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Mauritius Travel

MAURITIUS  Explore The Magic Of Mystic Mauritius Location: The shores of Mauritius are located some 500 miles off the east coast of Madagascar.The island's 200 mile coastline is virtually encircled by one of the world's largest unbroken coral reef systems. Best Time To Visit Mauritius: The winter season is the best and lasts from July to September, and is completely and perfectly pleasant.   Places To Visit: Pamplemousses, Coloured Earth Of Chamarel, Grand Bassein,  Plenty of Nature Parks  are the major tourist attractions coupled with the excellent scenic beauty. The centre of the island boasts mountains of curious and intriguing shape. The coast is covered in tropical gardens. The bougainvillea, of pinks, reds and purples, are quite magnificent. Surrounding the coast are calm waters, enclosed by a reef. At Grand Baie (in the north of the island) the water is beautifully blue. In the morning, the lagoons inside the reef are green, truly the colour of emeralds. In the afternoon they change to hundreds of shades of blue truly worth the experience. Activities:Here, you can laze on a beach lounger attended to by couteous but discreet staff, or paddle or swim in the tepid turquoise water.If you have had enough inner peace and harmony then there are other activities to be pursued in Mauritius like Deep Sea Fishing, Submarine Diving, Sea Walking, Snorkelling, Boat Trips And Parasailing, Karting And Horse Racing and Shopping. Location General Information: The shores of Mauritius are located some 500 miles off the east coast of Madagascar, just north of the Tropic of Capricorn at latitude 20 degrees south and longitude 57 degrees, 35 minutes east. The island’s 200 mile coastline is virtually encircled by one of the world’s largest unbroken coral reef systems.It is part of the African continent, rising from the sea in a series of volcanic eruptions over 8 million years ago. It is also the best known of the Mascarene Islands, first described by Arab traders a millennium ago, and named for the Portuguese explorer Pedro Mascarenhas in 1513. The Portuguese used this largest, uninhabited island for reprovisioning, but it was claimed and named by the Dutch for Prince Maurice of Nassau, son of William of Orange. Its major cities are the capital--Port Louis (pop.146,000), Beau Bassin and Rose Hill (98,000), Vacoas-Phoenix (96,000), Curepipe (78,000), and Quatre Bornes (75,000). Mauritius’ history has been one of colonization, of waves of population and of a pastiche of cultures overlaid and intermixed…blended with beauty, beaches and la bonne vie. Geographical Information: The island is over 720 square miles in area, making it about the size of the state of Rhode Island. It rises gently from the northern coast to a central plateau, culminating in a steep drop towards the south with peaks of weird and abstract shapes. Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire is the highest of these at some 2,700 feet. Remnants of volcanic activity dot the island from extinct craters, like Trou aux Cerfs, and lava boulders abound, many of these have been gathered into cairns during land clearing for sugar cane planting. The island’s surrounding coral reef is broken in several places, allowing surf to crash through; the most spectacular and largest break is on the southern coast between Souillac and Le Bouchon. Between the breaks the white coral sand beaches stretch invitingly, presenting a coastline that’s, interestingly, both serene and rugged. Time: GMT + 4. Mauritius is 4 hours ahead (3 hours during the European summer) of Greenwich Mean Time. Noon in Mauritius is 3:00 AM in New York and midnight in Los Angeles. Climate And Best Season To Visit: The Mauritius climate is surprisingly varied. The coast is generally around 8 degrees F warmer than the Central Plateau…and it’s quite possible for it to rain in one locale and not in the other, even though physical distance is not great. Summer, from January through April, can be hot and humid with daytime temps averaging in the high 80’s. Summer is cyclone season and while direct hits are rarities Mauritius can experience days of squally rain. There are no distinct monsoons and rain is possible on any day of the year. The wind blows either from the north or from the regular trade winds blowing from the southeast. The winter season lasts from July to September, and is completely and perfectly pleasant. Daytime temperatures range to the high 70’s, falling to high 50’s at night, with less rain and humidity. Coastline 68 miles (177 km) Mauritius Image Gallery *********************************************

Place to visit
Mystic Mauritius

Places To Visit:
Pamplemousses:
a botanical garden much visited for its single-largest (literally) attraction – giant water lilies, as much as a metre wide (the giant Victorial Regia water lilies), and the talipot palm, said to flower once every sixty years and then die!Aside from these, the gardens boast of a variety of exotic plants and well-informed guides will give you a lovely tour replete with the salient features of each tree, liberally peppered with risqué anecdotes of what some of the locals do with some of the plants.

Coloured Earth Of Chamarel:
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:
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 Rs 125/150 on weekdays/weekends.

Lle Aux Cerfs:
Mauritius is water and water sports rule the day. The Mecca of the water-sporty types is the Island of Lle Aux Cerfs, on the south coast. Be sure to take an entire day off for this experience as the island is a self-contained amusement centre with two restaurants, a boat house and every imaginable activity that you may want to do in, out or above the water available here. You can dive, hire a speedboat, snorkel, para-sail, ride in a glass-bottomed boat, water ski or hire a motorised paddleboat or a water scooter – the activities are as wide-ranging as your imagination.

Domaine Les Pailles:
Ten minutes south of Port-Louis lies the nature park of Domaine Les Pailles, stretching over 3,000 acres at the foot of the Moka mountain range. You can choose between touring the park in a Land-Rover, riding in a horse-drawn carriage or in a train. The gardens also feature a replica of an ancient sugarmill, an "alambic" - an apparatus formerly used in distilling rum, a spice garden and a natural spring.

Aquarium:
Situated between Pointe-aux-Piments and Trou-aux-Biches, hosts some 200 species of indigenous fish, invertebrates, corals and sponges, providing the visitor with a unique opportunity of admiring the fauna and flora of the Indian Ocean.

Le Val Nature Park & Vanilla Crocodile And Tortoise Park:
Situated in the south-east of the island at Cluny, Le Val offers a view of the natural aquatic life of shrimps, eels and freshwater fish. The park also hosts anthurium green-houses, watercress ponds, deer parks, as well as monkeys and various bird species
Enter the glittering forest of Vanilla Crocodile and Tortoise park and discover a haven of luscious tropical flora: find a variety of endemic and exotic plants. In these lush green surroundings where banana and palm trees as well as giant bambous grow, more than a thousand Nile crocodiles are bred. On a guided tour, you will meet these animals in their breeding ponds, in perfect safety.

Trou Aux Cerfs:
Trou Aux Cerfs, an extinct volcanic crater, 85 m deep and over 200 m in width. This is almost the single highest vantage point in the island centre, from which one can soak in glorious views of Mauritius. Geological evidence confirms that Mauritius was created as a result of an eruption of this volcano, eons ago – may many more such volcanoes spout all over the world, was my reaction.

Grand Bassein:
One of the islands’ two lakes, Grand Bassin, resting in the crater of another extinct volcano borders a massive Hindu temple – actually called Mauritiuseswar Nath, complete with Shivalings, a garishly painted Hanuman and numerous other Hindu deities. It is an annual Hindu pilgrimage spot, especially at the time of Mahashivratri.

Tamarin Falls :
These falls are awkward to reach, but it's worth the effort for a beautiful, deep, cool bathe at the bottom of the series of seven falls. You can see them from the Vacoas side, if you follow the sign from Henrietta. From Curepipe or Quatre Bornes, take a bus to Henrietta, then walk to Tamarind Falls. If you're coming from Tamarin, turn right about 3Km north of Tamarin, at the round about to Magenta and Yemen. A tarred, bumpy road through cane fields leads to the Magenta and Tamarind Falls turn-off. Continue through all the 'Private Estate', 'Permit Needed' and 'Prohibited Entry' signs, down towards the power station. Leave your car or bike and walk along the river up to the falls. The path is quite heavily overgrown and you must cross to the other side and boulder-hop the last 300m along the river bed to reach the top, but you will richly rewarded!

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Activities
Mystic Mauritius

Activities:
The age-old holiday problem surfaces: what to do in paradise in the evenings?It would be cool to watch the sun sink slowly into the sea somewhere between Mauritius and the Afrikan continent.With some luck, there'll be a seggae band on hand.Seggae is a modern interpretation of Sega, the ancient rythmic Afrikan songs sung by slaves to ease their pain and suffering.The sea is the focal attraction-the perfect narrow crescent of a beach lapped by the lagoon-like Indian Ocean.Here, you can laze on a beach lounger attended to by couteous but discreet staff, or paddle or swim in the tepid turquoise water.If you have had enough inner peace and harmony then there are other activities to be pursued in Mauritius.
Deep Sea Fishing:
Big game fishing is practised throughout the year in Mauritius although the best season for marlin is from October to April.Deep-sea fishing boats, adequately equipped with ship-to-shore radio and trolling equipment for both live bait and artificial lures, can be booked through most of the hotels.

Submarine Diving:
Blue Safari Submarine is the only operator of real submarines in the Indian Ocean. At 35m deep, your dream comes true as you discover the magic of the marine life.You will enjoy a rare and an unforgetable experience, travelling in total security and comfort,on-board very sophisticated , air-conditioned submarines.A unique adventure that you should not miss, whether you are 2 years old or 90 years old.

Sea Walk/Snorkeling:
Underwater walk/snorkeling does not require you to know how to swim, nor that you relinquish your favourite pair of glasses! Your stay in Mauritius cannot be complete without a (guided) tour of the adventuresome and perfectly safe reef underwaters.If you never done snorkeling before, don't worry, it's simple, can be learned in a matter of minutes and mastered on your first outing.

Karting And Horse Racing:
An attraction park for young and old. Situated at La Jouliette, Petite Riviere. Corinne Barrier will show you how delightful karting and quad biking is.
The sole race-track, commonly called the Champ de Mars, is situated in a prestigious avenue in Port-Louis, the Capital City and is one of the oldest race-courses in the Southern Hemisphere.During the past few years, 23 race-meetings were held every year with seven races per meeting. The first race-meeting usually starts in mid May and ends normally in late November.

Boat Trips And Parasailing:
There are numerous boat trips to choose from, sailing out to one of the small islands that dot the coast of Mauritius.
For those of you for whom a quiet suntan on the beach is not thrilling enough, you can always try your hand at parasailing. You will be rewarded by a breathtaking bird's eye view of the lagoon and its multifarious underwater sea-scapes. Ask the manager of the local boat-house for the update on currents and winds.

Shopping:
Grand Baie,a charming Mauritian town, is fairly tourist oriented with lots of boutiques selling clothes and jewellery.The island's capital, Port Louis, however is worth visiting for the local market: noisy, crowded and hot, but bargains can be had in straw goods, spices, cotton and silk pareos(sarongs) and every concievable exotic fruit.

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