General: Mauritius

Lost in the vast Indian Ocean, upon the Northern side of the Tropic of Capricorn lies a tiny, sun-kissed volcanic island that has marked its place among the world’s favourite romantic destination. The Republic of Mauritius is legendary for the white beaches, blue lagoons, lush greenery, wide spreads of sugar cane fields, and wonderful flea markets. In brief, this is the ultimate holiday destination for every age and tastes. Whether it is a romantic ...
...even wonderful bargains on tons of pretty stuff, this is the one place you will get it all.


The reason why I am sounding like an over-enthusiastic TV advert is because I visited this island and it was love at first sight. Since it is very small Island with an area of 1,860 square kilometres only (781 square miles), the beaches are accessible at every corner. Transportation is hence easy by rental cars, bus or taxi service. ... more

Lost in the vast Indian Ocean, upon the Northern side of the Tropic of Capricorn lies a tiny, sun-kissed volcanic island that has marked its place among the world’s favourite romantic destination. The Republic of Mauritius is legendary for the white beaches, blue lagoons, lush greenery, wide spreads of sugar cane fields, and wonderful flea markets. In brief, this is the ultimate holiday destination for every age and tastes. Whether it is a romantic get-away you are looking for, or wonderful mountain air, or even wonderful bargains on tons of pretty stuff, this is the one place you will get it all.

The reason why I am sounding like an over-enthusiastic TV advert is because I visited this island and it was love at first sight. Since it is very small Island with an area of 1,860 square kilometres only (781 square miles), the beaches are accessible at every corner. Transportation is hence easy by rental cars, bus or taxi service. I went with a group of friends and we stayed for 3 weeks at a hotel at Trou aux Biches (North of the Island). My first impression of Mauritius was ‘So THAT is why they call it the Key and the Star of the Indian Ocean!’

SHOPPING:

-PORT LOUIS MARKET
Being an incorrigible shop-alcoholic, I was delighted by the incredible bargains I got in Port-Louis, the business and shopping capital of the island. I must admit that the heat and the sun were quite intense, but worked wonders for my tan! My faithful shopping sidekick accompanied me and we started by an energy-boosting MacDonald's sundae and then walked straight to Port-Louis famous marketplace. The thing about Port Louis is that there are hawkers with every single step you take: From clothes, to electrical appliances, to shoes, tongs, shawls, food, and fruits of every kind, one will be out of things to buy over there. By the time we reached the popular open-air market, our arms were already full of shopping bags.

The marketplace is quite simply outstanding! We were first greeted by the exotic smell of various local spices: vanilla sticks, cardamom, turmeric powder, cumin, coriander leaves, various types of curry powder, as well as different typical Mauritian kitchen leaves such as ‘cari poulet’. After much haggling (the prices were extremely low but it's such fun to haggle!), we were starting to think that we would need a tow truck to help us with our groceries and various articles. We then started to plough deeper into the busy, noisy, smelly, but oh-so-incredible market and stared, stunned at the exquisite pieces of island jewellery. Necklaces, exotic rings, earrings and bangles made up of re-formed coral dust, onyx, wood or even bamboo! Not to mention the typical straw hats and colourful shirts and souvenirs which we greedily gobbled up as pressies for our loved ones back home.

-LE CAUDAN WATERFRONT
In the very heart of Port-Louis, there is also the Caudan Waterfront, a waterfront open air mall and leisure centre, containing two food courts, lots of restaurants, bars, wine and sushi bars. The shops are mainly international branded shops- so it was kind of expensive, especially after the great bargains we fond at the market. Oh, did I mention that the waterfront also hosts the Labourdonnais Hotel. At around £107 per night, I would not really consider it value for money, since the hotel we were at was around £71, swimming pool, gym and spa included. We had a sneaky peek inside though, and I have to admit: It’s gorgeous! Bit beyond our budget though! We were also fascinated by a nice craft market, where you can actually see the people creating their jewelely, portraits, sculptures or other goodies! Caudan Waterfront also contains two cinema halls, and two game arcades. I also personally liked the wonderful marina/harbor view which stretched out for miles and miles into the ocean. That was where I decided that I would not be leaving Mauritius without at least a handful of cruise memories to bring back home!

-PHOENIX LES HALLES (situated at Phoenix, district of Plaines Wilhems, centre of Island)
From what my Mauritian friends told me, this mall is quite new and was previously a toys store. I was pleasantly surprised by the funky design of the mall as well as the numerous shop it offered. I was, though, slightly disappointed by the familiar European brands of the shops. I have to admit that I was looking forward to typical Mauritian labels and brands, but Phoenix Les Halls seems to contain more international/European brands than local ones. Oh well! At least, I got amazing prices at Mr Price and André, Mailes Street, and other shops. The mall contains one supermarket, a beauty parlour, a makeup/beauty store, one or two toy stores, one electronics shop, two handbag/shoes shops, one jewellery shop (Mikado), one Italian grocery and the rest are all clothes stores (much to my personal delight). There is also one food court, with the usual multi cultural cuisine. The only thing which I would reproach this Mall is that it is certainly not easy to get around and we got lost several times! There were not many maps, but we were thankful to the friendly security guards who helped us out.

-SCORE JUMBO (PHOENIX)
This one is an open-air mall which is situated just a couple of minutes from Phoenix Les Halles. It boasts mainly of a huge supermarket where you can find everything from clothes, jewellery, groceries, pastries, books, postcards, electronic appliances and even refrigerators, (among millions of articles). Outside the supermarket, though, you can always find some other shops such as an art store, a pharmacy, a nice DVD shop/rental, an absolutely stunning Saree and Indian Jewellery shop, an artisan's, sweater, shoes electronic appliances shop, as well as Courts- the island’s main furniture shop. Along with the food court, the complex also holds a swimwear store, a bank and two beauty salons. Score Jumbo remains my personal favourite shopping destination on the island. It seems to be the personal favourite of many Mauritians too, because I was there five times, and all five times, the supermarket was always filled with locals. The prices are extremely affordable for both locals and tourists. Moreover, this place holds a certain quiet charm to it and hence attracts shopaholics like myself via magnetic force!

-SUPER U GRAND BAY
Situated near the north coast of the island (not far from our hotel), Super U seems to be a major tourist attraction. Dress code for this mall seems to be informal and exotic. This is the one place where you can get to meet tourists from all over the world in typical tourist gear: cameras slung over necks, colorful shirts or skirts, hat, backpacks, and many were simply clad in shirt-covered swimsuits. This mall was an open air one, quite similar to Score Jumbo, but the atmosphere was more touristy and lively. In addition to Score Jumbo, this place had its own cyber cafe, craft market and more entertainment for children. However, the interior of the vast supermarket was quite the same to Score Jumbo- the prices, though, seem to be slightly higher.

-OPEN AIR MARKETS
Open air markets are a favourite among both tourists and locals. One of my Mauritian friends told me that these markets are commonly known as ‘La Foire’, and these are the perfect bargain spot for clothes. Open air clothes market are found nearly everywhere on the island. My favourite ones (excluding the legendary Port-Louis market), was the Quatres-Bornes market (centre of the island), Flacq market (East), and Mahebourg market (South East). Once again, I was completely mesmerized by the prices and rare clothes/pieces of jewellery that I managed to get at bargain prices.

ENTERTAINMENT:

- CATAMARAN CRUISES
You have to know that one of the reasons I was eager to explore Mauritius is because along with being a shopalcoholic, I also happen to be completely addicted to the sea. There is nothing which will ever equal the sensation of being surrounded by open water during my catamaran cruises/ mini shipboard cruises in Mauritius. The first cruise I went to was a mini cruise around the North of the Island upon the M/S Mauritius Pride, a cargo/passenger ship. Mauritius is surrounded by tiny islets. These were what we explored on this particular cruise. We reached the dock at 7.30am as instructed (yawn yawn), proceeded through the customs and terminals, and finally boarded the ship at 8am. The ship cruised around all the tiny islets in the north (with helpful commentaries from the guide), and the top deck was filled with music, karaoke, dance and other animations. We started to feel drowsy during the afternoon, so we went back to the cabin for a little nap. I, of course, could not sleep, so I left my sleeping friends and climbed to the second deck. That was when I fell in love with cruises and open water. It was an amazing experience- my very first experience at being surrounded by open water. I would describe it was a romantic, exhilarating and liberating experience. Liberating because nothing on earth can, according to me, equal to the sensation of being surrounded by open sea. I must give snaps to the Indian Ocean for the wonderful, amazing, out-of-this world, sometimes turquoise, sometimes deep blue water. We went back to dock at 4pm in the afternoon, and I have to admit that I felt a painful tug at my heart while leaving the ship. Which was why, to cheer me up, my friends organized another cruise for me, but this time, it would be quite different on a catamaran!

Did I mention that I do like the sensation of open water, but ONLY when I am safety aboard a huge ship like the M/S Mauritius Pride? I was apprehensive when we all decided to go on a catamaran cruise around the west coast of Mauritius; the coast which is reputed for both sharks (fortunately very rare) and dolphins. I’ve never been on a catamaran before but pictures of it did not really wash my fears away: a small square thingy with a few strands of rope preventing us from being projected into the water. My sense of adventure won, though, and in the end, I was glad that I went. The catamaran cruise, was even more memorable than my first cruise. If I enjoyed the sensation of open water upon the Mauritius Pride, then this one exceeded expectations! We boarded at 9 at Black River. The weather was fantastic, lots of sun which was glittering off a turquoise sea...well, you get the picture! In fact, the catamaran trip gave me a marvellous opportunity to work on my tan, something which I was not able to do within the shelter of the M/S Mauritius Pride. The program for the day was thus: Sail towards a dolphin spot for some dolphin watching, snorkel and swim in high sea, a delicious barbecued lunch (of garlic bread, pasta salad and various barbecued meat, chicken and sausages) on board, and finally, the highlight of the day: Sail towards a magnificent coral rock formation in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Called “La Roche Corail” by locals, it is most definitely a sight to see! I enjoyed climbing on the rock and diving off it. It was certainly something out of a movie! The rock is found in front of another islet called ‘Ile aux Benitiers’. We climbed into a smaller boat which was being tugged along by the catamaran and sailed towards the little island. I was astonished to see that despite the fact that no one lived on this island, there were some hawkers loitering around the white sand! After a chat with one of the hawkers (who was selling cinnamon and vanilla sticks), I learned that many of them boat from Mauritius to Ile aux Benitiers early morning, sell their stuff to tourists and then leave late afternoon. I also learned that they were the one who built some fantastic wooden shelters on the beach to protect both tourists and locals from the sometimes scorching sun. I have to say that all Mauritians are extremely friendly and polite. I really enjoyed chatting to these sellers, as well as some of the Mauritians on the catamaran trip. I also have to mention, that we did see quite a few dolphins that day! They are so amazingly fast that I was not able to get pictures, but I was quite disappointed by their lack of domesticity; I was expecting Flipper but instead got poor scared dolphins who kept jumping away from the approaching catamarans. I have to admit that at one point I felt extremely sorry for them! Lots of boats kept closing in on the poor dolphins and it was quite obvious how scared they were! Luckily though, they were fast and swift enough to cleverly give us the slip! My favorite part of this trip was when it suddenly started to rain and rain and rain, and everyone rushed to the safety of the cabin, while I remained alone on deck. It was an extremely peaceful sensation: Despite being soaked to the skin, I remained standing on the slippery deck, watching the angry drops fall on the sea, and feeling the whipping wind on my face. For all the nature lovers out there, this is one experience that you cannot miss! Unfortunately, and Fortunately (for most of the group) , the rain stopped as quickly as it arrived. I guess that’s why we call it a tropical island! At £24 for the whole day- food, drinks, snorkelling gear included, I personally believe that it was worth every penny!

I can quite easily say that my catamaran trip was the highlight of my three-week stay in Mauritius. These are the sort of memories which will forever last! The last cruise I went on before leaving the island was yet another catamaran cruise, but this one was a sunset cruise. With nearly the same program, we boarded at 5pm and it lasted until 1am, with transportation taking us back to the hotel. Words will most certainly not do justice to the beauty of the setting sun over the Indian Ocean, to watching the Island of Mauritius from afar, its coasts and bays glittering with light at night. All I can say is that if you go to Mauritius, you absolutely have to make it a must to go on a sunset cruise. It is extremely easy to book catamaran cruises in Mauritius: since it is such a popular activity, a mere google search provides a list of companies and outings.

HIKING:
We went hiking once on Candos Hill, which was surisingly situated at the very centre of the Island, in one of the main towns called Quatres-Bornes. It took us 25 minutes to reach the top of the hill and be greeted by an amazing view of the island! We could even see to the sea, despite being at the very centre of Mauritius! The uphill hike was not so difficult, there is actually a trail for hikes, and from the number of locals who were there, it would seem that this hill serves as a health retreat for many! Bolder ones cycled uphill and huffed and puffed all the way.

GUAVA PICKING
One thing’s sure: Mauritians sure know how to have fun! When my friend suggested that we go guava picking at a spot called ‘Plaines Champagne’, I started to have visions of angry bees swarming around me. But it was completely fun! We drove to ‘Plaines Champagne’ and the first sight that greeted me was lots and lots of bushes and jungle trees. It was just afterwards that I noticed a thin hiking trail which lead towards bushes of delicious guavas. Our catamaran trip was just two days before and I was bewildered by the beauty of the island: After the picturesque white sand-turquoise sea sights, there I was, witnessing the lush greenery and mountains which depicted yet another facet of Mauritius’s renowned beauty. Guava picking was extremely fun and delicious! I think I ate much more of these ripe red fruits that I brought back to the hotel! As usual, we ended the day at the beach: In fact, there was a large green meadow at Plaines Champagne which opened directly to the sea. All roads lead to Rome you say? Well, the good thing about Mauritius is that all roads inevitably lead to the beach!

WATERPARK & CROCODILE PARK
We also went to two very fun, very different entertainment parks- Water Park and La Vanille Crocodile Park. The first one was a regular water park, with the usual slides and pools. The second one was absolutely extraordinary. We got to see real live crocodiles and alligators, as well as monster-sized tortoise, bats, eels, and many other fascinating creatures. The crocodiles were as scary as ever: At one particular moment during our trip, we were crossing a bridge and one of my friends cheekily told me to look down. I did and nearly fainted! Below us, lots of lazy, open-mouth crocodiles were staring at us, and I was sure I detected a glimmer of hunger in one of their eyes! Needless to say, I was the first one off the bridge! But there was really no need to worry, though- the place was really really high security and all the animals were extremely well-kept and fenced. Offside the park, there is also a huge stretch of land which served as habitat for deers. In addition, I loved the cute little souvenir shop which was found at the very entrance of the park. Entrance was around £4-£5 per adult- a fantastic bargain!

DOMAINE LES PAILLES
The Domaine Les Pailles is a leisure resort which is found nestled among hills and mountains of Port-Louis. It is an enormous park which contains the following:

-Casino
-Quad Biking
-Rum Distillery
-Sugar making demonstration (ancient method)
-Four Restaurants
-Swimming Pool
-Horseback Riding
-Garden of Spices
-Mini Golf
-Conference Centre
-Mini-Train Ride

The four restaurants in Domaine Les Pailles do reflect the multi-cultural aspect of the island. You have Indra (Indian- Arabic Cuisine), Fu Xiao (Chinese-Japanese), Dolce Vita (Italian) and Canelle (Creole Cuisine). Since we were in the mood for chinese, my cousin treated all of us at Fu Xiao. It is a nice restaurant done up with the typical earthly brown, red and gold Chinese decor. The classic palm trees greeted us at the entrance, and there was also a nice little veranda for those who want to chat or smoke outside. The meal was really extraordinarily delicious. We had Peking duck, traditional Chinese soup, battered calamari and chicken, fried rice, thin fried noodle called Meefoon, sweet-and-sour fish and tiger prawns in garlic butter. Yummy! As desert we all had traditional sago served with lots of cold milk. Needless to say, we needed a nice cup of Chinese tea to help us digest this feast! I managed to have a peek at the dinner bill which my cousin insisted on paying and it all rounded up to around £75- it does sound kind of expensive but it was for a table of four persons- meaning around £19 per person.

CUISINE AND EATING OUT
Eating out in Mauritius does not necessarily mean spending a colossal amount of money. The good thing about Mauritian cuisine is that, as mentioned above, the multicultural dimension of Mauritius is reflected through the various meals and dishes. While in Mauritius, we were particularly stunned by the way that food and dishes from all over the world could be found in such a tiny island. Be it Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, South Indian, North Indian, Pakistani, Arabic, French, British (yes, they do have fish and chips over there!), American, Mexican, Creole, Italian, or any other cuisine in the world- You may find it all in Mauritius. Not to mention the outstanding typical delicacies which you will NOT find in any other country because these are customized Mauritian creations! Here are some of my personal favourite Mauritian dishes (in their local names):

• Briyani: Seasoned rice cooked with meat, chicken or fish
• Boulettes: Steamed chicken/fish or calamari dumpling
• Roogaille chrevette: Dried spring prawns cooked in spicy tomato sauce
• Bouillon Crabe: Crab soup
• A typical Mauritian dinner- Cari Poule (chicken curry) with rice and salad
• Dholl Puri: Pancake stuffed with pulses
• Farata: Unleavened bread
• Poori: Fried unleavened bread
• Archard legumes: Mixed vegetable pickles
• Vindaye Poisson: Pickled fish with onion rings
• Gato Piment: Fried dumpling

In addition, we enjoyed eating out in some cheap but nice and most importantly clean restaurants/cafés. The prices vary but in most small cafés or low budget restaurants, a full meal with drinks can be at £3.5 maximum. We also enjoyed some local fresh fruits such as ripe mangoes and juicy litchis! Good things there are so many sports and activities to do over there to burn all the calories! You can also find the typical KFC's, Pizza Huts and Debonairs all over Mauritius. However, I was sad to see that there is no Starbucks and only one Macdonalds on the island.

NIGHTLIFE:
I unfortunately tired myself out so much during the day that I was not really able to enjoy Mauritian night life. I do know though, that they have cinemas, casinos, bars, pubs and nightclubs which remain open all night long. From what my Mauritian friends told me, Mauritius’ nightlife can mainly be enjoyed at Grand Bay, a central touristic spot found at the far north of the island.

ACCOMMODATION:
Accommodation is extremely easy and cheap in Mauritius. You have everything ranging from short-term bungalow/house rental, bed and breakfasts, guest houses, rental studios and hotels. We stayed in a small but cosy two-star hotel at Trou aux Biches. The prices were approximately £60 per night, but breakfast and dinner and certain sea sports (such as water-cycling and glass-bottom boat trips) were included. We stayed at this hotel for two weeks, then spent the remaining week in a rented bungalow at another sea-front bungalow at Flic-en-Flac beach. The bungalow was only £35 per night, swimming pool included. I would personally advice people to stay in bungalows instead of hotels- it is much cheaper and you can easily whip up your own meals! Grocery shops are found nearly everywhere on the island.

LINGUISTIC DIMENSION:
It is quite easy for many tourists to be able to talk and understand others in Mauritius because of the fact that the multicultural aspect of the island offers a lot of spoken languages. Locals are very fluent in English, French, Mauritian Creole, as well as in some oriental languages such as Hakka, Hindi, Urdu. Some people can also speak Italian.

CONCLUSION:
The only way that I can sum up my stay in that perfect piece of haven is just by saying that my holidays were absolutely perfect- the best one till far. It was not without a tear that I left Mauritius on a warm night. But I know that from now on, I will make it a must to visit that Island once every summer. Value for money? Well, with £1 equalling 56 Mauritian Rupees, I would say yes, it is a fantastic and memorable value for money. Most definitely a place to recommend!

(Thanks for reading! I know it was long but I just had so much to say! And sorry for poor quality of pictures- Blame Ciao, not me! ;p)

ps: also posted on dooyoo 

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