Hindu
Temple: The lush hills of Mauritius rise behind
a colorful Hindu temple in Port-Louis, the nation’s
capital. Indian immigrants and their descendents make
up two-thirds of the population of Mauritius, and most
are Hindus.
Jardin Botanique de Pamplemousses:
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: 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
Ile 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 Rs 80 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;
and there's also a tour around Île aux Cerfs.
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.
Domaine du Chasseur
(Anse Jonchee, Vieux Grand Port): Situated in
the south-east of the island, near Mahebourg, in the heart
of abundant greenery, Le Domaine du Chasseur covers about
1,950 acres. It is also an exciting natural hunting ground
with its herds of some 1,000 deer and hundreds of wild
boar. Lovers of leafy walks can chose between 5 and 15
kms long, allowing them to admire rare kinds of trees
and protected species, such as the famous windhover kestrel.
A panoramic restaurant with a very good typically Mauritian
menu completes the attractions of this unusual trip, which
has become a must for hunters, walkers and... gourmets.
Le Val Nature 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.
The Well-known Creole
Houses: Chateau de Labourdonnais: Privately-owned
colonial house dated circa 1850, down the road from Belle-Vue
Mauricia to Forbach, Goodlands.
Chateau Bel-Ombre: Private property, dated 1776, part
of the Bel-Ombre Sugar Estate, in the south-west coast
of the island.
Chateau de Mon-Plaisir: Built in 1735 by Mahe de Labourdonnais
and around which the Pamplemousses gardens were created.
Chateau du Reduit: Built in 1778, actual residence
of the President of the Republic of Mauritius, situated
in the Reduit area. Can be visited once a year.
Chateau de Villebague: Built in 1740, house of Mahe
de Labourdonnais. Now private property, on the road
through La Nicoliere and to Grande Rosalie.
Eureka: Colonial house built in 1830 at Moka, on the
road from Port-Louis to Curepipe through Montagne-Ory.
Now a museum.
Riche-en-Eau: Colonial house, part of the Riche-en-Eau
Sugar Estate. This is where the TV series "Paul
& Virgine" was shot. Now a private property.
Situated on the road to Mahebourg through Deux-Bras.
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!
Trou aux Cerfs:
Possibly the main attraction of Curepipe for tourists,
apart from the shopping, is the Trou aux Cerfs crater.
It's been extinct for a long time and the crater floor
is now heavily wooded, but the crater affords lovely views
around the island. A tarred road leads gently up to and
around the rim. There are benches for rest and reflection,
and a radar station for keeping an electronic eye on cyclone
activity.
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