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The signature experience

The Otentika Immersion

Kayaking, the Natural Aquarium and, if you wish, a meal at The Table. One thread, from the sea back to the house.

Duration
Half a day
Departure
Rivière Banane
Conditions
Sea permitting
Kayaks and pirogues lined up on the Otentika beach at Rivière Banane

A morning on the water,a meal that continues it.

This is the experience that best explains what Otentika is. You are not ticking off an activity: you are following a thread that runs from the lagoon to the table, by way of the family home.

You set off from the Rivière Banane beach. First you paddle along the coast at the group's own pace, then you reach the Natural Aquarium to look at the seabed. Westley explains what there is to see, what is better left untouched, and why.

You come back on foot, to the tables set under the casuarina trees. If you have chosen the meal, it is prepared while you are on the water, from what the sea has given and what the family garden supplied that morning.

The order of the stages can change. The tide, the wind and the light decide part of the programme, and that is exactly why no two immersions are ever quite alike.

Good to know

  • Kayaking and the Natural Aquarium in one outing
  • Optional meal at The Table, cooked while you are out
  • Small group, hosted by Westley
  • Programme adjusted to the tide and the wind

What to bring

  • Swimwear and a towel
  • Reef-safe sun cream, a hat, sunglasses
  • A bottle of water
  • Dry clothes for the meal
  • Your own mask and snorkel if you have one

How it unfolds

How it unfolds

  1. Welcome at Rivière Banane

    We meet, look at the sea that day and agree on how it will unfold.

  2. Kayaking along the coast

    Setting off from the beach, at a pace that leaves time to look.

  3. The Natural Aquarium

    Watching the seabed, with Westley's landmarks and guidance.

  4. Back ashore, and The Table if you wish

    The meal is ready when you return, set out facing the lagoon.

The Otentika table set under the casuarinas, checked cloth facing the Rivière Banane lagoon
Serving the shared meal at Otentika, plates and dishes set out facing the beach
Ask about “The Otentika Immersion”Plan your visit

Every outing is confirmed according to the sea and the weather on the day.

Frequently asked

Do I need to be a strong swimmer?

You need to be comfortable in the water. The lagoon is shallow and sheltered, but the Natural Aquarium is seen while floating. Tell Westley when you arrange your visit and he will adapt the route.

Is the meal compulsory?

No. The Immersion works without it. Most visitors take it anyway, because that is where the outing finds its full meaning.

What happens if the sea is rough?

Westley lets you know and offers another time, another route, or postpones. No outing goes ahead when conditions do not allow it.

Experiences

Other waysto experience the lagoon.