Martinique, appealed to our sense of adventure, flying through the trees at Mangofil Martinique, and horseback riding through a tropical forest at Habitation Céron.

Martinique may be called the "Island of Flowers," but if you thrive on outdoor adventures, there is much more to this exotically beautiful island that just gardens and beaches to entertain you. Readers of Luxury Experience Magazine know that if there are adventures to be found we will find them! Some of our wild adventures have included surfing in Brazil, parasailing in Hawaii, scuba diving around the world, walking a tightrope in Germany, golfing in the Bahamas, racing cars, and riding ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) on the beaches in Brazil.  

To say that we have adventurous spirits would definitely be an understatement, so when we heard about Mangofil Martinique, located in Les Trois Islets, we were eager to experience this new to Martinique, Canopy Tour, where we could "fly" from tree to tree and experience nature up-close.

We arrived at Mangofil Martinique and met with our Instructor, Ms. Sabine Manyri, who, gave us a tour of Mangofil Martinique, and demonstrated how to walk the wires and glide through the trees. She provided us with a safety briefing, and fitted us with safety equipment. Safety ropes secured around our waists, and gloves dexterously tucked into our pockets, we followed Ms. Manyri to the practice area. Here we learned how to walk like professionals along wires traveling from tree to tree. We learned how to clip our harness to the wire that ran from one tree to the next, and using one gloved hand to help control our speed, we learned how to glide along the wire, suspended slightly off the ground. We were already feeling exhilarated by this new adventure, and we were only just a few feet off the ground; little did we know that the fun was just beginning, as we were off to start the real adventure!

For the next few hours, Ms. Manyri literally put us through our paces on the course as we climbed rope ladders up tall trees, and walked along wires suspended high in the trees going from tree to tree like circus tightwire artists to marvel at the natural beauty of the treetop canopies. The connections between the trees always included a single wire above to connect your harness, but the ‘footpath' varied from a single wire, a rope bridge, a series of free-swinging wooden planks, and speed gliding. This adventure provided us with a new appreciation of trees, and we enjoyed seeing birds and their nests close-up.

Our favorite part of the Mangofil adventure was gliding along the wire from tree to the tree, suspended high in the air. This was an incredible experience of racing through the air with the wind rushing in our ears. If you like pulse racing, challenging adventures, this is definitely an adventure to try. Although this could be considered by some to be on the strenuous side, guests are encouraged to go along the course at their own speed. Ms. Manyri told us that a 70+ year-old grandmother had completed this course the day before, which certainly inspired us to finish the course.

There is also a children's course at Mangofil Martinique, so that this can really be a family outing. Contact Mangofil Martinique for information on ages. In addition to their Canopy Tour, they also rent ATVs, and offer guided trekking tours, if you prefer ground-level adventures.

Mangofil Martinique is open daily from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, however the last adventure begins at 3:00 pm.

Mangofil Martinique
Forêt Rateau
Domaine Château Gaillard
97229 Les Trois Ilets
Martinique, WFI
Telephone:      +05 96 68 08 08
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it    
www.mangofil.net   

For our next adventure, we went to Habitation Céron, located in Le Prêcheur, 15 minutes from Saint Pierre, and 25 miles from Fort-de-France. In 1658, Habitation Céron was a sugar factory. In 1993, the new owners opened Habitation Céron where visitors can enjoy walking through the colorful exotic gardens, enjoy a special crawfish lunch at their restaurant, ride ATVs on the trails, take a guided trek, or ride horses through the tropical forest.

After a light lunch in their restaurant, we were off to the races, or so it seemed! With our helmets secured, we mounted our horses, Nadia and Clem, and followed our guide, Madame Laurence Marraud des Grottes, the owner of Habitation Céron, as she led our small group through the magnificent tropical forest. Soaring feathery green trees seemed to gently brush against an azure sky, as we admired the natural beauty of the forest, as we trotted along the trail.

When the heat of the day began to intensify, we dismounted our horses, and after a short trek we took a long, cool dip in a pristine waterfall, and felt like we had found a little bit of paradise. We took turns standing under the pounding waterfall, and then swam in the refreshingly bracing water. We enjoyed relaxing on the rocks that lined the natural pool and waterfall, and enjoyed the spectacular foliage and the amazing blue sky. As soon as our bathing suits were dry, and the group was comfortable riding again, we were off, this time suddenly flying, riding hard and fast, galloping along the trail, pulses racing, hearts pounding, with no time to enjoy scenic glances.

After what seemed like an eternity of riding, although actual elapsed time was probably mere minutes, we arrived at a clearing where a beautiful stretch of sandy beach came into view. We took advantage of the opportunity to stop and stretch our legs, savor an ice cream while strolling the beach, and let the horses rest and have their own treat, nibbles of grass. Refreshed after our stop, we once again mounted our horses, cantering through the forest, remembering the excitement of the ride.

Afterwards, we toured the extensive Habitation Céron gardens, roamed among the remains of the sugar factory, and watched an interesting video on the process of making sugar. This was another wonderful Martinique adventure.

Habitation Céron is open daily from 9:30 am - 5:00 pm.

Habitation Céron
Anse Céron
97250 Le Prêcheur
Martinique, FWI
Telephone:      +05 96 52 97 03
Fax:                 +05 96 52 96 02
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   

Read other articles on Martinique in the Destination: Martinique - The Caribbean Side, Destination: Martinique - The Atlantic Side, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Spas, Chefs' Recipes, Fashion, Gastronomy, Events and Liquor Cabinet sections.

For more information on Martinique, please contact the Martinque Promotion Bureau at www.martinique.org.

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