MAURITIUS
GEOGRAPHY
Located off the coast of the African continent, in the southwest Indian Ocean, Mauritius lies about 900 kilometers east of Madagascar. Officially it is known as the Republic of Mauritius and the republic includes the islands of Mauritius, St. Brandon, Rodrigues, and the Agalega islands.
Mauritius is part of the Mascarene Islands, together with Réunion and Rodrigues. A succession of undersea volcanic eruptions occurred 8-10 million years ago, as a result of which this archipelago was formed.
The country has a coastline of 330 kilometers and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs. It has 90 miles of white sandy beaches, a transparent lagoon and scattered throughout the country are mountains and tropical forests.
HISTORY
Inn 1507 the island was visited by Portuguese sailors, who left the island uninhabited but established a visiting base there. It was the Dutch, however, who established the first permanent settlement in Mauritius. In 1715, the island was finally seized by the French, who re-named it Île de France or the Isle of France. It was the French who established the first road and harbor infrastructure as well as a sugar industry in Mauritius. The island was captured by the British in 1810 by the treaty of Paris it was it was ceded to Great Britain along with its dependencies by 1814. The country re-gained its original name under the British rule and became independent in 1968.
CLIMATE
Mauritius is close to the tropic of Capricorn due to which the sun here stays longer at its highest point, than anywhere else. In the winter months, from May to October, the highest temperatures vary between 20 and 26 degree C. During the summer months, between Novembers to April, the temperatures vary between 26 and 32 degree C. Mauritius has a micro-climate- it may be raining heavily where you are and only a few kilometers away the sun may be shining brightly.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Mauritius is a multi-ethnic country with a population of 1.3 million, making it densely populated. The ethnic groups that inhabit the island are- Hindus, Creoles, Chinese and Europeans, who have preserved their ancestral cultures and live in complete harmony with each other.
The Mauritians are generally bilingual and speak French and English fluently. Creole too is widely spoken and oriental languages also form part of the linguistic mosaic.
This island nation is an authentic cosmopolitan country with most of its towns and villages having a Catholic church, a Muslim mosque, and a Hindu temple within walking distance from each other. You might even come across a Chinese pagoda nearby. A cemetery at Bambous, which is little known of, hosts a burial ground with a Muslim and a Jewish section as well!
CAPITAL AND MAJOR CITIES
The capital of Mauritius is Port Louis and it is also the economic and administrative capital of the country. Port Louis was the stopover for ships from Europe on their way to India, until 1860, when the Suez Canal was built. Mauritius has earned the title of 'Star and Key of the Indian Ocean due to the safety and activity of its capital Port Louis. The skyline of the capital city comprises high-rising towers competing with buildings from the colonial past.
Curepipe
This city stretches diagonally across the island from Port Louis, through Beau-Bassin, Rose-Hill, Quatre-Bornes, Vacoas and Phoenix. In the previous century, after inhabitants fled the malaria epidemics on the west coast for the healthier, if wetter, highlands, the city of Curepipe became a popular residential town. According to a fanciful etymology, travelers used to stop here to ‘cure’ their pipes and this earned the city its curious name!
Mahebourg
One of the foremost figures in the history of the Island, the French governor Mahe de Labourdonnais gave the city of Mahebourg its name. The richness of the historical past of the place is revealed by a visit to the Naval Museum. Mahebourg is the site of the port where the Dutch settlers disembarked, the first capital harbor of the island, and the theatre of the sole victory of the Napoleonic fleet over the British - an event commemorated by engravings in the Arc-de-Triomphe in Paris.
Grand Baie
This city owes its reputation to the captivating quality of its emerald waters and to its energy by day or by night.
Swimming, windsurfing, sailing and water skiing, deep sea angling, boat excursions to the islands to the north of Mauritius: Gunners' Quoin, Flat Island, Round Island, and Serpent Island. are some of the activities that one can enjoy here. In addition you can find a variety of fashion and craft shops, hotels, restaurants, and night-clubs.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Jardin Botanique de Pamplemousses
These gardens are reputed the world over among naturalists 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. In 1767, Pierre Poivre created this garden in the Estate of the French Governor Mahe de Labourdonnais.
Colored Earths of Chamarel
Chamarel has seven colored dunes believed to have resulted from the weathering of volcanic rocks.
The Bird Garden of Casela
The Casela Bird Park is set in a magnificent site between Bambous and Tamarin and hosts some 140 varieties of birds from around the world. The Mauritian Pink Pigeon, one of the rarest birds in the world, is the major attractions here.
Ile aux Cerfs
In the present times no cerfs or stags now remain on this small island which now belongs to Le Touessrok Sun Hotel and attracts large numbers of holiday-makers on the east coast. There is a boat house on the island where you can hire water skis, pedalos, sailboards, surfcats, Laser dinghies and canoes.
Tamarin Falls
For a beautiful, deep, cool bathe at the bottom of the series of seven falls, you wouldn’t mind reaching these rather awkward to reach falls.
KARTING
Kart Loisir has a splendid karting track of 7 acres and provides the most delightful karting and quad biking facilities.
There are numerous parks and an aquarium as well in the country and this island nation is a treasure house of natural wonders.
TRAVELING THE COUNTRY
Air
Connecting Plaisance Airport and Rodrigues, Air Mauritius operates daily flights. For sight seeing tours one can travel in the Air Mauritius Helicopter.
Road
A good network of paved, if sometimes narrow, roads cover the island and only one major highway runs north to south.
Taxis
A regulated and metered taxi service is available, which is linked to provinces or hotels, printed on a yellow panel on the drivers' door.
Car Hire
Major international and some independent car hire companies are present in the country.
ACCOMMODATION
Mauritius is one of the major tourist countries of the world and hence there are numerous hotels here, most of them hugging the coast. The facilities and service of these hotels is one of the best in the world.
For the budget traveler there are plenty of inexpensive accommodations available, like the family-run chambre d'hôtes, self-catering campements or weekend houses, beach bungalows and villas and lodges or even rental of colonial outhouses in the interior.
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