Happy Paddler
I would like to thank you for a terrific trip. I really loved the paddling, seeing the best parts of Mauritius from the sea and being part of the island and people.
I had full faith in your leadership abilities, which made it very reassuring. Also not worrying about what the next day would bring was very relaxing. You quickly got the measure of our group and your flexibility was a great asset.
I can really recommend this!
Guesthouse Tripper
“Our whole “entering” the paddle community started when an advert for a paddling experience around Mauritius landed on our WhattsApp group via somebody else. We immediately decided this is something we can do together as a couple.
We got in contact with Les Willows from Willows Adventure Sports, got the trip details from him and started our preparations.
What an experience, we opted for the one-week adult’s guesthouse trip and enjoyed every moment.
We went back for a second trip, and some paddlers from our first trip were also on the second one, just showing you how much fun, we had.
Our paddling evolved into each of us having our own K1 river canoe and single surfski. It has become a lifestyle now to go paddling on the dam/river or on the ocean.”
Guesthouse Tripper 2
In October 2021 my husband, Werner and I booked our paddle adventure holiday with Willow Adventure Sport for April 2022. We then realised perhaps we should be able to paddle to get through the week in Mauritius. Oh boy, did this change our lives. With the support of a very experience paddling community, we started our journey into the world of spending time on the water. Ater two holidays with Les in Mauritius we are now at least twice a week on the water and fitter in out fifties than we have ever been.
We went to our first one-week paddle adventure in April 2023. We met the most awesome people and are still considering them friends today. The one-week adventure does not cover the whole island and being people that does not like to do halves we went again in April 2024. With these two trips we saw most of the island and surrounds from a perspective that would never be achieved going to the usual resort route.
In Les we found a friend that is passionate and honest about giving everyone an introduction to adventures that inspires to you to reach higher potential. Something that is evident in his life’s work of inspiring numerous current high profile female paddlers to take up the sport and excel.
There is no doubt that Mauritius is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the world. With this holiday we experienced numerous hours of being on the clearest, bluest (so many blues) waters that you can imagine. All in the company of like-minded people.
I am a person that enjoy having a clean bed with access to comfortable ablutions at the end on the day. This holiday afforded me to have a true adventure without compromising on my comforts. Although there are restrictions to the available short-term accommodation on the island (most places do not offer less than a week’s bookings), I think that great care is taken to find comfortable, clean accommodation. Even if it means to sometimes travel to the start or from the finish. All much preferred to sleeping on the beach, as would be the case with the longer trips that are on offer.
I will always remember our time in Mauritius as the start of finding my happy place on the water.
Paul Snyman – Michaelhouse Master
“My 15 year old son went on the Mauritius trip in April 2017 and I can say that it was a life changing experience for him. What Les offers the participants cannot easily be matched.” Ian Cribbins – a father of a boy on the trip.
“Best trip I’ve ever been on. I wish more people could have an opportunity like this “– a Michaelhouse boy who was on the trip.
“It’s difficult to describe the many amazing facets of paddling around Mauritius with Les Willows, however if its comraderie, fellowship, friendship and a new appreciation for what Mauritius is as an island along with the challenge of paddling a boat for 10 days then I would certainly recommend doing this trip. Les is a fabulous host, superb organiser and it is definitely something that I will do again.” – a father who paddled with his son.
I am a teacher at Michaelhouse. Besides my role in the classroom one of the sports I coach is canoeing and I also run the White Water Club. In my latter role I have run day and overnight paddling trips in KZN with quite a few of our local operators.
Les Willows is an experienced canoeing coach and he is very well known in Kwa-Zulu Natal as such. He also runs his own adventure sports company -Willows Adventure Sports. His role at The Wykeham Collegiate as Outdoor Education and Adventure co-ordinator highlights his expertise in many fields besides paddling. Les has pioneered trips like the Cape Town – Pietermaritzburg cycle ride (an event he runs for the girls at TWC) and the Mauritius paddling trip. Many of our past and present canoeists at Michaelhouse have experienced the uniqueness of seeing the entire island of Mauritius from a canoe.
Tales of adventure and incredible memories enticed us into discussing a combined trip with Hilton College and ourselves.
The trip took place this past April 2016; 16 boys from Michaelhouse and 6 from Hilton along with 10 fathers signed up for the challenge. The majority of those who signed up were new to paddling and they all managed the distance.
Les’ outstanding planning and communication during the months building up our trip made my role as school co-ordinator very easy indeed. After advertising the trip with boys and parents I handed the administration and organising over the Les. He met with parents and boys to answer questions and was amazingly flexible and accommodating in his planning.
We are planning a second trip with Willows Adventure Sports in April 2019. I highly recommend Les Willows and encourage school groups to consider the possibility of a Mauritius trip – a unique experience.
Please feel free to contact me should you require further details.
Paul Snyman (pausny@michaelhouse.org)
Traci Riemer (novice paddler)
I did the trip with Les, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. The paddling for one was just superb, with endless views the whole way through the trip. (Some easy and some challenging paddling!)
It is such an incredible way to experience the island of Mauritius, as one ended up camping on beautiful beaches away from the normal spots one would see as a tourist, getting to see some real local culture.
The other great thing was the holiday feeling, since being always on the water and beaches (we camped), you truly felt as if you had ‘got away from it all’.
I loved the trip and would recommend it to anyone who has some sense of adventure, or loves the great outdoors as I do.
Rory Pennefather
19 Epworth girls and four adults, led by Les Willows experienced the pleasure of paddling around Mauritius. This two week trip consisted of 11 days of paddling and two of sight-seeing, para-sailing and shopping, the latter being big in the life of girls!
Most of the paddling was done inside the coral reef through calm turquoise seas, past sandy islands and white beaches while the girls repeatedly leapt overboard to snorkel or swim, but four days saw us paddling on big seas beyond the shelter of the reefs. Here they braved huge swells and cruised along the south coast with the most helpful following wind. Pods of dolphins put on great circus shows, leaping and spinning, while massive turtles slid shyly away. Flying fish sped across the bows of the boats as they did their best to avoid predators and the surf crashed on the rugged cliff-faced southern coast. We crept slowly past the mouth of Port Louise, but the shipping lane presented no problem to the girls who were more concerned with a fish they had caught on a trailing line than the ship bearing down on us at 30km/hr!
Getting through the coral reefs is a necessity in order to circumnavigate the island, and narrow passes of deep water provide a relatively surf free route through the sharp and shallow coral. A meticulous knowledge of the coast is a necessity in order to get this right and Les has exactly that. All we could see from out at sea would be a mass of pounding surf with Les venturing forth, his fifteen year-old partner holding her paddle upright, signalling, “This is right; follow me” and like obedient little ducklings the rest of us followed faithfully. The rip flowing out does about 4km per hour and the heavily laden c-kayaks can do about 5km/hour so it was touch and go at times as to whether we were going in or out! Fortunately no capsizes happened here, for this would have meant an immediate swim out to sea and a second attempt at making it through the pass by a tiring team.
Mauritius is unbelievably beautiful along its coastline and by paddling around it y ou see it all. We paddled in a clockwise direction which means you get a following wind along the south coast and this makes the full trip more possible. Wind and rain pummels one a bit on the east coast but the temperature never drops below 27oC and the rain lasts less than half an hour, so drying out after a shower is never a problem.
But perhaps the highlight of the trip is the people. All Mauritians are gentle, friendly and helpful. We slept on beaches at picnic sights. Never once were we harassed by the locals; we experienced no begging, no pilfering and no inquisitive crowds. The police would come around to help and leave a phone number in case we needed them. Teenage girls could wander freely about the markets and catch buses into town in utmost safety. I would rate Mauritius tops as a sea kayaking destination and the trip offers more than just the paddling. Les is the ideal tour guide. An experienced paddler who knows the Mauritian coastline intimately. His organising skills are superb and we all experienced an amazing value for money holiday adventure. Les offers trips every year to any one interested. I have been paddling for over 40years and I would highly recommend this trip.