Co-Author: Kankana Debnath
The African Island republic of Mauritius is a Dream Destination for tourists. This volcanic island has amazing sites along with great beaches and great resorts spread across the island. This island is known for its flora and fauna and some of the plants are unique to this island. This island also used to be the home of the now extinct Dodo bird. The Republic of Mauritius has 4 islands, with Mauritius being the largest and the most important one. Most of the Resorts and Tourist activities are available in the main island of Mauritius.
A lot of resorts in Mauritius has private beaches. So, if you are staying in a hotel or resort that does not have access to the sea, you will need to search for public beaches and they might be far. So, while booking for a place to stay in Mauritius, you have to keep this in mind.
Mauritius has 2 airports and the main Airport, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport is in the island of Mauritius and is about 50 KM for the Capital of Mauritius, Port Louis. There is also a domestic airport in the island of Rodrigues.
Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius is also the most populous city of Mauritius and has a number of places for tourist to visit.
Le Coudan Waterfront in Port Louis is a market place with a variety of shops and one of the most photographed place in Mauritius. It has a Marina, casinos, hotels, eateries, a history museum, craft market etc. This is certainly a place where you can spend a lot of time and soak the flavour of Mauritius.
Citadel Fort Adelaide is a hilltop fort and offers amazing views of the city of Port Louis from above.
Marie Reine de la Paix is an open church of Virgin Mary and offers excellent views of Port Louis. This is also a good place to take photographs in front of the Church. A lot of Bollywood movies were shot here.
Trou aux Cerfs is a dormant volcano about 25 km from Port Louis. However, is almost inaccessible.
Ile aux Cerfs is an island off the east of Flacq district of Mauritius and offers breath taking views of the seas. This island has an ‘18 hole golf course’, Adventure Park, beach restaurants and offers wide options of water sports.
Flacq Market: If you want to get a flavour of the local life, this would be a good market to visit. This is a local market, however, there are plenty of places to buy souvenirs at very good price.
Seven Coloured Earth is a natural wonder of Mauritius and is a must visit. This is a geological formation formed from the decomposition of volcanic rocks and the soil of the area has different colors and you can see the picture below. This place is in the Southern Part of the island.
Ganga Talao or Grand Bassin is in the Southern part of the island and is a crater which is now filled with water. There are Indian Temples here. There is also a massive statue of Lord Hanuman on the way.
Grand Baie is a coastal village in the Northern part of Mauritius and has a nice white beach. If you are planning for Under Sea Walk, this is where the tours begin.
Under Sea Walk – If you are in for some adventure, Under Sea Walk is a must if you are in Mauritius. You are taken in a boat to a calmer part of the sea and after a safety briefing, you get down to the sea. A Stone belt and a heavy helmet ensure that you are not floating above and as you walk on the sea bed you get to experience the sea below the water with fish moving above you. If you want, you can feed the fish too. They do have divers around, so it is quite safe and this is certainly, once in a lifetime experience.
These are some of the key places that you can visit when you are in Mauritius.
Being in the Southern Hemisphere, Mauritius has Winters in May June and Summers in December January. The best time to visit is from May and June when it is relatively cooler. However, being a Tropical Island, the weather is normally warm. January to March is a Cyclone season and is recommended to avoid. In July August, the winds are strongest in the East Coast, so if you are planning to spend a lot of time in the sea, keep that in mind.
As you can see, Mauritius has plenty to offer and you have plenty of activities to choose from. Watch the below embedded YouTube video for pictures of our travel to Mauritius.
