Mauritius

Mauritius, a place, which could take anyone imagination into romance, love, beautiful beaches . It is like a small paradise, discovered in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and southeast of the Seychelles. The island is loaded with historic sights, cultural diversity, miles of gorgeous beaches and off-shore coral reefs and abundant natural beauty, including game reserves and national parks, it is no wonder this island attracts those looking for a special kind of holiday location.

Mauritius appeals to all kinds of holidaymakers; in particular, to couples looking for a romantic retreat; families keen on indulging in water sports and beach activities; outdoor types who enjoy trekking and nature-spotting; and culture buffs in search of historical relics and museums. Visit to ancient temples reflecting the cultural ethos and a tour to the floral shop factories educates the tourist .

In addition to the beautiful country, resorts and hotels have luxury treats also. I stayed in Casuarina hotel, which was well spaced out, whitewashed bungalows and rooms, in well-established gardens, with lots of relaxing water features. Gym, spa, tennis courts, two good sized pools, bar and small beach a few feet across the road. Adequate sun loungers. Good water sports and dive centre. Two restaurants. Very relaxing environment. The lively beaches and the personalized service make this one of the most favoured tourist destination.

The island's main attractions is in three directions. North, South and East. North is best known for its white sandy beaches and calm lagoons, the North Island of Mauritius has the biggest number of beach resorts and is the most developed part of the Mauritian coastline.

The capital of Mauritius, Port Louis is in the north region only. The city of economic and administrative center of the island. There are some wonderful French colonial buildings, especially the Government House and the Municipal Theater

It has recently developed Le Caudan Waterfront offering exciting shopping and entertainment venues intermingle with world-class hotels and restaurants overlooking the Port Louis Harbor. The waterfront area has become an essential actor of the vivid tourism and cultural life in Mauritius.

Another place to visit, is the Port Louis central market – the market is a fun place to visit and the ideal place to find many local made products, textiles, Mauritian spices, fruits and many souvenirs for very cheap prices. It was decorated with so many colourful umbrellas during Christmas, which protected us from sunlight and looked good too.

The very famous church, Marie Reine de la Paix where so many films like 'No Entry' 'Mujhse Shaddi Karogi'has been shooted. It is located on the upper land of Signal mountain from where, the location overlooks the city of Port Louis.

The view from the church was outstanding. The whole city was visible from there and it looked very beautiful.

There is very famous fort also ,Fort Adelaide (also known as La Citadelle) was built in a very strategic location on higher lands of Port Louis at 240 feet above sea level. The construction of Fort Adelaide started on 1832 and completed after almost ten years. The location offers a vast panorama on Port-Louis and its harbour. The British built this fortress in fear of a civil war from the remaining French settlers on the island and also for the purpose of guarding the harbor against enemy attacks.

A bridge which was used in movie 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' had numerous no of locks, which was tied in significance to complete their wish. When their wish got completed, they unlock  the lock.

After visiting the North region ,we headed to South island. There were many factories for the production of tea,sugarcane, flowers,ship models, diamond. I choosed ship factory to explore, as its an island, there would be many techniques and things to know about.

Le Port ship models resonates the very existence of Mauritius, where people poured in on this tiny island on a ship from various parts of the world like India, Africa, France, Britain, etcThey were mainly brought for sugarcane cultivation and administration purposes. The art of ship modeling was brought to Mauritius by various sailors who visited this island.

The craftsmen have adapted the art of miniaturisation and the techniques of replica work. At times it requires more than six months for a craftsman to produce a particular model. They  also create half models and replicas. These models are built out of pure wood using traditional plank on frame technique.  Everyone was expert in their work like wiring, attaching cloth pieces, decorating decks, polishing and giving finishing to the product. The  whole  experience was amazing.

From ship factory ,we went to Trou aux cerfs, a dormant volcano crater found in Curepipe, which is almost in the middle of the Island. It has a shape of small heart. Being some 500m high it is a favourite sightseeing place for both locals and tourists alike, as although there is humidity, it is generally cooler than most other parts of Mauritius. From the crater, we can have a 360-degree view of the town of Curepipe and the coastal plains stretching towards the distant horizon.

According to experts, the volcano is lying dormant but could become active at any time within the next thousand years.

Another visit was waterfalls of Chamarel, formed by the River St.Denis,has a height of 83m Due to that much height when water falls, it looks like a white pure milk. The waterfalls are   surrounded by lush vegetation of Black River Gorges. The view can be seen from both a lower and an upper viewpoint from the Black River National Park.

The Chamarel falls are definitely the most famous and recognized waterfalls in Mauritius and as such has always been a main attraction for tourists.

Now to see the waterfall from upper deck, we moved to Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth. The seven coloured earth is a natural phenomenon and a prominent tourist attraction. The colours evolved through conversion of basaltic lava to clay minerals. It is a relatively small    area of sand dunes comprising sand of seven distinct colours (approximately red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow).The various colours developed due to the different compositions.

And what is more fascinating is the fact that if we mix the coloured earth together, they'll eventually settle into separate layers. And you may also be puzzled as the colours might play tricks on you and may appear to be shadows.

Since the earth was first exposed, rains had carved beautiful patterns into the hillside, creating an effect of earthen meringue. Sunrise is the best time to see the Coloured Earths.  On  he premises, there are children's playground and some giant tortoises.

 The park is home to various species of animals, reptiles and plants. The park is set in a beautiful rain forested valley with natural freshwater springs, full of prawns and fish. There are banana trees, palm trees and giant bamboos which provide shade for the crocodiles and   the giant tortoises.

The Crocodile & Giant Tortoises Park also offers a mini zoo for Mauritian mammals and reptiles including skinks, phelsumas (geckos), giant tortoises, turtles, bats, deer, mongooses,monkeys, wild boars, as well as domestic livestock such as goats, fat-tailed sheep and donkey

A must see is the park’s rare collection of butterflies and other  brightly-coloured insects (with about 23 000 species), which is one of the most fascinating in the world.

Grand Bassin (also known as Ganga Talao).It is a lake situated 6km South East of Mare aux Vacoas in a secluded mountain area in the district of Savanne, deep in the heart of Mauritius. It is about 1800 feet above sea level. Grand Bassin with its Hindu temple is a holy lake for Mauritians of Hindu faith. It is said that the water inside the lake communicates with the waters of the holy Ganges of India.

The Hindus of Mauritius declared the Grand Bassin  as a Holy lake or Ganga of Mauritius.The Hindu community performs there a pilgrimage every year on the Maha Sivaratri (Shiva’ Great Night), on this day they honour the Lord Shiva. Beside the lake there is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Gods including Hanuman, Lakshmi, and others.

There is same Mangal Mahadev – Shiva Statue in Mauritius which we have in Delhi also accompanied with Raam-Sita and Radha-Krishna statue. The statue is of 108 feet and is the highest known statue in Mauritius (and one of the 50 highest statues in the world). The sight of the Mangal Mahadev statue is quite impressive as it is a beautiful crafted very big statue.

After covering so many great places in North and South island, now its time to enjoy a sensational cruise by speedboat along the southeast coast to the legendary island of Ile aux Cerfs, a perfect tropical playground with dazzling white beaches fringed by the warm azure waters of the Indian Ocean. The island consists of hotels, restaurants, bars and a market. Make the most of this leisurely day either sunbathing or enjoying the turquoise lagoon or the numerous water sports like experience a thrilling jetty ride, kayaking, parasailing, underwater sea-walk, snorkelling and many more. A perfect end to the journey with lots of experience of activities.

 

Things to remember

•     The first thing you need to keep in mind is currency. Make sure you have already contact your respective bank, in order to get a foreign exchange or you can even do it once you land in a beauty of Mauritius,  but each country have different exchange rates.

•     Don't forget to keep at least two pairs of beach wear ,swimming costume, sun hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and include a few slightly more formal outfits for the evening parties in your resorts and hotels ,because shorts are not allowed for dinner.

•     Mauritius provides "UK type plugs" so bring your adapters to charge your phone.

•     The best weather is in winter (June through September). The best diving is from December through March; June through August are the prime surfing months; and the period from October through April is ideal for big-game fishing. Horse races take place on most Saturdays from May through November.

•     Tipping is optional, but normally considered unnecessary if the usual 12 per cent tax has already been added to the bill. While taxi drivers do not expect a tip, airport and hotel porters often do.

•     No need to buy water bottles from outside. Take 2-3 empty bottles with you and fill them from your hotels while leaving.

•     Always keep some snacks to have them in lunch, because vegetarian people can face problem finding eatables for them.

•     If you have water camera, then don’t forget to bring it. Because most of the time you will be enjoying water activities.