Le Maloya.jpgCome and meet Franck, Thibault and the rest of the crew on the Le Maloya boat
Set out to sea and watch the sunset to music.
An unforgettable experience watching the sunset aboard the biggest catamaran in the Indian Ocean.
Today, I’m setting sail with the crew of Festiyacht, who have promised me an experience that will beat the usual Sunday evening blues. Their remedy is a trip out on a catamaran, to watch the sunset to music!
Le Maloya and her crew were waiting for us at the Darse Titan in Le Port. They gave us a warm and friendly welcome on board. “We’ve got great weather today” said Franck as we arrived. We could just make out a few sparse clouds in the distance that could make the sunset even more impressive.
As we entered the main room of the catamaran, I couldn’t believe there could be so much space on a boat! Comfortably seated in our armchairs, we sailed out of the harbour. It was our first boat trip out at sea and it was much-appreciated, especially after such a hot day in the sun. Once Guy, the captain, had manoeuvred the boat out of the harbour, we were able to join him at the bow and enjoy the refreshing sea spray.
We could make out the west coast of the island as we moved further away from the harbour. It was soon time to hoist the main sail and let the wind carry us along. Le Maloya sailed peacefully alongside Saint-Paul Bay and the black sand beach. We could see the peaks of Reunion Island in the distance. I felt so lucky to be staying on this unique island, where you don’t have to choose between the sea and the mountains.
When the sky is set ablaze
In the distance, I could just about see Cap Lahoussaye and the savannah, made all the more beautiful in the light of the sunset. I lay down on one of the nets, just taking in this wonderful, timeless moment, the boat rocking slowly over the waves. Some of the others ordered some nibbles. The puff pastry bites and other canapés with smoked fish were delicious.
The time had come for the sun to disappear on the horizon and the sky was set ablaze. We were all in awe of this spectacular sight, that is even more beautiful from the ocean. The sky turned into a giant watercolour painting, and the colours changed within minutes.
Over on the coast, we could still see the twinkling lights from the town, and the boat was lit up for the evening too. The music, that was very relaxed up until then, started to pick up pace. It was time to dance, on the deck and the dancefloor. Some well-known tunes were played and then Danyel Waro’s a capella voice echoed through the air. The DJ had put on the iconic Maloya track, ‘Bat La Main’. We clapped our hands and moved our hips to the rhythm of this traditional music of Reunion Island. After over an hour of dancing, we sailed back to the harbour. The Festiyacht crew were safe in the knowledge that they had definitely given us the energy we needed to kick off the new week!
