MAURITIUS

I would call it the Land of Rainbows and Sugarcane

A small island located in the Indian Ocean, which is part of the African countries. It has a length of 65 km and a width of 45 km. The capital is Port Louis. The official language is English/French, but the islanders mostly speak French, with less difficulty in understanding and communicating.

Time zone: UTC+4

Our trip, began in the second week of June, departing from Munich Airport directly to Port Louis. Once we arrived, we rented a car at the airport, despite the online recommendations. Upon arrival, we easily found a rental car. In fact, we rented a small Matiz, which, by the end of the trip, was so full that we could barely fit ourselves in it. I share this to bring a smile to your face.

Since it wasn't peak tourist season, the island was very tranquil, with very few tourists and ideal weather for exploration. Temperatures ranged from 23 to 30 degrees Celsius every day. Out of the 12 days, there were 3 days of rain, and, interestingly, the second-to-last day was particularly rainy, but we were very fortunate.

Our first stop after arriving was Belle Mare since we arrived around noon, and we only had a couple of hours to cross to the other side of the island. Distances are short, but the island is congested, and it's not recommended to exceed the speed limit, so getting around takes some time.

At this time of year, the days are shorter. During their winter, daylight hours end around 5:00 PM, so one must adapt by getting up early and going to bed early.

But despite that, the days were fantastic. Optimal temperatures and very few tourists, the whole island to ourselves. The sense of freedom and the desire to explore took us everywhere.

Belle Mare – the day was coming to an end, but I won't forget the euphoria of being there.
The beach was narrow and white, with very fine sand and calm, multi-colored waters.

We have choose our accommodation through Booking.com, with a beach view (it's always worth it). May your holidays have a good start.

From Belle Mare, we continued to Ile Aux Cerfs.

I would describe it as a corner of paradise. It is reachable by boat, organized by the islanders. In addition, on various parts of the island, you can find small "travel agencies" offering their services. The islanders are friendly and kind. They are very well-organized and people of their word. They speak several languages, from English to Spanish and even some Italian.

In the morning, the departure time is around 9:00 AM, as before that, the island rests, as do the inhabitants. The word "stress" doesn't exist, they have their rhythms, and you can feel it in the air, everyone is serene and balanced. The duration of the journey is approximately 25 minutes. And then you arrive at the magical place called the Island of Deer. Upon arrival, everything falls silent; they are slowly setting up the restaurants and everything necessary for the comfort of tourists. The tide is still low, and it gradually begins to level out.
A spectacular place for relaxation, but not just that, also for sports activities. There are plenty of opportunities for activities like snorkeling or parasailing, which were truly fantastic, offering a dreamlike view of the island from above, a dream come true, as you can see from the photos above.

It's a pity that our day ended early, but we still have much more to explore.

From Belle Mare, we continued north to Grand Baie, making a few pit stops whenever we spotted a beach along the way.

The island is very green, filled with sugarcane plantations meticulously planted, almost tempting you to wander through them.

The islanders engage in agriculture, hospitality, fishing, and tourism. They have excellent international universities of some renown.

The Dodo is their national symbol. It's a pity it went extinct; it must have been magnificent.

Did you know that Mauritius has all religions? And they coexist peacefully? With respect for one another? It's something to be taken as an example.

Regarding food, you can eat whatever you desire, of course, they have their specialties. THE CURRY - but it's not the classic curry we generally know. It's the traditional Mauritian dish, chicken or fish with rice and vegetables. Delicious! Absolutely a must-try. A delicate dish yet full of just the right flavours. Another delicacy they have is the CHILLI (we imagine it to be very spicy), but in reality, it's not very spicy; it simply adds flavor. This is also worth trying. I also suggest trying the street food.

Another interesting thing you can find on the island is that some restaurants do not serve alcoholic beverages for religious reasons (Halal Cuisine), which is indicated. In any case, it felt like being at someone's home, with a family-run atmosphere, fresh fish, and everything prepared on the spot. Absolutely delicious!

The pictures will speak for themselves.

I wouldn't want to forget another Mauritian specialty: RUM - made from sugarcane. Even if i don't drink, but when I tasted the Bananarum, I was almost reconsidering. They have many types to choose from based on your taste. We also visited a distillery with a tasting session.

The distillery/estate CHATEAU DE LABOURDONNAIS, with its ancient colonial-style estate, remains intact.

A marvel, with a delightful park, century-old trees, mango trees, and various types of fruit.

Not to forget the private collection of giant tortoises.

Continuing our journey, we opted for trekking to reach Pieter Both Peak, which stands at 820 meters, the second highest on the island.

However, along the way, unfortunately, we had to abandon the idea because the trail was particularly slippery, and it started raining, and we weren't adequately equipped. It's definitely worth it; the trail isn't very well-marked, but a GPS navigator will be helpful, along with excellent hiking shoes and a rain jacket. Useful information for the ladies: despite the banana plantations, there are no snakes or particularly dangerous animals in Mauritius.

Continuing, we visited Mont Choisy, Blue Bay, and Trou aux Biches with their various beaches.

With some excursions, we went to visit some smaller islands off the coast of Mauritius, such as Ilot Gabriel Beach.

A terrestrial paradise, without exaggeration. The only suggestion is to opt for a private excursion to avoid crowds.

The sand is extremely fine, the waters are pristine, and there's a coral reef with many colourful fish. An optimal place to escape from the world for a few days. The duration of the excursion is a full day, all-inclusive. Highly recommended!

In the images you can see some examples of plants we found on the island, such as bamboo, beachside trees for shade, ancient and sacred trees, and some rare small creatures like the tiny blue and pink pigeons. There's also a small rodent, a species of hedgehog, quite brave as it came onto the palm of my hand. And to conclude, the marvelous Plumeria flower.

We also visited the Ebony Forest, where the island's original nature is preserved.

The Chamarel Park.

Continuing to GRAND BASSIN, a place of worship for the Hindus in the area.

It's always a pleasure to return home with new knowledge.

Speaking of places of worship, in Mauritius, you can find the famous Red Chapel for those who wish to get married. If you see the image, you'll understand why. The famous Red Church of Cap Malheureux, Notre Dame Auxilitrice.

While searching for this Church to visit, we came across another lovely Hindu Temple where we were invited to witness a prayer ceremony for a deceased person. Their celebration is very different from ours. It was very interesting to see different perspectives from our own. They also acted as guides for us in the Temple. So, we were very grateful.

The Sirens of Mauritius (Folk dancer group)

Before concluding our trip, here are some photos of the Mauritian beauties and their folk dance, known as Sega. The dancers wore traditional, wide, flowered outfits with these splendid ruffles that perfectly matched their movements. It's a show not to be missed.

With a smile and a hint of nostalgia, we bid farewell to the smiling and kind inhabitants of this spectacular island and thank them for hosting us; it will remain in our hearts.

Thank you, Mauritius – GOODBYE.

For the return journey, we took a flight to Cologne and then proceeded to Verona.



Stay tuned for more destinations to organize and explore.