Honeymoon in Mauritius

After a 2-hour flight from the Seychelles, we arrive in Mauritius and continue our honeymoon. The aerial view of Mauritius is very beautiful and we are sure that this island too will hold a surprise for us. Our hotel was La Pirogue, one of the best-known complexes in Mauritius. It belongs to the Sun International chain and guarantees good service. The bungalows are made of stone and set in the fantastic garden; they are beautiful, clean and spacious and, like the rest of the hotel, they have the classic pirogue shape. The garden around the hotel is fantastic, with several varieties of plants, a perfectly kept English lawn and in the middle a small lake on which the love hut is built, pretty for taking photos and having a drink. The activities the hotel offers are countless, as are the excursions.

There are 2 restaurants, a bar, a pool, a casino and folklore shows every evening, very interesting. The cuisine has an enormous choice and is good. The beach is lovely, though I must say that, coming from the Seychelles, unfortunately Mauritius doesn't bear comparison. La Pirogue is on the west coast, 50 km from the airport and 20 from Port Louis. Not to be missed is a visit to the capital Port Louis, which rises to the north-west, sheltered by the Moka mountains. Here you can devote yourself to unrestrained shopping, from souvenirs to buying clothing from famous brands at incredible prices. Another shopping destination is the town of Curepipe, where you can find sailboat and tea workshops. Not far from here is Trou aux Cerfs, the crater of an extinct volcano filled with water and thick vegetation. Spectacular is the view of the crater from the upper road and of the whole valley.

You can't miss a visit to the sacred lake Grand Bassin, a pilgrimage destination for the Hindu population in February and March. The temple built on the lake is also interesting, and you must enter it strictly barefoot. Beautiful are the Chamarel waterfalls, which lie beyond the village of the same name, immersed in coffee and banana plantations. The waterfalls are 90 metres high. Chamarel is made famous not only by its waterfalls but also by the phenomenon of the seven-coloured earth, impressive. The road continues and you can admire the view of Black River Peak, the highest mountain in Mauritius, and the bay below. We also visited the Casela Bird Garden, which lies in the territory of Rivière Noire. It's a park where you can find various species of birds, fish and other animals....and various Dodo gadgets, the symbol of Mauritius.

We also took part in the Blue Safari excursion with 2 local lads, and I advise against it as it wasn't well organised. The excursion consisted of a visit to a deserted beach, the dolphins and lunch included. The sea that day was very rough and we asked to postpone (like others who were with us), but they assured us everything was fine and that if it rained, they would refund at least part of it. We get on the boat, which is a compliment to call it that, a tiny and all broken-down wreck. When we reached the coral reef and had to get over the monstrous waves, I thought it would split in two. To delight the day it starts to rain....The boat was open. We arrive at the beach and it was still pouring, there wasn't even a tree for shelter. They did, however, cook some good lobsters that we enjoyed....in the rain.

On the way back they began the slaughter of tuna, which they threw onto the boat at our feet and which soon filled with blood. Getting angry was no use, it was as if we weren't there. It seemed like a horror film. They took us to see the dolphins.......not that we saw many, but that's not their fault. Anyway, they're not as serious as, for example, the Beach Boys of Zanzibar. We had bad luck, I advise against it. In conclusion, we liked Mauritius, much more for its interior than for its beaches, perhaps due to the fact that the weather wasn't the best and didn't bring out the colours of the water, which they say are very beautiful.