PROLOGUE. How it all began.

Once, when a gloomy and disgusting November came in St. Petersburg, two townspeople who were not very limited in means (but heavily exhausted by endless work) realized that they were no longer able to bear the hardships of life and decided to rush to the sea, sun and carelessness.
With all the richness of choice, the range of places for spending a short vacation turned out to be unexpectedly narrow - Srilanka, Dominican Republic, Seychelles and Mauritius. All of the above lay in approximately the same price category, and the choice seemed difficult.
Sri Lanka was rejected first, because in addition to the excursion program, full-scale diving was planned. Fell next Dominican Republic, it seemed to us not the most comfortable presence of a serious time difference. Between Seychelles and Mauritius, we hesitated for about a week. They moaned quietly with delight, looking at pictures of the Seychelles on the Internet, and drooling, studying the details of the hunt for blue marlin off the coast of Mauritius. Fan-tas-tic diving was promised in both places. In the Seychelles, we were promised unity with nature, and in Mauritius, "the best service in the world." As our father, we learned the thesis that “Seychelles is a 3 *** service against the background of 5 ***** beauties”, and Mauritius is exactly the opposite.
The decisive was the careless remark of the manager of one of the VIP-travel agencies that vacation in the Seychelles was "indecent and unreasonably expensive." The choice was made - the guillotine fell, and having paid a considerable fraction of USD, we became the happy owners of Air France SPB-Paris-Mauritius tickets and a voucher to the 4 **** La Plantation hotel.
The very history of choosing a hotel is still a song, since there are more hotels in Mauritius than you can imagine in your wildest dreams, there are no bad ones among them by definition (and this is really so!) And the main thing you need to decide on is which coast you want live - east, north or west. Meteo maps with wind directions, speed and temperatures of currents, depths and topography of the bottom behind the reef, which surrounds the island from all sides, excluding the northern one, were used. But ... more on that later. And as always, Mr. Chance intervened in the matter - there was a "chance meeting" with a real Mauritian who arrived in St. Petersburg on business, and argued to us that we should settle in "La Plantation". And nowhere else! However, later it turned out that the "native Mauritian" is a former citizen of the USSR, and now one of the co-owners of the said hotel. But in any case, we are grateful to him, since the choice turned out to be quite satisfactory. And Mr. Alvaro himself brightened up our stay on the island a lot.

FLIGHT. Fly with Air Maurice planes!

Four hours to Paris. Five hours of docking at Charles de Gaulle airport. Aimless wandering around the Parisian dutik, grabbing his hands (all on the way back !!). The constant itching thought that our luggage will be lost, and ... .. the long-awaited boarding flight to Mauritius. I must say right away that Air France flies to the island (which is bad) and Air Maurish (which is GREAT !!). We advise you to pay attention to this point when buying tickets, since the flight lasts 12 hours, and the degree of comfort becomes a vital indicator. For the same reason, it is not entirely clear to us how one can sign up small children for such a vacation. 12 hours of non-stop summer can shatter the nervous system of the most convinced optimist. Though! They are fed three times. They drink continuously. The TV shows seven channels. They give out blankets and pillows. On Air Maurish, everything is the same, but the chairs are more comfortable, individual TVs in the back of the front seat, food is more varied and abundant (according to the menu), and slippers with socks and eyecups are also relied on blankets (to sleep better, you know!).
So, we flew there with the French and did not get out of the plane, but fell out. And back we got a Mauritian flight - we were cheerful and almost fresh. True, on the way back we missed the docking (another plane crashed in America, we were given a triple security check, and the flight was out of schedule). The plane flew to St. Petersburg without us, and we got a free visa, a hotel with food and a WHOLE DAY in PARIS. That was a gift !!!

OUR PERSONAL GUIDE

No, this is not folding, this is our Russian-speaking guide and that's great! We are not timid people, our language is more or less, although the fact that the island turned out to be French was a surprise for us. A guide was gently but persistently offered to us by the sending travel agency, the surcharge was ridiculous, we easily agreed, realizing that there would be few compatriots and all excursions, like the trip itself, would be individual in nature. And what was the right thing to do! She accompanied us, rushed with us like with small children, agreed to all our adventures, and at the same time was invariably cheerful, friendly and, it seems, invariably glad to communicate with us, the former Muscovite Tanya, who has lived in Mauritius for 12 years, knows the island thoroughly and fluent in ALL languages ​​spoken there, including Indian (or Hindi?).
Weather. It so happened that we flew to Mauritius on the first day school holidays, which at first gave us an incredulous grin. We simply forgot that the equator is behind us, and from the geographical winter we fell into the geographical summer. This consciousness warmed us even when it started to rain - nonsense, it's summer rain! By the way, if it rains on the west coast, then most likely the sun will be blazing on the east coast. Low mauritian mountain ranges so effectively stop the winds and catch the clouds that you are simply amazed.

The puncture came out only in one place, and the place is the SEA, more precisely, the Indian Ocean. Let's be honest, this is not a Bounty. In this part, we received a sensitive kick on dreams and hopes. First, ... .. cold. Yes, it's cold! Perhaps in January the ocean warms up, but in November we did not have a desire to splash - so, in a businesslike way, we plunged and jumped out.
Secondly, the beaches ... y-yes ... I repeat - not Bounty. Do not believe, friends, advertising about the best in the world endless sandy beaches... Officially the best beach on the island is inferior in quality and size to the Baltic beach in the suburb of St. Petersburg - Sestroretsk. Each hotel has its own narrow strip imperfect sandy shore... And there are pebbles, and rocky outcrops with heaps of boulders, and other associated marine debris.
So if you want to rush along a deserted luxurious beach with your arms outstretched with a cry of delight on your lips, then you should know that Mauritius is not for you. I confess I wanted to. It didn't break off ... Fortunately, from all sides, except the north, the island is surrounded by a reef, on which the ocean surf breaks. And beyond the reef the still and somehow warm water of the coastal lagoons. The surf line is somewhere closer, somewhere further, but is visible from everywhere. But on the other side of the reef, in the ocean…. Well, one word, ocean. A real, hefty wave is walking, the wind is blowing, the boat is shaking so that I was enough for exactly half an hour. The other 5 and a half I lay on my stomach on the stern, leaning over the side, and ... I suffered greatly.

DIVING or collapsed dreams.

As there is nothing to do on alpine skiing in Krylatskoye, so there is nothing to do with scuba diving in Mauritius. That is, you can, of course, dive, but without much enthusiasm. After the Red Sea has become native, there is simply nothing to do there. I'm not talking about French Polynesia, Malaysia or even Tai.
Well, not the Mediterranean Sea, of course - there’s just a grain of salt, but ... In short, believe me, we dived a lot, persistently, with different diving centers, on different shores of the island, honestly tried to find that raisin that advertising brochures hint at, but ... alas , did not find.
Lots of small standard living creatures. There are sharks, rays, moray eels, like everywhere else. Only in a smaller assortment. But the underwater landscapes, in fact, the reefs themselves are of no interest. Gray, dead and boring. And it's cold too! A 5-mm wetsuit lasted for 20 minutes. Then I began to desperately freeze to the knock on the teeth, and I perceived the command to rise as a gift of fate. Maybe it's really not the season for them in November, maybe their coral gardens are blooming, and large animals flock to the smell of flowering at another time? We don’t know. It remained a mystery to us.
In fact, there were still THREE events of underwater life, deposited in the memory.
Firstly, it is diving from a boat into an ocean wave. This, I can tell you, is not a ram sneezed !! This is scary, already horror, continuous adrenaline and wild delight from defeating yourself.
Secondly, what we called the "moray eel garden". It is difficult to surprise someone with this fish itself. Well, perhaps in the first place. But so that SUCH number of evil (seemingly, you yourself understand) toothy creatures, 5 (FIVE !!) pieces from one slot…. no .. we haven’t seen anything like that.
Thirdly, a huge amount of unprecedented size of malevolent stonefish, which local guides somehow cleverly tickled their necks, take under the belly and thrust them under your nose. Surprising and funny! Diving exclusively from the boat, everything is decent enough for hire, steel cylinders are everywhere. Instructors and guides, as everywhere, are friendly and tolerant of the most awkward Germans (for some reason, according to my observations, it is with Germans that incidents always happen!).
Every hotel on the island has its own fully equipped diving center. True, it remains a mystery to us - why? There is nothing to watch, the excitement is small. About prices. Subject to the availability of your own equipment, the dive costs $ 20. Kit rental $ 15-20. In short, the worldwide price. However, if you will, as we go from coast to coast in the hope of "diving off the western (eastern, northern ...) reefs", add the cost for a taxi - there is no other means of transportation on the island.

TRANSPORTATION - cheap and tasteful!

Of course, you can rent a car - this stuff is in bulk, $ 40-50 per day and the golden key is yours. But!!! You will have to drive on the left side, and the roads there are narrow in accordance with the size of the island and in a completely indecent state. In order not to create problems for yourself and others out of habit, as well as save a significant amount of money, you need to use a taxi. Each hotel has a flock of bored taxi drivers who can be ordered by phone, from the reception, or just walk out the gate and turn your head towards the parking lot. Any of the above methods will take you 3-4 minutes. It is useless to bargain with the driver. The local Mauritian taxi drivers union, apparently, once and for all set iron prices for all the few routes. The price is announced immediately, it is also posted at the reception, and includes delivery to the place, waiting there AS MUCH AS IS NECESSARY FOR THE CLIENT (!!!) and the return of the dear guest to the place. It is convenient, fast and inexpensive. The most expensive trip to the deep south of the island, for the whole day, there on one route, back on the other, costs 1,500 rupees. The rupee during our stay there was equal to the ruble. It was very convenient to count. Let's say right away, if you trust the host and take a guide, then for the same money, on a convenient day and hour, a car from the company with a wonderful girl Tanya comes for you, who will show you, tell you, help you buy and eat. And all this in your native language and with pleasure.

EXCURSION PROGRAM
or the damn ingenuity of the Mauritians!

Maybe once upon a time, Mauritius was a blooming Garden of Eden. But people are destructive creatures, they cut down forests, destroyed all living creatures, and planted all the vacant space with sugar cane. Therefore, as you understand, there are no special beauties on the island. You can cross it from end to end and you will not see anything except green reed plantations. This is if you go where your eyes are looking. But if you are not afraid to entrust your leisure time to your guide, believe me, they will organize it for you. And the point is that it is not enough to know the places, you also need to be able to show them in their best possible way. So, thanks to the former Muscovite Tanya, we saw everything that is not a shame to show in Mauritius, and even from the best side.
Plus, since we really wanted to see the real ocean surf, we persuaded her to take an atypical trip to the south of the island to its very, very tip. It was great, the road was beautiful, the rocks were so angry and the waves were real, like in books about pirates.
Tatiana said that she will now sell this tour.
We did very well with the crocodile farm. Crocodiles, as you know, do not live on the island, and have never lived. They were once brought there for the sake of meat and skin, and then the owner came up with a lucrative idea to show the animals to bored tourists and feed them crocodile steaks in the same place. Amazing! Tastier than pork. And the entourage is exotic - a tropical garden, tropical flying and singing animals, a small menagerie, impeccable service and quite human prices. But the hit of this place is the giant turtles. There are at least a hundred of them in a HUGE not even an aviary, but a mini-park. Plus a turtle nursery, where little turtle babies are countless. Also bred. They probably eat ... At the sight of this enclosure, we involuntarily gave a cry of delight from afar - this is something !! You can sit, stand and ride on them. They can be fed and scratched with their wrinkled necks. They are the size of my desk and are completely phlegmatic, the character, probably, is like that.
Even in Mauritius there are "seven-colored sands", at first glance, reminiscent of a large construction site. For some reason, they are considered the main attraction of the island. The sand is indeed multi-colored, for some reason it lies in separate immiscible dunes, surrounded by a hedge so as not to be trampled, but nothing more. But the road to them is amazing, goes through the forest, there are observation platforms with views of the picturesque waterfall.
You can chat with local macaques for mutual pleasure, it is nice to have a bunch or two of bananas with you.
On the way back (on a different route), the road goes through the mountains, also beautiful. And you can dine in a charming restaurant adhered to the slope of the gorge in a very advantageous place. And the view is beautiful and the food is good. True, it's expensive ...
The botanical garden deserves a separate story. The fact that we went to it ourselves, without a guide, was our mistake, but still great. The baobab is ... yes ...
You can ride sacred lake, along the banks of which there are Buddhist temples. You can enter any of them, the Hindus actively invite you to participate in their rituals, but being brought up on the fact that religious activities are intimate processes for the soul, we could not even step into the “altar zone” during the divine service held there, which surprised us a lot. the servant there. There are also hunting grounds in Mauritius, but we have not been there, since we are not hunters, we cannot say anything.
There is a standard trip to the capital, but there is nothing to watch and it is better to combine it with something and at the same time with shopping, because whatever we say about our disinterest in shopping, we all buy souvenirs and gifts. It is worth buying knitwear of all levels on the island, from T-shirts to sweaters - it is produced there with high quality and inexpensive. Moreover, surprisingly, the price tag in boutiques in the city center and the price tag in the shop near the factory practically coincide. All this good is more expensive only in shopping centers, standing in the immediate vicinity of hotels.
Well, on the last day, of course, you should buy exotic fruits at the market to take home and surprise your colleagues. The mangoes, which we brought in a fair amount in specially purchased plastic containers for this business, survived the two-day journey perfectly and delighted our family and colleagues. Pineapples are not even worth packing - they are medium-sized, strong and amazingly fragrant in Mauritius. They cost 15 rupees (rubles) apiece for the best. So, little by little, we moved on to food.

A KITCHEN that bites.

The cuisine on the island is represented by four directions. French (no comment!), Creole - not very spicy, not very spicy, but at least new for a European, Indian - is not discussed, because for us, and - a gourmet's dream - seafood is inedible. The sundries are represented by a standard set of fish and reptiles, the price is not too democratic, a dinner with king prawns, lobsters and beer cost us 1,700 rupees (rubles). On average, dine in a city without bells and whistles overlooking the ocean will cost you 600-700 rubles for two. No wine. The wine is French or South African. The first is obviously better. And not cheap - from $ 40 per bottle. It is also customary to drink the rum there. Exotic, but tasteless.
In short, in Tai and Malaysia, the food is tastier. And much cheaper. As you can imagine, we were mainly fed at the hotel, so everything was quite tasty and moderate in terms of exoticism.

A HOTEL or a dream come true.

Well, finally, the La Plantation hotel. Nice, fully-fledged four-star hotel. The exclusive is the pool system, not sickly in area (they say, the largest on the island), but absolutely non-functional. Only one of them is truly bathing. The rest are so, for beauty. All this is highlighted, licked, palm trees stick out of the water, tables from the restaurant are placed on personal piers ... beautiful. That is, if you manage to fall off the chair into the water after dinner, and then crawl on your belly up to your throat in the water to the nearest side, no one will tell you a word. But they don't just bathe in them.
We do not know the living conditions in the main building, we can only say that each room faces a long gallery, and the obligatory balcony faces the ocean. We lived in a "privileged" class cottage, very nice, isolated, with access to the garden, with a triple bed and a bathroom, for some reason, having a window to the bedroom (probably for those who are especially impatient).
In the room we were greeted by a working air conditioner, perfect cleanliness, a full set of detergents, a tray with exotic fruits and presents from the hotel in the form of a T-shirt and a pareo. A trifle, but nice. Towels were changed twice a day, however, we immediately established contact with the maid, cleaned honestly, did not come across our eyes and did not climb under our arms. All this for a minimum tip of 25 rupees 3-4 times for the entire period.
In general, the cleanliness in the hotel and on the territory is indicative, the pools are cleaned with a vacuum cleaner endlessly, stairs and marble floors sparkle with mosaics, lawns and lawns compete successfully with English ones, armfuls of fresh flowers amaze with variety and abundance. However, now this will surprise no one. The hotel has a mini-gym, sauna, Turkish bath and 2 types of massage. The latter - for some money. Three restaurants, one of them on the beach with tables on the sand. In the evening - class! I already wrote about the beach. Narrowly. The sun beds are in two rows. However, the neighbors to the right and to the left are all the same. All beach activities, including water skiing and excluding parasailing, are free. There is also a diving center with its own boat - the owner is French.
A boy walks in circles along the beach with a tray of freshly chopped fruit, followed by another boy offering napkins dipped in cold fresh water. The service is, of course, free. With a simple turn of your head, you can call the service staff, who seems to be hiding in the bushes, and order everything your heart desires - from juice and fresh newspapers to a nanny for children while your parents walk under the water. The hotel has two floodlit tennis courts - we played all alone before breakfast. We had our own rackets and balls, but in general, they say, all this can be taken at the reception for symbolic money. There is a volleyball court, people are actively playing. There is croquet (or cricket, or are these two different games?) Mysterious to us. The thought of taking a walk outside the hotel can be safely thrown out of your head right away - behind the fence there is solid sugar cane, interspersed with garbage of unknown origin.

BLUE MARLIN is Hemingway's prerogative.

Directly from the hotel, you can be picked up directly on board the boat equipped for deep sea fishing. This point is emphasized by ALL travel companies without exception.
According to their colorful stories and promises, the full impression is created that as soon as you go beyond the reef and throw in the tackle, which are permanently fixed on the boat, 4-6 pieces in each, such a fishy excitement will begin that all that remains is to sort - I take this one - I release this one. Lies! There is, of course, fish in the ocean. Fish in the ocean, of course, is caught, but ... only in case of stunning luck.
We went out to sea three times. Every time for at least 6 hours (no one will contact you for less!). A standard boat takes 2-3 fishermen + 2 crew members. A larger vessel lifts 5-6 people aboard. This pleasure costs up to $ 1000 per boat. Our boat cost $ 250 on the first day from the bow, each time it became cheaper ... Probably, the captain was ashamed that the catch for all the time was equal to one barracudine and a bunch of tuna.
Because the main advertising Mauritian bait is the Blue Marlin, which, as the same owner of the boat admitted, he himself has not been able to catch for six years. Like this. In parallel with our desperate attempts to catch a mythical fish, a whole team of Muscovites who arrived at the Blue Marlin Championship (I don’t remember - World or Russia) were unsuccessfully engaged in this. They lived in our hotel, drank correctly in Russian and had fun, but luck did not wish them to smile.
This is how the last Mauritian myth collapsed - a beautiful tale about the Blue Marlin.

SAD STATS

And now, when I add some statistics, let's try to draw rough conclusions. So:
A two week trip to Mauritius included the following items of expenditure
- initially the travel agency was paid $ 2100 from the nose - and this is taking into account the incredibly cheap tickets ($ 800), so they cost 1100 bucks
- dense excursion program with a personal guide by the host's car - ~ $ 300
- active diving, taking into account regular relocations in search of interesting places for diving - $ 500
- unsuccessful but regular fishing - $ 650
- regular excesses in hotel bars and restaurants with an appointment - ~ $ 500
- about $ 600 more was spent on visiting restaurants outside the hotel, souvenirs, fruits and gifts, as well as on MARLINIUM HORN (since we didn't get the marlin itself ...)
We reached a frightening figure that went through the roof for $ 6,000. Actually, no one was looking for easy ways, we knew that rest would be expensive, and besides, we did not restrain ourselves at all in spending.
The other is disappointing. Somehow I can no longer believe in advertising beauty. There are a lot of much closer and more amazing places in the world, and even for such insane money, even more so!
It also doesn't seem right to include the island of Mauritius in your plans for educational purposes - all of its exclusiveness is literally sucked from the thumb.
For those wishing to immerse themselves in the exotic - this very exotic is essentially lacking.
For lovers of the lazy luxury holiday there is not enough luxurious coast.
For those wishing to frolic - there is no appropriate infrastructure.
For those thirsty to dive - it's boring and poor.
For fishermen ... perhaps, in the absence of the main catch in the form of Hemingway's hero - blue marlin, it is too expensive there.
Friends, keep it simple - dive in Egypt or Thailand, admire the Loire castles in France and the Meteor monasteries in Greece, fish in the lakes and rivers of Karelia. This will save you time, money and frustration. If you can easily handle the printing press, then go to French Polynesia, Australia or the Galapagos, or even better - to Tierra del Fuego - see elephant seals, penguins and icebergs. But about that - next time.

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4,4 /5 (45 )

47 comments

Untitled
Dear Elena, your story leaves a double impression. The last paragraph is just like a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey. I am sure that having seen much more in this world, you will come back again and again in your dreams to Mauritius. You just made the wrong choice regarding the hotel - you would stay on the east coast, for example, at THE RESIDENCE hotel - then you would get both pure white sand and that "correct" Indian Ocean with clear water, and the highest level of service, and much more that is not on the west coast. By the way, "Your former compatriot" Alvaro is only a pure-blooded Frenchman who speaks the finest Russian. Respectfully yours, Y. Parienko.

thanks for the information
Lena, I hope that your story will not be read by representatives of the Tourism Committee of Mr. Mauritius. Thank you for such truthful information. After reading your essay, Mauritius fell sharply in the ranking of places to visit. But one thought haunts me - maybe you still chose the wrong coast !? Maybe somewhere in Mauritius there are those notorious paradise places ... In any case, I believe that for exoticism, luxurious beaches and supernatural service, you can find another country, because such a long flight and quite a lot of money, apparently, will not be justified. "...Will seek..."

I tried to be honest
Dear friends, I doubted for a long time whether it was worth destroying such a beautiful fairy tale at all, and I could not resist. I tried to be honest. I was just a little offended for the pleasure I had not received - we had been preparing this trip for so long, we had invested so much hopes and ... hmm ... funds in it that we wanted to get the most out of it. Isn't this a natural desire? Without false modesty, we have traveled half the world, there are places where obvious shortcomings are justified by the status of the country or the price paid, what can I complain about, I knew what I was doing! But then it coincided - the brand and the price tag. I wanted, I really wanted a piece of heaven on Earth. And we were in RESIDENC. We dived with them - we watched the sharks. The hotel is cool, the beach is really better than ours, but .... not the Bounty! About Alvaro. He himself said that he spent his childhood in our Baltics. So ... for what I bought, for what I sell. .... even the very capricious have the right to their own opinion, right? Lena

Cool story
Lena, thanks for the story, otherwise you can only read "the girls and I went to Turkey for the first time in two stars, everything is super", write about other countries where you have been, for example, about Malaysia.

Untitled
Cool story. Detailed and not boring. It was especially interesting to read about diving, because I have already traveled to Sharm el Sheikh 6 times for this purpose and am looking for something new. Mauritius, it appears, disappears. Thanks again.

I can also about Malaysia!
Here I will take the time and dig out my strict report on Malaysia. By the way, I liked it there. Only in Malaysia, I dived like a public, the South China Sea is a beauty! No matter how boring it may seem to others. Lena

Many tourists, going to the island of Mauritius, puzzle over which of the coasts is the best. So, having spent several years on the island, having studied it up and down, I can confidently tell you that this is the coast southwest... But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Now you will find out why this particular coast of Mauritius is better than the rest. My name is Sergey Mysovsky, and I will take you on a short tour of this part of the island. We will start with you from the "capital" southwest coast, Le Morne mountains. Then we will move upward along the west coast, and then, returning back to Le Morne, along the south to the right.

Mount Le Morne and its "underwater waterfall"

You have probably already seen on the Internet the famous symbol of Mauritius: "an underwater waterfall on the island of Mauritius." I will talk about it in a separate article. So, these photographs of the ocean floor against the background of a green mountain were taken in Le Morne. This is the most southwestern point of the island. Legendary and beautiful place striking with its energy. It is not for nothing that it is under the protection of UNESCO. Here, sunbathing on the beach near the absolutely safe, turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, you can sometimes see playing whales jumping out behind the reef. At night, wild hares and deer run along the roads here. Le Morne has several good hotels and . There are also several shops with clothes and a couple of restaurants on the beach. There is also an ATM-exchanger, which are few on the island. There are no grocery stores here. There is also no nightlife here. But this is not a problem - you can go to La Gallet or Flic en Flac. In general, Le Morne is a majestic and calm place. Great for families.

Whales in Mauritius. Photo by Harry Winnington

By the way, the best spots for surfing, kite and windsurfing are located here. Both beginners and world-class professionals come here, who can be seen on the water right next to them, performing super tricks. For beginners who want to try their hand at this, there is. If you settle in a villa near Mount Le Morne, then you will have a view of a large beautiful lagoon and a golf course. Rainbows can often be seen. One can talk about the beauty of this place for a very long time. But it's better to see once ...

But let's go further, dear reader. We will go towards the village of La Gallette, to the left along this road, which you see from above. It takes about ten minutes to go there. The road goes there under the mountain among green trees and bushes. At first glance, there is practically nothing special about this road. But when it rains here, these trees start to exude a very pleasant aroma. He reminds each person something of his own. When this happens, a rainbow usually appears there.

By the way, the island of Mauritius is one of the safest places in the world. You can come here with children, and girls can safely walk the streets alone. And in La Gallette, all the locals know each other, and therefore it is doubly calmer here. The only disadvantage of this place is that the sand here is not white, but dark (volcanic). Therefore, if you want to lie on a white beach, then you can go to the pier and sit in a small boat to go to the islet of Benitier. In the photo above, he is on the right, 500 meters away. This island is completely uninhabited and has white sand. All covered with palm trees, absolutely all 🙂 Great place for a romantic dinner or a picnic. There, no one will bother you to be alone with nature. Well, if you are too lazy to go to the island, then we go further. Immediately after the village of La Gallette there will be the area of ​​Cas Noyal. There is a very beautiful pier with a banyan tree in front of it. It is especially beautiful here at sunset and at night.

Banyan tree at Casa Noyal. Mauritius. Photo Kirill Umrikhin

Beach at Riviere Noir, Mauritius.

The area is spread both on the coastal part and on the hills smoothly turning into national park... This park with many trekking routes has long been chosen by those who like to walk in the fresh air. There are routes of varying complexity that walk past waterfalls and various tropical trees. The air here is saturated with the sweetish aroma of tamarind. Periodically, the silence is cut by the singing of birds, the cries of green parrots and the flapping of the wings of flying dogs. Take a bottle of water with you, otherwise you will have to drink from a stream in the forest 🙂

V national park Black River Mauritius

In the photo above, there are two white dots - these are us, standing on one of the peaks. When you walk in the park for a couple of hours, your appetite starts to make itself felt. Then it's time to grab something to eat. And since Mauritius is an island, fishing is very common here. Real like tuna or marlin. But if you have no time to go fishing, then be sure to stop by the Catch of Day store in Rivier Noir. There you can buy freshly caught fish and other seafood. Don't forget lemon, herbs, wasabi and white wine, and vegetables to garnish. At home in the villa you can cook an excellent barbecue on coals. It will be delicious.

Seafood in Mauritius.

Riviere Noir flows smoothly into the small town of Tamarin. It is located around the small lagoon "Tamarin Bay" and on the mountain. Right next to the road, you can see how crystalline salt is mined. The system of reservoirs resembles the rice fields on the island of Bali, cascading one into the other. They are filled with salt water, and after that all the moisture evaporates, leaving pure salt. There is a large London supermarket in Tamarin, shopping center, restaurants, cafes and the popular Big Willis club, where on weekends incendiary live music gathers amateurs to have fun. There are no hotels here either. There are also villa complexes. In Tamarin Lagoon itself, you can watch some of the best left waves in the world. There, professional surfers perform awesome tricks and ride a "tube". This lagoon is also popular because there are many dolphins. Therefore, boats with vacationers from all over the island come there to.

Tamarin Lagoon Mauritius

Dolphins in Tamarin, Mauritius. Photo Kirill Umrikhin

Have you bought in Tamarin?) Let's go further! In ten minutes' drive you will reach the Casella Animal and Bird Park. A cool place for the whole family. Large turtles walk around their enclosure, not paying attention to people. Children can even ride them. Peacocks, having fluffed up their tails, constantly get underfoot. Lions and cheetahs receive visitors. They can be petted and photographed. By the way, in the same place where the Park "Casella" is located "zip-line". This is such a bungee system, along which you can move from one tree to another! A great adventure for the whole family. You can visit this park and others interesting places by car with a guide by ordering.

After the Park "Casella" there will be a small shopping complex "Kashkaval" and the road will go towards the coast and the area "Flick and Flac". If you turn right off this road, you will find yourself in the best restaurant in Mauritius. It's called Domain Anna. Chic place, ready to accommodate up to two thousand people. It has its own waterfall, tables on the islands, large aquariums with exotic fish, baobabs and, most importantly, delicious food. Be sure to try the seafood and palm heart salad and grilled Dorado fish. Real jam! By the way, the price tag here is quite humane!

Having finished with the restaurant, we move on. After 15 minutes by car, you are back on the coast. This is the Flick and Flac area, the center of the nightlife on the southern part of the island. There are several good hotels and different ones. Long white sand beach, blue water, but coral in some places. Everyone rests here: both tourists and locals. With the onset of the evening, various restaurants open, and closer to the night, bars and clubs. The most fun here, of course, is on weekends on Friday and Saturday. Modern electronic music is playing and everyone is hanging out. Drinks in bars are inexpensive and usually do not mix anything in there. But if you go to the beach for a swim at night, do not leave things unattended 🙂

The next place is Albion. A lighthouse on the edge of a cliff near the picturesque black rocks. A stunning place that is striking in its beauty. Here you can walk and enjoy the views, breathing in the salty air of the ocean, and then go down to the ocean and swim in a natural jacuzzi created by nature itself. Popular place for . In addition to the jacuzzi, there is a rock in which a large hole was punched by the waves. In the photo below - in the background.

Lighthouse "Albion" I will finish the description of the western part southwest coast islands. Therefore, we will return back to Lemorne and go along the southern part of it. By the way, did you know that you can climb Mount Le Morne? A breathtaking view opens up from there. Up there, you can get stuck for a couple of hours. To see everything that is visible below, of course, one rise is not enough. Therefore, it becomes a habit for some people to climb the mountain once a week. Moreover, the ascent takes only about an hour.

On the other side of the mountain there is a fishing village with the same name. There are dozens of boats in the calm waters of the inner lagoon. Fresh fish is often sold on the road. Local kids run back and forth along the streets. Quiet and quiet place... It's especially cool here at sunset.

The road here almost always goes by the coast and you can stop in any of dozens of calm lagoons. Lie on the green grass by the ocean and read a book, for example. Nothing distracts except for the stunning view.

Coastal road, Mauritius. Photo Stay Gold

The road, meanwhile, goes towards the "Bel Ombre" area and makes a large arc and a 180 degree turn. Where this turn is, the Makonde observation deck is located. On the one hand, you can see the ocean and the left wave of the same name with a "pipe", and on the other, the very turn of the road. Here you can always buy a delicious peeled pineapple from a local merchant, and then enjoy its taste while watching the waves from observation deck.

Meanwhile, the road, winding between the beach and the hills, brings us to Bel Ombre. A small town with a couple of restaurants. This place is famous for its endless sugarcane fields. It's great to walk there, breathing in the sweet scent of burnt sugar. There are also some of the largest golf courses in Mauritius. There are different beaches: on some there are many people kiting, while on others there is no one and you can safely sunbathe. There are several hotels and.

The road further separates from the coast and goes through reed fields. Driving in one place you can see the famous "road of palm trees". A small section of the asphalt road was once lined with small palm trees. Now they have grown and rise high above their heads to form a stunning picture. It's very cool to drive here live!

When the palm trees end, the rainforest begins, and the road leads to a small lagoon with a reef islet "Ilot Sancho". This is a surf spot for the advanced. It is also a suitable place for a picnic. In a few minutes of the way, the road will turn inland and you will find yourself at the famous Rochester Falls. Hidden among the jungle and reed fields, it hides in its cool waters a lot of fun. Water, falling from a height of 7 meters, scatters in all directions. You can jump from this waterfall, and it is quite safe. Local boys even climb a tree above the waterfall and jump from there. The height is more than ten meters. If you do not want to experience the thrill, then you can simply swim in the lake under the waterfall.

Well, here is the final place - this is Cape "Gris-Gri". "Weeping Rock" in the town of Souillac. The southernmost point of the island, which protrudes into the ocean by several rocks. The ocean here rages even when it is calm everywhere. You can observe the towering splashes from the rolling of giant waves. Sometimes it is 7-8 meters calm here.

You can also see whales jumping and playing here. A spectacle that you will never forget in your life!

It was a short tour of the southwest coast of the island of Mauritius. Better coast on the island. All the most amazing places are concentrated here. Therefore, you decide which coast to go to 🙂

I wish you a pleasant stay!

Text: Sergey Mysovsky.

Photo: Stay Gold, Sergey Mysovsky, Vadim Nikitin, Kirill Umrikhin.

The island of Mauritius is one of the most prestigious holiday destinations. This direction has been on the Russian market for a long time, however, due to high prices and lack of promotion, it is not particularly popular. Many tourists do not quite understand where Mauritius is and what awaits them there. Everything is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance.

Mauritius is located in Indian Ocean... The island itself is of volcanic origin and was once uninhabited a long time ago. Then the Dutch, British, Indians, French mastered it. As a result, Mauritius turned out to be multinational and, despite this, amicable. The main language is English, and the inhabitants also speak French well. Therefore, there will be no problems communicating with local residents.

Mauritius island.

Pros of rest on the island of Mauritius.

1. You can get to Mauritius in three ways to choose from, via Paris, via Dubai or take a direct flight from the airline "Transaero". Which is certainly convenient.

2. Local time in Mauritius is the same as in Moscow.

3. There is no need to get any vaccinations to visit the island.

4. Wonderful climate. You can fly here on vacation at any time, plus, unlike many similar countries, there is no strong humidity in Mauritius, so the heat is tolerated pleasantly and easily.

5. Hotels in Mauritius are of a very high standard. The employees are ready to fulfill any wishes of their guests.

6. The Indian Ocean in this place is warm with good entry into the sea, without strong waves. Swimming in it is very ... read completely

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HOLIDAY PRICES:

How much does it cost to stay in Flic-en-Flac? February 2016.

tour cost

Mauritius is the birthplace of the dodo bird, extinct volcanoes and coral reefs. Mauritius is, first of all, an ocean, it is everywhere from all sides, its huge waves crashing against the reef with a noise, just an amazing sight. The roar of the waves is constantly heard, in the evening it lulls, and in the early morning, on the contrary, invigorates. A visa to the island of Mauritius is not needed, on board the plane I had to fill in two cards with my data and indicate the purpose of the trip. Weather on the island + 26- + 29, ocean water, like fresh milk +26 The lion's share of the budget will be taken by the cost of air travel, so you can use by Air Mauritius, she works together with Aeroflot, the flight time is 15-19 hours, the cost of a ticket is 50,000 thousand in both directions, plus an airport tax of 500 MUR (about 15 USD) is charged at the entrance. bungalow, you will have everything you need. The cost of a bungalow per day with air conditioning is 25 euros., rent an apartment -55 euros.

Most of the excursions in Mauritius are individual, so after meeting with a guide, there is a small opportunity to bargain and drop the asking price. The cost of an individual excursion (2 people) in a car for one day together with a guide will cost 225 euros without cost entrance tickets... In such an excursion, it is supposed to visit Port Louis and the Botanical Gardens, the Schmarel coffee factory, Casella Park. Entrance tickets will cost approximately 60 euros. The trip can be made by a group of 8-10 people, by bus and the fare will be 180 euros. A walk with dolphins and diving into the bowels of the reef will cost 250 euros. Travel on a real submarine 115 euros adult ticket, 70 euros for children.

Food and groceries

Moorish cuisine is renowned for its variety and flavor. The most expensive salad is "millionaire salad" -150 euros. It is better to buy food in a supermarket, where prices are much lower than in stores. Yogurt -0.4 euros, a liter of milk -1 euros, dry breakfast 1.5 euros, Sausage from 2.5 euros, a bottle of water -3 euros, Local alcohol from 3 euros, imported from 10 euros. A dish of tiger prawns with salad in a small cafe -15 euros.

Now I can't even remember how exactly the idea came to me to visit Mauritius. I understand one thing: it turned out to be a great idea!

Much on this trip - 2 weeks in early May - was for the first time for us: for the first time in Africa (a visit to the Pyramids of Giza for 1 day from Sharm el-Sheikh does not count), for the first time we crossed the equator (the island is located in the Southern Hemisphere) , and the first vacation on an island in the Indian Ocean.

At the same time, oddly enough, a 2-week vacation in Mauritius, traditionally considered an elite vacation destination, did not cost us more than, say, a vacation in Cyprus, in similar conditions (subject to an economy class flight).

Text navigator

Air tickets ("Air France") were bought in advance, the flight was not the easiest - from St. Petersburg to Paris 3.5 hours and another 11 hours - from Paris to Mauritius. Much more convenient flight "Emirates" through Dubai - 6 hours St. Petersburg-Dubai and another 6 hours - Dubai-Mauritius. But at the time of booking it turned out to be much more expensive, they decided to endure more long flight, but save about 30 tr. (I was looking for tickets, as always)

Mauritius for Russians who come on vacation is a visa-free country. A driver with a sign was already waiting for us at the airport (I ordered the transfer). The driver literally in an hour drove us across the entire island to our hotel, since the island is very compact, only 75 km long, 48 km wide.

Thanks to the local wind rose, the country's only airport is located not in the capital, Port Louis, but in the south of the island, and I chose northern part islands, as it is known that the probability of cloudy weather and precipitation there is lower. (The northernmost point of the island is 75 km closer to the equator than the southernmost point).

The next two weeks we swam in the Indian Ocean (the water temperature is +27, and this is at the beginning of May, that is, at the beginning of the Mauritian winter!) And enjoyed the tireless trips along this beautiful island.

What season is it better to go to Mauritius?

Holidays in Mauritius can be enjoyable all year round. However, the island is located on the 20th parallel south of the equator, so there is still seasonality here. Seasons, according to local residents, they have only two: winter in Mauritius (as in the entire Southern Hemisphere) lasts from May to October, and summer from November to April.

Weather in Mauritius:

At the same time, the amount of precipitation is distributed unevenly throughout the island: from 900 mm on the coast to 1500 mm in the Central Plateau.

Peak tourist season in Mauritius it falls in the summer (from December to March), as well as July-August - the traditional holiday period for Europeans. We, having got here in late April - early May - “ low season", The beginning of the Mauritian winter, - were able to enjoy the warmth, the ocean with a water temperature of +27, deserted beaches and low prices for accommodation and excursions. Yes, from time to time the sky was covered with clouds and it rained 3 times (no more than 15-20 minutes), but these little things did not prevent us from having a great rest and swimming!

Mauritius landmarks

It's a crime to come to Mauritius and stay in a hotel all the time! Although, of course, the hotels here are luxurious, the level of service is very high, and the local cuisine will not leave you indifferent ... I remember that even in the Dominican Republic, living in a luxurious 5-star hotel and diving almost every day, we nevertheless found time and got out for a couple excursions. (Although in the Dominican Republic, compared to Mauritius, the security outside the hotel is bad.) Mauritius, with its welcoming people, cultural diversity and natural beauty, all the more deserves to get to know it better.

Traffic in Mauritius, like in Great Britain, is left-hand, so it was decided to rent a car right away with a driver, since it is quite inexpensive here, within € 75 for a car with a driver for the whole day. (By the way, the roads on the island are ideal! They are not wide and, often, are laid in thickets of sugarcane 2 human height, but the quality of the surface is beyond praise.) Group excursions, which are offered in a huge range by roadside travel agencies everywhere, - and even cheaper: many excursions, quite high quality and designed for the whole day (albeit without a Russian-speaking guide), cost € 10-15 per person. I had no idea that such prices could still exist somewhere. For example, in August last year in Cuba it was difficult to find an excursion that would cost less than € 100 (this is with Cuban salaries: the highest - for the police - about $ 50 per month!).

Sightseeing tour of the south of the island

In the town of Curepipe, you need to climb to the top of the crater of the extinct volcano Trou aux Cerfs, from where a panoramic view of the northern and western parts of the island opens:

They say that as a result of the eruption of this particular volcano, the island was formed. I can't even believe it ... Today it looks quite harmless, and in the crater you can see a small pretty lake:

Drive through the respectable suburb of Cürpip - the town of Floreal, where luxurious residences of local aristocrats, stars and embassies of different countries hide behind exquisite fences - this area is called the local Beverly-Hills.

In Floreale you can visit a diamond factory, a ship model workshop (amazingly fine workmanship, with all the smallest details!), Gift shops and numerous cashmere shops.

The largest reservoir is located very close fresh water on the island (it's amazing, but the technologies of desalination of seawater in Mauritius are still not widely used!) - Lake Mare aux Vacoas.

The landscape here unexpectedly reminded me of the Karelian lakes, even pine trees are present. Swimming is prohibited, but fishing is allowed.

Grand Bassin is a picturesque lake, they say, also in the crater of an extinct volcano. For adherents of Hinduism, this lake is as sacred as the Ganges River in India. It was interesting to visit this place, feel its extraordinary aura and watch the families of Mauritian Hindus who come to the lake shore with gifts for the goddess Ganges.

The lake is home to a huge number of fish, which feeds on the offerings of believers, and the surrounding trees are inhabited by families of monkeys who gladly treat themselves to bananas left as a gift to the gods.

Those approaching the Grand Bassin are met by the road giant statues god Shiva 33 m high and his wife goddess Parvati. They were built in turn. The statue of Parvati, or, as the locals call it, Ds DOORGA MAA, is completely new (completed in 2017), specially invited masters from India worked on its construction for 3 years.

On the Plaine Champagne mountain plateau there is a very picturesque national park - Black River Gorges. We drove into its territory from different sides three times, making stops at different viewing platforms.

By the way, in this park we came across the cheapest souvenirs on the whole island, and local sellers of souvenirs in pure Russian tried to sell us magnets "three for a hundred" (one hundred Mauritian rupees is about € 2.5).

In the village of Chamarel, they admired the Chamarel waterfall and the local miracle of nature, taken under the protection of UNESCO - "Chamarel Seven-Colored Lands":

This is how Chamarel looks from the air, from a helicopter:

Observation decks in the park with views of Alexandra Falls and the ocean coast:

Observation deck on the gorge Black river, in honor of which this entire impressive national park was named:

An observation deck on the side of a mountain with an amazing view of everything West Coast, to the picturesque Mount Le Morne, to the nearby islets and the vast Indian Ocean:

Sightseeing tour in the south and south-west of the island

On the way, the driver drove us to a tea plantation, having previously specified whether we were interested in looking at how tea is collected. This is curious if you have never seen this before: the endless expanses of tea bushes, from which the pickers - middle-aged women - literally cut off a couple of top leaves and send them into a huge box fixed on the back, like a huge backpack without a top. At the end of the shift, they hand over the entire harvested crop and receive payment on the basis of - the figure hits on the spot! - 30 rupees (approximately $ 0.85) for 1 kg of collected tea leaves. Hellish labor, also under the scorching sun!

Tea in Mauritius, by the way, is of quite decent quality, but here in supermarkets, as in the rest of the world, "English" tea is especially appreciated (the true place of origin of which has remained a mystery to us - maybe Mauritius, or maybe Ceylon ...) ...

Park-reserve "La Vanille”(Crocodiles, turtles, lemurs, etc.)

Entrance costs Rs 490 for adults and Rs 250 for children. This park is famous primarily for crocodiles. Crocodiles here are the "highlight of the program", in every sense: every day at 11:30 a crocodile feeding show takes place here (as it is written on their website, but in the park itself we saw a sign that says otherwise):

(Apparently, in the “off-season” and crocodiles have to restrain their appetite, according to the principle: “few visitors - three meals a day: Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday”). Also, for an additional fee, you can take a picture with a small - one-year-old - crocodile. And even - surprising for the reserve! - try crocodile meat at a local restaurant (we didn’t: we feel sorry for crocodiles, but the meat, they say, looks like chicken, only tough and tasteless) or buy accessories (admittedly, very high quality) made of crocodile skin in a souvenir shop - handbags, wallets , belts, etc. There are quite a few crocodiles in the park, of different ages - they lie to themselves, sunbathe ... some not spectacular ...

I confess, we treat crocodiles calmly. We did not come to this park because of them: we were most interested in the giant Seychelles turtles:

At the entrance to the turtles there are advertisements that for 25 rupees (about € 0.6) you can buy a sprig of their favorite treat and feed, as well as a warning that turtles bite.

As a result, the feeding took place without excesses, although the teeth of these reptiles are indeed sharp:

Before the beginning, we could not imagine that turtles, at the sight of green twigs, could develop such agility, very interestedly surrounding us from all sides:

The oldest of the local turtles, a male named Domino, is over 125 years old. But we could not identify him, and the staff, who could be asked, as luck would have it, disappeared from sight ... Maybe this one is my waist-high? (A rare opportunity to feel like a Thumbelina ... 😀)

The "bonus" in our visit to the park "La Vanille" was the observation of the feeding of the lemurs. These guys look really happy, even in the aviary (in fairness, I must admit, quite spacious):

We liked the La Vanille park: picturesque, though not big. More like a zoo than a nature reserve. But for a couple of hours at least, I'm sure everyone will find something to do here.

CapeGris— Gris

After visiting the park "La Vanille" we moved to the extreme southern point islands - Cape "Gris-Gris". This is the only place in Mauritius where there is no reef, which practically surrounds and reliably protects the island from the ocean. Therefore, only on Gri-Gri there is an opportunity to enjoy the contemplation and sound of real ocean waves.

The place is fantastic: high black rocks of volcanic origin, against which the waves crash with noise, and sometimes splashes fly up to 15 meters. There is also a beautiful beach here (although it is strictly forbidden to swim on it, but we, of course, tried it, - the feeling, that the waves are literally dragging you into the open ocean).

To be honest, we planned to drop in here for a short while, take a picture and drive on. But the place turned out to be almost magical and did not let us go for more than an hour. In general, it seemed that one could sit there and meditate for hours and days, listening to the roar of the surf and admiring the long, bright blue waves:

A visit to Gris-Gris unexpectedly became one of the most vivid impressions in Mauritius.

Rochester Falls (Rochester Falls)

This picturesque waterfall is located in a rather inaccessible place. It was not possible to get to it by car, and the last 200 meters to the waterfall we covered on foot, along a path in the thickets of sugar cane:

On the way to the waterfall, a rope is pulled through a rather turbulent stream. Holding tight to it (there are slippery stones in the water), you need to cross the stream if you want to enjoy the view of the waterfall or swim in the lake at its foot.

The local boys on duty upstairs are ready to jump down for a small fee. Their "boss", watching the tourists downstairs, apparently qualifying us as a solvent audience, did not want to name the price of this show. When asked about the price, he just rolled his eyes and said "later, at the end." In this connection, in order to avoid misunderstandings, he was sent. The place, on the whole, is pretty, but it is somehow ... and not wild, so that you can sit there calmly, contemplate the waterfall, and not equipped for tourists - there is no normal road or infrastructure. As a result, we didn't like this waterfall too much.

MountainLe Morne Brabant

Located on the Le Morne Brabant peninsula, a 556 m high basalt rock - another of the "postcard" views of the island, is visible from afar.

In the past, runaway slaves escaped on its flat top, since the south has long been the least accessible part of the island. In 1835, after the abolition of slavery, a military landing was landed on the peninsula to inform the slaves of the good news of liberation. But they did not believe the words of the police, deciding that they wanted to return to the plantations to the slave owners, and many chose to die by jumping off the cliff.

Now at the foot of the mountain is a heartbreaking memorial - a manifesto against slavery:

It is near the Le Morne Brabant peninsula that another of the main attractions of Mauritius is located - an underwater waterfall:

From a bird's eye view, it seems that the ocean water goes somewhere deep and flows down like a waterfall. This - optical illusion: the unique underwater waterfall of Mauritius was formed by the play of light, sand, silt, coral and a very strong current.

It is possible to observe this miracle of nature only from a helicopter (also, they say, it can be seen even from space orbit). The duration of the helicopter ride to see the underwater waterfall is about 15 minutes. (There are also longer helicopter routes in Mauritius: for example, 1 hour is enough to fly around the entire island and see all its main attractions from a bird's eye view). All helicopter tours start from the site in one of the golf clubs located in the south-west of the island:

Sightseeing tour of the north of the island

The northern coast of the island is considered sunnier, although the sun is abundant throughout Mauritius. However, this coast is better sheltered from the winds, so the temperature is a couple of degrees higher than in other areas, and the beaches are great.

The place Grand Bay (Grand Bay, or, in French, Grand Baie) is often compared with Cote d'Azur France for its liveliness, variety of ways to have fun, great choice of restaurants, nightclubs and shopping centers. However, this comparison did not seem entirely appropriate to us - in our opinion, they do not have much in common. But still, it was nice, while living in Pereybere, to periodically stop by in Grand Bay to walk around the shops and have a cup of tea or a glass of wine in one of the coastal restaurants.

We began our acquaintance with the sights of the North from the extreme northern point of the island of Mauritius.

CapeCap Malheureux(Cap Malereux)

It turned out that the name of this cape translates as the Cape of Bad Luck, probably due to frequent shipwrecks, who knows?

Here stands the Notre Dame Oxillatris Catholic Church with a bright red roof:

Despite the frightening name of the cape itself, many couples choose this church for their wedding ceremony.

Inside - nothing remarkable:

But outside this temple, like the islands of Coin de Mire, Ile Plate and Ile ot Gabriel, which can be seen from the cape, are very picturesque, therefore, of course, they are popular subjects of photography. You can take a day cruise to the islands by catamaran. Particularly interesting in this sense is the small uninhabited island ok Ile ot Gabriel with a pristine lagoon biosphere and a beach covered with fine sand. Likewise, Ile Plate is ideal place for swimming.

Pamplemousse Botanical Garden (Pamplemousses)

The small town of Pamplemousse is home to the Botanical Gardens and the Sugar Museum, housed in a former sugar factory. We did not have time to enter the Sugar Museum, a tour of which usually lasts about 1.5 hours, but we visited the Botanical Garden. And, I must say, they did not regret it.

(You can get to it not only by taxi, but also by buses 22, 227 and 85. It is open daily from 8:30 to 17:30. Entrance here for tourists costs 200 Mauritian rupees, children under 5 years old - free.)

Today, the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden (SSR) in Pamplemousse is one of the most beautiful tropical gardens in the world, formally called the "Royal Botanic Garden" and covers an area of ​​25 hectares. Its special pride is 85 species of palm trees, stunning giant water lilies Victoria Amazonian with leaves up to 2 m in diameter - the symbol of the Botanical Garden, lotuses, the national flower of Mauritius - the Butonian Trochezia, as well as giant ficuses and baobabs.

In the garden, we met many groups of children with teachers. It's great when biology and natural history lessons are held in such a place!

In addition to plants, the garden is inhabited by a large number of Seychelles turtles and deer. On a leisurely stroll through Botanical Garden it is worth allocating 1.5-2 hours. You can minimize walking by paying extra for an electric car (order with a ticket at the box office).

After walking around the Botanical Garden, we moved to the capital of Mauritius is the city of Port Louis.

To be honest, the capital impressed us much less than natural attractions. On a hill above the city rises Fort Adelaide, or, as the locals often call it, the Citadel. "La Citadelle" is the only one of the four forts of Port Louis, which have practically not been destroyed, and access to which is always free:

The fort is named after Queen Adelaide, wife of William II. It was built between 1834 and 1849 under the direction of William IV to a design by Colonel Cunningham. At one time, the fort fulfilled the strategic goals of protecting the harbor from enemy attacks and from fires, which very often happened.

The Moorish-style building with arches and horseshoes is made up of huge rectangular blocks that have taken on a grayish-black color over time. Inside the fort there is an underground tunnel for the military.

From the top of the fort, 100 meters high, there are wonderful views of the ancient buildings along with the modern skyscrapers of Port Louis:

Also from here you can see the Champ de Mars, a huge green spot in the bustling city of Port Louis:

Racetrack "Field of Mars" - the oldest racetrack in the Southern Hemisphere. Naturally, the British could not help but instill in the local population a love of horse racing, so here it is almost the main Saturday entertainment! It was here that the independence of the island was proclaimed 50 years ago (in 1968) and monuments to King Edward VII and the French governor of the island of Malartic were erected.

After the occupation of the island by the British, clashes between them and the French, who ceased to feel like masters here, became more frequent. In 1812, the passions reached a critical level, and the then governor of Mauritius, Colonel Draper, did not think of anything better how to send them to a peaceful channel - on the Champ de Mars, which served for military exercises, he organized a hippodrome. Love for horses and a gambling show reconciled opponents, and since then the popularity of horse racing on the island has only increased.

The racetrack has three sectors. The first one is located in the center of the Champ de Mars, admission is free, and from here you can see the race itself, but you cannot see either the betting board or the observation deck through which the horses are led before the race. It costs 5-8 euros to get to the second sector. From here you can already see the start, the finish, and the scoreboard, although sometimes you have to jump up to see everything over the heads of those in front. Those who can afford to pay 70 euros get a seat on the VIP stand, where the entire panorama of the racetrack can be seen, and in addition, you can enjoy drinks and snacks included in the ticket price.

The length of the race track of the hippodrome is 1298 meters, only smooth races take place on it. The most prestigious race is the Maiden Cup. In addition to the weekly unnamed kilometer races, there are also races for the Draper Cup, the Duchess of York's Cup, the Barbe's Cup, the Duke of York's Cup. Out of season, you can watch training almost every day in the morning. Many Mauritians have a real passion for horse racing, so it's no surprise that wealthy people often own very expensive racehorses.

After our trip to Port Louis, we learned that there is a bust of Lenin in the center of the city. We were upset that we could not see it - can you imagine how exotic it is? We'll have to go back now! 😛 The very history of the appearance of this monument is very sweet: the Soviet government in 1968 was the first to recognize the independence of Mauritius, and in gratitude for this, the Mauritians established central park capital this monument. Well done! Although now few local residents remember who Lenin is, except perhaps historians and graduates of Soviet universities.

It was decided to dine on the Caudan promenade, overlooking the largest and oldest shopping center in Mauritius, The Caudan, located on the opposite side of the bay:

It also houses the Blue Mauritius Museum - a museum of postage stamps, opened in November 2001 and founded by the Commercial Bank of Mauritius. The exposition of the museum invites visitors to look at the first two postage stamps of Mauritius in 1847, which are called "Pink Mauritius" and "Blue Mauritius". They were purchased on November 10, 1993 at a Swiss auction for $ 2 million. The museum also displays the rest of the postage stamps of Mauritius, old nautical charts, paintings, sculptures, prints, old documents telling about the history of Mauritius:

To make stamps last longer, their originals are exposed only to short-term exposure to light, and most time copies of stamps are exhibited. Museum address: Dans Caudan Water Front, Port Louis, Mauritius

On the way back to the hotel, we turned into the town of Triolet to see the largest Hindu temple on the island - the Mahesvarnath Shivala temple:

Swimming with dolphins in Mauritius

Nowadays, when everyone has more or less big city or the resort has a dolphinarium, or even several, you will not surprise anyone with an offer to swim with dolphins. Therefore, at first I did not react to the offers of local travel agencies and my husband to go on a tour "Swimming with Dolphins". And when I found out that the check-out from the hotel was supposed to be at 6:00, my reaction was unambiguous, in the spirit of "you better shoot me right away."

In the end, I bet my husband's desire, thanks to which we still went on this tour and spent one of the most memorable days of our life there.

Firstly, swimming with dolphins in Mauritius does not take place in the pool, and not even on a piece of the harbor, fenced off by nets, but in the open ocean, quite far from the coast. Secondly, the dolphins with whom we were to swim turned out to be not trained animals from the dolphinarium, but wild ones, freely living in the Indian Ocean, not far from the south-western coast of the island.

Our international group was brought ashore in Tamarin Bay, fed with breakfast (it was very humane on the part of the tour organizers to include a light breakfast in the program, since we had to leave the hotel at 6 am, hungry!), Put them on a speedboat and took them out into the open ocean. We spent 15-20 minutes on the way, and these were unforgettable minutes. My husband and I and another couple from Switzerland sat on the bow of the boat, which now and then bounced on the waves of a meter and a half, splashing us. Our boat crew put on a race with neighboring boats (we won!) And it was fun! Only for some reason, more people wishing to settle on the bow of the boat were not observed: the other 10 people from our group preferred to stay at the stern. When we arrived at the site, one of the boat crew members asked if anyone was planning to swim with the dolphins. The question seemed strange at first, but only until we saw that not all boats swaying on the waves near us had people willing to dive. In some places, the groups gathered at a very old age, and, obviously, none of them planned to part with their photo and video cameras for a minute. Great: fewer people, more dolphins. 😛 And on our boat there were more than half of those who wanted to swim. Everyone was given masks and fins. A rather large flock of dolphins swam nearby, emerging here and there. Groups from other boats were already floundering in the water, however, dolphins, as you understand, move much faster than swimmers from the genus Homo Sapiens. Our cunning guide was in no hurry to send us into the water: he looked closely and, as far as possible, predicted the direction of movement of the dolphin flock, and only then ordered to jump into the water after him. We made three attempts. During the first attempt, the dolphins quickly left us, and I saw them only under me, in the water column at a depth of 15 meters, and then, already far in front of me, their fins. The second attempt was also unsuccessful. But when we dived into the water for the third time, it was amazing! - at a depth, in the blue water column, right below me, I saw a large flock - about 20 dolphins, adults and cubs. Actively working with fins, I managed to practically catch up with them, so that to take another breath to the surface, they came out very close, literally a couple of meters in front of me. I am sure: these extraordinary moments will never be forgotten! But we didn't have an underwater camera with us this time, so we couldn't take a photo of the dolphins.

It turns out that it was the lagoon stretching from Tamarin to the Le Morne peninsula that became their favorite habitat. Here they spend the night and rest in the morning, before going to the ocean for fish. So dolphins in this place can be seen almost daily, but only until noon. It is with this that such an early start time of the tour is connected.

After "swimming with dolphins" we were taken to a small reef, where those who wished could practice snorkeling. Half-dead and not particularly colorful corals, a couple of triggerfish, a lionfish huddling against the stones - probably someone could be impressed by this, but not us, experienced divers. Then we were driven to “Crystal Rock” - a tiny coral island sticking out of the water at a decent distance from the coast, which is considered one of the calling cards of Mauritius.

The end of the program was the landing on the small uninhabited island of Benitiers (Ile aux Benitiers). Here it is, by the way, filmed from above during one of our excursions:

On the island, the crew of our boat prepared a delicious lunch for us - salads, barbecues, fried fish. We were not particularly lucky with the weather that day, the day was cloudy, but our company was so warm and sincere that during the conversation, sipping Mauritian rose wine or cocktails with excellent Mauritian rum, no one paid any attention to the weather.

On the way back we were once again taken by boat to “Crystal Rock”, those who wish could swim here with a mask. Another 15 minutes - and we were at the coast, from where we set off early in the morning.

Ocean sunsets in Mauritius

Who knows, if I was born a cat in Mauritius, perhaps I would have been able to turn away from the local sunsets as indifferently as this red-haired beauty. However, in my incarnation, I did not want to miss a second of the nightly "show" - the sunsets in the Indian Ocean are divinely beautiful!

As soon as the sun sets below the horizon, a tropical night quickly descends, woven of purple velvet embroidered with gold - a wondrous mystery when the unusual constellations of the Southern Hemisphere go down so low that it seems that it is enough to reach out and ... The Southern Cross will be in your palm ...

People in Mauritius

Once again I am convinced that the country is, first of all, not nature and not architecture, but still people! In this regard, I cannot fail to mention the Mauritians.

Mauritius is an African country, however, despite all the stereotypes, it is much cleaner and more civilized than even, as it seemed to us, some of the countries of the European Union. You rarely see rubbish on the streets, and people are well educated and very welcoming. Almost everyone with whom we talked during our vacation was sincerely interested in our opinion about the country, how we feel here, whether we like nature, weather, people, etc. Their warmth and cordiality won us over, and their ability to communicate and serve with sincere respect for themselves and for others also left a very pleasant impression. We have never noticed the attitude of the locals to tourists as to "cash cows", but only as to long-awaited guests, and this is incredibly nice!

Mauritius gained independence from Great Britain only 50 years ago, until 03/12/1968, it was a British colony, and even earlier - until 1814 - a French colony. Therefore, along with their native Creole language, children in schools in Mauritius study compulsorily English and French, and also, depending on religion, Hindus (the main religion on the island) also learn Hindi, and Muslims - to choose from: Arabic or Urdu ... The second largest religion in Mauritius is Christianity (the Catholic confession predominates, but others are also present, primarily Protestants), Islam occupies the third position, there are still Buddhists and representatives of other religions. The four colors of the Mauritian flag, in addition to the natural features of the country, symbolize the four main religions: red - Hinduism, blue - Christianity, yellow - Buddhism, green - Islam. There are also representatives of the Tamil faith on the island (as far as it was possible to understand, this is some kind of specific offshoot of Hinduism, something close to the Sikhs, but I am not an expert in this). Today the population of Mauritius is about 1.3 million people.

I asked our driver-guide Nizam: "What holidays do you celebrate in Mauritius?" He laughed: “Let's celebrate - that's it! Here I am, for example, a Muslim, soon Ramadan, my Hindu friend with his family will come to our house. And then we will celebrate their holidays together ... Christmas and Easter - we also definitely celebrate - we have complete democracy in this matter! - How else? We all live here in peace and harmony with each other and respect each other's religion. This is a personal matter of everyone, in which God he should believe! "

Who knows, maybe it is in this attitude towards life and each other that the secret of the amazing atmosphere of goodness and security in Mauritius lies?

Shopping in Mauritius

Surprisingly, Mauritius offers some pretty good shopping. The fact is that many European clothing manufacturers sew their collections here, so often things of famous European brands (jeans, shirts, polos, accessories, etc.) can be bought twice as cheap as in Europe. But there is also an outright fake, so be careful when choosing.

Also in Mauritius there are a lot of factories for the production of cashmere knitwear, everything is excellent quality and, if you bargain well, it is cheaper than in Italian outlets and spatch.

The clothes of local Mauritian fashion designers were also pleased with the quality of workmanship and original design. There is a huge selection of women's dresses, summer and beachwear for the whole family.

We went shopping in Grand Bay (Bus number 82 took us from the beach in Pereybere to Grand Bay in just 5 minutes and 18 rupees (about $ 0.50) per person).

The largest shopping malls Grand Bay, Mauritius:

Also during one of the excursions we were brought to the town of Floreal, which is considered the Mauritian shopping center. If you are in the mood for shopping, it is best to set aside at least half a day to visit Floreal. There are lots of cashmere and jewelry stores.

For connoisseurs of jewelry, I recommend that in Mauritius pay special attention to products with local precious stone tanzanite: this is a real exclusive, the color of this stone is a cross between the color of sapphires and amethysts, such a light-colored sapphire with a purple undertone, very beautiful and rare. In view of high cost the stones themselves, they are framed exclusively in gold (perhaps there are options in platinum, but I have not met).

But the main thing that Floreal is famous for is the factory-workshop, where perhaps the most recognizable souvenirs of Mauritius are made - ship models. It is worth stopping by and at least taking a look: the work of the local craftsmen is so delicate that it will delight anyone.

Naturally, the factory also has a very pleasant souvenir shop where you can buy a variety of souvenirs, including ship models made here.

For purchases over a certain amount in many Mauritius stores, a tax-free refund is also required (at the airport, upon departure). On the rest of the stores, the inscription duty-free flaunts, hinting that prices are already reduced, and tax-free refunds are no longer relied on. (I was convinced that in some of them tax-free refunds are being cheated, because in one of the stores where we bought clothes, they wrote me an absolutely normal tax-free invoice and asked to sign it, but this invoice remained in the store. At the same time, to my question, “So, you still return tax on purchases?” The saleswoman got noticeably nervous and said no, - they say, all their prices are already tax-free).

What does the Dodo bird have to do with it?

The legendary bird Dodo (aka the Mauritian dodo), which you will find on almost all souvenirs of Mauritius, alas, has not survived to this day. According to historians, all the Dodos were savagely devoured by hungry Dutch sailors who landed on the island beginning in 1598. This bird, which had no earlier enemies in nature, alas, had grown so fat at the stern, which was abundant on the island, that it could no longer fly, swim and even run fast. Sorry for the bird ...

Let her sad fate at least serve all of us as a moral about the benefits healthy way life.

Mauritius is our best beach holiday so far

On days free from excursions, we just snorkeled and walked along the coast for a long time. Walking for hours along the beautiful beaches of the northern part of the island, where we settled down, it was great: along the unusually picturesque beaches there are cozy villas buried in flowers and greenery, and a walk here, among other things, can also bring aesthetic pleasure.

The beaches of Mauritius deserve. And here I can only say that I managed to choose a hotel located right on one of the most beautiful beaches of Mauritius - Pereybere. Here it is (the hotel), only you will not see it, since in resort areas in Mauritius, it is illegal by law to build buildings higher than the surrounding trees (wonderful law, I think Mauritian legislators are wise people!):

So two weeks passed, perhaps the best in this moment beach holidays in our life.

During this time, we visited 4 excursions, but still did not have time to see all the sights that we would like. For example, we did not reach the bird and animal park “Casela Nature & Leisure Park” (although we drove past it at least three times), where they live practically in natural conditions, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, monkeys and other representatives of the African fauna. The entrance costs 800 rupees per person (about € 20), and in a special trailer you can ride around the entire park - take a "safari" with a camera, and for an additional fee (about € 80), visitors are offered the "Walk with Lions" attraction, - yes , you will have a real walk next to a couple of lions, and you can take pictures. All this - naturally, under the supervision of a trainer. They say that none of the visitors was hurt)).

We didn't have enough time to go explore East Coast islands and cruises to Ile aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve, and to the beautiful Deer Island (Ile aux Cerfs).

And we also decided to postpone the helicopter ride, with the aim of observing from the air on one of the "visiting cards" of the island - an underwater waterfall near Cape Le Morne.

To all this, it should be added that the time in Mauritius is ahead of Moscow by only 1 hour, this is a huge plus. (For example, in the Caribbean, where the time difference is 8 hours, in the first two days we barely make it to dinner (dinner at the hotel, as a rule, starts at 19:00, and by Moscow time it is already 3 in the morning!), From -for a hard jet-lag, actually losing the first couple of days of rest.)

As a result of the trip, we realized: when Mark Twain, who visited these places, enthusiastically wrote: “God first created Mauritius, and then, in his image and likeness, Paradise was created.”, It turns out, he was not exaggerating at all!

And we enjoyed this view without getting up from the sunbed:

But there is one serious drawback to a vacation spent in Mauritius. Or rather, a serious side effect. I warn you, be careful: after relaxing on these beaches, you may completely cease to be interested in a beach holiday in Europe.

As a result, we really wanted to somehow return to Mauritius on occasion (and, I must say, this happens to us quite rarely!).

And finally - some more Mauritian beauties:

Photo: Anna Krivova, Valery Chekalov, Victoria Firstova

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