| Highlights |
Port Louis
Port Louis, the island capital, is named after France's Louis XV. It's a busy place and the little harbour has an important, wide-awake look.Place d'Armes contains imposing Government House. It was built in 1738 in colonial style for Mahe de La Bourdonnais, the island's most illustrious governor. He is commemorated by a statue near the waterfront, a diplomatic step away from the regal figure of Queen Victoria in front of Government House.
The Natural History Museum merits a visit for its displays including a reconstitution of the much lamented dodo.
St Louis' Catholic Cathedral gives on to a square with an attractive fountain and a statue of the 13th-century French saint-king.Pope Hennessy Street contains some lovely Creole buildings and leads to the Champ de Mars where there is animated horse-racing. If you don't want to try your luck, you can still have a good view over the fence. This hippodrome was originally laid out in 1740 as a military parade ground.A discreet distance away is St James's Anglican Cathedral, looking as though it's been transplanted from a 19th-century English hamlet. You can almost hear the virtuous rustle of bonnets, not quite overpowering the punters' shouts as the favourite comes in along the stretch. In spite of the church's seemly aspect, it's actually built over an old powder magazine, hence the name of the street, Rue de la Poudriere. East, right opposite the hippodrome, is the Chinese Pagoda.
To pay due tribute to the islanders' open-minded and tolerant religious and racial views, you will also want to see the Jummah Mosque on Royal Road, with finely worked doors, and, a fair distance away in the same direction (too far to walk), the Indo-Tamil Temple, ornate and multi-domed in contrast to the barren peaks behind.The market is near the mosque. A fantastic spectacle awaits those who manage to be present mid-morning: a combination of coloured saris, flashing earrings, Chinese smiles and Creole exuberance, vast vegetable baskets, shining cookware and luscious fruits.A trip up to the monument Marie Reine de la Paix on Signal Hill, where wealthier citizens live, lays Port Louis at your feet.
Domaine Les Pailles, a short distance from Port Louis, is a tourists' dream, with a wide range of interesting attractions and facilities. Here, visitors have a unique opportunity to learn about the old way of life. In a magnificent natural setting, you can see a reconstructed old sugar mill and rum-distilling alambic. You can also enjoy a pleasant few hours wandering idly around the estate, visiting its fragrant spice garden, or meandering in horse-drawn carriages through pleasant valleys.
The North
Pamplemousses is 11 km (7 miles) north of St Louis. The village itself surrounds the church of St Francis, the oldest on the island (1756). Mostly, though, Pamplemousses is famous for its supremely beautiful Botanical Gardens, begun in 1735 when Mahe de La Bourdonnais bought the property. The great French botanist, Pierre Poivre, was responsible for planting trees and flowers on the land. Today the gardens are one-fifth their original size but their loveliness has only increased with time. The fine iron entrance gates date from the middle of the 19th century.
Grand, ancient trees establish royal dominion over well-kept lawns. Palms, some 200 years old, border the alleys. Floating like bluish-green enamelled trays in a rectangular pond are huge Victoria regia water-lilies, their leaves some 60 cm (2 ft) across. The largest can bear the weight of a newborn baby. You may nevertheless not wish to entrust your own offspring to the test, for if you look carefully at a leaf you'll see the underside protected by sharp spines.On the coast north of Pamplemousses lie some of the island's most inviting beaches gleaming with powdery white sand, with Grand Baie, one of the most splendid, as the centre for many sea-related activities-sailing, windsurfing, snorkelling and diving. In Grand Baie itself, visit the local Art Gallery with interesting exhibitions by Mauritian artists. If you go to Trou aux Biches, look out for the lovely Hindu temple nearby and visit the excellent Aquarium with 200 types of fish, live coral, and fascinating exhibits, wonderfully presented.
At Mont Choisy, one of the most popular beaches on the island, you'll find perfect safe bathing with plenty of windsurfing and sailing possibilities. Pereybere, with its lovely clear blue waters, is another paradise for swimmers. At the very far north is Cap Malheureux, which supposedly got its name from the fact that it was the spot where the English landed in 1810 to conquer the island. On a calm day there's a wonderful view out to sea, especially of the island of Coin de Mire with its massive, plunging cliffs.
The East
The former Royal Road leads straight to the quiet fishing village of Mahebourg, in whose bay, at Grand Port, the Dutch first landed in 1598. It was also in these waters, in 1810, that Napoleon's navy beat the British (who got their revenge on land four months later). The Historical and Naval Museum tells the story of the Battle of Grand Port. In the old 18th-century French colonial-style mansion that houses the museum, the two French and British commanders, Duperre and Willoughby, both wounded in the course of the battle, were treated side by side. They ended by shaking hands, ushering in an entente cordiale.
Beyond Anse Jonchee, a vast area has been set aside for the Domaine du Chasseur (also called the Domaine des Grands Bois), a magnificent nature and hunting reserve where deer, monkeys and wild boar live in the heart of a lush tropical forest containing a whole selection of interesting botanical specimens to delight the naturalist and hiker (eucalyptus, ebony, olive, bergamot, wild orchids, cinnamon and palms trees galore). Local birds, many of which were becoming very rare, have now settled there happily, such as the Mauritius kestrel that nimbly swoops down to pick up mice.
Excellent beaches abound on the east coast. To the north lies Roches Noires, much appreciated in summer because of the constant sea breezes and the excellent fishing. Further south, Belle Mare has its addicts, drawn to its magnificent sweep of beach round to Palmar and Trou d'Eau Douce. The Ile aux Cerfs, reachable from Touessrok (a 20-minute ferry crossing), has deer roaming wild, while the pristine beaches and lagoon are near-perfect for children.
South of Mahebourg, Blue Bay is surrounded by a semi-circle of casuarina (or filao) trees, whose branches resemble the feathers of the cassowary bird. The beach is often considered one of the best on the island because of its deep, clear blue waters-an ideal bay for water sports of all kinds. And as a change from the beach, why not visit Le Val Nature Park, in the heart of a valley, surrounded by lush vegetation? You can see carp, fresh water fish, shrimp, and prawns bred in chemically treated water, as well as birds and monkeys.
The West
A small town on the west coast, with the delightful name of Flic en Flac, provides an excellent example of the cosmopolitan mood of the island and boasts a typical beach with gentle white sand fringed with filao trees.
A short distance away, nearly 2,000 birds of 150 varieties call the Casela Bird Park home. Some of them, for example the star-of-the-show Pink Pigeon, have narrowly escaped extinction. There are also tortoises (a Mauritian speciality), monkeys and tigers. Orchids bloom (in season), making this a delightful outing in a lovely peaceful setting of trees, rivers and miniature waterfalls against a mountain backdrop, with sugar-cane fields rolling down to the sea.
Tamarind trees grow pro-fusely along the west coast, and gave their name to Tamarin, a clean and pleasant little resort with a beautiful beach (one of the most popular with Mauritians), that also has Mauritius's main salt flats. At La Mivoie, visit the Shellorama Museum for some local and less local shells. Note in particular the Harpa Costata, a type now rapidly disappearing.
Chamarel, a few kilometres further south inland, is famous for its coloured earths: test tubes of multicoloured samples can be bought from freelance vendors or from the local shops. The best time to visit the area is at dawn. The colours-violet, blue, purple, red, green, brown and yellow-never fade despite tropical rainfall, and for geologists in particular this lunar landscape is fascinating. Nearby, the dramatic Chamarel Falls stand in total contrast to that landscape, with rich vegetation and humid air.
If you look at a map of Mauritius, in the extreme southwest corner you will see a small bump, like a toe poking out of a sock. It's Le Morne Peninsula, topped by a flat mountain called Le Morne Brabant, 550 m (1,820 ft) high, whose access is so difficult that it once served as a hideout for runaway slaves. Down at sea level, the beaches and underwater life are superb.
|
| Local dishes |
Given the ethnic mixture, it hardly comes as a surprise that there's a wide variety of cuisines: Chinese, Indian, European and Creole provide a great choice, using the natural resources of this tropical island.
Mutton, chicken, fish, seafood and vegetables are offered in delicious curry sauces. Dishes will appear accompanied by rice and, usually, achards, a variety of vegetable chutneys, and perhaps pickled limes. One of the island's favourite dishes with visitors is millionnaire's salad, made from hearts of palm.
If you're not a spice lover, fish and seafood or freshwater crayfish provide local flavour. Smoked marlin is an island delicacy.
Fresh fruit abounds: lychees, pineapples, bananas, mangoes, papaya, passion fruit and guavas are piled high in the markets and the hotel dining rooms.
For aperitif there are some very good rums, and rum goes into many of the desserts, too. Imported wines are expensive, but local wine (made from imported grape juice) is appreciated by many, as are the island-made beers. |