It's easy to sit on a Mauritian beach, drinking Phoenix beer or sipping a bottomless cocktail, but that's hardly the point of travelling, is it? You could do that at home for a lot less money, although Mauritius does have the seductive creak and rustle of the palm trees and tropical fever that settles on the skin.
First, a few facts. The former volcanic island — 61km long at its longest and 46km wide at its widest point — is the biggest of the three islands that form the Mascarene Islands, but the state of Mauritius includes tiny Rodrigues, 600km to the northwest, and covers 1.2 million square kilometres of sea territory.It is geographically diverse. Lowland plains account for almost half its area, there is a central plateau where most of the population live and ringing the plateau are mountains which, although not high, give the island a dramatic feel.
The coastline is 160km long and much of it is fringed by a coral reef protecting the shallow landward lagoon, which is the island's big tourism drawcard. Where the reef is broken — and where ships can make landfall — you will find the island's largest towns, the capital of Port Louis, and the fishing port of Mahébourg.
The reef itself is some of the healthiest coral in the Indian Ocean and it is prized by divers and snorkellers, not to mention legions of tropical fish. Beyond the reef are the denizens of the deep — giant moray eels, barracuda, marlin, sailfish and a lot of sharks.
The island was first settled by the Dutch — they're the ones who killed and ate all the dodos and cut down most of the ebony hardwood forests — and later the French, who named the archipelago Ile de France and planted cane on the lowlands. The British colonised the islands in 1810, shortly before the plantation slaves, who had been restive since the ripples of the French Revolution lapped on the shores of the francophone empire, won their freedom. The British imported half a million indentured labourers from southern India to work the plantations and the 200000 who stayed on have had a profound effect on the culture, religion and life of Mauritius. In 1958, Mauritius was granted independence within the British Commonwealth.
Tourism kicked off in the 1970s with the opening of the Hotel St Geran, and that's why you are here.
The volcanoes that made the island make for exciting underwater topography. The clear, warm water and the long coral reef mean that the island has varied and spectacular dive sites. The famous sites include Coral Gardens (18m), the rock wall at Coin de Mire and Flat Island if you want to see black- tailed sharks. And then there's Rempart Serpent, which is full of moray eels, as well as highly venomous scorpion fish and lionfish.
Even if you're not qualified, strap on a mask, snorkel and a pair of fins, and float out over the reef.
Port Louis has all the charm and cliché of a colonial village — red tin roofs, thrusting modern architecture, wide verandahs, narrow streets and a flock of statues and monuments to famous people, landfalls and shipwrecks and lives lost.
For an introduction to the natural forces that shaped the island and its ecology, stop by the Natural History Museum, which occupies the building that once housed the Mauritius Institute, the leading earth science organisation of its day.
Afterwards, immerse yourself in the town's market which covers everything you could possibly desire — or not— from fish and spices to model ships made from the same woods used in the originals.
3. Climb the thumb
“Le Pouce” or The Thumb is one of the island's highest points. Reaching 812m into the sky from sea level, the view from the top is spectacular. The summit is an easy two-hour climb from the village of La Laura.
4. Take a Taxi ride around the island
Two things you should know: there is a road around the island, and taxis are cheap. The four-lane highway that connects the airport to Port Louis and the resorts of the north may have cut travel times but it also cuts a dull path over the island. The beauty of the island can be seen from the coastal road. Hotel reception should be able to arrange a decent driver/guide for you. Remember to agree on the fare in advance, though.
5. Hike the Black River Gorges National Park
The 6794ha park is a sound attempt to reverse the predations and neglect from four centuries of human habitation. Here you will find indigenous plants, birds and wildlife, a stand of the original ebony forest which escaped the Dutch carpenters, and beautiful waterfalls. The Black River Peak trail leads to the island's highest point, Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire. It's easy enough to do on your own — do take warm clothing in case cloud comes down on the summit — but guides are available from Casela Yemen, a former sugar estate and now a 4500ha leisure park close to Black River Gorges.
6. See giant, Man-eating water lilies
Botanists hack a path to the gardens from all over the world, to gaze in wonder at the collection of 500 species of indigenous and exotic plants, including the giant Victoria Amazonica water lilies which don't actually eat men, but can — allegedly — support a grown man's weight.
7. Swim off a classic island beach
This is the one big reason why you'd go at all. Mauritius, of course, is blessed with an abundance of fine beaches, including the famous Troux aux Biches with its casuarinas and the beautiful little cove at Péreybère, between Grand Baie and Cap Malheureux. Troux aux Biches is a public beach and a Mauritian favourite. If you want to meet real people and not just tourists, be here on a weekend.
8. Check out a sugar mill and take a train ride
The Mauritian railway system was torn up in the '50s - a pity for tourism, but there you go - and the only working remnant is on a former sugar estate of Domaine Les Pailles (www.domainelespailles.net). The estate is now a 1 500ha nature park, part of which you can tour by narrow-gauge “cane train”, tour the working sugar mill and stop for a snort of rum at Domaine Les Pailles distillery.
9. Play a round of tropical island golf
Hop in a speedboat at Trou d'eau Douce and head to Ile aux Cerfs for golf. Breathless golfers who've played the course say it is destined to be one of the wonders of the golfing world. Certainly a sea view from each hole will go a long way to numbing the pain caused by bad play. Green fees are about R570 and the visitor's fee is around R1650. For more information on playing golf in Mauritius, visit www.maurinet.com and follow the golfing links.
10. Take an underwater walk in Grand baie
Grand Baie is the island's watersports — and party — capital. Parasailing, kiteboarding, dinghy sailing, submarines, water scooters … it's all there. Plus, there's walking under water in an air-filled helmet. It's a strange way to see the ocean, padding along in a very strange helmet, but the upside is it doesn't require training or even the ability to swim. For 20 minutes or so you walk along the sea floor, looking at coral and fish, breathing air pumped from the surface. It's a moot point as to who gets the bigger thrill - the humans or the fish.
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