Mauritius is an island I whole heartedly fell in love with and spent the most incredible 8 days on. It is just so beautiful, has wonderful palm fringed scenery everywhere you look, and absolutely gorgeous beaches.
It is the perfect place for a honeymoon, or simply to escape to paradise, but the best part about Mauritius is there is so much to do and so much to see. I can’t believe it has taken me this long to visit Mauritius, having been born in the Indian Ocean coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya. It is a place I will definitely go back to that is for sure.
An island where the primary language is French, although everyone does speak excellent English, there are hints of the old British rule in aspects such as the side of the road they drive on and the colonial style architecture still present in some parts of the island. The majority of the residents are of ancestral Indian heritage though but they have been in Mauritius for so many generations that they consider it home.
I can totally relate to this being a third generation Kenyan with Indian heritage. For me home is Kenya and always will be.
We did spend some days totally relaxing on the lush beaches with a cocktail and a good book, or cooling off in the pool, but we also spent some very memorable days exploring the island. Here are some of the highlights of our trips, and activities we chose to do.
Le Morne
Now ahistorical world heritage site, Le Morne mountain, which is 550 metres high is a majestic mountain that stands as a cathedral for freedom, as it was where many runaway slaves sought refuge and hid. As the tale goes, the day that slavery got abolished, some slaves hadn’t heard about it yet and thought that some soldiers they sighted on the mountain, who were actually coming to give good news were actually dangerous and so they jumped to their deaths to avoid being captured.
You can see Le Morne from various points of the island, but you can also go up it! We didn’t but we have friends who did and said the views were spectacular.
Tea factory tour and tea tasting at Bois Cheri Tea Plantation
Bois Cheri Tea is one of the major tea brands in Mauritius with lots of history and heritage behind it, having been in production since 1892. It was established by Messrs Bour and Le Breton, and the 250 hectares of land now produce up to 700 tonnes of tea every year, 25% of which is reserved for exportation.
It is also one of the few tea plantations where you can visit for a couple of hours, see how tea is processed and packed, as well as spend some time in the museum. You also have the opportunity to go for a tea tasting and try the different variations of Bois Cheri Tea.
The tea tasting experience is made even more special with the view and it is seriously a must do if you are visiting Mauritius.
Grand Bassin – Ganga Talao
Another scenic and beautiful place is Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao), where you will find a natural lake within an extinct volcano crater. According to mythology, the water here is linked to the sacred Ganges river in India.
Many Hindus visit here and it is considered that taking a dip in this lake during the Shivratri festival is auspicious. Here you will also find a famous Hindu Temple with beautiful statues standing tall from the lake, and stunning views. You can go inside the temple for blessings and it is really worth visiting to see the architecture and the gorgeous statues.
At the northern side of the lake stands a 108 feet tall statue of Lord Shiva, which is the second largest statue of Lord Shiva in the world.
Chamarel Waterfall
The Chamarel waterfall is just breathtaking. 83 metres tall and formed by the River St. Denis, this is a site not to be missed. Surrounding the waterfall is lush green vegetation of the Black River National Park. You can get two different views of the waterfall and both are amazing. The steps to go up to the second view are a little uneven so make sure you have flat shoes!
Chamarel and the seven coloured sand
Within Chamarel, which is a small village in Mauritius is the unique seven colours sand. These were formed naturally and have hues of colours, ranging from yellow, red, brown, violet, purple, green and even blue. As you walk around the area you can get diverse views of the sand, as well as one from an observation deck.
At Chamarel, they also have giant tortoises and they are just adorable!
A BBQ on a Catamaran
One of the coolest BBQs I have ever attended was right out at sea on board a Catamaran as part of a day trip. Seriously the best BBQ I have ever experienced.
We decided to take the Catamaran cruise to the south west of the island and our first stop was watching dolphins swimming and jumping out of the water. It was just amazing!
We then went snorkelling, had our BBQ lunch on deck and then went onto a smaller boat around crystal rock and then on to Benitiers Island, which has beautiful white sandy beaches. We spend a bit of time looking at the souvenirs and swimming in the sea.
The day trip was so worth it. We had such a brilliant time and you just got such amazing views of the island from the Catamaran, especially of Le Morne.
A foodie tour in Port Louis and eating the famous Dholl Puri with Alouda
I was lucky enough to have met my fellow blogger friend and Mauritian Anu from Peachy Tales for a day touring Port Louis and she took me to eat, what can be considered one of the most popular dishes in Mauritius – a dholl puri. This is a cross between a parantha and dal kachori and is a flat bread stuffed with ground yellow split peas.
We enjoyed the dholl puri with a very refreshing and delicious alouda from Pillay, which is similar to falooda and oh so delicious!
Located within a food market, it was fascinating to see all the fresh vegetables and fruits, and food for sale within the market. Interesting spots included Nan Khatai, which I grew up with in Kenya, so was good to see it in Mauritius too.
Guava and green chilli
As we were walking around Port Louis, Anu got us to try the guava which was in season, which are so different to the guava I am familiar with.
These were eaten with dried green chilli, salt and sufar mix which was rather addictive. So if you are walking around Port Louis and spot a vendor selling this on the corner of the street get some!
Sugarcane juice
Mauritius has an abundant supply of sugar cane due to the sugar cane fields visible throughout the island. If you get a chance, definitely drink some sugar cane juice as it is so refreshing and delicious.
Coconuts
If you spot fresh coconuts, eating the flesh and drinking the water is a must too. They hydrate so well and are so lush.
Beaches
Make the most of the picture perfect beaches and temperatures as they are simply stunning. A slice of paradise! The beaches on the south of the island are amazing but all over the island they are really beautiful.
Some tips:
- The easiest way to get around is taxi, but it can be quite expensive so it is better to hire a taxi for a day and try and get as much sightseeing as possible within the day. For example, in one day we managed to go to the temple, chamarel, Casela and Bois Cheri. We then spent separate days at Port Louis and on our catamaran trip.
- Always carry a hat, a bottle of water and sunscreen as the sun can get very intense.
- If you go to your hotel with a taxi when you arrive in Mauritius, you can negotiate a cheaper rate for the return journey with the driver so make sure you take their business card.
- Do wander around outside your hotel and in to other hotels to eat in order to experience different food.
Tanja says
it looks divine:)
Binny says
It was gorgeous 🙂 xxxx
Jaini says
Hey Binny 🙂 love the new blog theme! I just want to inquire if the animals are treated humanely because most places drug or scare the wild animals to make them tame enough to interact with humans. But otherwise, it’s a comprehensive list! Well done x
Binny says
Hey hun they are treated so well. No drugs or sedation the way they handle it is only allow interactions in small groups in the morning and in the afternoon the cubs spend time with their mum. I was concerned about that too before I went but was glad to find that they are really good with them. One cub was a little naughty and wild that day so they let him play on one side of the enclosure by himself and didn’t force him at all. They also have lots of space and amenities which is good xx
Jaini says
Ah nice. I was never that interested in all that but now I’m trying to be more animal and environmentally involved.
Binny says
Yes especially when you see what they do to the Tigers and Elephants in Asia at these attractions xx
Jaini says
Oh I absolutely know what you mean. I went to this Tiger Zoo in Thailand that the travel agent there really sold to us. But I saw them whip the tigers and force them through rings of fire, and the tigers seemed drowsy. I really regretted that decision, and since then, I’ve tried to be more aware of which animal attraction I want to support.
Jaime @angloyankophile says
so beautiful, binny! it looks like paradise. xx
Binny says
Aww thanks hun it was so lovely xxx
Binny says
Awww so glad it did hun. I would love to go back again it was so beautiful. The french accent totally confused me on the first day lol