Travelling. A word with so many meaning that brings into surface mix emotions within each individual. For me, I see travelling as the essence of life. It is about learning diverse cultures, languages, religion, values and history of a specific place. It’s about learning its timeline. Mauritius, a tropical island known by very little, in the midst of the Indian Ocean, is just such a place.
Situated on the equator line, about 2000 kilometres off the south-east coast of Africa, it is a volcanic island surrounded by other Islands such as Seychelles, Madagascar, Reunion and Rodrigue Islands. For those looking for adventures, unique experiences, cultural diversity, picturesque views, and much more, Mauritius is the perfect destination.
With a population of approximately 1.2 million, as of 8/14/2019 (Worldometers), Mauritius is seen as a paradisiac point for the British and European. Similar to how Hawaii is to the Americans. Each part of Mauritius is filled with astounding and amazing history and a chance to discover a variety of cultures at every turn. One of the most famous tall concrete museums in ‘Mahebourg’, tells the story of how the island was formerly a Dutch Colony from 1638 to 1710, at which point they evacuated the island because of all the cyclone and big wild rats. The French conquered the Island back in the days, from 1715 to 1810 and named it “Ile de France” (Wikipedia, 2017). The British then fought over “Ile de France” and managed to conquer it during the great ‘Naval Battle of Grand Port’ (Mauritius Holidays Discovery, 2017). They kept it colonised from 1810 to 1968, after which, Mauritius gained its independence (Wikipedia, 2017).
The fine yellowish sandy beaches with clear blue water, that’s almost warm in some regions, welcomes all sorts of aquatic lives. The beautiful ocean view, forest, vast patches of greens practically everywhere, the scene of the sunrise and sunset among other nature gifted scenery, along with the great and respectful world-class customer services given to outsiders, all attract tourists from all around the world. – At least, from the part of the world that know the existence of a very well hidden Mauritius Island.
Not only is Mauritius picturesque but also filled with amazing activities and sports, especially aquatic sports. Surfing, Kitesurfing, boarding, water skiing, canoeing, pedal boats, glass-bottom boats, kayaking, speed boats, underwater walk and most famously the catamaran cruise (Sunresortshotels, 2017) are just some in the long list.
Being by the beach, getting a tan, laying on the soft sand, listening to the melody of the wave crashing against the shore, taking a swim in the cooling blue water when it’s hot and sweaty, reading a fantastic book and listening to music while relaxing, or enjoying the starry night by a bonfire at the beach and watching the cultural Creole ‘Sega’ dance to their music, isn’t all what Mauritius is about.
The island is also filled with land activities such as; hiking, visiting plantations, discovering villages, shopping at the ‘bazaar’ or in the big shopping malls of the cities, such as at the ‘Caudan Waterfront’ in Port-Louis or ‘Bagatelle’ in Moka. For those who do not want to do extreme activities such as riding dirt bikes in the mountains, going down the zip line between mountains or skydiving can choose to do something more calming. For example; go golfing, visit our zoos, play with the tortoise, see the birds, the crocodiles, feed the lions, or even stroll down our famous parks. Especially ‘Pamplemousse Garden’ where there are plenty of unique and endemic plants (Sunresortshotels, 2017).
The land of Seven Colours of Chamarel show us the wonders of our planet. Not only will you be able to see the waterfalls emerging from the natural path it created within the years, but also get to discover the local handmade products and the famous rum of Chamarel.
‘Domain de l’etoile’ is another popular place where one can enjoy the calmness, peace and beauty of nature. It has ponds, beautiful plants, horse rides, a kids corner to give the parents a chance to unwind and relax, as well as an animal parks, among others (wordpress.com, 2017).
Mauritius Island is also known for its vast history and monuments.
The food is just as amazing as the place itself. It is where Occidental meets oriental. Given the cultural background of the island, its dishes is one of a kind. It plays with spices and touches the cuisines of the world, making it, its own.
Honestly, what makes the island so much better is the vast variety of cuisines which makes up the Creole cuisines. The delicious dishes of the island goes farther than Italien, French, American, Greek, Indian, Asian, Mauritian, Rodriguez, Islander, Vegan, Fusion, Haute Cuisines, Nouvelle cuisines, Arabic, Chinese, Creole, Mexican, Pakistani, Punjabi, or Mediterranean Cuisine. The Mauritian or rather Creole cuisines have the right spice level, texture, density, non-GMO products, the real meat, and so many healthy ingredients.
For any visitors, trying out the street food is a must. Shockingly, a variety of the most delicious and most cultural food comes from street food. The vendors’ foods are purely local, and unlike most high-end restaurants, they have not embellished their food. In this fashion, their recipes are pure to the island and how a majority of islanders prefer their meals.
In all reality, it is this mixture of cultures and religion that makes Mauritius worth the long travel. If you want to taste paradise, I would suggest visiting Mauritius and go all in without restriction. Dive into the cultures, enjoy the values, the experience and the friendly, helpful people around you.
All pictures (unless otherwise mentioned), are credited to Shaviren Canoosamy. A photographer of the island.
Feel free to also contact Shaviren on Instagram for more amazing pictures:
https://www.instagram.com/shaviren/
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