Mauritius, Africa (2018)
| COUNTRY: | Mauritius |
| CAPITAL: | Port Louis |
| CONTINENT: | Africa |
| LANGUAGE: | French, English, Mauritian Creole |
| CURRENCY: | Mauritian Rupee (MUR) |
| INHABITANTS: | 1 356 388 (2017) |
| TRIP DURATION: | 8 days |
Why go here and where is it…
The last couple of years, actually since we have our dog, we went on holiday by car. We took our dog with us and made some great road trips trough Europe. But somehow we missed our faraway travels and decided to plan a trip to a place where we hadn’t been yet… yes without the dog.
It didn’t took us long to make a choice. Mauritius was on our bucket list for a while now and a quick google search convinced us. Far away, island, some of the best beaches in the world and much more.
Mauritius is situated on the Southern Hemisphere, which means summer and winter are opposite from European summer and winter. This means that it’s summer in Mauritius from November til February. Mauritian summer is also the rain and cyclone season. From May til October (winter) is dry season. Average temperature on Mauritius is between 25-30 degrees celsius year round. So, it is uptimes to you which season suits you best.
Obviously the best way to get there is by airplane. When searching for tickets I found out that there were just a few options to get there (directly). We booked our flights with KLM, operated by Air Mauritius. We had a direct flight from Amsterdam to Mauritius (ca 12 hours) and stayed in Belle Mare, in July 2018.
It was somewhere in 1638 when the Dutch (VOC) colonized Mauritius. They
used the island to regain strength and refill supplies on their way to the
East Indies. Mauritius was the only place on earth were the Dodo used
to live. The Storie goes that partially the Dutch (hunting) and partially
deforestation through the years were the main reasons why
this non-flying birds don't exist anymore.
Where to stay
It is not very hard to find accommodation across the island. Luxury hotels, cheap hotels, bed &breakfasts or airbnb, it’s all there. So there’s a lot to choose from. It might be a bit harder to decide where to stay. Even though Mauritius is not that big, getting from A to B could take you easily a lot of time because of the road network. Or better, the lack of highways. Traffic just moves slowly across the island.
So, where to stay? That’s more or less up to you and depends on what the purpose of your visit is. I mean, we wanted to relax in a luxury hotel right on the beach. But we didn’t want to be in a crowded location such as the North. Where you can find Port Louis and all the shopping malls and busy traffic. Therefore we decided to stay in Ambre Sun resort, Belle Mare. A quiet place, beautiful beach and a terrific hotel. Nice rooms, good food and lots of things to do. Kayaking, water biking, snorkeling you name it.
What can you do
I think Mauritius is best known for its fine beaches, which are situated all around the island. But is there more to explore?
Actually there are many things you can do in Mauritius. For example you can book several tours with Mauritius Attractions or Get Your Guide. As you can see on these sites there are many more things to do in Mauritius besides just lying on the beach.
Popular tours to explore Mauritius, for example, are day tours to Le Morne (the iconic mountain), 7 colored earth or Black River Gorges N.P., which is great for hiking, panoramic views and waterfalls.
Catamaran day tour to Île aux Cerfs
After spending some days at the beach sunbathing and kayaking we decided to explore some Mauritius. We heard good stories about the catamaran day tour to Île aux Cerfs, so we booked the tour at the excursion desk of our hotel.
The next day we were picked up from the hotel around 09.00 and transferred to Palmar where we would board the catamaran. Once we were on the catamaran, we noticed we were in a group of about 20 people. Only we were the only two Europeans, the rest of the group was Chinese. No problem of course, on the contrary, despite the language barrier, we had some good laughs that day.
So the moment you sail away it’s just perfect. Sun on your face, wind in your hair and a cold beer in your hand. Wait…what? Yes a cold beer was directly offered the moment we sailed away… 10.30 in the morning.
The moment you get out of the bay, you find yourself next to the reef, with amazing views on Mauritius from open sea. I promise you will enjoy the trip, it’s all very laid back and the only thing you’ll have to do is… nothing. After a while you reach the first ‘stop’, the waterfall. Maybe not the most impressive one you’ll ever see, but in this setting… perfect. Watch the treetops hanging over the water for monkeys.
After leaving the small bay with the waterfall and monkeys we head to the reef. We stayed there for a while and got the chance to jump in the water. Perfect spot for swimming and snorkeling. But beware of the flow. Next to the reef the flow can be strong. During snorkeling the bbq was being prepared. Which was a pleasant surprise after getting out of the water.
Île aux cerfs is in the largest lagoon of Mauritius, on the east side of the
island. Île aux Cerfs means 'Island of stags', because it used to be
populated by stags. (Imported for hunting from Java, Indonesia)
After lunch we went to Île aux Cerfs. According to many websites and blogs, Île aux Cerfs should be one of the most beautiful places in Mauritius. This is true. But not really… This spot is so crowded with people/tourists. But if you just walk around the island I am sure you will find a spot which will satisfy your meaning of beautiful island.
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden (Pamplemousses)
According to many websites and excursion agencies, one of the highlights you need to see in Mauritius is the botanical garden of Pamplemousses. The garden is situated in the North, just outside Port Louis, and is named after the first prime minister of Mauritius. Thereby, Pamplemousses is one of the oldest botanical gardens (created in the 18th century) in the southern hemisphere. At the entrance you can choose to book a guide. In my opinion this is not really necessary. The entrance fee for the garden is about 5 euros.
Obviously you find a lot of different plants and trees here, but the botanical garden is probably most famous for its pond of giant water lilies. And truly, they look amazing, but overall I would say the botanic garden is a little , how should I put this.. in a dilapidated state I think. Oh, before I forget, there is one other ‘attraction’ in the garden. They have this shelter for giant turtles. Truly amazing to see these enormous tortoises.
Cap Malheureux
Another day away from the beach. This holiday is coming to an end, but not before we do some more exploring. We booked a taxi for about half a day and asked the driver to drive up north. We asked him to take us to, in his opinion, a beautiful (public) beach. In principle all beaches in Mauritius are public, but some of them (mostly the ‘postcard-picture’ ones) are situated near resorts and are a bit difficult to get to. Unless you’re in such a resort of course.
So he took us to this beach called Mont Choisy beach. He was excited about our reaction, but to be honest, if this was one of the best beaches in this area… I don’t know. True, the beach was nice, but just nice. No wow from our side.
We hit the road again. We headed for Cap Malheureux. This is the most northern point in Mauritius, overlooking the Indian Ocean and a few islands just off the coast. On our way to Cap Malheureux we drove through Grand Baie, probably the most touristic part of Mauritius. Here you find lots of hotels and resorts, as well as many shops. All the major brands are represented here. Streets full of bars and restaurants, you name it, it’s all there.
So finally we ended up in Cap Malheurex. Like I said here you have some nice views, but there is another point of interest is this area. There is a little church (expect some tourist doing photoshoots) in this area. Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice de Cap Malheureux. It’s actually a Roman Catholic church and known for its vibrant red roof against the clear turquoise sea and the azure blue sky. So on a clear day, this place is really photogenic and therefore, in my opinion, worth visiting.
Should you go there…
It is easy to say just go to Mauritius if you haven’t been there. After all I think you you should go just anywhere where you haven’t been yet.
Mauritius in itself is a place which is magical. In the middle of the Indian Ocean. Remote, but again not unreachable. Beautiful beaches and tropical inland. Places to stay for everyone. Hotels, resorts, homestays and airbnb. Whatever you want.
The island is not that big, but it takes some time to cross the island, that’s because of the roads in Mauritius. There is just one highway, taking you from north to south. Actually from the international airport to the capital, Port Louis.
there is really a lot to explore on the the island. Nature sights like Le Morne, Black river gorges N.P. and seven colored earth are worth visiting. As well as some cultural sites, including Unesco World Heritage sites.
In my opinion Mauritius is a two faced country. By that I mean there is a clear difference in wealth and poverty. On the one hand you will see great luxury in the touristic places, on the other hand you’ll see poverty in the more rural places. You’ll see the poverty whilst driving across the island.
Locals see the wealth tourists take with them. In example, while negotiating with a (souvenir) seller, you’ll experience that they are not easy to negotiate. They know their prices, which is fair to me. You should decide for yourself how far/low you want to go for that souvenir.
In the end, Mauritius is a country (like every country) you should experience yourself. I thought it was very special to have been there once for multiple reasons. A foreign continent, foreign country, diversity in country side, beautiful beaches. Not to forget the welcoming people of Mauritius. And a personal touch, don’t know if I should be proud of this, but in the end the Dutch where one of the first to reach this wonderful island…
If I where you and I had the chance… I would go!
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