The first glimpse of magnificent Mauritius is available from the air, as Air Mauritius lands just after sunrise. And what a view it is! Enough to tantalize the curiosity for more spectacular views and inquisitiveness as to what else the island has to offer. Here…Read More

The first glimpse of magnificent Mauritius is available from the air, as Air Mauritius lands just after sunrise. And what a view it is! Enough to tantalize the curiosity for more spectacular views and inquisitiveness as to what else the island has to offer. Here goes a plan for a relaxing, on the beach holiday and an adventure packed exploration of the island begins.
Luxury coaches are awaiting arriving passengers at the airport to whisk them to their hotels by the most direct route. I decided to take a slow road (or so I thought before I experienced the local bus driving technique) and do some sightseeing on the way. Travelling on a local bus allows for a discovery of villages and towns on route and meeting the locals. If you speak French, that is. English is the official language of Mauritius but everybody speaks French and Creole. Only some of the local population speaks English.

"We are in 16 eme Mille," said Mina. Mina was sitting next to me on a local bus. She was on her way to work in Curepipe and working in retail she spoke English. 16th Mile is a little town we have just passed. By 8 am I have also already visited Rose Belle and Nouvelle France on my way from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport to Port Louis.
Local bus ride is quite an experience. There is no place for amusement parks with scary rides on Mauritius. They would not do well at all. Anybody wanting to encounter a scary ride, near death collision, adrenaline pumped to its limits only needs to hop on a local bus and hold on tight. The driving speed on narrow roads is unlimited, overtaking or passing within an inch of a car or another bus quite common. It is easy to get used to this way of driving though. I found it an exciting and enjoyable part of my sightseeing. I visited most of Mauritius traveling on a local bus.
The diversity of landscapes is astonishing. Mauritius is not just a beach destination. Surely the ocean, its golden beaches, islands scattered off the shores of Mauritius play a major role. Sailing, diving, snorkeling and water sports are the definite part of the holiday. However, Mauritius offers also some unique scenery of natural wonders. Chamarel is a small village and a definite highlight of the visit with Seven Colors Earth on its footstep. The Seven Colors Earth is an unbelievable collection of colors - from pink, red, purple to gold, orange & brown depending on the iron content of the volcanic eruptions and different temperatures the lava was cooling at. The Chamarel Waterfall springing from lush green jungle is an invigorating scene.
Irrespective of the entire natural wonders and dramatic scenery the ocean and its beaches are a major part of enjoyment. Flic en Flack is on route from Chamarel to Port Louis. It has an amazing sandy beach to swim of, crystal clear water and is the spot to enjoy a spectacular sun set from.
Mauritius has many natural treasures but the best treasure it can be proud of is its people. They are friendly, helpful and always smiling. "This is ourite," said Mme Lise serving a delicious octopus dish, a Creole delicacy. Mme Lise is an expert on Creole cuisine. We were having a picnic on Ile aux Cerfes accompanied by Sega singing and dancing.
Mauritius leaves a memory of constant happiness. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular. The nature, scenery and people enchanted me. Many call Mauritius A Paradise Island and they are not wrong.
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Rodrigues Island is located in the south of the Indian Ocean, at 2,500km from continental Africa, 3,500 from India, 5,000 from Australia, and 5,000 from Antarctica. But it is worth the effort to get there if you are looking for unspoiled places. The islands of Rodrigues,…Read More

Rodrigues Island is located in the south of the Indian Ocean, at 2,500km from continental Africa, 3,500 from India, 5,000 from Australia, and 5,000 from Antarctica. But it is worth the effort to get there if you are looking for unspoiled places.

The islands of Rodrigues, Mauritius and Reunion form the archipelago of the Mascareignes. They are of volcanic origin and surrounded by coral reefs. Arabs and Malaysian navigators visited them regularly as from the X century. The Portuguese, under Pedro de Mascareignes, used them during the XVI century as calls in their journeys to India and the Spice Islands. Portuguese navigator Pedro Rodrigues named the smallest of the three islands. Then came the Dutch, and at the beginning of the XVIII century they were occupied by the French. After the Napoleonic Wars the English took possession of them but finally returned the island of Reunion to the French, who still keep it, while Mauritius and Rodrigues received independence in 1968. The population of Mauritius Island (about 1,300,000 inhabitants) are mainly from India brought to work in the sugar cane fields for a derisory salary, and profess Hindu and Muslim Faiths, but in Rodrigues (36,000 people) practically all are Catholic and Creole, or Blacks mixed with Europeans, plus the unavoidable Chinese businessmen. I also met natives from Chagos archipelago that were expelled from their islands when the British ceded the atoll of Diego Garcia to USA Army to erect a Military base. The Rodrigues natives are so different from the Mauritius’s that in 1967 they all voted against the independence from U.K., at the contrary than in Mauritius Island. In Rodrigues people speak French and English, although they use among themselves a special Creole and a French patois. Many natives are illiterate and sign with the fingerprint. Creole language is simplified French, funny and easy to understand. It reminded me the Papuan New Guinea pidgin: "Missie" is Monsieur. "Sa pa fini" (instead of Ça n’a pas fini) means not yet finished. "Mo content toi" means I love you, etc. Rodrigues is cheaper than Seychelles and Reunion, and its beaches are great, but the island is not so mountainous as Reunion or Comoros. In general, people are generous.

Rodrigues is a pocket island (104km²) and everything is at a stone throw. You can hire a bicycle or take a bus around the island stopping in the small charming villages by the beautiful lagoon and eat fresh octopus with the fishermen. The imposing Cathedral Sacre Coeur, the greatest stone building of the island, with a capacity for 2,000 faithful, in the village Saint Gabriel, constitutes a fine visit (I was so lucky to be there the August 15, 2005, a especial holiday, and in the service played accordions). The women assist to the Mass wearing "retro" and showy sombreros evoking Scarlet O’Hara in the film Gone with the Wind. The best beaches are near the capital Port Mathurin, in Anse aux Anglais, where there are many tourists’ activities, as for instance diving and snorkeling. Rodrigues is not crowded with hordes of tourists; there are not even backpackers.

In Port Mathurin I stayed in a hostel that in Spanish we describe as having the three "B", or "Bueno, Bonito y Barato" (Good, Beautiful and Cheap): CIEL D’ETE, a pleasant colonial house with lovely gardens at 100m from the bus station, ruled by a gentle Chinese couple. A single costs 400 rupees (1 euro equal to 35 rupees) and a double 600 rupees, including a copious breakfast. In Mauritius Island I stayed in the famous tourist resort of Grand Baie and found an inexpensive room in VILLA NASSER, in Route Royale, at 50m from the beach, where I paid 500 rupees for a single with TV, air condition and enormous bed, but no breakfast. The town of Mahebourg, near the airport, is very convenient to spend the last night if you have an early flight next day. Try the Catholic Mission, which acts as a cheap hostel. In Reunion the cheapest option is the Youth Hostel in Saint Denis, and a moderated one is the HOTEL DU CENTRE, starting as from 25 euros a single, in rue Marechal Leclerc, 272

Sega is a characteristic musical style from Rodrigues and Mauritius alike. It was created by the slaves torn from Africa, mainly from Madagascar, using "ravanes" or large flat drums, "bobre" or a kind of guitar with a single string, "maravanes" or a sort of rattle consisting in a frame filled with seeds or gravel, the triangle, and other basic instruments, although sometimes they also play accordion. In the British era singing or dancing Sega was taboo and punished with the whip. The colonial administration aimed to cut off the Africans slaves from their roots, but they, especially the nights with full moon, played and danced in secret before a bonfire by the seaside. At that time Sega was the expression of their sufferings, but the blues has finally given way to rejoicing rhythms and is present in all the weddings and other social activities. The sensual whirling and twirling of the flowery skirts of the dancing girls is an overwhelming spectacle and reminds the Spanish flamenco.

There are three wonderful restaurants in Port Mathurin: the best is LE QUAI, near the pier, where the friendly owner serves fresh fish. Second option is LE DRAGON D’OR, which is much more elegant than LE QUAI, on a second floor with terrace, but a little more expensive. Third choice is LE CAPITAIN, where they also sell food to take away. In Mauritius Island you should try PATRICK RESTO, in Mahebourg, with Creole food and original and delicious desserts with ice creams. In Grand Baie I had a wonderful and cheap seafood lunch with Creole lively music in LA VIEILLE ROUGE, and for a romantic dinner by the seaside go to CAFÉ DE LA PLAGE. In Port Luis you have hundreds of choices; just in the waterfront you will find dozens of excellent restaurants and a patio where customers from about ten stalls around sit down after buying local food. Restaurants in Reunion are so expensive that there I ate mainly baguettes with fromage that I bought in the supermarkets, and cuscus to the Muslim community.

Rodrigues people live according to natural laws; after 5pm, when darkness falls, everything is closed, the central market and the shops, and the streets deserted. At 10pm everybody is in bed sleeping to wake up with the sunrise. Locals might lack agitated night life, but in compensation they have a rich day life and gather very often. In Rodrigues I met several happy French expatriates living there forever, not wishing to go back to the Western World anymore; they just spent their time enjoying the Nature of the island, fishing when they were hungry, and their souls were fed by the impressions of the beauty, by its nectar and ambrosia.

Mauritius is located 1600km east of Madagascar. It has endless sugarcane plantations, dramatic mountains, some of the finest beaches and lagoons and a cultural mix of people. Over the years, Mauritius has been ruled by many: the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the…Read More

Mauritius is located 1600km east of Madagascar. It has endless sugarcane plantations, dramatic mountains, some of the finest beaches and lagoons and a cultural mix of people. Over the years, Mauritius has been ruled by many: the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the British. Mauritius gained independence in 1968. Mauritius would be best known for the Dodo bird, a flightless dove which became extinct in the late 17th century.

The capital of Mauritius is Port Louis. Mauritius has plenty of activities to keep the holidaymaker busy. Surfing (the best waves are situated at Le Morne), windsurfing, deep-sea fishing, yacht cruises, hiking in the mountains and horseback riding, to name a few.

We stayed in Mauritius for two weeks. We stayed at La Croix Du Sud Pointe Jerome for two days on our way to Kenya, only 15 minutes from the airport, it is very convenient; and we stayed a further 12 days at a privately owned townhouse we booked through www.wardhouses.com. We found this company extremely good. They can organise your airport transfers and they have a wide range of accommodation to choose from. Rather than stay in one of the big hotels where usually breakfast and dinner are part of your deal, we wanted to be able to choose to eat out for breakfast, lunch or dinner, which we did on many occasions. We were located between Grand Baie and Pereybere at Les Cygnes. Each day a lady would come in to clean and if need be she will also do your washing as well for a fee.

Grand Baie is the main holiday centre for tourists. Everything in the town caters to tourists. The main street is lined with trendy boutiques. Pereybere is a couple of kilometers north of Grand Baie. It has a good beach and reef. Pereybere is a good alternative to Grand Baie. It is worth hiring a car, which www.wardhouses.com can also organise for you, and exploring Mauritius in full. You can drive right around the island within a few hours. You can explore the Botanical Gardens, Tamarind Falls, Black River Gorges National Park, and also the coastal towns. The beaches along the coast are spectacular and it is worth taking a picnic lunch with you if you can and stop at one of these places.

We found the shopping on Mauritius to be cheap for some items. Cashmere was a good buy, along with Ralph Lauren, though I have since found out all the Ralph Lauren outlets should be closed down by the end of the year per a court order, as these garments are being made illegally. Other bargains were Prada handbags, Calvin Klein jeans, Hugo Boss shirts. We also found grocery shopping reasonable with products from France, Australia and New Zealand in the supermarket. There are plenty of good restaurants at reasonable prices.

The first thing that tripped me out when flying in over the island was that, from the air, you can see both sides and the top and bottom of the island. It's TINY: 60x40km! With 1.2 million people, it has one of the highest population…Read More

The first thing that tripped me out when flying in over the island was that, from the air, you can see both sides and the top and bottom of the island. It's TINY: 60x40km! With 1.2 million people, it has one of the highest population densities in the world. The capital, Port Louis, has only about 140,000 people, but just about everyone on the whole island commutes into the city, along a main two-lane road that runs the circumference of the island, so they know about peak hour traffic. It's madness. Apparently the government has promised to fix it, and the government before, and the one before that...

It's odd, but there was no culture shock with Mauritius. I think part of that is because there is no indigenous culture; it was completely deserted, except for the dodo and other long-since extinct characters, before being colonised in the 16th century by passing Portuguese sailors, then Dutch, then French, and then English pirates/colonials. Followed by a wave of Indians in the early 1900s, the population is a blur of Europeans, Indians, and Africans, with a smattering of Chinese, sometimes all mushed together but often distinct, thanks to religion.

So if you stand on top of the fortress that overlooks Port Louis, you can see a Buddhist temple, Catholic cathedral, Tamil compound, Hindu spires... and the food is the same. In the centre of the city, I snacked from a hole-in-the-wall serving halal biryani and curry, but the island speciality is smoked marlin.

The mysterious and intriguing island of Mauritius is a treasure of the Indian Ocean. It is surrounded by protective reefs, which create a turquoise lagoon. The same reefs can become treacherous traps for shipping in bad weather. There have been a number of…Read More

The mysterious and intriguing island of Mauritius is a treasure of the Indian Ocean. It is surrounded by protective reefs, which create a turquoise lagoon. The same reefs can become treacherous traps for shipping in bad weather. There have been a number of ships stranded on the reefs during destructive cyclones of 1931 when Port Louis was demolished and 1972 when many ships were shipwrecked. In fact, the first thing I noticed while visiting Poudre d’ Ore was a ship high up on the reef on the horizon. MV Angel I, registered in Panama, has been on the reef since August having its cargo unloaded to be toed to Port Louis for repairs once afloat on high tide.

The main reason for visiting Poudre d’Ore was not just mere sightseeing but a search for a statue of Paul and Virginie. I found the romantic legend fascinating although sad since Virgenie’s ship got stranded on the reef of Poudre d’Ore and she has never returned to her beloved Mauritius and Paul. Virgine decided to leave France for two reasons – her love for Paul and her love for Mauritius. I was determined to explore the later – her love for Mauritius and simple life in harmony with nature. I have not been disappointed so far; the beauty of the island is undisputed. Finding the statue of Paul and Virginie proved to be more difficult. I managed to find a monument in honor of Paul and Virginie on the shores of Poudre d’Ore, but no statue.


There is a lot of history in Poudre d’Ore. I came across Eglese Marie-Reine and a cemetery with some graves dating to late 18th century.

My search for the statue of Paul and Virginie took me to Pampelmousses Gardens. I found a Paul and Virginie Avenue that led to a pedestal dedicated to Paul and Virginie – but no statue. However, there was no disappointment. Pampelmousses Gardens are a tribute to flora and fauna of Mauritius. There are varieties of palms, water lilies and giant tortoises.


The Gardens are a mine of botanic wealth, conglomerate of plant species, some unique only to Mauritius. The freshens of nature and its colors are overwhelming. A visit to the Gardens satisfies all senses and the relaxation is complete listening to the bird song and breathing the sent of flowers.

I have to admit I have eventually found the illusive statue of Paul and Virginie. Searching for it took me to places I probably would not have visited otherwise. Searching has been so much fun that I will not spoil your fun by revealing its location. Like recommending a movie you just have to see does not involve telling the story. Search Mauritius for its secrets – you will not be disillusioned.

Virginie’s love for the island is fully justified. The beauty of nature is striking. Mauritius attracts the lovers of nature, harmony and beauty.   Close

Mauritius is an island of 1865km with 330km of coastline and beaches. The island of Mauritius and Rodriguez constitute the archipelago of the Mascarene. Mauritius is located slightly above the tropic of Capricorn. South east of Madagascar. …Read More

Mauritius is an island of 1865km with 330km of coastline and beaches. The island of Mauritius and Rodriguez constitute the archipelago of the Mascarene. Mauritius is located slightly above the tropic of Capricorn. South east of Madagascar.    Close