PLACES OF INTEREST
FUN THINGS TO DO T
Although celebrated for its beautiful beaches, Mauritius has plenty of natural, cultural and man-made attractions to explore beyond its sandy shores
he capital Port Louis in the north, is on everyone’s hit list. It has the best shopping on
the island at the Caudan Waterfront, the Blue Penny Museum, home to the world’s rarest stamp and a dodo skeleton in The Natural History Museum. A view of the world’s religions existing in harmony can be had from the citadel, a good place to catch the sunset. Beyond the bustle of Grand Baie, the main tourist centre, is the red-roofed
“We fi nd that many of our customers travel to Mauritius to take advantage of the excellent championship golf courses that the country has to offer. The optional full-day excursion
to the Ile aux Cerfs also proves to be very popular.” BEN AXELSEN, PRODUCT EXECUTIVE FOR COSMOS DISTANT DREAMS
church at Cap Malheureux, the island’s northernmost tip, with a stunning view of the northern islands. Other northern attractions include the pretty Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens, with its world-famous collection of indigenous and exotic plants and L’Aventure du Sucre, an interactive museum which, by following the story of sugar, takes visitors through Mauritius’ fascinating history.
The newly-opened Chateau de Labourdonnais in the northeast vies for top French colonial mansion with the striking Eureka, in the west, with 109 doors and a pretty mountain backdrop. Also in the west is Casela Nature & Leisure Park, which houses Mauritius’ largest collection of rare birds. A highlight here is walking with and even petting, lions in the wild on the Lion Encounter. At animal breeding park, Les Vanille Reserve des Mascareignes, in the southeast, children can hold a baby Aldabra tortoise, or even a crocodile. Everyone loves Île aux Cerfs, a tiny, sandy island on the glamorous east coast with water sports for teenagers, a pirate boat for youngsters, and a gourmet lunch or golf for adults. In the interior, Black River Peak
in Black River Gorges National Park on Plaine Champagne is a popular viewpoint. Nearby is the crater lake of Grand Bassin sacred to Mauritian Hindus, and the unusual coloured earths of Chamarel. A drive south reveals Mauritius’ wild side. The huge rock of Le Morne
www.mauritiustourism.co.uk
Brabant looms in the southwest, pounding surf on basalt rocks at Gris Gris and in the far southeast, the characterful and historic town of Mahebourg, where the the Dutch fi rst landed and the British battled the French for Mauritius.
THE TOP TEN
• Take a trip to Ile aux Cerfs • Take a drive along the wild south coast to Gris Gris
• Casela Nature & Leisure Park • Visit the sacred Hindu lake of Grand Bassin
• Try eco-adventure on a sugar estate, like Domaine L’Etoile
• Get a bird’s eye view on a helicopter ride
• Explore Port Louis • Take a walk through Black River Gorges National Park
• See the coloured earth at Chamarel
• Visit colonial houses Eureka or Chateau de Labourdonnais
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