globetrotter mauritius travel pack

MAURITIUS

MAURITIUS

Vital tips for visitors

Best places to stay, eat and shop

Star-rated top attractions

Detailed regional profiles

Essential area and transport maps

Best tours and excursions

Practical, informative and user-friendly, the Globetrotter Travel Guide to Mauritius

highlights the major places of interest, describing their principal attractions and offering sound suggestions

on where to tour, stay, eat, shop and relax.

The AuThor

Martine Maurel is a Mauritius-born French graduate, who spent some years living in Malawi. She has

written a number of travel articles and books which have been very well received, including Visitor’s

Guide to Malawi and Visitor’s Guide to Zimbabwe. She has since returned to her native Mauritius,

from where she still writes.

8TH Ed TRAVEL GUIDE

TRAVEL GUIDE M

AUR

ITIUS

Published and distributed byNew Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd London

Distributed in Africa byMap Studio

Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban

Distributed in the USA byThe Globe Pequot Press

Connecticut

I S BN 978-1-78009-435-9

9 7 8 1 7 8 0 0 9 4 3 5 9

Area Maps

National Road

LEGEND

Motorway

Main Road

Minor Road

CabinetNR

Airport

ProvincialBoundary

Main Damor Waterway

Park &Garden

HotelHSTGEORGES

Hospital

Place ofWorship

Building ofInterest

LineBarracks

Citrons

Town Plans

Built-upArea

Other RoadLa Paix

Main RoadRoyal Road

CityPORTLOUIS

River

Peak inmetres

Piton Savanne

704 m

i TouristInformation

BusTerminus

MountainVACOAS MTS

NatureReserve

Town & VillageSt Felix

Track

Reef

Place ofInterestArt Gallery

Place ofInterest

MunicipalTheatre

Scenic Route

Highlands

Waterfall

INDIANOCEAN Île

d’Ambre

Curepipe

Mahébourg

GrandBaie

Souillac

Baie duCap

Trou d’EauDouce

ChamounyCheminGrenier

PORTLOUIS

N E WH O L L A N D

1. Introducing Mauritius

2. The North

3. The East Coast and Rodrigues

4. The South and Southwest

5. The West Coast

6. Port Louis and Surrounds

7. The Central Plateau

CONTENTS

The Land

History in BriefGovernment and Economy

The People

The Northwest CoastRivière du Rempart Coast

The Northern Offshore Islands

The Flacq CoastNorthern Grand Port CoastMahébourg and Environs

Rodrigues

Savanne Coastal BeltLe Morne PeninsulaPlaine Champagne

Petite and Grande Rivière NoireTamarin Bay to Flic en Flac

South of Port Louis

The Capital CityDomaine les Pailles

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden

CurepipeThe Small Plateau Towns

Colonial HousesLakes and Reservoirs

FREE MAP PDF FOR YOUR PHONE

INSIDE COVER 2/7/13 9:02 AM Page 1

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

LaNicolière

La FermeRéservoir

TamarindFalls Res.

GrandBassin

BassinBlanc

Mare auxVacoas

Baie de laGrande Rivière

Noire

Grand PortBay

Blue BayINDIANOCEAN

LeSouffleur

Île aux Aigrettes

Île auxCerfs

Île d'Ambre

Coin deMire

Île auxBénitiers

545 m

811 m

823 m

556 m

Le MorneBrabant

Mt duRempart

Le Pouce

PieterBoth

Piton duMilieu

Souillac

Rivière desAnguilles

Plaisance

Vieux GrandPort

Anse Jonchée

Grande RivièreSud-Est

BelleMare

Postede

Flacq

Poudred’Or

GrandGaube

Cap MalheureuxPéreybère

Grand BaieTrou auxBiches

Balaclava

Pamplemousses

Flic en Flac

Wolmar

Tamarin

Baie du Cap

RoseBelle

Bambous

QuartierMilitaire

Rivière duRempart

Trou d’EauDouce

PORTLOUIS

Bon Acceuil

Centre deFlacq

CheminGrenier

Chamouny

GoodlandsTriolet

Curepipe

PhoenixVacoas

QuatreBornes

RoseHill

BeauBassin

Mahebourg

TerreRouge

Flacq

GrandPort

Moka

Savanne

BlackRiver Pla ines

Wilhems

PortLouis

Pamplemousses

Rivière duRempart

BLACK RIVER GORGES

TROIS MAMELLESBAMBOUS MOUNTAINS

AlgarveAmsterdamAndalucía

AthensAustraliaAzores

Baltic StatesBarbadosBarcelona

BerlinBermudaBotswana

Budapest and HungaryBulgaria

CaliforniaCanary Islands

Cape TownCopenhagen and

DenmarkCorfu

Costa del SolCosta Rica

Côte d’Azurand Provence

CreteCroatiaCuba

CyprusDelhi, Jaipur

and AgraDubaiDublinEgypt

Florence andTuscanyFlorida

Gran CanariaGreek Islands

Hong KongIbiza and

FormenteraIceland

IndonesiaIrelandIsrael

IstanbulJamaicaJapanJordanKenya

Kraków and PolandKruger National Park

LanzaroteLebanon

Lisbon and PortugalLondon

MadagascarMadeiraMalaysiaMaldives

Mallorca andMenorca

MaltaMarrakechMauritiusMexico

Milan and theItalian Lakes

MoroccoMozambique

Mumbai and GoaNamibia

Naples and SorrentoNew York CityNew Zealand

ParisPeru

PragueQueensland

RhodesRio de Janeiro

Rome and the VaticanSan Francisco

ScotlandSeychelles

SicilySingapore

South AfricaSri Lanka

Stockholm andSwedenSydney

TanzaniaTel Aviv and Jerusalem

TenerifeThailand

The PhilippinesTokyoTunisiaTurkeyVeniceVienna

VietnamZambia and

Victoria FallsZanzibar

Zimbabwe

TITLES AVAILABLE

A4

A5

M2

A2

A7A7

A3

M2

A3

A10

M2A10

A10

A9

B9

B9

B59

B15

B27

B8

B2

Mauritius

M2

B6

N

0

0

10 km

5 miles

5

2.5

Port Louis

Harbour

Trou Fanfaron

LineBarracks

Immaculée ConceptionCatholic Church

St JamesCathedral

Lam SoonChinese Temple

St LouisCathedral

JummahMosque

Dr Jeetoo

i

North BusStation

PoliceHeadquarters

CentralMarket

RogersHouse

HandicraftCentre

National InstituteMuseum & Library

ArtGallery

GovernmentHouse

TownHall

SupremeCourt

MunicipalTheatre

Merchant NavyClub

Postal Museum

CaudanWaterfront

King Edward VII Statue

Malartic Tomb

New StirlingHouse

Air MauritiusHouse & Tourist

Office MTPA

Blue PennyPostal Museum

Port LouisWaterfront

CaudanCasino

ChineseCasino

Le Bonne MarmiteRestaurant

Star CinemaNamaste

Restaurant

Pellereau

PellereauDr Sun Yat Sen

Dr Edou

ard La

urent

Anquetil

Syed P

eer J

ahal

Shah

Rivière

Louis PasteurJummah Mosque

Rémy O

llier

Sir William Newton

Queen

Corderie

Barclay

Dumas

Jemm

apesLa

Gaieté

Mère Ba

rthele

my

Union l

a Brill

ane

Des R

oches

Brown S

equa

rdChevr

eau

Guibert

Geoffr

oy

Maillar

d

Mallefi

lle

St Louis

Champ de Lort

Lislet Poudrière

Poivr

e

Mgr Gonnin

Suffre

nChurch

Daup

hine

Sir Vi

rgil N

az

D’Esta

ing

Corne

ille

Inkerman

Doire

Arsenal

Rivière

St Denis

Grav

ier

Duclo

s

Sookdeo Bissoondoyal

Vishnu Kchetra

Seetulsing

De Co

urcy

Volcy PougnetD‘ArtoisTernay

Raoul Rivet

Solim

Bancilhon

Dr O. Beaugard

Le Si

dane

r

St JamesP.

de Va

lence

Rivet

Ennis

killen

Volcy PougnetHarris

Dr Auguste Rouget

Madras

Bombay

Nyon

L’Hom

me

Bourbon

Victoria Square

ImmigrationSquare

Gayasin

gh

Osman

Powell

Lavcouer

Lapeyrousse

Magon East

Dr Edgar Laurent

Seeneevassen

Farqu

har

Pres.

J. Ke

nned

y

Orléans

Barra

cks

St Georges

Dr Eugène Laurent

La Paix

Frère Felix de Valois

Mahatm

a Gan

dhi

Pandit Nehru

Edith Cavell

Queen Elizabeth

Intendance

Duke of Edinburgh

St Fra

nçois X

avier

Sir Se

ewoo

sagur

Ramgoo

lam

Royal

Place S. Bissoondoyal

Lord KitchenerChaussé

e

Jules Koenig

Labou

rdonn

ais

Monseigneur Leen

Southe

rn En

trance

CompanyGardens

Fort Adélaïde(La Citadelle)

Champ de Mars

Racecourse

Plaine Verte Gardens

H

H

H

H

CITY(AMBASSADOR)

ST GEORGES

LABOURDONNAISWATERFRONT

LE SUFFREN

PlaineVerte

GRAND BAIE

ROSE

HIL

L

M2

N

0

0

300 m

300 yd

1-Intro Mauritius 2/8/13 10:47 AM Page 4

5

Like a rich green emerald, swathed in the translucent,turquoise silk of the southwest Indian Ocean,

Mauritius is a small island which has only recently, sincethe early 1980s, made a sizeable impact on worldtourism. Only 67km (42 miles) in length and 46km (29miles) at its widest point, and with an area of 1865km

2

(720 sq miles), it is about the size of the English county ofSurrey, or South Africa’s Cape Peninsula and False Bay.

As a political entity, the Republic of Mauritiusincludes not only the island of Mauritius itself, set justnorth of the Tropic of Capricorn at 20˚S and 57.5˚E, butalso the tiny island of Rodrigues some 563km (350 miles)to the east, as well as the Cargados Carajos Archipelago(St Brandon) and the two virtually uninhabited Agalegaislands, 400km (250 miles) to the northeast and 1000km(620 miles) to the north of Mauritius respectively.

The warm climate and the blue-green sea gentlylapping the sandy shores within the protective belt ofthe coral reef make for a tropical paradise with equallywarm people whose friendliness is legendary. Indeed,the motto most people who know the island willassociate with Mauritius is the easy-going ‘No problem’.Nothing is too much of a problem for these hospitableislanders, whose roots reach back in history to India,Madagascar, East Africa, China, France and England.With this rich mix of cultures and a population of justover a million people, Mauritians have realized that theonly viable option in the small area of this island ispeaceful coexistence.

1Introducing

MauritiusINDIANOCEAN

Coin de Mire

Trou auxBiches

Grand BaiePoudre d’Or

Mahébourg

SouillacBaie du Cap

Flic en Flac Curepipe

ChamounyChemin Grenier

PORTLOUIS

�� Opposite: A yacht headspast Trou aux Biches.

Soaking up the sun on a white, sandy beach.Water sports of every kind –snorkelling, diving, sailing,windsurfing and parasailing.Big-game fishing in first-ratefishing waters.Scuba diving amid coral gardens and tropical fish.Nature walks – mountains,gorges and waterfalls.Gastronomy – a rich mix ofculinary delights; seafoodplays a major part.Shopping – especially wooden model boats, jewel-lery, clothing and flowers.

TOP ATTRACTIONS


INTRODUCING MAURITIUS

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THE LANDMauritius owes its origins to volcanic activity. Althoughthe volcanoes are long since dormant, they have left theirmark on the profile and landscape of the island, notablyin the striking forms of some of the mountain peaks inthe west and in the several volcanic craters found on theisland. From the north coast the land rises gradually tothe highest parts of the island: once possibly the floor ofa gigantic crater, the central plateau now reaches aheight of 580m (1903ft) and is edged by four mountainranges – the Moka Range encircling Port Louis, theBambous Mountains in the east and the Black River andSavanne ranges in the southwest. From the central plainthe land descends more sharply to the south coast. Withthe high rainfall of the interior, numerous small rivers cutthrough the landscape to the coast.

Sugar-cane plantations once covered much ofMauritius, and while this crop is no longer the mainearner of foreign exchange, rolling fields of cane are stillthe prevailing feature in many parts of the island.

C a r l e s b e r gRi d

ge

M a l di v

eR i

d ge

Ma

s ca

r en

eR

i dg

e

M i d -I n d i a nB a s i n

S o m a l iB a s i n

M adagascarB a s i n

INDIAN OCEAN

Tropic of Capricorn

MAURITIUS

TROMELIN IS.

CARGADOSGARAJOS

ARCHIPELAGO

AGALEGA IS.

FARQUHAR IS.

RODRIGUES

RÉUNION

MALDIVES

SEYCHELLESAMIRANTE IS.ZANZIBAR

ALDABRA IS.

MOMBASA

MA

DA

GA

SCA

R

AFR ICA

N Equator


THE LAND

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Although Port Louis inthe northwest is the capitalof Mauritius and the centreof business activity, themajority of those whowork there prefer to live inthe relative coolness of thenearby towns and suburbsof the plateau, such asQuatre Bornes, Curepipe,Rose Hill/Beau Bassin andVacoas/Phoenix. The onlyother sizable town isMahébourg in the south-east; the remaining settle-ments studding the coast-line are largely touristresorts or fishing villages.

Mountains and RiversNot surprisingly, the moun-tains on this small island in the middle of the ocean do notrise to great heights, though many are unusual in form.The highest is le Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire in thesouthwest, at 828m (2717ft), closely followed in height bythe Pieter Both (823m; 2700ft), towering over Port Louis,with its steep shoulders surmounted by a bobble of rock.Also rising above the capital is le Pouce, or ‘the thumb’.

The mountains running down the western side of theisland include le Corps de Garde, overlooking Rose Hill(which some say got its name from the light of sunrise onthe mountain); le Rempart, like a small-scale Matterhornin appearance; and the dramatically steep and pointedformation of les Trois Mamelles, which no doubt earnedits name from the udder-like shape of its three peaks.

On the southwest tip of the island lies le MorneBrabant, the last mountainous outcrop of this ruggedregion. Although not particularly high, this mountain isquite dramatic with its rocky cliff face dropping away tothe low-lying land of le Morne peninsula. It can easily be

R. du

Rempar

tCitrons

R. des Créoles

Grande Rivière Sud

-Est

Cascade

R. du Poste

Mare auxVacoas

Plaines Wilhems

R.du

Poste

deFla

cq

BLACK RIVER GORGESLa Ferme Reservoir Piton du Milieu

Reservoir

MareLongue Res.

Tamarind Falls Res.

Moka

Blue Bay

Baie de laGrande

Rivière Noire

INDIANOCEAN

Coin de Mire

Îlot Gabriel

Île RondeÎle Plate

Îled'Ambre

Île aux Cerfs

Île de l'Est

Île aux Aigrettes

Le Pouce

Pieter Both

Piton duMilieu

Mt. duRempart

Pic du Lion

Piton de la PetiteRivière Noire

Le MorneBrabant

GrandBassin

Trou auxCerfs

SAVANNE MTNS

TROISMAMELLESBAMBOUS MOUNTAINS

BLANCHEMOUNTAINS

LONG MOUNTAIN

Souillac

CheminGrenier

Chamouny

Baie duCap

Mahébourg

GrandBaie

Curepipe

PORTLOUIS

N

• Highest mountain is thePiton de la Rivière Noire at828m (2717ft); it overlooksthe settlement of Rivière Noirein the southwest of the island.• Longest river is la GrandeRivière Sud-Est at 34km(21 miles) in length; it empties into the sea on theeast side of the island.• Biggest waterfall is theTamarind Falls, with a totaldrop of 295m (968ft), in thewest of the island.• Strangest physical featureis the coloured volcanicearths at Chamarel which are said to separate naturallyinto seven colours when asample is shaken.

FACTS AND FIGURES



8

climbed and offers spectacular views of the southwestcorner of Mauritius. Le Piton du Milieu, in the centre ofthe island, offers the intrepid climber a view of almostthe entire island. La Montagne du Lion is a spur of theBambous Mountains in the southeast; its form, the profileof a lion lying down, dominates views of Mahébourg.

Mauritius’s island neighbour of Réunion, part of theMascarene Archipelago, can still boast volcanic activity,but the only obvious evidence of Mauritius’s fiery past liesin the craters of Trou Kanaka, Grand Bassin and BassinBlanc in the south, and Trou aux Cerfs at Curepipe.

Grande Rivière Sud-Est, which runs into the sea near Île aux Cerfs, is the longest of the many rivers andstreams that wend their way across the island; some,such as the Rivière Noire or Black River, cut through theland to form gorges of breathtaking beauty.

Seas and ShoresThe 160km (99-mile) coastline is almost entirely fringedby coral reefs, and consequently the coastal watersmainly lie in calm lagoons. On the landward side, theseare bordered by crescents of white coral sand thanks tothe gradual erosion of the reefs, and casuarinas dominatethe tropical vegetation. It is only really in the south,where the reef drops away, that the marine landscapebecomes less placid; here, strong currents and rockyshores render the waters unsafe for water sports.

�� Above: The dramaticcolours of the lagoon at Îleaux Cerfs on the east coast.

• The wettest part of theisland is in Curepipe whichreceives nearly 3m (10ft) ofrain a year.• The driest side of theisland is the west coast,which receives only 670mm(26in) of rain annually andneeds irrigation for its sugar-cane plantations.• The hottest part of theisland is the west coast withtemperatures reaching dailyhighs of 31˚C (88˚F) or more.• The coolest is on thecentral plateau with maximumtemperatures reaching notmore than 27˚C (81˚F).• The windiest weather is experienced on the eastcoast in winter.

CLIMATIC EXTREMES


THE LAND

9

A number of small islands are dotted here and therejust off the coast of Mauritius, among which are theunusual wedge-shaped Coin de Mire, visible from mostplaces on the northern coastline, Île Ronde (RoundIsland) and Île Plate (Flat Island), also to the north, bothof which harbour indigenous birds and flora. Some ofthem can be visited on day trips catering for scubaexploration, nature study or simply, picnics. Île auxCerfs in the east offers 7km (4 miles) of casuarina-fringed coastline, making it a tropical island paradise.Other islands of interest include Île d’Ambre, which canbe visited on daily excursions, and Île aux Aigrettes,where a visitors’ centre and nature reserve has opened.

All beaches are officially public, although accessfrom the road to the sea is sometimes restricted wherehotels and private bungalows have been built. Somehotels post guards at the beach restricting entry,although they have no legal right to do so. Most of theaccessible beaches have toilet facilities, picnic sites andsometimes kiosks selling snacks and souvenirs. They arejust as good as those in front of the hotels, though theytend to be crowded over weekends, particularly onSundays and on public holidays.

ClimateThe seasons can be divided broadly into a hot, wet season, lasting from December to April, and a pleasantlycool, dry season from May to November, makingMauritius a year-round tourist destination.

Maximum summer coastal temperatures average 33˚C(91˚F) and winters average24˚C (75˚F) – usually about5C˚ (9F˚) warmer than thehigher interior. The coolestmonths are July, Augustand September, but eventhen the sea water is warmand most enjoyable, with atemperature of not lessthan 20˚C (68˚F).

MIN TEMP. ºC 24 23 19 20 23 22 20 19 19 18 14 15MAX TEMP. ºC 31 30 26 26 29 28 24 26 26 24 20 23MIN TEMP. ºF 75 73 66 68 73 71 68 66 67 65 57 59MAX TEMP. ºf 88 87 79 83 85 83 75 80 78 75 68 73RAINFALL mm 165 87 20 18 282 232 135 80 328 292 194 104RAINFALL in 7 3 1 4 11 11 5 3 13 11 8 4

PORT LOUIS MAHÉBOURG CUREPIPE

SUM AUT WIN SPR SUM AUT WIN SPR SUM AUT WIN SPRJAN APR JULY OCT JAN APR JULY OCT JAN APR JULY OCT

COMPARATIVE CLIMATE CHART

Devastating cyclones have hit Mauritius periodicallythroughout its history. In1867, a cyclone killed halfthe people of Port Louis, and25 years later another causedthe loss of over 1000 livesand destroyed almost all theisland’s crops. More recently,Cyclone Carol on 25 February1960, with a gust speed of upto 256kph (159mph), killed40 people, left 80,000 home-less and destroyed 70,000buildings. Cyclone Jenny on27 February 1962 had a max-imum gust speed of 275kph(171mph); Gervaise on 5February 1975 gusted up to278kph (173mph); Claudetteon 21 December 1979 buffeted the island with gustsof up to 256kph (159mph).The most recent cyclone,Gamede, brushed the islandin February 2007.

CYCLONES



10

The rainy months are between January and May butrainfall is usually higher in the centre of the island. Thewest coast, extending from the Rivière Noire area up toPort Louis, has a hotter, drier environment than themore isolated east coast, which is blessed by the south-easterly trade winds blowing onshore and providing awelcome breeze as a respite from the summer heat. Inwinter, however, they are much stronger.

Cyclones are active in this corner of the Indian Oceanfrom January through to April. Some years, cyclones missthe island altogether or are very mild, while at other timesthey can be devastating, destroying buildings and vegeta-tion. In February 1999, Mauritius witnessed one of thedriest cyclones of all times. Although the island is vulner-able, cyclones are not an annual event. Even so, mosthotels are well fortified against the ravages of cyclones,and have their own generators in case of power failure.

Plant LifeExotic and brilliantly colourful fruits and flowers thrive inthe island’s tropical climate. Purple-flowering jacarandas,60 different species of orchid, pink, red and whiteanthuriums, the sweetly perfumed frangipani, scarletflamboyant, pink cassia, lilac, bougainvillea in brilliantpurples, reds and pinks, hibiscus and cannas are all part

of the lush vegetationbedecking the island.

Among tropical fruits,bananas, pineapples and tosome extent papayas canbe found all year round;guavas, mangoes andlitchis are more seasonal.December is the bestmonth for fruit and atChristmas many Mauritiansenjoy a pineapple, litchiand mango salad – towhich some add a pinch ofsalt and some sliced chillis!

�� Below: Coconut palms, theubiquitous tropical plant.


THE LAND

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The island’s main crop isstill sugar cane, whichonce covered some 80% ofthe arable land.

Over 1000 plants areindigenous to Mauritius, ofwhich about 300 are trulyunique. However, the ma-jority of the plant specieswere introduced on theisland in the last 300 yearsby various settlers.

The teak, ebony and colophane forests which oncecovered Mauritius proved an irresistible attraction for theearly Dutch and French colonists who overexploited theisland’s arboreal heritage. Forests were also removed tomake way for sugar-cane plantations. Today, indigenousforest covers less than 1% of the island’s surface and isconcentrated mainly in the Black River Gorges NationalPark in the southwest. Some of the few remaining colo-phane trees are said to be around 1000 years old. Themost commonly seen tree is the casuarina, a pine-liketree known locally as the filao, which was introduced in1778 and planted around the coastline because of itsability to grow near salt water. It also acts as a windbreakand provides shade. Other common trees include thebanyan or multipliant, a large, spreading tree with aerialroots that grow towards the ground, forever seeking newplaces to take root, and the traveller’s palm, a tree withfoliage like that of the banana tree, and flowers thatresemble strelitzias.

Animal KingdomMauritius’s most notable contribution to the world’s naturalhistory gallery of extinct creatures is the dodo, whose pres-ence was first recorded by the Dutch in 1681. By 1692this large, flightless bird had been hunted to extinction.The solitaire, a relative of the dodo, was likewise madeextinct by settlers on Rodrigues. Giant tortoises and turtlesalso fell victim to the excesses of the settlers, while the

�� Above: The sheer vibrancyof Mauritius’s abundant flora.

• The Sir SeewoosagurRamgoolam Botanic Garden,Pamplemousses• Curepipe BotanicalGardens• Company Gardens, Port Louis city centre• Île aux Aigrettes NatureReserve, near Mahébourg• Balfour MunicipalGarden, Beau Bassin• Le Réduit – formal gardenin a tropical setting• Creole Museum, Eurêka –magnificent gardens withviews of the waterfalls of the Moka River• Plaine Champagne and theBlack River Gorges – withtheir many indigenous plantsand animals • Kestrel Valley, situatednear Mahébourg – 1500ha(3700 acres) of forest-covered mountainside.

GARDENS ANDNATURE RESERVES



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Mauritian branches of various otherbird families died out; the only rareand indigenous birds still in existencetoday and of significance to naturalistsare the pink pigeon, the Mauritiuskestrel and the echo parakeet. Despitethis, Mauritius is richly endowed withbird life – sparrows, weaver birds,Indian mynahs, paradise flycatchers,red cardinals, various doves, and thepaille-en-queue or tropic bird allabound on the island, having beenintroduced from other parts of theworld over the last 400 years, whilethe coastline is frequented by severalkinds of tern.

The island has only one indigenous mammal – theMauritius fruit bat or golden bat. Monkeys, hares anddeer also exist in the wild, the latter having been intro-duced by the Dutch settlers in the 17th century fromJava, while mongooses were brought from India at theturn of the century to control the rats which were over-running the cane fields.

There are no poisonous reptiles on the island. Theonly snakes are the couleuvre or Indian wolf snakewhich was imported from India, and two species of boaconstrictor found on Île Ronde. This small island is alsohome to the endemic Telfair skink.

A multiplicity of life forms exist in the clear waters of Mauritius. Gardens of colourful corals thrive in the shallow, warm waters surrounding the island, and with-in the protective reefs live giant clams, primitive spongesand anemones, gorgonias swaying in the current, andcolourful fish of all shapes and sizes. Other curiouscreatures include octopuses, giant eels, urchins andstarfish. Damage to corals by boats, souvenir seekersand dredgers is a serious problem. The reefs are home toa vast range of other living creatures and once damaged,they are slow to recover – it takes a year for coral togrow 1cm (3⁄8 in).

The name of this large,ungainly bird came from thePortuguese duodo or deodar,meaning ‘stupid’. It survivedon hard seeds and grains,hence the shape of its beak;to digest them better it wouldhold stones in its crop, whichhelped to break down toughfoods. With no known pred-ators on the island to fear, thedodo had no need to evolveits wings for flight, so despitenot being particularly tasty, it easily fell prey to the earlysettlers. Animals introducedby settlers further threatenedthe dodo population by eat-ing their eggs. This had driventhe dodos to extinction. In1865, a British naturalist dis-covered a complete set ofbones near Plaisance, and astuffed exhibit is now onshow in the Natural HistoryMuseum of the MauritiusInstitute in Port Louis.

THE DODO


THE LAND

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Conserving Mauritius’s Natural HeritageJust north of Port Louis, at Pamplemousses, lies the SirSeewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden. Establishedin 1735, the gardens form the repository of the island’sbotanical heritage and are well known by naturalistsaround the world. Their large collection of bothindigenous and exotic plants includes numerous speciesof palm, fruit and spice trees, pandanus, mahogany andebony trees, while among other animals there are someresident tortoises, brought last century from Seychellesas they were in danger of extinction there.

The Government Aviary at Rivière Noire in the westof the island forms part of a sponsored scientific projectwhich aims to encourage the breeding of rare bird speciesin danger of extinction. These species include the pinkpigeon, echo parakeet and Mauritius kestrel. In 1973, abreeding programme aimed at increasing the numbers ofMauritius kestrel and supported by the Mauritius WildlifeAppeal Fund (now the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation)began operating – only just in time, as it was soon dis-covered that their numbers were down to single figures.After initial failures, the programme eventually resulted inthe release of more than 300 into the wild. A similar cap-tive breeding programme aimed at increasing the numberof pink pigeons from a low of 20 was started in 1976 andhas now met with some success. A breeding programmeto rescue the world’s rarest parrot, the echo parakeet,

�� Opposite: The endemicMauritius kestrel, recentlysaved from extinction.�� Below: The reef provides aprotective environment for allkinds of colourful fish.

• The Government Aviaryat Rivière Noire. Tours onlyby arrangement throughselected tour operators.• The Casela Nature andLeisure Park, on the west of the island in the BlackRiver district, featuring 2500 birds of 142 differentspecies, as well as tigers,monkeys and lions.• Kestrel Valley nearMahébourg to see Mauritiuskestrels being fed by hand.• The Mauritius Institutein Port Louis to see a stuffedspecimen of the dodo.

PLACES FOR BIRD-LOVERS TO VISIT



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from the brink of extinctionhas also been successfulwith around 540 birds inthe wild in 2011.

The Mauritius MarineConservation Society wasformed in 1980 to pro-mote an appreciation ofmarine life and an aware-ness of the need inMauritius for this area ofconservation. It seeks tocreate underwater parks toregenerate marine life andinduce the government to

enforce existing laws which control dynamite fishing,spear-fishing, net fishing, shell and coral collection,aquatic pollution and the general destruction of the reefs.

The government has declared a number of offshoreislands as nature reserves in a bid to preserve indigenousfauna and flora. Likewise, certain inland areas havebecome nature reserves, such as the Macchabée-BelOmbre Forest in the mountainous southwest of theisland. Much of the Black River Gorges, Bel Ombre andBassin Blanc area within this region was declared thecountry’s first national park in 1994. Some mountainareas are under government control and permission mustbe obtained from the Conservator of Forests (tel: 2110554) before they can be visited.

HISTORY IN BRIEFMauritius was left untouched as a Garden of Eden foraeons. The first recorded discovery of the island wasmade by Arab seamen who landed there in AD975.Although they gave it a name, Dinarobin (‘silverisland’), they left no evidence of their presence, andthe island was allowed to slumber on peacefully until1507 when the Portuguese sailor Domingo Fernandezcame across it. The island was renamed Ilha do Cerne(‘Island of the Swan’); the more romantic say that this

Coral colonies are made up of tiny, sedentary creaturescalled polyps, which secretelimestone to form a skeleton.It is these organisms whichgive corals their brilliantcolours; when they areclosed, the coral becomeswhite or stone-coloured.Corals reproduce once a year,in a mass spawning whichoccurs all over the reef duringa single night. Bundles of eggsand sperm are released andfloat to the surface, where theybreak up; the sperm seek eggsof the same species before allare dispersed by the tide. Thefertilized eggs develop intoplanulae within a few daysand sink to the bottom to takeup residence as members ofthe new coral colony. The ageof some corals can be deter-mined by ‘reading’ the darkand light bands of the skele-ton. Some living corals arehundreds of years old.

FASCINATING FACTSABOUT CORAL


HISTORY IN BRIEF

15

was in honour of the ungainly land swan, the dodo,while others say the name was inspired by that ofFernandez’s boat, The Swan. Despite the island’sstrategic position on the important shipping route tothe East Indies, and despite introducing pigs, goats andoxen as food supplies, the Portuguese did not claimpossession of Mauritius, and it was used for manyyears as a base by pirates.

The Dutch PresenceJust before the turn of the century, in 1598, the DutchAdmiral van Warwyck stopped on the southeast coast ofMauritius en route to the spice and silk markets of theEast, and named the island after Prince Maurice (Maurits)of Nassau. During the next 40 years the island was visitedperiodically by the Dutch (one trip in 1606 brought withit the banana tree). Eventually they appointed acommanding officer who reached the island in 1638 andattempted to colonize it in order to exploit more system-atically its luxuriant forests of ebony, a resource muchprized in Europe. A hundred slaves were imported fromMadagascar, and together with prisoners brought in fromthe East Indies as labourers, thepopulation grew to over 500 from anoriginal nucleus of 25. To improve theirfood supplies, the settlers brought Javadeer, sheep, geese, ducks, pigeons andother animals, while another memo-rable legacy of their stay on the islandat this time was the introduction ofsugar cane. Obstacles faced by theDutch in their attempt at colonizationincluded runaway slaves bent on retri-bution, pirates, cyclones, drought, disease and meagre resources. Not sur-prisingly, these problems proved to bethe downfall of the Dutch settlers, whoabandoned Mauritius in 1658 in favourof the station that had been establishedat the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.

�� Opposite: Some of the deli-cate artistry of the many coralforms found around Mauritius. �� Below: An old French mapshowing the island in 1753.



16

By 1664, the Dutch had come to appreciate the valueof Mauritius in the context of the sea route to the EastIndies and decided to recolonize. Over the next fewyears they established a tannery and started building aroad network. Less than half a century later, however, in1710, the same obstacles that had caused them toabandon the island the first time round set the seal ontheir departure for a second and final time.

The French InfluenceOnly five years passed before the French landed on theisland in 1715 and named it Île de France, although itwas not until 1721 that they actually occupied the island.For 14 years thereafter, not much progress was achieved;the turning point came in 1735, when Bertrand FrançoisMahé de Labourdonnais, known afterwards as the ‘fatherof the island’, was made governor. This man of vision andenergy restored law and order to the island and expandedand developed Port Louis into a viable port and capital.To Labourdonnais goes the credit for the introduction ofwheat and cotton and the large-scale planting of sugarcane, the construction of roads and fortifications, Govern-ment House, a hospital and houses and, in conjunctionwith the establishment of Port Louis as a port, the creationof a ship-building industry.

Within half a century the island’s population was wellestablished with some 60,000 inhabitants, and during thistime the colony’s fortunes rose and fell under the leader-ship of the Intendant, Pierre Poivre, and the governor,François, Vicomte de Souillac respectively. Then in 1790,a mini-revolution took place on Mauritius, echoing eventsthat had taken place in France the previous year, and therefollowed 13 years of self-rule, which lasted until Napoleonsent out a governor to restore law and order in the colony.

During this period Mauritius experienced what couldbe termed the ‘golden age of piracy’. Pirates and corsairsunder French protection used the island as a base formercilessly plundering the British vessels which travelledalong the shipping route to the East Indies. In 1802, theBritish retaliated by blockading the island. Coming after

Bertrand François Mahé deLabourdonnais (1699–1753),as governor and administratorof the Île de France, wasresponsible for transformingthis wild tropical island into a flourishing colony. Inaddition to all his efforts at improving the smallcolony, Labourdonnais alsoled a team to fight againstthe British in India, where herelieved the French territoryof Pondicherry and capturedMadras from the British.Despite his successes in bothspheres, however, he wasimprisoned in the Bastille fortwo years after falling outwith the French governor ofPondicherry. Although even-tually his name was clearedand he was released fromprison, he died a brokenman at the age of 54.

FOUNDING FATHER


HISTORY IN BRIEF

17

a century of antagonism between the British and French,the attack was not motivated solely by this piracy, how-ever – the British also wished to undermine the strategicposition of the French in the Indian Ocean in order tosafeguard their important colony of India. In August1810, a fierce battle, the Battle of Grand Port, wasfought in the bay of the same name in the southeast ofthe island – the only naval battle to be won by Franceduring the reign of Napoleon. The British retired hurt,but just before the end of that year they launched a suc-cessful surprise attack on the north of the island fromCap Malheureux. The neighbouring island of Réunionwas conquered the same year.

British RuleThe first British governor was Robert Farquhar, who verygenerously offered the French inhabitants capitulationterms that allowed them to preserve their French laws,customs, language, religion and property; this was formal-ized in the Treaty of Paris of 1814, whereby the Britishreturned the island of Réunion to France but retainedMauritius, Rodrigues and Seychelles. At the same time theBritish gave the island its old Dutch name of Mauritius.

Mauritius enjoyed over a century and a half of rea-sonably peaceful British rule; French culture continuedto dominate, however, and has endured to the presentday, notably in the form of the French language which isspoken by most people. Under Farquhar, the country’s

�� Left: An impressivecolonial plantation house,set among the sugar estatesin the north of the island.�� Opposite: BertrandLabourdonnais, the Frenchgovernor of Mauritius duringthe 18th century.

Throughout the 18th century,ships sailing between Africaand the Far East regularly fellvictim to pirates. So wellestablished were these high-waymen of the seas that theyreputedly formed a pirates’republic, Libertalia, inMadagascar in 1685. Withthe decline of Mauritius in themid-18th century under theFrench East India Company,the pirate colony migratedhere; the French began tosupport the pirates to safe-guard their own vessels andprey on British ships, and PortLouis became notorious as ahaven for corsairs and a thriving marketplace for piratebooty. The Frenchman RobertSurcouf came to be known asthe ‘king of the Corsairs’, andthe British offered a reward of250,000 francs for him, deador alive. However, the pros-perity generated on the islandby pirate activity was appreci-ated by the local businesscommunity, which helped tofinance him; as a personalfriend of Napoleon, he alsoreceived the support of theFrench government.

THE GOLDEN AGEOF PIRATES



18

economy developed into one based on agriculture(especially the production of sugar), roads were built,and Port Louis became a free trading centre.

Despite the formal abolition of slavery in 1833 in otherparts of the British Empire, plantation owners in Mauritiusdefied the ruling and continued to practise slavery until1835. This proved to be a turning point in the island’s his-tory, as the ending of slavery led to the mass immigrationfrom the Indian subcontinent of some 200,000 Hindu andMuslim indentured labourers. Lured by the promise of abetter life, they came to work on the sugar-cane planta-tions in conditions which were initially not much betterthan slavery. By 1909 immigration had ceased, but thelarge Indian population was there to stay and rapidlybecame the majority group, staking its claim in Mauritiuswhen universal franchise was granted in 1959.

Although independence was won from Britain in1968, the island remained part of the British Common-wealth with the Queen as its head, represented by agovernor general. The first prime minister, SirSeewoosagur Ramgoolam, was of Hindu origin. Highlyregarded by many Mauritians, he held office until 1982,when another Hindu Mauritian, Anerood Jugnauth,became prime minister. Mauritius proclaimed itself arepublic on 12 March 1992, with Veerasamy Ringadoo asthe first president. Jugnauth is currently president.

�� Above: The monument commemorating the Battle of Grand Port in 1810.

Mauritius is well knownamong philatelists as one ofthe first countries in the worldto have released a postagestamp – now one of the rarest.Five hundred stamps of thefirst issue with a value of 1dand 2d were used by LadyGomm, wife of the governor,to post invitations to a ball atthe governor’s residence, LeRéduit, in 1847. Instead ofthe words ‘Post Paid’, ‘PostOffice’ was mistakenly printedon the stamps. A One-PennyRed and a Two-Penny Bluewere recently acquired by agroup of Mauritian business-men at an auction in Geneva,and are exhibited at the BluePenny Museum (tel: 210 8176,fax: 210 9243) at Le CaudanWaterfront in Port Louis.

PHILATELY


GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY

19

GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMYThe parliamentary system of Mauritius owes much to theBritish Westminster system; here, the president is theceremonial head of state, while executive power is heldby the cabinet, headed by a prime minister who is theleader of the majority group in parliament. According tothe constitution, general elections must be held every fiveyears. Each of the 20 constituencies in Mauritius returnsthree members and Rodrigues two, while up to eight ‘bestlosers’ can be appointed for ethnic balance in the House.Due to the ‘first past the post’ principle, candidates canbe elected with less than 50% of the votes. However,with strong bipolarization, small parties cannot hope tosee their candidates elected and this leads to politicalalliances – government by coalition is a standard featureof Mauritian politics. The major force in the early years ofMauritian government was the Mauritian Labour Party(MLP), which ruled as a single party in coalitions from1947 until 1982. The election that year saw an alliance ofthe Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) with theMauritian Socialist Movement (PMS) taking all the seats inparliament. In 1983 a splinter party, the Militant SocialistMovement (MSM) leached members from the allianceand since then power has ping-ponged between the MLPand MSM – each led by the second generation of powerful

AD975 Arabs land on theisland and name it Dinarobin.1511 Portuguese explorersarrive, name the island Ilha doCirne (‘Island of the Swan’).1598 Dutch traders stop enroute to the East Indies, andname the island Mauritius.1638 The Dutch attempt tocolonize Mauritius.1658 They abandon thecolony for the Cape of Good Hope.1664 The Dutch recolonize.1710 The Dutch leave the

island permanently.1715 The French arrive, nam-ing the island Île de France.1721 Île de France is occupied by the French.1735 Labourdonnais beginsto transform the island.1790 Revolution takes place,links with France cut, Maur-itius becomes a pirate retreat.1802 Port Louis blockadedby British sailors in protestagainst piracy. Battle of GrandPort is won by the French.The British take the island in a

surprise attack in December. 1814 Mauritius ceded to theBritish by the Treaty of Paris.1835 The abolition of slav-ery sees the start of a massiveinflux of Indian labour.1968 Mauritius wins independence from Britain.1992 Republic is declared.2002 Rodrigues gainsregional autonomy.2010 Navin Ramgoolamwins elections and remainsprime minister until nextelections due in 2015.

HISTORICAL CALENDAR

Although he trained and quali-fied as a doctor in England, SirSeewoosagur Ramgoolam(1900–1985) had a long andillustrious political career inMauritius. He became a mem-ber of the Labour party in1948, and in 1965 led theLabour Party delegation to theConstitutional Conference inLondon, when independencewas agreed. Three years laterhe became the country’s firstPrime Minister. In 1982 he suffered his only politicaldefeat, when the MMM wonthe general election andAnerood Jugnauth becamePrime Minister; Ramgoolamwas appointed GovernorGeneral. A leading and well-respected figure on the islandfor many decades, his namehas been given to the airport,the botanic gardens at Pamplemousses, and a num-ber of public buildings, streetsand other places on the island.

LEADING LIGHT



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political families – with smaller parties playing walk-onparts. The 2005 election was won in a landslide victory by the Alliance Sociale, the MLP-led coalition.

The Mauritian legal system is based on both Frenchand English law. The constitution guarantees the indepen-dence of the Judiciary. The island is divided into nineadministrative districts, and Rodrigues forms the tenth.

EconomyThanks to the Dutch who introduced its cultivation in1639, sugar was the mainstay of the Mauritian economyfor years. Originally grown to provide alcohol for themaking of ‘arrack’, a crude drink popular with sailors,sugar cane was later propagated widely as it was judgedthe crop best able to withstand the ravages of the occa-sional cyclones. Around 80% of the island’s arable landwas once planted with sugar, and the island’s fortunesrose and fell with those of the sugar industry. Withunfavourable climatic conditions and a drop in worldsugar prices, sugar is a fragile commodity. This was illus-trated in 2003 when sugar production fell short of150,000 tonnes of the anticipated crop of 700,000 tonnesand this brought a lower than expected economic growth.Recent reforms within the industry include reduction of

production costs andlabour through a volun-tary retirement schemeand in the next few yearsthere will only be four orfive working factories.The Export ProcessingZone (EPZ), introduced inthe early 1970s to encour-age production of goodsfor export to other islandsin the region, providedthousands of jobs andinvestment opportunities.Mauritius has expandedits horizons and promotes

�� Below: Sugar piling upinside a Port Louis factory.

The sugar industry, havingbeen such an important partof the island’s economy forso long, has evolved into ahighly sophisticated industry.Crystallized sugar is certainlynot the only product derivedfrom the sugar cane plant:the residual liquid left overfrom the crystallizing processis sold as molasses, used incattle feed and in rum; thescum on the top of the liquidis used as fertilizer; and thevegetable remains of thecane, left after the juice hasbeen extracted, is used asfuel, not only for running thesugar factories, but also aspart of the island’s generalelectricity supply.

SUGAR



21

itself as an offshorebanking centre. Astock exchange wasestablished in 1989,Port Louis has beentransformed into a freeport, and plans totransform Mauritiusinto a ‘cyber island’ arealmost complete withjobs being createdwithin the Informationand Communicationand Technology (ICT)sectors. Tourism hasbeen a mainstay of theeconomy for a couple of decades with most visitors arriv-ing from Europe. The industry plans to expand on theback of a positive image in the luxury market by attractinghigh-spending visitors from China, India and the UAE.

The Export Processing ZoneWhen the sugar boom of the 1970s lost its sparkle theExport Processing Zone concept started gaining ground tocreate some diversity in an economy that was far toodependent on only one crop. Established in 1970 asmuch to absorb a burgeoning labour force as to attractforeign investment, the EPZ succeeded in rapidly reduc-ing unemployment from a high of 25% in 1983 to fullemployment in 1990. With so many jobs available, thecountry had to import foreign workers, with some 10,000coming into the country in 1994. Textile companies havealways dominated the EPZ and Mauritius became thelargest exporter of knitwear in the world with textilesovertaking sugar as the main export. Today the EPZ isundergoing substantial restructuring as producers turn tomore profitable management and production policies infabric production. Hi-tech spinning mills are being set upand faced with increasing competition from mass produc-tion regions such as China, the textile industry today suc-

�� Above: Cane fields covervast reaches of the Mauritiancountryside.

Foreign investors can takeadvantage of generousfinancial incentives such as exemption from tax andcustoms duties, as well as the freedom to repatriatecapital and dividends. Further investment incentivesinclude relatively cheaptrained labour and a stablepolitical environment.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT



22

ceeds on its short lead in times and flexible productionruns. Jin-Fei, a Chinese-funded expo-park at Riche Terre(which will provide more jobs), is due to break ground in2013, and the island has secured several lucrative call-centre contracts thanks to its investment in a state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure.

TourismThe third largest employer and supplier of foreignexchange is tourism, which has, however, proved to be adouble-edged sword. In its infancy during the 1950s, tour-ism only took off towards the end of the 1970s andbecame well established during the economic upswing ofthe early 1980s. However, the government recognized thedangers of overdeveloping the tourism industry and put ahalt to further hotel development in 1990. The moratoriumonly lasted until 2003, but it allowed the authorities tofocus on long-term aims. Plans for large, luxury resorthotels and Integrated Resort Schemes (IRSs) wereannounced in that year.

Although large numbers of visitors place heavydemands on the island’s resources, annual touristarrivals in 2007 amounted to around 900,000 people.During the world financial crisis starting in 2008 num-bers suffered a small decline, but the Mauritius govern-ment plans growth in visitor numbers of around 10%annually until 2015. To keep Mauritius an excusive des-

tination, charter flights arenot permitted.

AgricultureBack in the days whenMauritius exported onlyagricultural products, teawas its second currencyearner after sugar. Stillgrown in the highlandsaround Curepipe, tea isstrongly subsidized forsocial and political rea-

For Mauritius’s first tourists,conditions were a far cry fromwhat they are today. MichaelMalim, in his book, Island ofthe Swan (1952), describes the‘hotel’ he is faced with afterreceiving the dishearteningwarning, ‘We don’t exactlycater for tourists’: ‘On the faceof it there was little to suggestthat anyone had lived there foryears. The place was simply alarge, wooden barn perchedon a stone platform about fivefeet high. It was more or lesswhite, though much of thepaint had flaked away. A tincanopy, supported by rustyiron stanchions rising from aniron balustrade, sheltered theverandah which ran the wholewidth of the building. Inplaces it was sagging awayfrom the façade. There was anappalling sense of despairabout the whole contraption...It seemed to long to slitherfrom its platform into the jungleof weeds and shrubs about it,and disintegrate there into aheap of mouldering timber.’

THE DAWN OF TOURISM



23

sons. It lacks a strong flavour, however, and is used inblends with the more flavoursome teas grown in othercountries at the higher altitudes necessary for suchflavour. Some tea sold locally is flavoured with vanillapods, lending it a distinctive perfumed taste.

Cultivation of tobacco, which at one time wasMauritius’s third most important crop, has not shownmuch promise as a developing economic activity. Onthe other hand, flowers, especially anthuriums, as wellas tropical fruits such as pineapples, mangoes andlitchis are now being exported, and their contributionto the country’s foreign trade has increased significantlyduring the last decade or two.

The fishing industry is divided between small-scale fishermen and commercial fishing enterprises. Despiteconcerns about over exploitation, the Mauritius govern-ment has invested heavily in port facilities for industrialprocessing by local and foreign fleets. Aquaculture is anew focus and a fledgling industry. Although the island isself-sufficient in poultry and pork, and there is some cattleproduction on local estates, most meat has to be imported.

InfrastructureAlthough fairly extensive, the road network in Mauritiusis generally confusing to mostvisitors. Originally built to pro-vide access to the cane fields,the road grid’s seemingly hap-hazard design makes it fairlyeasy to get lost and some roadsremain private property.Relatively recently the govern-ment made a concerted effort toresurface and build new roadsacross the island. In built-upareas, the lack of a pavementcreates further dangers. In 2011major work was completed onwidening the fast two-lane high-way (M1) into four lanes north of

�� Opposite: The highly rated Royal Palm Hotel.�� Below: The drama of fishing on the reef, with fishermen poling their wooden boats around another generous catch.

A train service ran in Mauritiusfor almost 100 years. One lineconnected Port Louis with theplateau towns and Mahébourgin the southeast, then headedround to Souillac on the southcoast, while another traversedthe northern sugar fields andran down the east coast toGrande Rivière Sud-Est.Although the service as suchended in 1964, the railwaylines and bridges remain intactin several places, makingexcellent routes for walks inthe countryside.

RAILWAY WALK



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Mapou to Grand Baie. Itruns from Plaisance in thesoutheast through the cen-tre of the island to PortLouis in the northwest andGrand Baie in the north.There is no railway andplans to introduce a lightrailway system are ongoing.More recently constructionbegan on a road circlingPort Louis to ease trafficcongestion, due for com-pletion in 2013.

The natural harbour at Port Louis has been enlargedto include five deep-water quays, two fishing quays andthree lighterage quays. It includes a container terminalas well as terminals for handling bulk sugar, oil, wheatand cement. The government established Port Louis as a‘free port’ as part of a strategy to develop the island as aregional trade centre in the Indian Ocean.

Air Mauritius, the national carrier, operates a fleet ofAirbus A340-300s and 319s, ATR 72s and Bell Jet Rangerhelicopters. Its air network extends to Europe, India, theFar East, Australia and various cities in Southern Africa.

THE PEOPLEBecause of the limited size of the island, the populationexplosion on Mauritius has been keenly felt. At the endof 2011 the population was over 1.28 million. This hasresulted in an extremely high population density andgrowing unemployment due to lay-offs in the textileand manufacturing industries and the lack of qualifiedpeople available for jobs, which are now being adver-tised in the information technology market, as thecountry strives to promote itself as Cyber Island.

The uneven concentration of people in the centre ofthe island could give one the impression, when drivingaround the coastal plains, that the vast tracts of agricul-tural land imply low population density. Many parts are

�� Above: A view from the sea of Port Louis harbour.


THE PEOPLE

25

isolated, with few pedestrians on the roads. But with apopulation density estimated at 671 people per squarekilometre (1597 per square mile), Mauritius is actually thefifth most densely populated island nation in the world.

The migration of the population to the central plateaustarted in the early 1860s when people fled to the uplandsto escape a malaria epidemic in Port Louis. A secondwave of migration took place only a few years later, whenpeople sought to escape the coastal ravages of cyclones aswell as malaria and cholera epidemics; the opening of therailway at the same time (closed 1964) also contributed tothe rapid urbanization of the interior in the 1860s. Today,the cooler temperatures of the interior are a major attrac-tion for permanent residents, and while over 150,000 people live in the capital and commercial centre of PortLouis, some 30% of the population live in Curepipe andthe other dormitory towns of the central plateau.

Traditional CulturesMauritius is a veritable melting pot embracing a diversityof cultures, something on which its people pride them-selves. The largest cultural group is made up of peoplewith Indian roots, and broadly speaking, comprisesHindus originating from northern India (the largest ethnicgrouping), Tamils from southern India, and Muslims fromwestern India (who form the smallest part of the group).

While the Indians arrived after the ending of slavery in1835 to work on the sugar plantations, the Creoles owepart of their ancestry to the first slaves who were importedfrom Madagascar and possibly the east coast of Africa. Thearrival of the Chinese, mostly from Canton, dates fromafter 1826. Most Europeans are of French descent andstem from the settlers who arrived during the colonizationof the island by France. Franco-Mauritians have remainedprominent in the sugar industry and are still the largestlandowners. Some have successfully invested dividendsfrom this agricultural capital in the industrial sector, whilefor others, their fortunes are on the decline as a result oftheir dwindling numbers and thus their fading influence.Middle-class Indo-Mauritians work mostly in the civil

Taxi-trains or share-taxis areless common these days butoccupy the gaps in the mar-ket left by taxis and buses.Basically communal taxis,these operate on more orless standard routes (with a few detours), especiallywhere buses are not veryfrequent. The fares, splitamong the passengers, arecomparable to bus fares. To catch a taxi-train, simplyflag down a regular taxi andfind out whether it is for pri-vate or communal use.

TAXI-TRAINS



26

service, though today the best trained among them areemployed in the private sector. The community of Chineseorigin is a very dynamic minority, with a high percentageof trained professionals. Owners of small retail shops 50years ago, the Sino-Mauritians have taken a prominentplace in the main sectors of economic life today.

LanguageEnglish is the official language, but while it is a com-pulsory subject at school and the language of govern-ment and business, not everybody feels comfortablespeaking it. French is much more widely spoken and isdominant in the media, although it is mother tongue toonly a small proportion of the population.

The language spoken most by Mauritians, however, isCreole (or Kreol). Originating as the common tongueamong slaves of differing origins, and between them and the colonists, the lingua franca of the island is basedlargely on French with elements of English, Hindi, Chineseand Malagasy. It is a picturesque language, humorous andvery pliable, and unstandardized in grammar and spellingalike. Despite its widespread use, however, it is neithertaught in school nor recognized officially.

Bhojpuri, a language from northern India which islinked to Hindi, is spoken by many Indo-Mauritians.With generations of French influence it has divergedfrom the Bhojpuri spoken in India, and lacking prestige,it appears to be on the wane, losing popularity to Creole.Hindi itself is used for official purposes, such as broad-casts, but it is not widely spoken as a home language. Toa lesser extent, various other Indian languages are in use,as well as Hakka, Mandarin and Cantonese.

EducationSchooling is free from nursery level through to university,but is only compulsory from the age of three to sixteen.The literacy rate, at over 80%, is one of the highest inthe developing world. Further practical training is pro-vided by various organizations, and the annual intakeof the University of Mauritius is always on the rise.

�� Above: This Creole womanepitomizes the colour andvibrancy of the tropical island.


THE PEOPLE

27

ReligionWith 87 denominations on the island, religion plays amajor part in the island’s cultural activities. Numerouschurches, mosques, pagodas and temples exist, some-times within very close proximity to each other, bearingtestimony to the remarkable level of religious and cul-tural tolerance. The largest religious grouping is madeup of Hindus who account for 48% of the population,followed by Christians (mainly Roman Catholics) at32%. Islam is the next most popular religion practisedby 16% of Mauritians, and Buddhism the fourth.

Mauritians enjoy complete freedom of worship, andtheir faiths are expressed in the many festivals heldeach year. Accommodating the holy days of the variousreligions, Mauritius once enjoyed the dubious distinc-tion of having the most public holidays in the world!These days, however, the public holiday list has beentrimmed from a generous 30 to a more viable 15. Withthe large number of festivals, visitors may well be luckyenough to witness the celebrations of one of the faiths.

Tamil Hindus practise the exotic rituals of fire-walking,sword-climbing and tongue-piercing on certain festivaldays. Mauritian Muslimsare largely Sunnis but theShiite practice of bodychastisement during theGhoons festival remains.

Cavadee, one of themost spectacular of theHindu festivals, takesplace in either January orFebruary and is precededby 10 days of prayers andfasting. A wooden arch orcavadee, decorated withflowers and with pots ofmilk hanging from eachend, is carried to the temple. Beforehand, pen-itents insert skewers and

�� Below: The symmetricalflourishes of one of PortLouis’s colourful Chinesepagodas.

English • CreoleHello • Bonzour

How are you? • Koman ou ete?

Fine thanks • Mon byen, mersi

Goodbye • OrewarPlease • SilvoupleThank you • Mersi

How much is this? •Kombyen i ete

I don’t understand • Mo pas comprend

No problem • Pena problème

Alright • CorrecNot alright • Pas correc

Do you have...? • Ou ena...?

LANGUAGE TIPS



28

hooks into their cheeks, tongue, chest and back. Themore devout, in a state of trance, are even able to pulla cart attached to these hooks.

Just as incredible to the Western eye is the Hinduritual of fire-walking, also known as Teemeedee,which takes place at Tamil temples in the late after-noons between October and March. Devotees, dressedin yellow and pink, use the ritual as a means of askingfor pardon and offering thanks for favours. A bed of hotcoals is prepared and a goat’s neck is slit so that itsblood can be poured around the coals to keep out badspirits. Only those who are scrupulously clean bothinside and out can take part; the worshipper musttherefore fast, pray and meditate for at least 10 daysbeforehand and take a ritual bath just prior to the act.Some mothers carry their babies across, and even children participate in the ritual, encouraged by thechanting of supporters, the sound of trumpets andbeating of drums as well as the heady odour of incenseand camphor. As participants leave the embers, theydip their feet into a basin of milk.

�� Above: A Tamil Hindu pilgrim, his skin and mouthpierced with needles, carries a cavadee as part of the celebration of the same name, held in late January or early February.�� Opposite: These woodenstructures, decked in brightflowers, are a central part ofthe Cavadee procession.


THE PEOPLE

29

Other Hindu festivals include Diwali, the festival oflights, which celebrates the triumph of good over evilwith lights and firecrackers, the sharing of cakes withfriends, and the offering of fruit, sweets and flowers toLaksmi, goddess of wealth; Maha Shivaratree, one ofthe biggest festivals on the Hindu calendar, whichinvolves a pilgrimage to Grand Bassin for ritual cleans-ing (its waters are said to be connected to those of thesacred Ganges River in India); and Holi, feast of fire andcolour, at which an effigy of the wicked Holika is burntto symbolize the triumph over evil. The latter is also celebrated with fountains of coloured water – touristswho get too close will get wet! In India, Ganga Asnaninvolves immersion in the Ganges for purification; inMauritius, Hindus go down to the sea or to Ganga Talao(Grand Bassin) for an equivalent ceremony.

As well as the usual holy days, Mauritian Christianscelebrate the festival of Père Laval on 9 September. Onthe anniversary of this saint’s death, thousands ofMauritians and even people from further afield convergeon Sainte Croix, Port Louis, to pray at his tomb. Massesare held continuously from 16:00 the day before untilmidday. On All Souls’ DayChristians flock to cemet-eries to place flowers onthe graves, and prayers aresaid for the salvation of thedead. The ritual washingof graves demonstratesAfrican influences.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the endof the fast of Ramadan forthe Muslims, who alsocelebrate Ghoons, a festivalcommemorating the mar-tyrdom of Mohammed’snephew, Imam Hussein. Itbears some similarity inform to the Hindu Cava-dee; a decorated bamboo

Once used to describe acharm or talisman, the termgris-gris has become morevague and generalized todenote magic and witchcraftin varying forms, and people’s belief in spirits.Brought across to Mauritiusby the early African slaves,gris-gris was outlawed by theEuropean settlers, andremains illegal. Despite this, it still has some influence onthe behaviour and religiouspractices of the Creoles onthe island, and witchdoctorsor longanists continue to leada covert existence, consultedin the hopes that they cansolve all sorts of problems.Memories of it linger on inthe names of the village ofGris Gris on the south coastand Ville Noire (‘BlackTown’) near Mahébourg.

SPIRITS AND SORCERY



30

structure or ghoon is carriedthrough the streets of PortLouis while participants, theircheeks, tongue and skinpierced with needles, inflictvarious forms of torture onthemselves in repentance.However, Ghoons is nolonger widely celebrated.

Visitors to Mauritius maybe interested to see thecolourful Chinese NewYear or Spring Festivalcelebrations. Homes are

decked out in red, firecrackers are let off to drive awayevil spirits, and special foods are prepared. The DragonDance is a highlight, performed at sunset by eight ormore people wearing a dragon costume with a colourfuland ornately decorated mask.

The tourist office can supply interested visitors withthe dates on which religious rituals and festivals are totake place, as many of them vary from year to year.

The SégaThe obsessive beat of the séga has its roots in Africa, andno doubt the dance was brought across to Mauritius (andother Indian Ocean islands) by the slaves. Historicalrecords indicate that this erotically suggestive Creoledance was evolved as a means of bemoaning hard work-ing conditions; slaves met on the beach at night around afire, where supplies of rum assisted their emotional out-pourings. The tone and direction of the séga was deter-mined by the beating of a goatskin drum called a‘ravanne’ accompanied by a small triangle and a con-tainer of dried peas or small stones, the ‘maravanne’.

Dressed in vividly coloured skirts, the women weaveflirtatiously in front of the men with much swaying ofhips. A solo singer supplies the story (usually in Creole)while a chorus echoes the refrain. The tempo slowlyincreases and, with the dancing becoming more and

�� Above: A dragon costume is fitted in preparation for the Chinese New Yearfestivities – to the amuse-ment of the onlookers!

After qualifying in France as a doctor, Père Laval becamea missionary in Mauritius in1841, at the age of 38. Overthe next 23 years, his workwith the poor and outcast,slaves and lepers was muchappreciated by thousands ofMauritians. He was, how-ever, resented by some in the ruling classes, althoughhis countless good deeds andhis missionary work werefinally recognized by hisbeatification by Pope JohnPaul in 1979.

PÈRE LAVAL


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31

more provocative, the mood is trans-formed from one of gentle melancholy to afrenzy of passion, before eventually dyingdown again. The players traditionally per-form in front of an eager audience whoencourage them with the clapping ofhands and the stamping of feet and byjoining in with the chorus.

In response to tourist demand, theséga has become more and more com-mercialized over the last couple ofdecades; some say that today it is a farcry from the original dance form. Manyhotels organize a weekly show for theirguests which can prove to be highlyenjoyable as they are invited onto thedance floor by the travelling séga troupeto learn the simple steps. Under the lightof the moon with the waves gentlylapping at the nearby shore, the beat ofthe séga is marvellously evocative.

Sport and RecreationAs a warm, year-round destination withcalm, turquoise, coral-belted lagoons,Mauritius is certainly a water sport play-ground. Scuba diving,snorkelling, windsurfing,sailing and big-game fish-ing are among the widerange of activities cateredfor on the island, many ofthem by the big hotels aswell as by independentorganizations. Out of thewater, Mauritians are par-ticularly fond of soccer,and basketball and volley-ball are growing in pop-ularity. Although jockeys

�� Below: A display of ségadancing taking place in one of the island’s hotels.

Nov–Mar • Fire-walking (Hindu – Tamil)1/2 Jan* • New Year1 Feb • Abolition of Slavery DayJan/Feb* • Cavadee (Hindu – Tamil)Jan/Feb* • Spring Festival/New Year (Chinese)Feb/Mar* • Maha Shivaratree (Hindu)Feb/Mar • Holi (Hindu)12 Mar* • Independence DayMar/Apr* • Ougadi (Telegu)Mar/Apr • Easter (Christian)1 May* • Labour DayAug/Sep* • Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu – Marathi)9 Sep • Père Laval (Christian)Oct/Nov* • Diwali (Hindu)1 Nov* • All Saints’ Day (Christian) • GangaAsnan (Hindu)2 Nov • Arrival of the Indentured Labourers Day25 Dec* • Christmas Day (Christian)

FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS

Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha according to the Islamic calendar, subject to thephases of the moon. * public holidays



32

are mainly South African, horse-racing draws hugecrowds to the Champ de Mars in Port Louis eachSaturday during the winter months.

No matter their level of proficiency, locals andholiday-makers alike enjoy diving and snorkelling in theveritable fairyland of coral gardens found along manyparts of the coast. With surface water temperatures out-side the reef ranging from 22˚C (72˚F) in August andSeptember to 27˚C (81˚F) in March, and with highersummer temperatures in the lagoons within the reef, awetsuit is not necessary for dives to a depth of 20m(66ft). Visibility near the reef is at its best in the winter,but for offshore dives, summer is a better time, as thewarm waters attract an abundance of fish. Most divingschools, whether independent or allied to hotels, areaffiliated to the Mauritius Scuba Diving Associationwhich sees to it that international diving standards areadhered to, in terms of both instruction and the equip-ment supplied. Beginners can take their first divinglessons in some hotel swimming pools, progressing toshallow sea dives if they show ability within a fewlessons. If you are qualified, remember to bring yourdiving certification as proof of your abilities.

Diving facilities are usually charged for by the hotels,in contrast with most other water sports, such as snorkel-ling. If you bring your own snorkelling gear, make sureyou also bring protective footwear and gloves to guard

against injury from seaurchins and a few othernasties. The use of spearguns is strictly prohibited,as is the removal of anylive or dead coral or shellsfrom the lagoon or reef. Ifdiving and snorkellingdon’t appeal to you, manyhotels have glass-bottomedboats which take guestsout for a more leisurelyexamination of the reef.

�� Opposite: Pleasure cruises,water-skiing and sailing arejust some of the many watersports available on Mauritius.�� Below: Scuba diving on thereef in the company of aclown fish.

The more experienced divercan tailor a diving holiday totake in shelf dives, wreckdives, night dives and divingtrips to nearby islands. Some of the exotic fish divers comeacross are parrotfish, thick-lipped groupers, wrasses,sweetlips, angelfish andsquirrelfish, boxfish, trumpetfish and clown fish. Colourfulsponges, corals, sea anemonesand fan worms adorn themarine underworld. Diversmay take the opportunity toexplore numerous wrecks fromthe 18th and 19th centuries, aswell as those that have beendeliberately sunk in recenttimes to create artificial reefs.

DIVE SIGHTS


THE PEOPLE

33

Surfing is best at Tamarin Bay on the west coast, andmore recently kitesurfing has become popular.

Mauritius has earned itself a name for big-game fishing among anglers around the world, and indeedhas held world records in several categories. The bestfishing grounds lie off the west coast, where fish may becaught less than a kilometre (about half a mile) offshoreduring the summer months. Fully equipped boats canbe hired from the hotels, and if you wish, a professionaltaxidermist will mount your catch and later ship it toyou anywhere in the world.

The centre of sailing activities is Grand Baie. Manyhotels here and at other resorts on the island have smallsailing craft such as Lasers, available free of charge foruse within the sheltered lagoon areas, and some willeven provide free basic instruction in sailing. Othershave catamarans available for use by their guests. Privateyacht charter for day trips and excursions of several daysis available through local travel agents; trips can be organized to offshore islands as well as to Réunion. Thecompetitive sailing season is during July and Augustwhen the southeast trade winds are at their strongest;depending on demand, the Beachcomber Crossing fromMauritius to Durban, South Africa, takes place in August.

Spines from certain types ofsea urchin can be very hardto remove once embedded inyour foot, and sometimesresult in infection. If this doeshappen and you are not ableto rely on hotel medicalfacilities, first see if you cantap the knowledge of a localfisherman to help you extractthe spine correctly, otherwiseyou will need to see a doctor.In the shallows and near thereef, other dangers includethe lethal stonefish, easy totread on as it lies motionlesson the sandy bottom withjust its eyes showing. Wearrubber water shoes in thewater to avoid treading onurchins and stonefish, anddon’t touch any creature youare unsure of. Certain liveshells of the cone family caninflict painful stings, some ofwhich may be fatal if nottreated promptly. The slow-moving red-and-white-striped lionfish has pois-onous fins and should beavoided. Happily, sharkattacks are almost unheard ofinside the lagoon, althoughsharks are found outside it.

NASTIES OF THE REEF



34

For a breath of fresh air, there are a number ofexcellent places for walking, hiking and climbing. Themost interesting walk is to the top of Pieter Both mountainoverlooking Port Louis, although it is more demandingthan most and should be done with the help of a profes-sional guide; rock-climbing is also possible here. Otherwalks, including le Pouce, la Montagne du Rempart, lePiton du Milieu, les Trois Mamelles, le Corps de Garde, leMorne and la Tourelle de Tamarin, are not so taxing andgenerally take about half a day. Plaine Champagne pro-vides a cooler and potentially easier place to walk, whileYemen on the west coast is a good place for an easy ramble which doesn’t involve negotiating mountains!

Most of the large hotels have good all-weather tenniscourts, often with spotlights for use at night-time; equip-ment can be hired. There are a number of golf courseson Mauritius, mostly located at the big hotels. If you arenot staying at a hotel with a golf course, you can stillplay after paying an entry fee. If you intend to playmuch golf, consider bringing your own clubs. The maincompetition, the Mauritius Commercial Bank Open, isheld in December each year at Belle Mare Plage and isopen to professionals and amateurs.

There are two horse-riding clubs on Mauritius whichprovide jumping and dressage lessons. The ClubHippique de Maurice in Floréal allows temporary mem-bership, while the Ecuries du Domaine, at Le Domaine

�� Above: Taking the plunge:divers preparing to explore the wonders of the reef. Mostof the large hotels offer divinginstruction and will arrangeexcursions.

Equipment needed is usuallyonly a pair of good walkingshoes, raingear and a ruck-sack for water and food.Yemaya Adventures inCalodyne, Grand Gaube welcomes inquiries from vis-itors (tel: 752 0046, www.yemayaadventures.com)Often, permission to climbmountains must first beobtained from the Conservatorof Forests, Botanical GardenStreet, Curepipe, (tel: 2110554) as many of the moun-tains are government land.Occasionally, permission mustbe obtained from privatelandowners whose land mustbe crossed before the moun-tain can be ascended.

WHEN PLANNING A WALK


THE PEOPLE

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les Pailles near Port Louis, can arrange lessons for groupsof tourists and nature trails on horseback. In a less formalsetting, various small stables at Chamarel, Black River andMon Choisy provide horses for tourists.

Hunting has been practised in Mauritius since deer wereintroduced from Java in 1639. The numbers hunted andkilled in any season are strictly controlled to maintain ahealthy and balanced population of over 70,000 animals.Deer-hunting takes place in reserves on the west and eastcoasts from June to September. At other times of the year,wild boar, guinea fowl, quail, partridge and hare may behunted. Local tour operators are able to organize day, over-night and weekend hunts. Kestrel Valley in the southeast isan area which is especially reserved for hunting purposes;here one can hunt all year round.

Gambling has become a popular tourist attractionwith casinos at the coastal resorts of Trou aux Biche inthe north and Flic en Flac in the west. The capital has acasino on the Caudan Waterfront and the Casino deMaurice at Curepipe and Domaine les Pailles lie inland.You must be over 18 to play and some casinos preferthat you have your passport with you.

Spas have been the biggest growth market in recre-ation in the last decade. Mauritius has some excellentexamples at the major hotels – establishments usuallybacked by a European cosmetics house such as Clarinsor Givenchy. Smaller independent establishments can befound in the major resorts. Therapiesinclude massage, facials and bodytreatments.

Food and DrinkMauritius is a delight for anyonewho wishes to try a variety of culi-nary treats. Reflecting the country’sdiverse cultural heritage, Mauritiandishes are derived from French,Creole, Indian and Chinese tradi-tions, all of which have evolved totake advantage of local delicacies.

�� Below: A holiday inMauritius provides a goldenopportunity to try out all kindsof water sports in the relativesafety of the lagoons.

Tourists may enjoy watchinga game of pétanque, aFrench variation on bowls. A marker ball is thrown on a course without boundaries,following which the playersattempt to get their ball nearest the jack. This gentlegame, which requires nospecial skill except reason-able hand-eye coordination,is a popular amusementamong Mauritians.

PÉTANQUE



36

Rice is the staple diet of many Mauritians, although ithas to be imported. It is also the main feature of Creolefood and, along with side dishes such as brèdes (a type ofspinach), chutneys and pickles, it is usually served with acurry, rougaille, fricassee or moulouktani. The latter,whose name has the same root as the word ‘mulliga-tawny’, is a curried soup made with small crabs andpieces of meat. Rougaille is made of tomatoes and onionssautéed with thyme, garlic, ginger and chilli (although thelocal version is made with the smaller pommes d’amour inplace of tomatoes), plus a meat or seafood ingredient suchas sausage, salted fish, shrimps and prawns. Brèdes is abouillon made with the leaves and shoots of certain veg-etables, while vindaye combines vinegar, garlic, saffronand other spices in the preparation of fish and meats.

Indian cuisine centres mainly on curries and their sidedishes; biryani (pronounced breyani), a delicately spicedmeat dish with a yoghurt-based sauce, is anotherfavourite. Snacks such as poppadoms, samosas (oftenspelled samoosas) and chilli bites are often availablefrom street stalls. Traditionally, spices in Indian dishesare crushed each day on a rock in the back yard, called aroche carri, so their full flavour is imparted to the food.

Chinese cooking traditions too remain faithful totheir roots; familiar dishes such as pork fooyong andsweet and sour fish are common. The Chinese also eatsea urchins and sea cucumbers, sausage-like creatureswhich are often seen in the shallows.

Top of the list of local delicacies are smoked marlin,which tastes somewhat like smoked salmon, and heart ofpalm, which is either boiled or eaten raw in a ‘million-aire’s salad’. Venison and wild boar, along with smallergame, are offered at many restaurants and are definitelyworth trying. Octopus, prawns, shrimps, oysters andcrabs crown a selection of tasty local fish that haveintriguing names: vieille rouge (‘old red’), capitaine (‘cap-tain’), and sacréchien (‘sacred dog’). Notable for theirnovelty value as much as for their refreshing flavour,carved pineapples (served lollipop-style on the fruit’sstalk) are often sold by vendors and on the beaches.

An entire tree, which takesfour years to grow bigenough, must be sacrificedto obtain its edible ‘heart’.Palm plantations exist solelyto satisfy the culinarydemand for this delicacywhich has existed since theDutch occupation. Only athird of the heart (about1.8kg; 4lbs) can be eaten. It must be quickly takenfrom its protective fibroussheath before the centre iscut out in a bath of milk andwater: this way, the ivory-coloured flesh is shieldedfrom oxidation and dis-colouration is prevented. Itis then cooked in the milkmixture. Its texture, oncecooked, ranges from crisp tosoft (but not limp). The tasteis subtle and delicate andthe heart should never beprepared with strong spicesand condiments.

HEART OF PALM


THE PEOPLE

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Visitors in hotels are usually treated to a tame ver-sion of the spicy Mauritian cuisine. For the real thing,sample a few of the numerous excellent restaurants dotted around the island. The more adventurous can trythe fare offered by the many roadside stalls in PortLouis and some of the larger towns – as opposed to thesnacks sold by beach vendors, these stallholders offermore substantial food such as fried Chinese noodles,biryani or curry and rice. If you are staying in self-catering accommodation, try asking your cleaning ladyto prepare your meals; remember to give her someadvance warning so she can tell you what to buy.Fishermen on motorbikes call round in the morningselling freshly caught local fish. Alternatively, try thelocal débarcadère (fish-landing jetty) where fishermenbring in their catch.

Mauritius is self-sufficient in its production of manyalcoholic drinks. Most popular is the thirst-quenchingPhoenix beer and its stronger companion, Blue Marlin.You can enjoy all the international brands of spirits at barson the island, though at a price premium when comparedto locally produced brands. Wine isimported. Oxenham and Company is aMauritian company that produces winefrom imported concentrated grape juice,and excellent South African, French,Italian and Australian labels can be foundon most wine lists. A range of local spiritdrinks, such as rum (one variety, GreenIsland Rum, is exported), whisky, brandy,vodka and cane, is also available. Inaddition to the usual soft drinks, somelocal non-alcoholic specialities includeyoghurt-based drinks like lassi andalouda, a syrupy streetside special madeof milk, a gelatinous substance calledTop Alouda, and flavouring. Finally,don’t miss such tropical island drinks asrum-and-fruit cocktails, colourfullydecorated with hibiscus flowers.

�� Below: The best of Mauritian fare.

Gateau piment: fried dhollmixture containing chilliGateau bringelle: eggplantfrittersBhajias: fried spicy batterGateau patate: fried mixtureof sweet potato and coconutDholl puree: thin pancakespread with a tomato sauce.

MARKET FARE


INDEXNote: Numbers in boldindicate photographs

Agalega Islands 5agriculture 22–23Air Mauritius 24Albion 90Alexandra Falls 80All Souls’ Day 29Anse la Raie 48anthuriums 10, 23, 62, 79architecture 94, 97, 101,

102, 104, 118

Baie aux Tortues 40-41Baie de la Grande Rivière

Noire 80, 84Baie du Cap 75Baie du Tombeau 40Balaclava 41Bambous 90Bambous Mountains 6, 8,

55, 58, 59, 63Bambous Virieux 59Banda (wreck) 40Bassin Blanc 8, 14, 75Battle of Vieux Grand Port

17, 55, 60, 61, 62, 63monument to 18

beaches 9, 37, 39, 40, 42,45, 47, 48, 49, 50, 55,56, 57, 58, 66, 71, 73,74, 77, 78, 82, 83, 88

Beau Bassin 7, 111, 115Bel Ombre 14, 75Belle Mare 56–57lime kilns 56sugar factory 56

big-game fishing 31, 33,48, 77, 78, 83, 85

birdsecho parakeet 12, 13, 84Mauritius kestrel 12, 13,

60, 80, 84, 106paille-en-queue see

tropic birdpink pigeon 12, 13, 80,

84, 88tropic bird 12, 50, 66

biscuits manioc 61, 99Black River see Rivière

NoireBlack River Aviary 13, 83,

84Black River district 76,

83–90Black River Gorges 14,

80, 81, 119Black River Gorges

National Park 11, 80Blue Bay 64British colonists 17–18,

65, 93, 96, 102, 118

Cap Malheureux 17, 38,47–48

Cargados CarajosArchipelago 5, 57

Cascade Cécile 75Casela Nature and Leisure

Park 13, 83, 88–89casinos 35, 42, 77, 96,

106, 112casuarinas 8, 9, 11, 42, 47,

50, 56, 57, 66, 77, 88Cavadee 27, 29, 31central plateau 6, 8, 25,

111-120Centre de Flacq 56Chamarel 70, 75, 77, 78,

79-80Chamarel Coloured Earths

7, 79–80Chamarel Falls 79Chinese food 36–37, 100Chinese New Year 30Clan Campbell 76climate 9–10, 39, 55, 71,

83, 93, 111, 112climbing 33, 34, 67, 89, 95Coin de Mire 8, 9, 50colophane 11Conservator of Forests 14,

34, 112, 126coral 12, 14, 32, 41, 47, 75coral reef 5, 8, 13, 32, 42,

46, 50, 51, 64, 75, 84 Creole food 35, 36, 45,

62, 72, 99, 119Creole language 26, 27, 65Creole people 25, 26, 65Curepipe 7, 8, 22, 25,

111-114, 117Botanical Gardens 112Dodo Club 113Floréal 112 114Forest Side 113shopping 113–114town hall 113Trou aux Cerfs 114, 115

cyclones 9–10, 15, 20, 25,126

diamonds 114diving 32–33, 34, 42, 45,

47, 51, 64, 67, 77, 86Diwali 29, 31dodo 11, 12, 15, 63, 97Domaine de l’Etoile 62Domaine les Pailles 34,

35, 105–107Dutch colonists 11,

15–16, 20, 55, 57, 58,60, 63, 65, 80

East Indies 15, 16Eid-ul-Fitr 29, 31Eurêka 118–119Export Processing Zone

(EPZ) 20–21, 116

Ferney 60filao see casuarinafire-walking see Teemeedeefishing 14, 23, 45, 48, 49,

62, 84, 87Flacq district 55–58Flat Island see Île PlateFlic en Flac 82, 83, 87, 88flora 10–11, 107–108, 119food and drink 35–37, 98,

99, 100, 106, 107, 114foreign investment 21Franco-Mauritians 25François Leguat Giant

Tortoise and CaveReserve 67

French colonists 11, 16–17,40–41, 43, 47, 50, 55,59, 60, 61, 63, 65, 71,80, 93, 96, 97, 102, 118

French language 17, 26,46, 65

gambling 35, 105, 112Ganga Asnan 29, 31Ghoons 27, 29, 30glass-bottomed boats 32, 42golden bat 12, 66golf 34, 42, 57, 58, 75,

76, 77, 78, 113, 117Goodlands 49Grand Baie 24, 33, 39,

42, 44–47art galleries 46shopping 46yacht club 45

Grand Bassin 8, 29, 120Grand Gaube 48–49Grand Port Bay 55, 63Grand Port Coast 55, 58–61Grande Rivière Sud-Est 7,

8, 58Gris Gris beach 73gris-gris 29, 73

Hart, Robert-Edward 73heart of palm 36Helderberg 57helicopter service 24, 45,

50, 123highway 24, 117, 123Hindi 26Holi 29, 31horseracing 32, 102–103horseriding 34–35, 42, 77,

105, 106hunting 35, 59, 120

Île aux Aigrettes 9, 61, 63,84

Île aux Bénitiers 70, 77, 78Île aux Cerfs 8, 9, 57–58Île aux Fouquets 59, 60, 63Île aux Goyaviers 56Île aux Serpents 50, 51Île d’Ambre 9, 49, 51

Île de la Passe 59, 60, 63Île de l’Est 58Île des Deux Cocos 64Île Plate 9, 12, 50, 51Île Ronde 8, 11, 50, 51Îlot du Mort 49Îlot Fourneau 77Îlot Gabriel 51Îlot Mangenie see Île

de l’EstÎlot Marianne 59Îlot Sancho 75Independence 18, 19Indian food 36, 99, 106Indian labourers 18indigenous forest 11, 59,

80, 106Indo–Mauritians 25, 26Isla Mauritia 41

Jacotet Bay 75Java deer 12, 15, 35, 55, 60Jugnauth, Anerood 18, 19

Kanaka Crater 8, 120Kestrel Valley 13, 35, 59,

84

L’Aventure du Sucre 108Labourdonnais, Bertrand

François Mahé de 16,61, 62, 93, 96, 107

La Ferme reservoir 90, 116La Gaulette 77La Montagne du Lion 8, 60La Montagne du Rempart 7,

34, 83, 87, 89, 114La Preneuse 86–87

Martello Tower 87La Tour Koenig 90La Tourelle de Tamarin 34,

83, 86La Vanille Reserve des

Mascareignes 72–73Le Chaland Hotel 64Le Corps de Garde 7, 34,

90, 114, 116Le Morne Brabant 7, 34,

70, 76, 77, 85, 88Le Morne peninsula 70,

76–78, 83Le Piton de la Petite

Rivière Noire 7, 83Le Piton du Milieu 8, 34Le Pouce 7, 34, 104Le Réduit 118Le Rempart see la

Montagne du RempartLe Souffleur 64Le Touessrok Resort 57, 58Les Trois Mamelles 7, 34,

83, 87, 114

Macchabée–Bel OmbreForest 14

Maha Shivaratree 29, 120

INDEX

127

MAURITIUS INDEX 2/7/13 11:11 AM Page 127

Mahébourg 7, 8, 61–64Museum 49, 61–62, 76

Maheswarnath HinduTemple 43

Mare aux Vacoas 119Mare Longue reservoir

119–120Mauritius

history 15–19, 40, 41,42, 43, 55, 58–62, 63,76, 97–98, 103, 104,107–108, 112

previous names 14–16Mauritius fruit bat see

golden batMauritius Tourism

Promotion Authority122

Mauritius MarineConservation Society14, 117

Mauritius Scuba DivingAssociation 32

Mauritius UnderwaterGroup 117

Mauritius Wildlife AppealFund 13

model ships 46, 49, 113,114

Moka district 111Moka mountains 6, 93,

103, 104, 106, 108,115, 119

Mon Choisy 42, 46money 124Mouchoir Rouge 61

nature conservation 13–14,50–51, 80, 84, 117

newspapers 125

One&Only Le St Géran56, 58

Palmar 56Pamplemousses district

39–43Pamplemousses Royal

Botanic Gardens seeSir SeewoosagurRamgoolam BotanicGarden

parasailing 57, 77Paul et Virginie 47, 49,

51, 113Père Laval 29, 30, 103Péreybère 47pétanque 35philately 18Phoenix 7, 111, 113, 117Pieter Both 40, 95, 104Pieter Both mountain 7,

34, 95, 104, 108pirates 15, 16, 17, 94Plaine Champagne 34,

71, 75, 76, 78

Plaine des Roches 55–56Plaine Wilhems district

111–120Plaisance 24, 61, 63, 111Pointe aux Canonniers 42,

43, 44, 4620º Sud Hotel 43

Pointe aux Caves 90Pointe aux Piments 41Pointe aux Roches 74–75Pointe aux Sables 90Pointe d’Azur 47Pointe d’Esny 55, 63, 64Pointe de Flacq 56Pointe des Roches Noires

49Pointe du Diable 58–59Pointe Lafayette 55Pointe Lascars 49Poivre, Pierre 16, 107political parties 19–20Pomponnette 72Port Louis 6, 7, 21, 24,

25, 30, 93–105architecture 94, 97,

101, 102, 104cathedrals 102Caudan Waterfront 96,

105Champ de Mars 102, 103Chinese pagoda 27Chinese Quarter 100Company Gardens

(Jardins de laCompagnie) 97–98

Fort Adelaide (LaCitadelle) 104

Government House (Hôteldu Gouvernement) 16,93, 96, 97, 101

harbour 24, 93, 96history 9, 16, 18, 25,

93–94, 96Jummah Mosque 100Kaylasson temple 104Lam Soon temple 103market 98–99Mauritius Institute and

Museum 12, 13, 86, 97Municipal Theatre 101Natural History Museum

63, 97Place Sookdeo

Bissoondoyal (Placed’Armes) 95–96, 97

post office 102Sainte Croix 29, 103shopping 96, 98–99,

101, 105Signal Mountain 102,

104statues 96, 97, 98, 100,

101Poste de Flacq 55–56Poste Lafayette 49, 55Poudre d’Or 49

public holidays 27, 31

Quatre Bornes 7, 111,113, 116–117

railways 23, 24, 25, 61,112

Ramadan 29Ramgoolam, Sir

Seewoosagur 18, 19religion 27–30restaurants 37, 42, 43, 44,

46, 47, 52–53, 57, 58,62, 69, 73, 78, 80, 81,91, 95, 96, 100, 106,107, 108, 109, 121

Riambel 72, 74Ringadoo, Veerasamy 18Rivière des Anguilles 72Rivière Noire village 13,

83, 86Rivière Noire 8, 80Robert Edward Hart

Gardens 101Roches Noires 49Rochester Falls 74, 81Rodrigues 5, 64–67, 65

beaches 66Caverne Patate 67history 11, 17, 19, 63, 65mountains 67offshore islands 67Petite Butte coral quarry

67Pointe Coton 66Port Mathurin 65, 66, 67Port Sud-Est 66Trou d’Argent 66wildlife 66

Rose Hill 7, 111, 115–116Plaza Theatre 115, 116

Round Island see ÎleRonde

sailing 31, 33, 45, 55, 57,77

St Géran (wreck) 47, 49,51, 62

salt pans 84, 86, 87Savanne district 71–76Savanne mountains 6, 71,

75sea urchins 33, 124séga dance 30–31, 42, 66,

76, 84shells 14, 32, 33, 86shipwrecks 32, 40, 43, 47,

49, 62, 64, 67, 75, 76Shiva 120shopping 46, 56, 88, 96,

98–99, 100, 101, 105,113–114, 116, 117

Sir SeewoosagurRamgoolam BotanicGarden 13, 107–108

Sir Seewoosagur

RamgoolamInternational Airport19, 61, 63, 122–123

Sirius 60, 64slavery 18, 25, 76, 77snorkelling 31, 32, 41,

42, 47, 51, 57, 77Souillac 71, 72, 73–74

Robert Edward Hartmuseum 73

Telfair Gardens 74stonefish 33, 124subscooter 46sugar 11, 15, 16, 18, 20,

21, 39, 55–56, 60, 75,87, 108, 112

sugar estates 6, 17, 18,21, 25, 42, 50, 62,71–72, 114

Surcouf, Robert 17, 62surfing 33, 57, 77, 87

Tamarin 87–88Tamarin Bay 33, 87Tamarind Falls 7, 119–120Tamarind Falls reservoir

119taxis 25, 45, 95, 124Teemeedee 28Telfair skink 12, 50, 72tennis 34, 42tourism 21, 22, 55, 66,

71, 88Trevessa 75, 76Triolet 43Trois Cavernes 89Trou aux Biches 4, 40,

41–42Trou aux Cerfs 8, 114, 115Trou d’Eau Douce 56, 57,

58

University of Mauritius 26

Vacoas 7, 111, 117 Vacoas Mountains 83, 89Van der Stel, Adriaan 60Van der Stel, Simon 60Victoria amazonica water

lilies 107, 108Vieux Grand Port 59, 60volcanoes 6, 114

walking 23, 33, 34, 51,57, 62, 72, 74, 75, 77,83, 95, 106, 119, 120

water-skiing 33, 42, 45,57, 77

water sports 31, 32–33,34, 35, 45, 64, 77, 83

wild guavas 119wildlife 11–13, 32, 33,

50, 66, 80, 84 windsurfing 31, 45, 57,

64, 77Wolmar 83, 86, 88

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