MAURITIUS – BEYOND THE BEACH!
Away from Mauritius’ stunning beaches, there are lots of fun things to see and do around the island:
The Pamplemousse Botanical Gardens is perhaps the most visited attraction on the island for visitors and locals alike. Established in 1735, the 60-acre gardens offer the chance to walk through shady glades with exotic plants and trees, stroll past lakes filled with giant Victoria Regia water lilies and pause in the sweet-smelling medicinal herb garden.
Pamplemousse Botanical Gardens
Another popular stop on island tours is The Black River Gorges National Park which offers the chance to enjoy native forest. Visitors can take a trail from the Petrin information centre into a beautiful conservation area.
Guided safaris in the hills at Domaine d’Anse Jonchée, near Mahebourg, give visitors the chance to spot wild boar, monkeys, deer and rare birds among forests of ebony, eucalyptus, revenala and palm trees. A similar wildlife safari experience can be enjoyed at Domaine St Denis, while a more structured opportunity for wildlife viewing is on offer at the Casela Bird Park in Mauritius’ Rivière Noire District. This 185-acre park is home to more than 140 bird species from all the world’s five continents, with the star-billing going to one of the world’s rarest birds, the Mauritian pink pigeon.
Chamarel
For geological oddities, head for Chamarel in the island’s southwest, where dunes of multi-coloured volcanic ash form orderly patterns in blues, greens, reds and yellows. The colours are at their best in the late evening. Another attraction nearby is the 100-metre Chamarel Falls, Mauritius’ highest waterfall. Domaine de l’Ylang Ylang, at the foot of the Anse Jonchée Mountain at Vieux Grand Port boasts a plantation of 15,000 Ylang-Ylang trees bearing fragrant yellow flowers from which perfume is distilled.
Ylang Ylang
With Mauritius’ traditional sugar industry remaining a mainstay of the island’s economy, visitors will travel around the island with cane fields as a constant reminder. But for a demonstration of traditional sugar extraction and rum distillation, go to Domaine Les Pailles near Port Louis. The history of tea production on Mauritius – another of the island’s economic stalwarts – can be traced at the Bois Cheri tea factory and museum near Curepipe.
The Mauritian capital of Port Louis is always worth a visit, with its central market providing a wonderfully colourful shopping experience. Chinatown is another must, while the 19th century Citadel provides a splendid view over the island’s bustling capital. For a glimpse of the famous, but now sadly departed dodo, go to the Natural History Museum where a reconstructed example is a reminder of the ungainly bird.
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