Island of an Indian ocean with a warm rainbow welcome. This country is rich in natural Mauritius attractions, and most importantly, not very popular among tourists. It means that there are many places where you can spend your free days in complete privacy. Pack your bags and travel to Mauritius right now. And while you're packing, I'll explain how the island of Mauritius differs from the state of Mauritius, Where is Mauritius located, and how holidays in Mauritius are better than other destinations. And if you're still not sure, I'll give you 10 reasons why you should travel to Mauritius right now.
1. African freshness
For those who are faced with a dilemma – to overcome the ocean by buying a LUXURY plane ticket or to overcome themselves by going on a trip on a homemade sailing yacht straight from the Gulf of Finland, the first question will be: Where is Mauritius?
And this wonderful state is located in the southern latitudes of Africa, a little east of Madagascar's island. The Indian Ocean's bay allows you to enjoy favorable Mauritius weather at any time of the year, and the thermometer here rarely goes below 18 Celsius, but it will not rise above 35.
Mauritius is an island country planted with palm trees. The state includes the island of Mauritius and its little brother-the island of Rodrigues. Both are similar in structure, coral reefs surround both islands, and both islands have a picturesque lagoon. In addition to these two Islands, a part of the state is part of the archipelago of the cargados carajos, consisting of smaller scraps of solid earth among the waters of the Indian ocean.
The main part of the state – the island of Mauritius - arose as a result of a volcanic eruption, after which people of all sorts periodically visited the island, but since the advent of the Portuguese, the island has become inhabited.
The name of the island changed until, finally, the right to own it completely passed to the British. They returned to the island the name that the Portuguese had given it.
The island has always been a mainland for those who needed to control the Indian Ocean and the Indus Peninsula. In our time, this island is a tasty morsel of land for those who love the ocean and the Mauritius weather.
2. Shadow of the Colonists
At one time, the French built the city, which has now become the capital of Mauritius. To this day, this city is called Port Louis. Initially, Port Louis is a naval fortress on Mauritius's territory, which still stands on the island. Many traces of the French civilization of those times are preserved here. For example, the oldest racetrack in the southern hemisphere and the Domain-le-Paille estate with a still-working sugar mill of that time. In addition to the French, English colonists also inherited the island. On the hill, which offers a great panorama of the city and the harbor, stands the majestic fortress of Adelaide, aka the Citadel. Once upon a time, its guns were a means of warning about city fires. Now the fortress is used for the city's mass cultural events, and often concerts are held right here.
3. Service the gates of Paradise
For those who are alien to long hikes in cities and natural Mauritius attractions, local tourism business owners have supplemented this work of art of nature with high-quality service. For those who like to spend their holidays on a grand scale, there is a large range of everything to make your holiday in Mauritius as good as possible. These are luxury Mauritius hotels with Mauritius beaches, the condition of which is continuously monitored. These are the berths for yachts. These are restaurants for every taste and color. And so on. We'll stop at the Mauritius beaches. They stretch for many kilometers along the entire length of Mauritius. All of them are sandy, picturesque wonders of nature, forever remaining well-groomed by local craftsmen. The most famous beach is Belle Mar, the eastern lagoon of the island. Mauritius hotels and even golf courses are scattered along with it. However for some reason, the beach is usually not crowded, although it is known. Probably, it's all about the hotels around its perimeter, which always have something to do. The next stop is the resort FLIC-EN-FLAC. Flick-en-Flack beaches, equipped with everything possible and everything that is not, are quite crowded, unlike the previous example. It is often visited by people from nearby cities, of which there are many. Again, unlike the previous example, there are not many hotels here.
4. Architecture of Mauritius
As I mentioned above, Mauritius has a great traces of the Portuguese, French, English, and other evil spirits colonizing the island to gain more power in the waters of the Indian Ocean. If the main purpose of the trip is to study the colonists' lives, then you will not be left indifferent by a visit to the Domaines de Payle cultural complex. Here is a whole large-scale reconstruction of the times of the colonists and their life. If we talk about history, we can not fail to mention a large number of local museums. Namely: the Sugar Museum, aka the old sugar factory, the Tea Museum, the Blue Mauritius Museum. The most interesting place, in my opinion, is the History Museum in Maeburg. This museum is mostly associated with the maritime business. Here you can see military vessels and pirate household items. Of course, the architecture of Mauritius was not built by the colonists alone. After all, in our time, Mauritius is a collection of different cultures, each of which brings something different. And we move smoothly to reason number five.
5. One people, One nation
These words are an excerpt from the national anthem of Mauritius. The combination of different cultures living side by side is a large-scale ethnic mosaic, which, in turn, is a single Mauritius people. All this makes a holiday in Mauritius something special and memorable. This interracial mix makes even the local markets a special attraction. Such a variety of souvenirs, products, and household items sold by representatives of peoples around the world seem to be rarely found anywhere. It is worth visiting only one market in Mauritius, and you get the feeling that you have visited several countries at once. Accordingly, this diversity is reflected in the local cuisine. Mauritian cuisine is a mixture of different cultures, which can be displayed even in one single salad. Traditional Indian, Chinese, European and almost Greenlandic restaurants are also present and work in them, respectively, representatives of cultures whose cuisine is celebrated in every institution. Accommodation options in Mauritius are also multicultural. Apartment buildings, villas, wooden houses, Mauritius hotels, thatched huts, studios. In cities, on mountain slopes, in forests, Mauritius beaches… Should I continue?..
6. National Parks
In those immemorial times, when Mauritius's nature was not yet under the yoke of the colonists, it was a living paradise for fauna. The main charm of this place was that there were no predators here. This played a cruel joke with some of the island's inhabitants – such as the Mauritian dodos. These birds were not afraid of anyone and curiously studied the people who came to the island for their purposes. People did not like it very much, and as a result, the Mauritian dodos were no longer left on any piece of the globe. There were many representatives of the fauna, which can not be found anywhere else. Subsequently, Mauritius people, of course, came to their senses and stopped destroying the already few species. Later, they even brought animals from other parts of the world. There are pink pigeons, ringed parrots, flying foxes, geckos and crocodiles. The colonists brought in deer, mongooses, and others. But the concentrate of animal species and natural graces is found in the national parks of Mauritius. Perhaps, let's start with the Kasela Nature Reserve, which is located a little more necessary than the capital of Mauritius, Port Louis. For the most curious, who want to see as much as possible, open buses run through the reserve. You can also see the Park on ATVs, which are rented here. On the territory of the Park, herds of zebras and deer walk around every now and then, and there is also a mini-farm, which is also one of the favorite places of tourists. Chamarel. A nature reserve with a hundred-meter waterfall, the turbulent streams of which flow into the mouth of the volcano. And next to it, the "Seven-colored Land" stands modestly, the soil of which is a surreal landscape of various shades. This place looks most interesting early in the morning or in the rain. Thank you to the local volcanoes for such a miracle of nature. Another interesting natural park in Mauritius is the"Black River Gorge". Here, near the Grand Bassin Lake, which occupied a former volcano, is a Hindu sacred place. On the gorge's territory, religious rites are held once a year, and on the shore, there is a majestic temple, which is guarded by a huge statue of Shiva. The last Park we will visit the Botanical garden Amplius. Giant water lilies, spices, tea trees, and more than 500 species of exotic plants. The garden was laid out a long time ago, and it is still being replenished with new specimens.
7. The Mauritius sports
The favourite sport of the inhabitants of the island country is, oddly enough, horse racing. From March to December of each year, the oldest racetrack in the southern hemisphere, which is located near the capital of Mauritius Port Louis, is open to everyone every Saturday. The main distinguishing feature of the racetrack is the free entrance to the first sector. Against the riders' background fighting for victory, you can see the picturesque outlines of the green hills of the island. Although horse racing is a favorite sport of the local Mauritius population, most sports for the islanders are held on the water surface. Among tourists, diving is more popular, offering views of non-standard natural beauty. Also on the island are surfing competition, kayaking, and racing STARTECH. Let's go back to land. After all, the Mauritius natural beauty allows you to embark on a race on quad bikes in mountainous areas. You can spend more than one day on this activity. So, we got to the most interesting part.
8. Mountains
In general, natural Mauritius attractions are the main asset of the entire archipelago of Mauritius. The mountainous landscape that emerged after the volcano's eruption that founded the island is a treasure that is rarely found anywhere in the world. Near the capital of Mauritius, the name of which I have already mentioned so many times that I no longer want to, a large-scale chain of mountains begins. The first mountain that is encountered on the way from Port Louis is called the Thumb. It is not difficult to guess what form this stone statue represents. It stretches up to 812 meters, and from its top, you can watch not only the city of Port Louis but also the rest of the mountains, where you will still have to go. The next mountain will be slightly higher. Peter Bot, 820 meters. The spherical shape of the top very much resembles the head of a giant. To climb to the top, and even more so to descend from it will be quite problematic. So let's move on. There is a natural statue on the island with the terrible name of the Mountain of Death. Her story is as scary as it is romantic. Here were hidden those residents who did not want to become slaves, even on pain of death. When Napoleon handed over the island to England, the soldiers hurried up the mountain to tell the fugitives that there was no longer any need to hide and that they were now free men. But the people misinterpreted the soldiers' intentions and rushed down the mountain, for they preferred death to slavery. After that was born a lot of local legends that the souls of the freedom-loving people inhabit this place. And, of course, let's not forget that Mauritius is a volcanic island. Among the mountains, there are a lot of extinct volcanoes. Their craters no longer frighten the locals and are overgrown with forests. So nature has created many bizarre mountains except, perhaps, for the Trou-au-Cerf volcano. This volcano also does not like to be active, but the local authorities still decided to fence it for safety reasons. There are a lot of high-altitude zigzag rivers that complement the landscape. A chain of mountain rivers turns into waterfalls now and then, testing extreme tourists' strength from time to time.
9. Flora
And again we will go down from the mountains to enjoy the nature of local plants. Many of them were brought by colonists to replace the previously existing true - Mauritian forests, but exceptional specimens are also found. Let's start, perhaps, with those that the colonists brought. They planted large parts of the island with eucalyptus trees and Canadian pines. Besides, in cities, too, there are trees planted in the XIX century. For the most part, these are, of course, ornamental plants. While all over the world acacias and similar things are grown in pots, they are used as hedges in Mauritius. However more interesting are the plants that appeared on the island without the participation of humanity. These are palm trees, baobabs, mangoes. A separate reason for the pride of the island is the ficus banyan. These bizarre plants can create a whole grove with just one copy – so ornate are their roots. The crowns of these trees are adapted to the needs of the public. They can serve as a roof for bus stops or gazebos, and even baskets for basketball. Unfortunately, due to the increased activity of the colonists and land works after them, little of Mauritius's true landscape has been preserved. Volcanic ash, bizarre plants-this is only a quarter of the island. Although, this is also not very small.
10. An island lost in the Indian Ocean
During the heyday of maritime piracy and Mauritius's first colonists, this island was very difficult to find. An important role is played by the fact that the island is quite small in size: its length is approximately 58x47 kilometers. To go around the island in a day is a very simple task. It made an island very wanted in times when people were not interested in natural beauties. This contributed to the fact that the island was not inhabited for a long time. Although there were those times when the whole Old World was studied, it would seem, up and down. For some, this will seem like the most important reason to pack up and go to the island right now. For someone - even to a permanent place of residence. The romance of those times is still felt, and this spirit still hovers on the island. When the first colonists settled, this island was an island of Freedom, where there are no borders, due to the framework of human laws. Of course, it is not two continents that were discovered in the hope of finding a new way to India, but their simplified version. Very picturesque post-volcanic mountain version. If nothing hinders, you can pack your bags right now and hit the road to where is Mauritius located.
