"
God created Mauritius first, then from it He made the Paradise"
Mauritius
is surely an island of its own beauty and characteristics.
Considered
as the star and key of the Indian Ocean because of its beauty and strategical
location,
Mauritius
is really unique in its kind...
Mauritius
is a tropical island situated in the Indian Ocean about 3000 Km (1900 miles)
from
the east coast of Africa. It has 160 Km of coastline almost entirely surrounded
by coral reefs,
a
great central plateau and picturesque mountains.
Mauritius
is located in the tropics, and is surrounded by the sea. It is very famous
for its
"Sun,Sand
and Sea"; referring to splendid beaches, luxurious five star hotels and
cool climate.
The
landscape consists mainly of mountains and sugar cane and tea plantations.
Mauritius
also has a rich history where the British and French battled between themselves
to win over the island.
Mauritius
is a multiracial country.The national language is Creole, a derivation
of French.
However,the
official languages are English and French.The money used is the Mauritian
Rupee.
The
4 main industries in Mauritius are agriculture, tourism, textile and offshore.There
are only two seasons,
winter
and summer. The average temperature ocilates from 20 to 30 degrees celcius.
Places
of Interest
Port
Louis
Backed
by mountains at the north-western end of the island, the burgeoning capital
of Port Louis is a large city
(
in proportion to the size of Mauritius), though it contains a relatively
small percentage of the
country's
total population. During the day, it bustles with big-city commercial activity
- snarling traffic,
honking
horns and all. By night, in contrast, all is quiet - dare we say 'dead'?
- except for the swish
new
Le Caudan Waterfront, where you'll find a casino, cinemas, shops, bars
and
restaurants. There's a distinct Muslim area around Muammar El Khadafi Square
(
appropriately enough at the opposite end of the city from the local hat-tip
to the Yanks, John F Kennedy St )
and
a Chinatown around Royal St. The city centre is easily covered on foot.
A
good place to get a feel for city life is the Port Louis Market, near the
water in the heart of downtown.
With
sections devoted to fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, souvenirs, crafts,
clothing and spices, be ready
to
practise some hard bargaining. While in the neighbourhood, most visitors
drop by the Natural History Museum
to
see a stuffed replica of that 'abnormal member of a group of pigeons',
the dodo, which has been extinct since
the
late 17th century. The museum also houses stuffed representations of several
other extinct birds as
well
as specimens of animals and fish that are still with us. The only other
regular exhibitor in the city
is
the Mauritius Postal Museum, featuring a collection of Mauritian stamps
and assorted philately.
If
you're interested in Islamic architecture, stop by Port Louis' oddly located
Jummah Mosque,
built
in the 1850s in the middle of Chinatown, and Fort Adelaide, which so resembles
a Moorish fortress that
locals
call i "the Citadel". Fort Adelaide is the only one of Port Louis' four
British forts that's still accessible
and
not in ruins; the views from its hilltop, harbourside location are breathtaking.
The
Lourdes of the Indian Ocean, Père Laval's Shrine is just north-east
of the town centre
at
Ste-Croix. Père Laval - who is said to have converted more than
67,000 people during his 23 years on
Mauritius
- is remembered with a colourful plaster statue atop his tomb. Pilgrims
swear by the statue's
healing
powers and come in droves to touch it.
Closer
to Port Louis, Domaine Les Pailles is an elaborate cultural centre that
includes facilities
for
horse-drawn carriage and train rides, plus a working replica of an ox-powered
sugar mill,
a
rum distillery, an herb garden, a natural spring and a children's play
area. An onsite riding centre, Les Écuries du Domaine, has horses
for dressage and jumping and Welsh ponies for the wee ones.
Continuing
in the spirit of providence, the centre also has a handful of
ethnic
restaurants and its own jazz club and casino.
Domaine
Les Pailles is a 10 minute taxi ride
from
either Port Louis or Moka, or you can take a bus between the two and walk
half an hour
from
the main road. Moka Town is
almost midway between Port Louis and Curepipe,
just
east of the M2. Buses ply between the cities daily, or you can take a taxi.
Pamplemousses
Botanical Garden
or
Jardin Botanique de Pamplemousses , as locally called -- The jewel of the
crown!
The
gardens are known to naturalists throughout the world for their countless
species of indigenous
and
exotic plants, including the giant Victorial Regia water lilies, and the
talipot palm, said to flower
once
every sixty years and then die. The garden was created by Pierre Poivre
in 1767 in the
Estate
of the French Governor Mahe de Labourdonnais.
The
latter's Chateau de Mon Plaisir, built in 1735, can still be seen there.
Coloured
Earths of Chamarel
or
Terres de Couleurs de Chamarel , as locally called -- Among the oddest
sites of the island
are
the seven-coloured dunes at Chamarel, believed to result from the weathering
of volcanic rocks.
These
undulating and vividly contrasted layers of earth are a short drive
away
from the beautiful Chamarel waterfalls.
The
Bird Garden of Casela
or
Jardin d'Oiseaux de Casela, as locally called -- Set in a magnificient
site between Bambous
and
Tamarin in the Riviere Noire district, the Casela Bird Park hosts some
140 varieties of birds from around the world.
The
main attraction remains the Mauritian Pink Pigeon, one of the rarest birds
in the world,
still
fighting to avoid the fate of the dodo. One of the giant tortoises is 150
years old.
The
park is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm and the entrance fee is MRs 155/180
on weekdays/weekends.
Île
aux Cerfs
There
are no stags (cerfs) remaining on this small island which now belongs to
Le Touessrok
Sun
Hotel and attracts large numbers of holiday-makers on the east coast. The
ferry runs several times
each
hour between 9 am and 4 pm and costs MRs 110 per person return, although
this is expected to increase.
Le
Touessrok Sun Hotel residents travel for free. What you get when you step
off the ferry is a sheltered,
crowded
beach and lagoon for water sports or sunbathing, restaurants and several
souvenir stalls.
You
can walk only around the seaward half of the island, that is, clockwise
from the landing site.
On
the island, there is a boat house where you can hire water skis, pedalos,
sailboards, surfcats, Laser dinghies
and
canoes. Two-hour boat trips are offered to the Grande Rivière Sud-Est
waterfall;
