MAURITIUS

It's a pleasure

Welcome to Mauritius

Mark Twain once wrote that ‘Mauritius was made first and then heaven, heaven being copied after Mauritius’. For the most part, it’s true: Mauritius is rightly famed for its sapphire waters, powder-white beaches, and luxury resorts. But there’s so much more attraction to Mauritius than the beach, and it's the kind of place that rewards even the smallest attempts at exploration.

THE AREA

Mauritius’ mild tropical climate – with over 300 days of sunshine a year– gives the destination its year-round appeal. Located in the southern hemisphere, the summer and winter months in Mauritius are opposite to the seasons in Europe. The peak summer season runs from October to May and winter runs from June to September.

RESTAURANTS AND CUISINE

The Mauritian culinary scene offers everything from Michelin-star chefs, to fine dining to enticing roadside snacks sold by street food vendors. The delicate ‘heart of palm’ salad is famous in Mauritius and something to try if your budget allows. Cultural festivals, such as the Chinatown Festival, are known to attract thousands of Mauritians for their food offerings.

Traditional local restaurants offer a dizzying variety of tasty, typical Mauritian dishes, reflecting the islands’ French, Indian, African and Chinese heritage. Alongside the curries, briani and vindaye (fish or meat coated in turmeric, ginger, chili, and mustard seeds), look out for Creole-style rouille (fish or meat in a spicy tomato sauce with thyme and chili), Chinese inspired bol renverse (or upside-down dish) and French-style meat stew or daube. Accompany it with a local Phoenix beer – or healthy Citronelle – water spiced with lemongrass and ginger - and a homemade Rhum arrangé digestive, flavored with coconut or chili.

A street food tour of the capital, Port Louis – listed among the top ten cities in the world for street food by The Telegraph – is a must for foodies. Sample the ubiquitous street food: dholl puris, samosas, gateaux arouille and gateaux piments both on and off the streets of Mauritius, in the many small restaurants and takeaways (“snacks”). Visitors will soon learn that eating is extremely popular among the local population.

Activities in Mauritius

THE WEST

Mauritius' western coast and hinterland is the nation's most diverse region. Underwater diving treasures lie just off the bustling tourist hub of Flic en Flac, and further south is the sandy bays and mountainous backdrops of Black River (Rivière Noire) and Tamarin.

RODRIGUES

Blissfully isolated more than 600km northeast of the mainland, this tiny volcanic outcrop surrounded by a massive turquoise lagoon is a stunning mountainous gem that barely feels connected to its big sister, Mauritius, let alone the wider world.

CHAMAREL

Known throughout the island for its hushed, bucolic vibe, cool breezes and world-class rum, Chamarel is a wonderful mountain hamlet and an alternative to coastal Mauritius and all those beaches. The town has an excellent culinary scene that's worth crossing the island for, it's home to the famous Terres de 7 Couleurs and Rhumerie de Chamarel, and it's the western gateway to Black River Gorges National Park and the precipitous Chamarel Waterfall.

ÎLE AUX AIGRETTES

This popular ecotourism destination is a 26-hectare nature reserve on an island roughly 800m off the coast. It preserves very rare remnants of the coastal forests of Mauritius and provides a sanctuary for a range of endemic and endangered wildlife species.

THE EAST

Known by the rather romantic sobriquet La Côte Sauvage (The Wild Coast), the island's east coast is a world away from the touts, nightclubs and souvenir shacks of Flic en Flac in the west and Grand Baie in the north. It does have its resorts, but the eastern face of Mauritius feels blissfully untouched by mass tourism. Best of all, some of the island's very best beaches line this quiet coast.

SIR SEEWOOSAGUR RAMGOOLAM BOTANICAL GARDEN

After London's Kew Gardens the SSR Gardens is one of the world's best botanical gardens. It's among the most popular tourist attractions in Mauritius and easily reached from almost anywhere on the island. Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens.

EUREKA

If you're only going to visit one attraction related to Mauritius' rich colonial history, choose Eureka. This perfectly preserved Creole mansion was built in the 1830s and today it's a museum and veritable time machine providing incredible insight into the island's vibrant plantation past.

BLACK RIVER GORGES NATIONAL PARK

Mauritius' biggest and best national park is a wild expanse of rolling hills and thick forest covering roughly 2% of the island's surface. It's difficult to overstate the importance of this park – it's the last stand for Mauritian forests and many native species. It's also the most spectacular corner of the island, so if you make only one day trip from the coast, make it here, perhaps combining it with Chamarel.

GRAND BAIE

Grand Baie has all the vices and virtues of beach resorts the world over. The virtues include good accommodation, bars and restaurants, while the vices can be found in water frontages consumed by concrete and touts, although the latter, in true Mauritian style, nudge rather than push. To escape the downtown scene, head for charming and quiet Pointe aux Canonniers.

Travel to Mauritius

AIRPORTS

International flights arrive at Male's Hulhule airport, which is on an island of its own, transfers from the airport to your resort island are either by boat, seaplane or domestic flight, depending on the distance.