The island of smiles

Mauritius sounds exotic enough, right? It may even occur that you have never heard about it. You won’t be completely wrong if you imagine this place somewhere in the Caribbean 😛 Creole, smiling mulattoes, tropical sun, beaches, music …… only that why do they speak French? ….. So, roll the globe around and try to find Île Maurice near Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

Mauritius was discovered by Arab sailors on their early trade routes along the eastern African coast. The island was inhabited during a long period of time. Subsequently, the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and French established here little colony bases.  In colonial times sugar cane plantation were also introduces in Mauritius. After the Napoleon war the island become part of the British Commonwealth. I would recommend to read A Splendid Exchange: How trade shaped the world by William Bernstein, which is a great perspective on historic backgrounds regarding this island as well.

Welcome to the island of smiles and sun!

Mauritius is ranked at the top among world’s best luxury destinations. There are good airline connections to the island operated by some major international airlines. The infrastructure is developed, Mauritius is modernized and looks to have a lot of potential for growing further.

A tropical climate means a lot of colors …..

…… and exotic fruits …..

Mauritius offers a fine mixture of cuisine traditions, predominantly of Asian and African flavors. That means hot, hot and HOT, burning off your tongue! A fan of spices? Best place for you then! Dried or marinated mangoes are usually used in different sour-salty sauces to the local dishes …… which is rice, rice and rice in the first place! Locals enjoy putting spices on sweet fruits. I liked the combination, it is almost addictive!

Lychee, originated in China, is one of the beloved fruits on the island. The season of harvesting begins somewhere in December to February.

Tamarind, the sour fruit, extensively used in Asian cuisine, is also one of the popular fruits to be found in Mauritius. Try some tamarind juice,  caramel candies and cookies.

…… I don’t know what it is, but I have seen it everywhere at the central market in Port Louis …..

There are several bus routes around the island, no railways though. You might notice that the density of road humps is quite high, so leave behind the dreams of speeding! They drive like in UK, on the left … oops, surprise!!

….. And the emerald water …..

Get a boat or a catamaran from Trou-d’Eau Douce village to the Île aux Cerfs and enjoy one of the most beautiful beaches in Mauritius. The boat will usually stop on the way to visit the Grand River South East waterfalls.

The wide coral reefs, which surround the island, create extensive protected lagoons. They are suitable for swimming without being concerned about sharks  roaming on the other side of the reefs.

Mauritius is by no means a flat island. If you like climbing, this place has a lot of possibilities for you.

If you travel with a group of people you can arrange a boat trip with local companies or you could simple join other people. The trip includes a seafood dinner, amazing views of the island and one of those idyllic sunsets!

Sometimes Mauritian mountain rocks looked like Table Mountain to me.

If you missed the giant tortoises  in Seychelles – here you have another chance. You can see them at the Pamplemousse Botanical Gardens!

The Mauritian botanical garden is one of the oldest in the southern hemisphere. It has a lot of original plants and trees, for example the water lilies. You can easily reach here with a local bus from Port-Louis bus terminal.

Mauritius is a perfect place for vacation. There are many activities to do here, from water sports to horse riding and rock climbing. It is a good chance to try some exotic fruits, which you probably have never heard about or have not even imagined they existed!