Mauritius is a small, multi-cultural island in the Indian Ocean and includes Rodrigues Island and the remote, sparsely populated Agalega and Cargados Garayos (Saint Brandon) islands.
Climate. Tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May). Tropical cyclones (November to April
Aapravasi Ghat. World Heritage Site. In Port Louis is the 1,640 m2 site where the modern indentured labour began. In 1834, the British Government selected the island of Mauritius to be the first site for what it called ‘the great experiment’ in the use of ‘free’ labour to replace slaves.
Located on the bay of Trou Fanfaron, the Aapravasi Ghat is the remains of an immigration depot built in 1849 to receive indentured labourers from India, Eastern Africa, Madagascar, China and Southeast Asia to work on the island’s sugar estates as part of the ‘Great Experiment’. This experiment was initiated by the British Government, after the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1834, to demonstrate the superiority of ‘free’ over slave labour in its plantation colonies. The success of the ‘Great Experiment’ in Mauritius led to its adoption by other colonial powers from the 1840s, resulting in a world-wide migration of more than two million indentured labourers, of which Mauritius received almost half a million.
Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million indentured labourers arrived from India at Aapravasi Ghat to work in the sugar plantations of Mauritius, or to be transferred to Reunion Island, Australia, southern and eastern Africa or the Caribbean. The buildings of Aapravasi Ghat are among the earliest explicit manifestations of what was to become a global economic system and one of the greatest migrations in history.
It represents not only the development of the modern system of contractual labour, but also the memories, traditions and values that these men, women and children carried with them when they left their countries of origin to work in foreign lands and subsequently bequeathed to their millions of descendants for whom the site holds great symbolic meaning.
Le Morne Cultural Landscape. World Heritage Site. A rugged mountain that juts into the Indian Ocean in the southwest of Mauritius was used as a shelter by runaway slaves, maroons, through the 18th and early years of the 19th centuries. Protected by the mountain’s isolated, wooded and almost inaccessible cliffs, the escaped slaves formed small settlements in the caves and on the summit of Le Morne. The oral traditions associated with the maroons, have made Le Morne a symbol of the slaves’ fight for freedom, their suffering, and their sacrifice, all of which have relevance to the countries from which the slaves came – the African mainland, Madagascar, India, and South-east Asia. Indeed, Mauritius, an important stopover in the eastern slave trade, also came to be known as the “Maroon republic” because of the large number of escaped slaves who lived on Le Morne Mountain.
Le Morne Cultural Landscape is an exceptional testimony to maroonage or resistance to slavery with the mountain being used as a fortress to shelter escaped slaves. Le Morne represents maroonage and its impact, which existed in many places around the world, but which was demonstrated so effectively on Le Morne mountain. It is a symbol of slaves’ fight for freedom, their suffering, and their sacrifice, all of which have relevance beyond its geographical location, and represented by the Creole people of Mauritius and their shared memories and oral traditions.
Black River Georges National Park. Tentative WHS (17/05/2006). In the hilly south-western part of Mauritius in an area of 67.54 km² including humid upland forest, drier lowland forest and marshy heathland. 60 kilometres of trails.
The park protects most of the island’s remaining rainforest although much of this has been degraded by introduced plants such as Chinese guava and privet and animals such as rusa deer and wild pigs. Several areas have been fenced off and invasive species have been eradicated from them to preserve native wildlife. Many endemic plants and animals still occur in the park including the Mauritian flying fox and all of the island’s endemic birds: Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, Mauritius parakeet, Mauritius cuckooshrike, Mauritius bulbul, Mauritius olive white-eye, Mauritius grey white-eye and Mauritius fody.
The wide gorge curves between a series of stunning mountain ranges and waterfalls.
Get there. Make your way inland from the coast. There are four main entrances to the park: La Marie in Plaine Wilhems, and Chamouny in the south; and the Black River and Case Noyale entrances on the west coast.
Hiking. Routes such as those starting in Black River itself range from 4-10km in length, and it’s a (relatively) easy 2-hour walk to Black River Peak, which is Mauritius’ highest point, offering simply amazing views.
Chamarel waterfall. 83m high
Seven Coloured Earth geological curiosity that is comprised of seven different types of clay, all varying fascinatingly in colour
Grand Basin Lake, a sacred site for Hindus.
Museums
Bois Cheri: Bois Cheri Tea Factory and Tea Museum
Mahebourg: Mahebourg Museum
Mapou: Chateau de Labourdonnais
House Museums/Plantations
Eureka Mansion
St. Aubin Plantation
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Mapou: Château de Labourdonnais
Religious Temples
Bon Accueil: Hare Krishna Iskcon Temple
Britannia: Tookay Temple
Cap Malheureux: Notre Dame de l’Auxilliatrice
La Laura-Malenga: Shri Prasanna Venkateswara Temple
Pamplemousses: Saint Francis of Assisi Church
Quatre Bornes: Sri Siva Subramanya Temple
Savanne: Ganga Talao Temple
Maheswarnath Temple, Triolet. Biggest Hindu temple, the Maheswarnath, first built in 1819 in honour of the Gods Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, Muruga, Brahma and Ganesha.
Vacoas-Phoenix: Shiv Shakti Mandir
World of Nature
Bras d’Eau NP
Domaine des 7 Vallées
Islets NP
Kestrel Valley Nature Reserve
Vallée de Ferney
Lakes: Mare aux Vacoas
Rivers: Grand River South East
Festivals: Festival Labourdonnais
Botanical Gardens: Pamplemousses: Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden. Flora unique to Mauritius, the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere founded by Pierre Poivre in 1770, 37 hectares. Several animals, fish, deer and tortoises, replica of a sugar mill.
Lighthouses: Pointe aux Caves (Albion) Lighthouse
Beaches
Belle Mare
Flic en Flac Beach. A fishing village with a very long white sandy beach stretching down the west coast to Tamarin. Scuba Diving is a major attraction.
Grand Baie
Île aux Aigrettes
Île aux Cerfs. water sports, beach. Bring food and drink. Boats depart regularly from Trou-d’Eau Douce village. Tend to take a detour to the Grand River South East waterfalls.
Waterfalls
Chamarel Waterfall
Rochester Falls
Tamarind Falls. Southwest Interior with a string of 7 waterfalls surrounded by green mountains. Can swim.
Religious Monuments: Ganga Talao Lake: Mangal Mahadev
Monuments: Mahebourg: Abolition of Slavery Monument
Bizzarium: Charamel: Curious Corner of Chamarel
African Cities
BEAU BASSIN – ROSE HILL
QUATRE BORNES
CUREPIPE
Curepipe Botanic Gardens
Millennium Monument
PORT LOUIS
Aapravasi Ghat. World Heritage Site.
Tentative WHS: Port Louis
Port Louis Airport (MRU)
Metro Express
Blue Penny Museum
Natural History Museum
Citadel Fort Adelaide
Jummah Masjid
Kwan Tee Pagoda
Sagar Shiv Mandir
St. Louis Cathedral
Port Louis Market. local snacks, tropical fruits, the cheapest food, traditional crafts such as the “goni” basket.
OTHER DESTINATIONS
M@P: Agalega and St. Brandon
XL
Agalega islands
Ile Aux Bentitiers
St. Brandon (Cargados Carajos Shoals)
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RODRIGUES ISLAND
A separate island 500 kilometers east of Mauritius, but in its political control
Rodrigues Airport (RRG)
Caverne Patate. cave
GET IN
Visas. Most do not need to apply for a visa beforehand.
By plane. Air Mauritius flies to Africa, Australia, Europe and Asia.
Air Austral, Air Madgascar, and Air Seychelles connect Mauritius.
International airlines Air France, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Austrian Airlines, British Airways. Visitors are required to provide accommodation details to the immigration service on arrival.
GET AROUND
Bus and taxi services are best used in urban areas. Bicycles and motorbikes are also available for hire.
By plane. Air Mauritius operates daily flights connecting Plaisance Airport and Rodrigues (flight time – 1 hour 15 minutes).
By car. One major highway runs north to south, otherwise a good network of paved, if sometimes narrow, roads cover the island. Traffic drives on the left.
By bus. The bus is the most economical way of travelling.
By metered taxi. Taxis are the best way to visit the island. Various tours are available from MUR2500
By tram. A single light rail line known as the Metro Express links Port Louis with Rose Hill, with an extension to Curepipe.
By boat. Coraline sureka.toolooa@coraline.intnet.muz sails once a week to Rodrigues Island and Reunion island from Port Louis. Mauritius Pride and Mauritius Trochetia are the two ships operating on the Reunion route, and also have Madagascar as a destination. Both vessels are used as passenger and container ships.
Talk. Mauritius does not have an official language, but the main language of government
French is used in formal settings, and the mass media. The most commonly spoken language is Mauritian Creole.
Eat. Culinary traditions from France, India, China and Africa. Chapattis or roti with curries, Dal many and varied, vegetables, beans, and pickles. Dholl puri and roti.
Biryani from Mughal origins is Muslim community, meat mixed with spiced rice and potatoes.
Snacks on the streets of Mauritius: famous gateaux piments (chilli cakes), vegetable or meat samosas (puffs), octopus curry in bread.
Rougaille (pronounced rooh-guy) – tomato and onion based, a variation of the French ragoût – meat or seafood (corned beef and salted snoek fish rougaille are very popular with the locals) – all Mauritians eat this dish often if not daily.
Check out the queues where the street sellers are selling their type of snacks and the longest queue will probably have the tastiest food on sale and is very cheap.
Stay safe. The cyclone season in Mauritius lasts from December until March. There is no malaria in Mauritius and that crime rates are very low
DO
Glass bottomed boat in Grand Bay
Le Pouce or the thumb for spectacular 360⁰ view of Port Louis and the north, climb, at 812 m (2,664 ft). It is an easy 2h climb from the village of Petit Verger (near St. Pierre), and takes another 2 hr to walk into Port Louis.
Tour the Moka mountains — by quad bike, horse or 4-wheel drive at the accessible 1,500-hectare (3,700-acre) nature park of Domaine Les Pailles. Travel to the sugar mill and rum distillery by train or horse-drawn carriage before dining in one of four restaurants.
Deep sea fishing — Mauritius is ideally positioned for game-fishing. Depending on the time of year it is possible to catch blue or black marlin, sailfish, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, giant trevally, dogtooth tuna, bonito, dolphinfish, sharks and many more. The majority of the big game fishing boats are well equipped with VHF radio, mobile telephone, GPS navigation system, radar, radio, telephone, safety equipment, Penn International reels, life jackets, medical kits, fire extinguishers, flares, and all related fishing equipment such as fighting chairs and rods (usually 9). You can choose between half-day and full-day fishing trips. Big game fishing is best on the west coast of Mauritius because the currents swirl around the foot of Le Morne, creating a marine environment attractive to baitfish, which in turn attracts the larger fish. Boats usually accommodate up to 5 anglers and full-day trips typically include both breakfast and lunch in the price.
Grand Baie — For watersports such as parasailing, an underwater walk, submarine and semi-submersible scooters, or to La Cuvette, a long beach with clear water between Grand Baie and Cap Malheureux, for sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing.
Safari jeep trips — The Safari Jeep trip takes place in Yemen natural reserve park on the West Coast of Mauritius. It hosts two of the longest rivers on the island – Rivière Rempart and Tamarin River – and is a haven for all sorts of native and exotic wildlife. The actual size of this natural reserve is of around 4,500 hectares. The Yemen Park is the setting for Safari trips where you will have a thrilling ride and will be able to see many beautiful animals such as Zebras, ostriches, African antelopes, Java deer, monkeys, ducks and geese, and will see extraordinary panoramic views of this breathtaking part of the island.
Safari quad biking trips — Experience an adventurous Quad biking activity in the most amazing natural setting! quad-biking activity in the 4,500 hectares of Yemen natural reserve park. More than a quad bike outing, it is a trip through a real safari. During the trip it is possible to see deers, zebras, ostriches, African antelopes, wild boars and many more; this a very big added bonus to this activity
Swim — At the northern beaches such as Trou aux Biches, shaded by casuarinas, Mont Choisy, a 2 km (1.2 mi) narrow white stretch of sand curving north from there, and Péreybère, a little cove between Grand Baie and Cap Malheureux.
Scuba diving — Diving in Mauritius is spectacular, with the extremely white sand, ultra blue water, emerging delegated coloured soft coral re-growth massive shoals and dramatic topography with varied and abundant marine life. Most of the dive sites are located in the North, with dive boats launching from Pereybere, Cap Malhereux, Grand Gaube and Trou aux Biches. There are also dive sites at Flic en Flac in the West, in Bel Mare in the East and Blue Bay in the South. The Northern Islands are accessible from Pereybere, with close 10-minute boat access to Coin de Mire, a protected Island where the Djabeda, a spectacular wreck lies. The wall of the Island, the caverns and caves and swim -through passages are exciting dive sites for advanced divers. Also worth diving is the Cathedral which is located off Flic en Flac on the western coast of Mauritius. Mauritius offers Wreck diving, massive shoals, exquisite corals, large schools of pelagic fish and shark diving.
Pereybere and Cap Malhereux, the hub of the Northern Scuba Diving. Close to the Northern Islands: Coin de Mire ( Gunner’s Island) and the Shark Pit, both world renowned diving sites.
Whale Rock and Roche Zozo where a pinnacle emerges from 60 metres from the ocean floor, and the submerged crater near Ile Ronde, where a variety of sharks come to sleep during the day.
Mauritius is almost completely encircled by a barrier coral reef which is home to many sponges, sea anemones and a variety of shoaling fish and some rare species endemic to Mauritius alone. The Blue lipped Angel, the Mauritian Gregory and the rare orange Mauritian weedy scorpionfish are among these. Macro life is also varied. Diving is good all year round, with very good visibility and a water temperature between 24 and 29 degrees. The Mauritius Scuba Diving Association (MSDA) can provide further information.
Watch dolphins — Up-close in their natural habitat off the western coast (Tamarin) of the island.
Speedboat — Rides are available from Trou d’eau Douce to the popular island playground of Ile aux Cerfs for beaches, golf and watersports. Or, for a quieter day, a catamaran to the Northern Islands – Gabriel Island, Flat Island and Gunner’s Quoin.
Hiking and trekking Volcanic island has several breathtaking summits and valleys.
Black River Gorges National Park, a 6,794-hectare (16,788-acre) forest, to see indigenous plants, birds and wildlife. Black River Peak trail goes to Mauritius’ highest mountain, while the Maccabee Trail starts nearby and plunges into the gorge to Black River.
Tandem skydiving — Experience a 10,000 ft skydive
Horse racing is the most popular sport in Mauritius, season starts in April and ends in late November.
Sea kayaking
Rock climbing —Belle Vue Cliffs
Canyoning
Rodrigues island — Tiny, rugged, volcanic it lies 550 km (340 mi) northeast of Mauritius and is known as the ‘anti-stress’ island. The capital, Port Mathurin, is only seven streets wide, with a Creole population. Rodrigues offers walking, diving, kitesurfing and deep-sea fishing