Mauritius: the Dodo's paradise

Welcome to Mauritius

We land at 9:30 in the morning with the Emirates flight coming from Dubai. At the airport, after the rapid disembarkation formalities, we find the car rental agent waiting for us to hand over the car booked from Italy. (One week 170 Euro). First stop the town of Mahebourg to go and buy the EMTEL USIM. Highly recommended, since it lets you call Italy on any number at 0.08 Euro/minute!!!!!!! Internet package 10 Euro/month!!!! We continue by car towards our destination, Belle Mare. It takes a bit of attention to get used to driving on the left and to the road and traffic conditions, which are not exactly optimal! But then, once you understand their NON rules, you can get around just fine! In Belle Mare we stayed at ASSO's. A celebrity in the area. He's a Mauritian who worked for many years in Italy and now runs this family-style place with all his family.

The place is small and simple but you really feel great there and it's very cheap for the wonderful treatment we received. Half board, including a rich and abundant aperitif! Everyone is always ready to make you a good coffee, to share a good local rum...it feels like being at an agriturismo among friends. Really lovely. He has essential services on the public beach of Belle Mare, sun loungers, umbrellas and a fridge bar that is always full! If you want, you can even have lunch on the beach..pasta, pizza, salad...whatever there is in the kitchen...you just agree on it!!! GREAT ASSO. After a bit of rest we spend the afternoon on the beach at Belle Mare, very beautiful and wild, frequented especially by locals. One of the best views. The evenings pass quietly with one chat after another with the other guests, emulating the simple things that characterise Mauritians.

In the evening you play dominoes, chat, sleep. There isn't much alternative...but for a week getting used to that lifestyle really puts you back in the world!

Exploring the NORTH

We begin our tour towards the north early in the morning with a first stop at the Sunday market of Centre de Flacq. The fruit market is very colourful and lively, but the rest too really lets you get close to the customs and habits of the locals. There are no other tourists and this adds even more charm to the chaos around us. We continue towards the Botanical Gardens of Pamplemousses, crossing the whole island from side to side and beginning to admire the breathtaking views that characterise the interior, the endless expanses of sugar cane, the life of the small towns we pass through. Pamplemousses is a true Eden and for a few euros you can be accompanied on the visit by an authorised guide. We continue to Mont Choisi, where we spend a few hours at the sea. We carry on with the visit of Grand Baie, Perybere, Cap Malhereux.

The little church on the sea is a place that conveys peace and serenity. The park around it is used by families for picnics and the nearby beach is delightful. We spend a few more hours near Grand Gaube, where we find a public beach that is hard to reach but truly wonderful. On the way back towards Belle Mare, we stop at Goodland to see the largest Tamil temple and also at Poudre D'or. The area around Grand Baie is undoubtedly more developed and prepared for tourism, the beaches very beautiful. Pamplemousses and Cap Malhereux are not to be missed.

Deer Island

Today a day by boat at Ile aux Cerfs. We go down along the east coast to Trou D'Eau Douce where we take the speedboat that will take us to the island. Along the way we skirt the beautiful beach of Palmar. The speedboat races among the mangroves, in a fairytale setting. Ile aux Cerfs is absolutely unmissable. A lagoon with shaded colours between tongues of snowy white sand with the green of the mountains in the background. A MUST-SEE and enjoy. In the afternoon we take the speedboat again and sail south to go and see the waterfall of Grand Riviere. From the sea you enter directly into the navigable river, and between steep walls and lush vegetation you reach the waterfall.

It is the whole setting, the silence, the sole voice of nature that creates an unforgettable atmosphere! Before dinner we take the opportunity to go and visit the Hindu temple of Poste de Flacq, built directly on the sea. It's closing time, there's no one there. Mystical atmosphere.

Port Louis & Sea

Today we decide to go and visit the capital but to come back for lunch and spend the afternoon on the beach. We cross the island again, taking other roads. Arriving in Port Louis is a shock. Goodbye slow rhythms and peace...crazy traffic, horns, an invasion of scooters and people going mad. The central market is smaller than one expects, but then the whole centre is in reality a big bazaar. The city is ugly, but it is very characteristic to observe the multiethnic crowd that fills every street. A tropical downpour is a good reason to escape the chaos and get back on the road home. Afternoon in the sun in the silence of Belle Mare.

Exploring the SOUTH

Today is a demanding day but full of emotions. First stop at the Tamil temple in Centre de Flacq. We continue south, where we cross the industrial area where sugar cane is processed for the production of sugar, rum and derivatives. We cross the centre of Floreal and Curepipe with destination Trou Aux Cerfs. The large crater of the extinct volcano is today very green, but impressive. From the car park the view leaves you breathless. We continue further towards the Sacred Lake of Grand Bassin with the Hindu Temple, today second in the world for Hindu pilgrimages. The place is definitely touching. Although we don't know much about the Hindu religion, it's enough to stop and observe the pilgrims who come here to perform their rituals to get a little emotional.

We stop for lunch inside the Black River Gorges park, where we are spied on and reached by cute little monkeys who go crazy for our coconut! Still south...destination Chamarel. The road we take is increasingly rough but with breathtaking views over the south coast and the Le Morne area. Finally Chamarel, with its waterfall and the area of the seven-coloured earths. We return along the west coast, with a beach stop at Flicq and Flacq. The beach is very beautiful, but here you can see that mass tourism has already arrived...the rest is better. On our return we are welcomed by ASSO's surprise. Evening on the beach! He has set up a tent to eat and cook! Spaghetti with octopus and grilled lobsters! Again GREAT ASSO