Mauritius’
white-sand Indian Ocean beaches and fabulous watersports may incline you not to
travel far from your oceanside resort. Fight that temptation! The
island’s lush and often lofty interior, the buzz of its towns and villages and
the quality of its many land activities all demand some time. Each
coastline has its own character. The north with its long beaches and calm
lagoons is home to Grand Baie, the only 'resort' area, while on the east coast
is fabulous 6-mile long Belle Mare beach. While the relatively more developed
west coast, boasting its own string of perfect beaches. Exploring by car
is a popular way to discover the colourful holiday island of
Mauritius. Don't miss the waterfront at Port Louis and do visit the
National park in the beautiful interior.
WHAT
TO SEE
Port
Louis
Mauritius’
busy little capital, set within an amphitheatre of mountains, is a place of
character and slightly faded elegance. Named after the French Louis XV, it
boasts some fine 18th century French buildings, two cathedrals, a
mosque, museums and the fortified Fort Adelaide citadel with splendid views of
the town, harbour and racecourse (yes, really! – it was once a French military
parade ground). The swirling Central Market – best visited early - will provide
a flavour of the island’s exotic ethnic and cultural pedigree. Another ‘must’ is
Le Caudan Waterfront, a popular leisure spot.
Royal
Botanical Gardens of Pamplemousses
Not
far from Port Louis, the famous Pamplemousses Gardens have a fascinating history going
back nearly three centuries. Heavy with the fragrance of fruit and spice trees,
their 60 acres contain stately palms, ebony, mahogany, pandanus, a 200-years-old
Buddha tree and a pool of beautiful Giant Amazon water lilies.
Chamarel
A
twisting road in the south-west of the island takes you to the geological
phenomenon of the 'Seven Coloured Earths' - an undulating mound of
multi-coloured sand, created by the weathering of volcanic rocks. A scenic
waterfall located amid jungle vegetation adds to the
setting.
Black
Gorges National Park
Definitely
not to be missed, this beautiful Park fringed by coniferous trees and casuarinas
is home to endangered species like the echo parakeet, rare trees like the
tambalacoque (dodo) tree – and, of course, many monkeys and deer. Nature-lovers
can walk for miles in the Black River Gorge itself. Not far away is Lake Bassin, a volcanic crater and holiest
Hindu pilgrimage site on the island.
Casela
Bird Park
Casela
Bird Park
is known to ornithologists around the world, and habitat of the world's rarest
pigeon, the pink pigeon.
Curepipe
& Trou aux Cerfs
Curepipe
is the place to come if you’re interested in model-ship building and/or
shopping! If not, the views of the island from the ancient crater of Trou aux
Cerfs are unbeatable and worth the climb. In this area are the Tamarind Falls - seven falls tumbling into a deep,
quiet pool ideal for swimming.
Grand
Baie
When
it’s time to let your hair down and party into the night then the lively north
coast beach resort area of Grand Baie is where you’ll want to be. Grand Baie has
a host of bars, restaurants and hotels, which between them offer a pretty full
programme of entertainment choices.
Moka
Moka
lies in the picturesque surroundings of the lush Moka Range Mountains and waterfalls. The 19th century
mansions of Le Reduit and Eureka House offer insights into Mauritius’
colonial history – and splendid views.
Mahebourg
A
busy commercial centre and former colonial town set on a pretty bay where you
can relax and sunbathe. The Naval Museum is a particular attraction, while
nearby there are two beautiful nature reserves - the Ile aux Aigrettes and the
Domaine du Chasseur.
WHAT
TO DO
Sports
Without
question a holiday in Mauritius can offer you some of the
Indian Ocean’s finest watersports facilities
and conditions. Waterskiing, windsurfing, snorkelling, deep-sea or lagoon
diving, surfing, sailing and more – name them and they’re probably here! A
number are often included in resort packages. The island’s superb underwater
landscapes and variety of fish and sea plants make diving highly popular – as is
deep-sea fishing (for which Mauritius offers both high-quality
equipment and catches of impressive size and variety). Ashore, sport-lovers can
take their pick of most major land activities, including golf, tennis,
quad-biking, horse riding and trekking. See also the At a Glance section for
more information on scuba-diving and golf.
Bird-Watching
Though
the only dodo to be seen in Mauritius these days (and a replica at that!) is in
a Port Louis museum, the island offers really rewarding bird-watching, including
rare endemic species like the echo parakeet and pink
pigeon.
Horse-Racing
Mauritius’
historic Champ de Mars racecourse is one of the oldest race courses in the
southern hemisphere. Racing is highly popular here - pulling regular crowds of
30,000 people every Saturday afternoon from May to
September.
Shopping
On
your holiday to Mauritius you’ll find both traditional
Mauritian Arts and Crafts (look out for those model ships!) products and branded
luxury goods in shopping centres in towns and beach resorts alike. A number of
attractively priced duty-free shops (for designer clothes, perfumes, jewellery
and electronic items) and colourful local markets like those in Port Louis,
Grand Baie and Quatre Bornes (where you can practice the national sport of
bargaining) provide a complete shopping spectrum. Le Caudan Waterfront’s Arts
& Crafts market is well worth a visit. Mauritius is a
major textile producer and in factory outlets around the island cashmere
sweaters and cardigans are often offered at irresistible
prices.
Nightlife
Nightlife
tends to focus around the beach resorts (especially the Grand Baie area, which
has a host of bars and restaurants) and hotels, which between them offer a
pretty full programme of entertainment choices. Mauritius’
traditional and infectious Sega dance features prominently, along with oriental
dance performances. Some hotels also have their own casinos. In Port Louis Le
Caudan Waterfront offers restaurants, a casino and two cinemas after dark - and
you’ll also find casinos at Domaines les Pailles (Port Louis) and in
Curepipe.