you might say that a woman’s softening touches are probably the missing element here, but quite honestly at this excellent price any expectations of luxury are misguided - you can forget things like air-conditioning for example. In fact there is no electricity on Ile Aux Nattes, so the lodge has a generator that runs for a couple of hours in the morning & evening so a torch is a good idea for walking about at night in the dark and as a reading light.

The focal point of the lodge is the very attractive deck with bar/restaurant area which overlooks the lagoon - the perfect place to sip on a cold one and shoot the breeze with fellow guests whilst enjoying the timeless sight of the pirogues poling across the crossing between the islands! Ockie's latest introduction is his new swimming pool - and in typical Ockie fashion it's something totally unique using seawater that is pumped in from the lagoon and complete with a healthy population of reef fish and anemones that share the pool along with guests! Another unique experience enjoyed by guests here is the chance to interact with 2 different species of lemurs - firstly a family of black and white ruffed lemurs that call the trees around La Petite home, as well as an adorable little bamboo lemur that Ockie saved as an orphaned baby which now delights in playing with guests!

It all adds up to a fantastic value package – and as a result La Petite Traversee is hugely popular amongst South Africans who make up the bulk of the guests here who love the familiar food, the fact that you don’t need to speak French and, of course, having Ockie as their host! (if you’re looking for a more cosmopolitan, less South African atmosphere you’re probably better off elsewhere) We prefer to think of it as giving you the best of all worlds – you get to enjoy the island’s stunning tropical beauty whilst still enjoying some of the comforting elements of home, and at a fantastic price too!

Jaw-droppingly beautiful and tranquil little tropical island of Ile Aux Nattes is the stuff that dream holidays are made of!

Ockie, the jovial owner and host, is the star of the show here - a great character who goes out of his way to show his guests the many attractions of the island

Great place just to chill, or to cram your day full of outdoor activities - think snorkelling and scuba diving, deep sea fishing, whale watching in season, kayaking or just exploring

No need to decipher French menu's here - instead enjoy Ockie's proudly South African breakfast and other great value meals!

Fantastically friendly and social vibe here with loads of other South African guests (if that's what you like)

If you're wanting to get away from fellow South Africans when on holiday, this isn't the place to come!

Very simple but clean rooms - then again do you really expect luxury at this price!

If you're a honeymooner or wanting an isolated romantic break for just the two of you, be aware that La Petite is much more sociable and guests tend to eat and socialise together