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The island of Mauritius lies like a gem in the Indian Ocean, an exotic blend of cultures, cuisine and spectacular scenery. Mauritius is mostly of volcanic formation and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs. A coastal plain, widest in the North, rises sharply to a 1,500 ft high plateau bordered by three mountain ranges - the Black River Range, the Grand Port Range and the Moka Range. Mauritius conjures up images of palm trees, trade winds, white sands and blue seas.
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Time to Visit
July to September is the choicest time to visit. December through March is best for diving and June through August is best time for surfing. October though April for big game fishing, when the large predators feed close to shore.
Sightseeing |
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Ile Aux Cerf : It is a small island on the east region of Mauritius. The main attraction of the island is its virgin white beaches and emerald waters. You can experience here an array of water sports such as parasailing, skiing, speedboat, banana boat etc. |
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Casela Bird Park : This bird sanctuary is built on 20 acres and features 140 different species from all over the world. And if you are lucky, you can get a glimpse of the rare pink pigeon of Mauritius. One of the giant tortoises is 150 years old. |
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| Chamarel : Visit the seven-coloured earth at Chamarel. Here you can see mounds of yellow, red, blue and green coloured earth. There is also the Charamel Falls nearby. |
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Sir Seewoosagur ramgopalam Botanical Gardens : These attractive gardens famous as The Pamplemousses Gardens are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mauritius. One key attraction is the park's giant Victoria regia water lilies, native to the Amazon. From the center of a huge pad, the lily's flower opens white one day and closes red the next day. There's also an astonishing collection of palms of all shapes and sizes. |
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| Black River gorges national park : It protects much of the remaining native forests of Mauritius and provides opportunities for you to enjoy spectacular natural scenery. Look for the rare tambalacoque or dodo tree and the exotic birds that perch in them. |
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Tamarind fall : Tamarin is awkward to reach, but it's worth the effort for a beautiful, deep, cool bathe at the bottom of a series of seven spectacular waterfalls. They are only accessible via a challenging trail that begins near the Tamarin Falls reservoir, but you will have to explore to find it. It's best to take a local guide from Henrietta. |
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Getaways |
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Port Louis : Situated on the northwestern coast and surrounded by mountains, Port Louis is the capital city and also the harbour of Mauritius. It has everything from spices to T-shirts, postcards to pareos and dried fish to jewellery. |
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Curepipe : It is the main residential town on the island . It is in this pleasant and prosperous town that Mauritian high society has made its home. The sights to see include several interesting buildings, such a colonial Town Hall and the Royal College, founded in the eighteenth century and one of the oldest in the Commonwealth. However, the main reason to come here is for shopping. |
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Domaine Les Pailles : It is situated close to Port Louis and has a nature park spreading over 3000 acres at the foot on a mountain range. You can witness here the traditional way of making sugar from freshly crushed sugarcane and see rum being distilled from sugarcane syrup. |
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What to do?
Wind surfing and kayaking is the best option here. A ride on La nesses a semi submersible boat that allows close up tours of the reefs without the nuisance of getting wet is an attractive proposition. Snorkeling, Hiking and Trekking are some of the other options that you can try here. |
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Shopping
Souvenirs that can be brought back from Mauritius are beach clothing, shells, the local rum, stamps, arts and crafts from Madagascar, spices, weaving goods like bags and hats. |
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