ISLAND ATTRACTIONS
Island attractions BEACH ALTERNATIVES
There’s plenty to see and do in Mauritius if you can tear yourself away from the sun-lounger for a few hours.
Top ten attractions
• Grand Baie • Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens • Ile aux Cerfs • Port Louis • Domaine de Bel Ombre • Domaine L’Etoile • Black River Gorges National Park • Colonial Houses Eureka and Chateau de Labourdonnais
• The wild south coast at Gris Gris • Grand Bassin
Mauritius became a duty free haven in 2010, and the MTPA launches the first Mauritius Shopping Fiesta from June 29 to August 5 2012 offering discounts at 10 shopping centres islandwide, and entertainment such as culinary tastings and sega shows. Details at
www.mauritiusshoppingfiesta.com.
MOST VISITORS make it to lively Grand Baie in the north, nicknamed ‘Le Trop’ for its great beaches, trendy shopping and apres-sol entertainment and to capital Port Louis (Por Loowee) to shop. Bargains include cashmere, jewellery and designer clothing at the Caudan Waterfront to local crafts – colourful baskets, Indian textiles and leatherwork – in the covered Central Market, along with street food. Cultural highlights include the world’s rarest stamp at the Blue Penny Museum, a dodo skeleton at the Natural History Museum and a stroll up Signal Mountain to catch the sunset. The island’s most visited
attraction is in the north – the 18th century Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens, with a pond of Amazon waterlilies at its centre. Nearby, the island’s multicultural history is explored through sugar at the modern interactive museum L’Aventure du Sucre. Situated in the Moka mountains, Eureka was once home to a sugar baron and with turreted windows and 109
The island of Mauritius offers a wealth of differing architectural styles reflecting its richly varied indigenous and colonial history
doors is the island’s most striking French colonial mansion. The most recently-opened is Chateau de Labourdonnais the home of the fi rst French governor of Mauritius. Monkeys dance along the railings
at the popular Black River Peak viewpoint, in Black River Gorges National Park at the island’s heart. Nearby, a 33ft statue of Shiva marks the entrance to the crater lake Grand Bassin, sacred to Mauritian Hindus and equally unusual are the seven coloured earths of Chamarel. Don’t miss the rum tastings at Rhumerie de Chamarel. Surf-sculpted basalt rocks can be seen at Gris Gris in the wilder south. In the southeast lies the characterful, historic town of Mahébourg, where the Dutch fi rst landed. Runaway slaves once hid in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Le Morne mountain on the unspoilt southwestern tip near
Domaine de Bel Ombre. Although Bel Ombre means ‘beautiful shadows’, this area is now in the limelight as the island’s newest tourist attraction.
“Bel Ombre in the southwest stretches from the mountains to the ocean and is a quieter part of Mauritius, offering a more authentic island experience, with typical fi shing villages, just three main hotels, and good nature walks.”
Louise Stanion, Product Manager - Africa, Cox & Kings
www.tourism-mauritius.mu
27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32