Mauritius

Antoine's view

Two main assets account for Mauritius's success as a favourite destination for tourists: first, you will find beautiful and numerous beaches and seashores, as well as many well-preserved regions. Then, inhabitants welcome you warmly and have an incredible entrepreuneurial energy. If you choose Mauritius as a holiday destination, you can be confident Mauritians will welcome you in an outstanding way and will continuously strive to make you happy. Mauritians have developed a culture of service rather unique in the world and you will not be surprised to find many of them serving as personnel aboard tourist boats cruising around the world.

The island boasts very reputed beaches: the major part of the island is protected by a coral reef with blazing colours, surrounding a calm lagoon, and ensuring a safe and pleasant swim.

The lagoon is not as wide or deep as the lagoons of the Polynesian islands for instance, and Mauritius is not exactly an island you can discover on a sailing boat, however relaxing on the beaches, taking day trips on catamarans, visiting milestones such as the Island of Deers on a small boat, are many opportunities to discover the lagoon and to come home with unforgettable memories.

For sure, the island is quite at an advanced stage of development and you might be surprised to see to what extent the regions of the west coast are built, from the airport to the capital Port Louis and to the touristic regions of Grand-Baie. However, as soon as you take the road leading to the east coast or to the inland, you will retrieve the intense serenity of sugar cane fields, peaceful seashores and some natural treasures such as the hills where lies the " Hunter's Domain " or the Grapefruit garden. There, you will discover an unbelievable amount of exotic plants, among which many species of palm trees, Victoria Regia, and giant water lilies with vertical borders resembling cake tins.
You will obviously want to meet Mauritians and discover their traditions: don't merely lie on the breathtaking beaches of the island, go and meet local people: whether catholic, muslim, bouddihst or Indian, their traditions, temples and ceremonies are worth being explored.

Going to the Rodrigues island - which is part of Mauritius and located north east one hour away by plane - is especially recommended: surrounded by a vast lagoon and populated with engaging French speaking and francophile people, it feels like time stopped 50 years ago.