Mauritius Island Information

On the map tiny Mauritius appears as no more than a speck amid the blue eternity of the Indian Ocean, 1,200 miles off the coast of East Africa. But into an area the size of an English county Mauritius packs extravagant, ever-changing contrasts that defy geography. At sea level the landscape is carpeted by the luxuriant green of vast sugar-cane plantations. Against the skyline rise the dramatic purple silhouettes of craggy volcanic mountains, amid which verdant tropical forests, waterfalls, gorges and fast-flowing rivers await exploration.

Mauritius Map

Above all, there’s Mauritius’ long, fretted coastline, fringed by a delicate tracery of waving casuarinas – and 100 miles of exotic, sandy beaches. The bays and coves that line the island’s shores, protected by one of the world’s longest unbroken coral reefs, and the crystal-clear Indian Ocean waters, make Mauritius a superb holiday choice for the beachcomber and watersports enthusiast. Its hospitable welcome is another Mauritius speciality. A melting-pot of races, religions and cultures, the island has in the past welcomed Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, French, British, Indians, Chinese and Africans. The result? Today’s Mauritians today do not see themselves as any of these – but as just a cosmopolitan island people, living in easygoing harmony in this genuinely friendly Indian Ocean setting. Mauritius’ rich multi-cultural heritage has inspired another local speciality – its splendid cuisine. You can put this through its paces in an amazingly wide variety of venues – from the island’s leading resort hotels, rated amongst the world’s finest beach properties, to a host of smaller hotels and informal restaurants. Between them they contrive a host of palate-pleasing choices that range from the sophisticated to the simple, the reassuringly familiar to the deliciously new. Exotic beaches, unrivalled watersports, a sun-warmed welcome for both gourmets and gourmands, an irresistibly relaxing mood . . . Mauritius awaits! The island is renowned for having fantastic beaches, with the east coast’s 10km stretch at Belle Mare regarded as one of the best. Grand Baie offers excellent watersports and the beautiful beach at Le Morne stretches for 4km along the south-west peninsula. There is more to Mauritius than the fantastic beaches; popular watersports include diving and big game fishing. For those who don’t dive but would like a real taste of the underwater world there is an undersea walk, strolling the ocean bed, wearing unique diving gear. Trekking and mountain biking offer great coastline views and golf is one of the main sports attracting many holidaymakers. If you would like more information on the golf courses and their locations to the hotels please have a look at the individual hotel descriptions. Shop (and barter) for handcrafted model ships, leather, pottery, knitwear, jewellery, spices, vanilla tea and rum. One of the main industries in Mauritius after tourism and sugar is textile and clothes are a great buy and excellent value for money.

Top Destination to Visit in Mauritius

Black River Gorges National Park

This highland area southwest of Curepipe is like no other part of the island. About 6km (4mi) from Curepipe, Mauritius‘ only mountain road reaches the wall of the park’s large reservoir, Mare aux Vacoas. Dotted with casuarina and coniferous trees, it’s more alpine wilderness than island paradise.About 6km (4mi) southeast of Mare aux Vacoas is a lake sacred to Hindus, Grand Bassin, and, further east, Plaine Champagne, the largest natural area on Mauritius. The Rivière Noire lookout overlooks waterfalls and the 830m (2720ft) Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire, the highest point on Mauritius. The best time to visit Black River Gorges National Park is during the flowering season between September and January. Look for the rare tambalacoque (dodo) tree, black ebony trees and the exotic birds that perch in them. You may also run into a band of monkeys, deer or wild pigs. The park is some 30km (19mi) south of Port Louis and is best reached by bus via Curepipe or by private transport.

Black River Gorges National Park

Rodrigues Island

A volcanic island 18km (11mi) long and 8km (5mi) wide, Rodrigues is in many way a miniature Mauritius. It’s surrounded by coral reefs, covered with similar vegetation and landscapes, and blessed with an equally tropical climate. The vegetation isn’t as lush, but then neither are the tourist throngs. The pace of life is more relaxed and the people prone to stop and chat. On the down side, it’s more likely to be hit by the cyclones that plague the region. The last big one, Cyclone Bella, swung through in early 1991, bringing with it winds in excess of 200km/h (125mph). The island is relatively small and perfect for rambling around at leisure. Hiking is good around Mt Limon and Mt Malartic, the island’s two highest points at more than 390m (1280ft). The best coastal hiking leads from Port Mathurin around the eastern coastline to Port Sud-Est. Point Coton on the eastern coast has the best beach on the island, but there are other good ones at St François, Trou d’Argent and Petit Gravier.Caverne Patate in the south-west boasts some worthwhile spelunking opportunities. Diving is the big attraction of the waters around Rodrigues – you can arrange a trip through one of the big hotels. Several of the tiny islands just off Rodrigues, such as Île Cocos and Île aux Sables, are nature reserves and require permits to visit; others, such as Île aux Crabes and Île Hermitage, are just as beautiful and are open to the public. Rodrigues lies about 560km (350mi) north-east of Mauritius. The two islands are connected daily by air and several times per month by sea. Keep in mind there’s a minimum stay of 5 days and a maximum of 30.

Black River Gorges National Park

A network of hiking trails crisscross the wild and empty Black River Gorges National Park. Unfortunately, they’re not always well marked, so check the route and trail conditions at the information centres before setting off. Look for the rare tambalacoque (dodo tree), the black ebony trees and the wild guavas. Bird-watchers should keep an eye out for the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, echo parakeet and Mauritius cuckoo-shrike. Mauritius’ sole national park is a spectacularly wild expanse of thick forest covering 3.5% of the island’s surface and home to over 300 species of flowering plants and nine species of bird unique to Mauritius, including the famous pink pigeon which is staging a very gradual comeback from the brink of extinction.

L’Aventure du Sucre

This excellent museum in the former Beau Plan sugar factory not only tells the story of sugar in fascinating detail, but along the way covers the history of Mauritius, slavery, the rum trade and more. The factory was founded in 1797 and only ceased working in 1999. Most of the machinery is still in place and former workers are on hand to answer questions about the factory’s history and the complicated process of turning sugar cane into crystals. There are also videos and interactive displays as well as quizzes for kids. At the end of the visit, you can taste four of the 15 varieties of unrefined sugar, two of which were invented in Mauritius. Allow at least a couple of hours to explore, then end your visit with something even sweeter – a sugar-tasting session and a sticky delight in the stylish café-restaurant.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens

These attractive gardens are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mauritius, but the shady avenues seem to swallow the crowds. One key attraction is the park’s giant Victoria regia water lilies, native to the Amazon. There’s also an astonishing collection of palms of all shapes and sizes. The gardens were started in 1735 by Governor Mahé de La Bourdonnais as a vegetable garden for his Mon Plaisir Château. The grounds were gussied up by French horticulturalist Pierre Poivre in 1768 in a bid to introduce spices, but afterwards lay neglected until 1849, when a British horticulturalist, James Duncan, took over. His legacy is seen today in the garden’s array of palms. Among them you’ll find stubby bottle palms, graceful royal palms and talipot palms, which flower only once after about 40 years and then die. The centrepiece of the garden is the pond of giant water lilies. Young leaves emerge as wrinkled balls and unfold into the classic tea-tray shape up to 2m (6.5ft) across in a matter of hours. Come in January to see them at their biggest and best.(yahoo)

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