Mauritius Destination Guide
The volcanic island of Mauritius is a lush green haven of incomparable beauty, featuring some truly outstanding beaches, a first class cuisine and a year round warm climate to add to its stunning array of underwater coral reefs. There are some great opportunities to take advantage of these through numerous dive and snorkeling sites, and people travel from all over the world to do just this. Mauritius though is far more than just coral reefs and beautiful beaches. The island holds a universal appeal due to its vast array of scenic and historical tours, blended cultures, rugged coastlines, excellent golf courses, deep sea fishing and diverse water sports.
Mauritius Attractions
Mauritius is best for beaches! Ile aux Cerfs is possibly the most beautiful beach on Mauritius, it's a tiny island perched on the Indian Ocean and is water sports enthusiasts' paradise. It's also a popular attraction for daytime relaxation, swimming and snorkelling. If you prefer your activities a little more rustic, try an afternoon perusing the diverse stalls of Flacq Market in the east of the island. Here, you may find there are some real bargains to be found! Venture to the Dutch Ruins in the south, where you'll find some important Mauritian history displayed through the various artefacts at Vieux Grand Port. Don't forget Port Louis, the island's capital. This is an attractive, old world market town with picturesque harbour where you can enjoy a traditional Creole lunch overlooking the boats. The 90m high Chamarel waterfall and the 7 coloured earth to the south west of the island are also visual treats not to be missed.
Casela Nature & Leisure Park
Casela Nature & Leisure Park is in the west of Mauritius between Flic en flac and Tamarin and covers 14 hectares and homes lions, giant tortoises, monkeys and a tiger and nearly 1500 birds; there is an endemic dry forest containing old trees such as the Black Ebony and a variety of fun activities for all age groups. Within the park is also a safari park with further animals such as zebra, ostriches, Antelope and other animals in their natural environment. The park is open every day (except Christmas day & New Year’s day) from 09.00 to 17.00/18.00. Admission is approximately £8 for adults and £5 for children. Guests may choose to simply visit and walk around or take one of the excursions such as the Photo Safari in a 10 or 30 seat safari vehicle enabling you to view deer, zebras, ostriches, Antelope and other animals in their natural environment. For the more energetic or thrill seekers there are a several activities such as Ziplines (from £26 per hour or £57 for a full day) Via Ferrata (£45 half day or £56 full day), Canyoning (£54 half day or £67 full day), Quad/Buggy swim & Picnic (£130, Safari on tram £9 adults & £6 children) Quad biking/Buggy per hour (£52 single or £42 double) Segway (£30 per hour). Lions are a major attraction please see walking with lions below. For younger children there is a petting farm with rabbits, wallabies, fawns ducks etc. and for your refreshment you will find a full service restaurant. (all prices are approximate)
Walking with Lions
If you wonder at the beauty of these amazing creatures then Safari Adventures Mauritius brings you the opportunity to not only view and interact with lions but actually join them for a walk. The lions have been brought from Africa after being abandoned by their mothers and have been hand reared so although not tame as such they are used to having humans around them. Your walk will include following the lions on a walk along the banks of Riviere du Rempart, stopping for photos and actually petting the lions briefly too. Viewing lions is £3, interaction is £12 and walking with lions is £65 (all prices approximate)
Mauritius Excursions
Mauritius excursions can be arranged for visits to key attractions in all corners of Mauritius, where you can enjoy a wealth of nature parks, museums, shopping, naval ports, waterfalls and historical places of interest. Just some of the many Mauritius excursions include:
Ile De Deux CocosRising just a few feet out of the crystal clear water at Blue Bay National Marine Park in the south east corner of Mauritius is the beautiful Coconut Island. Enjoy an amazing trip here on a glass bottomed boat where you'll be served a superb Mauritian lunch. Trip includes the whole afternoon to enjoy the beaches on the island or take a session of snorkelling in the waters.
Domaine de l'Etoile Mauritius excursions don't come much better than this. Quad biking across a 5000 acre nature reserve! The guided tour itself lasts for around 3 hours and you can expect to see magnificent viewpoints over Mauritius, including coffee and vanilla plantations, deer reserves, rare endemic birds and other sites of historical interest. A delicious lunch overlooking the serene Grand Riviere Sud Est is included in this fabulous full day excursion.
Dolphin Cruise Enjoy a day's cruising aboard the luxurious O'Plezir boat in the hope of catching a glimpse of the indigenous Spinner dolphins. You'll sail north towards the magnificent coastline which boast the highest mountains on the island. During your cruise you will be served a delicious barbeque with salads and drinks, and later on in the day the boat will anchor close to a coral reef where you can swim and snorkel in the shallow waters.
Mauritius Shopping
Mauritius is well known for featuring good shopping outlets where you can pick up anything from models of old ships to leading brands of shirts, trousers and suits.Textiles production is a booming business on these shores, meaning that good bargains can be found on items such as shorts, swimwear and any of the above. You'll also find an array of pottery, embroidery, basketwork and cut stones through differing large scale and smaller independent stores. Vanilla tea and rum make for good locally produced presents. Location wise the best shops on Mauritius are located at Grand Bay in the north, although you'll find smatterings of shops all over Mauritius, most notably at Pereybere, also in the north.
Mauritius Restaurants
North of the island you should venture to Grand Bay for an array of traditional restaurants serving Creole and Mediterranean food. The nearby Pereybere beach is also a popular choice for a night out, and features a range of bars and restaurants dotted along the coastline. If you are based in the south of the island, there is a lovely restaurant at Domaine du Chassuer, which specializes in superb venison and seafood platters with a panoramic sea view backdrop. Hotel wise you will find an amazing range of superb restaurants to choose from. Why not try Three-Nine-Eight restaurant at Le Touessrok, where there are nine different cuisines available from eight open kitchens. This three level restaurant is the perfect place to unwind, perhaps after a round of golf at the hotel's championship golf course.
Mauritius Bars & Nightlife
Grand Bay features a range of restaurants, bars and discos for a fun filled night out, and this is the main hub for Mauritians wishing to have something resembling a party atmosphere. La Cuvette beach has also recently undergone a major renovation programme and you will find pubs and eateries here also. The bars at Pereybere run along the beachfront and offer a laid back and casual ambience with an attractive Indian Ocean backdrop. Bars within the hotels featured by Destinology range from the distinctly refined, such as the Golf Clubhouse at Anahita World Class Sanctuary, to the superb bar and casino at One&Only Le Saint Geran.
Mauritius Family Attractions
The Leisure Village Waterpark on the east of the island offers a great, family orientated day out where you can slide down giant water chutes, and swim to your heart is content. This is an aquatic experience to savour and is located in Belle Mare on the east side of the island. For a more educational day out try L'Aventure du Sucre, a fantastic modern interactive museum set on the site of a sugar mill. Or take a trip to the north of the island to The Labourdonnais Orchards and discover a wide variety of tropical fruit trees, colourful and perfumed exotic flowers and rolling green hills. This is a perfect location for mountain biking for the whole family. Children will also love Ile aux Aigrettes, a nature park in South East Mauritius where you can see kestrel and the indigenous pink pigeon and the Aldabra giant tortoise.
Other Mauritius Travel Information
Currency: Mauritian Rupee (MUR). This is divided into 100 cents.
Language: English is the official language, although Creole and French are more widely used
Flight time: London – Mauritius: 12hrs approximately
Time difference: GMT+4 hrs
Voltage: 220/240v throughout the island. Most power sockets use the 3 pin plug, although French 2 pin plugs are also used throughout the island.