The small island nation of Mauritius beckons tourists no less than the notorious Maldives. The country includes several islands, but I will stop only on one - the eponymous island of Mauritius. The place is not budget, but it is extremely attractive. Sea resorts, the purest azure lagoons, nature reserves, parks, old colonial buildings and amazing phenomena that are not found anywhere else in the world. Definitely worth the money. So how to plan a trip?
You can book a tour to Mauritius or go there on your own. The first option is preferable if you need a full-fledged vacation, and the second - if you want to adventure and see as much as possible. You can combine beach nirvana with excursions in both cases, only the proportions change.
The official language is English, so there should be no problems. Belarusians can come to the country for a month without a visa. Only a passport is needed, although very rarely a return ticket or confirmation of a hotel reservation may be required.
Beach vacations on the island of Mauritius
The warmest and most popular coast is the north-west coast. Although it is possible to have a great rest everywhere. Almost the entire coastline of Mauritius in all 5 resorts is covered with the whitest pleasant sand. The Indian Ocean is pleasant and calm, protected by a wall of coral reefs.
However, you can't always do without special shoes. Somewhere there are many sea urchins, if you step on one of them, it will spoil your vacation considerably. With hotels in the country everything is fine, it concerns everything: rooms, territory and service. Tours to Mauritius offer luxury vacations. At your service all kinds of marine activities: from diving to windsurfing.
Preparing to travel to Mauritius
If you book a tour to the island of Mauritius, then everything will be consulted by experts, do not worry, although it is still worth being ready for the unexpected.
- Despite the fact that tap water is filtered everywhere, it is better to drink bottled water. There will be no problems with this in good hotels.
- The local cuisine may not be familiarly spicy to you, bring a first aid kit and stomach remedies.
- Never break coral or collect it, don't even buy it if offered - it's illegal, you can get in trouble with the local law.
- Always bargain with sellers.
- Grab a couple of adapters. Mauritius has the British type of three-pin sockets.
- Take a fumigator to the outlet. There is high humidity on the island, which means there will be a lot of mosquitoes.
- Already mentioned sea urchins, so it makes sense to get special shoes - beach or coral slippers.
- Be sure to buy health insurance, and preferably extended health insurance.
- Experienced travelers also advise to bring some national sweets, then all haggling or solving some issues with the locals will go much easier. You have been helped - give a chocolate bar. It seems like a small thing, but there are a lot of bonuses.
Mauritius Attractions
If you compare with other popular destinations, it may seem that there is nothing to see on the island of Mauritius, although this is not true at all. Yes, the fact that the place was uninhabited until the 16th century, then Europeans began to develop the island. Therefore, almost all sights are natural, although there are enough architectural wonders and museums too.
The Seven Colored Sands of Chamarel
A unique, world-famous place, a natural phenomenon. Seven-colored sands are several sand dunes near the village of the same name. The trick is that it is not sand at all, but particles of basalt, which appeared on the surface of the earth due to volcanic activity and later oxidized. Different colors are obtained because of the difference in chemical oxidation of different trace elements. Iron gives warm shades, aluminum - cold, and everything is combined in different proportions.
It is also surprising that the "grains of sand" have an unusual property: they never mix, even if you decide to mix them yourself - they will soon separate by color anyway. That's why souvenirs from glass bottles with local "sand" are so popular. You can get one for yourself.
There is an explanation that volcanic rocks, which have been cooled by fluctuating external temperatures for centuries, are to blame. But there is still no reliable interpretation confirmed by scientists. It is forbidden to walk on the hills, but there are special paths and observation platforms for that.
Tamarin Waterfalls
Seven raging water streams. Their height is 300 meters, so they are justifiably included in the list of the highest waterfalls on the planet. You can get to them from the town of Curepipe, which is also quite an interesting place worthy of a visit. From the town you will need to get to the village of Henrietta, and then go either to the observation deck or on a tour with a local guide. From the observation deck, alas, you can only see one cascade, if you want more, go for a hike.
Underwater waterfall
I don't know about you, but I am mesmerized by waterfalls, so I can write about them endlessly. Especially unique ones like this one. Although if you're picky, it's not a waterfall at all, but an optical illusion. The underwater waterfall at Le Morne Peninsula can be seen only from a height. The illusion is created by the cascades of sand eroded by currents and the ribbed landscape of the bottom.
No matter how much you probably want to save money, you can see this amazing trick of the eye only by paying for a group flight by helicopter or hydroplane, at least 350 euros per person, or climbing to the top of the mountain, if you are an extreme person. But I am sure that if you have already planned a trip to such an expensive country, it is definitely worth budgeting for the cost of seeing such a unique wonder of nature.
Pamplemousses Botanical Garden
One of the world's oldest gardens. It was once founded by a French botanist for the sake of growing spices. Now the botanical garden occupies 25 hectares, almost like 18 soccer fields, and contains more than 1500 plants. The aromas there are indescribable, as if you were in a perfume factory, and it is beautiful.
La Vanille Reserve
The reserve is also called Crocodile Park. This is because of the farm where hundreds of alligators live. If you come on a Wednesday or Saturday, you can catch an unusual sight - feeding crocodiles. Or just taste them yourself at a local restaurant. I doubt you've ever tasted crocodile meat.
If you're not the toothy type, you'll probably enjoy the turtles, another local pride. You can feed them, pet them, view them up close and walk through their enclosure. Among the species available, I will mention the elephant tortoises. They are huge, the size of the shell reaches 2 meters, and weight - 400 kg. And they live for 150-170 years.
Unfortunately, this species is threatened with extinction, although zoologists around the world are actively fighting it. Elephant tortoises are also called Galapagos tortoises, but the ones living in the Mauritius reserve were brought from the Seychelles. You'll even be shown baby tortoises - prepare to hold back tears of emotion (or not!).
Also in the reserve you can see foxes, iguanas, deer, lemurs (you don't even need to go to neighboring Madagascar, although it is a popular "assemblage of places" in cruises). And even to see the extinct Dodo bird, it's a pity that only in the museum at the reserve.
Statue of the god Shiva
The island is home to more than 60% Indians, all because of the country's colonial past. Indian culture in Mauritius is visible everywhere. In 2007, a giant statue of the god Shiva, 33 meters, was erected near Lake Grand Bassin, and the place became popular not only with travelers but also with pilgrims.
Nearby is a temple complex dedicated to Shiva, the largest of all religious structures in the country. A sacred place. Hindu rituals and various cultural festivals are regularly held there.
What else is there to see?
You can stop by Fort Adelaide in Port Louis and get acquainted with the history of Mauritius, take pictures next to the colorful church with a scarlet roof against the sea - the Chapel of Notre Dame Auxiliatrice, go to Cape Gri-Gri, taste the local rum at the rum factory, walk through the museum of illusions and even see a monument to Lenin in the middle of the Indian Ocean. All of the above is just a small part of the luxurious island. So don't be afraid to get bored, book tours to Mauritius and go on a trip - there will be enough adventures to fill more than one photo album.
Useful information:
- Where is Mauritius: Mauritius is an island nation in the western Indian Ocean, located about 900 kilometers east of Madagascar and 2,500 kilometers east of Africa.
- Religion in Mauritius: The main religions in Mauritius are Hinduism (about 48%), Catholicism (23.6%), other branches of Christianity (8.6%), Islam (16.6%). There are also followers of Buddhism and Confucianism.
- When to fly to Mauritius: The best time to visit Mauritius is from September to November and April to June, when the weather is most comfortable and dry.
- Mauritius from Minsk how long does it take to fly: The flight time from Minsk to Mauritius is approximately 17 hours with connections.
- Mauritius rainy season: The rainy season in Mauritius runs from November to April. During this time there are often tropical downpours, which are usually short-lived.
- Weather by month:
- Whale Season: The best time for whale watching in Mauritius is from July to November, when the whales' migration routes pass through the island's waters.
