“Marie Bon” in Mauritius is said when everything is perfect. This is exactly what we can call the local winter and spring, which in the Southern Hemisphere last until November. There is one secret: in the low season, choose the northern, western or southwestern coast, and you will get temperatures like in Moscow, moderate wind and gentle sun.

In the south-west of Mauritius, the colors are pleasing to the eye: light brown shades of the mountains are adjacent to lush bright green vegetation, sugar cane plantations are adjacent to cozy sandy coves, and the water in the lagoons plays in shades of azure blue and emerald green. In some places the landscapes resemble the African savannah.

Mauritius was once an overseas holiday destination for the British aristocracy, and even Prince William spent  a year here before going to university. Trees planted by his great-grandmother can be seen in the local botanical garden, and his grandmother remained the formal head of state for another 24 years after the island paradise gained independence.

Mauritius has long been a place of pilgrimage for surfers: the island is surrounded almost along its entire perimeter by reefs, which is why it has unique waves. If you want to spend time on an island with mountains, forests, waterfalls, interesting history and not only beach and underwater recreation, but a constant change of impressions, welcome to Mauritius.

The beauty of nature

It is impossible to name one most beautiful place in Mauritius. There will be at least a dozen of them, but if we are talking not about a point on the map, but about the whole region, then this is Chamarel with a hundred-meter waterfall, seven-colored sands and a reserve with ebony trees.

The waterfall is formed by three parallel streams of the Saint-Denis River. On a ledge of basalt rock they merge together and fall with a roar into an oval crater. Then the river flows through a 6-kilometer canyon overgrown with tropical forests and flows into the picturesque Bay of Baie du Cap.

The Seven Color Sands are beautiful dunes of red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow. If you mix sand of different colors, they will still separate. It is important to predict the weather: rain in Mauritius comes suddenly and passes just as quickly, but in 10–20 minutes the wet sand will lose a significant part of its beauty.

The ebony forest arose thanks to the desire of enthusiasts to restore the flora of Mauritius - the island was once almost completely covered with vegetation, but sugar cane plantings and the predatory export of ebony destroyed most of it. Now environmentalists are trying to correct the situation.

At Casela Nature Park you can feed giraffes, pet a cheetah and see hippos, zebras and rhinos, but the cats of prey will seem like a cozy, peaceful diversion compared to the four-zipline course. The steel cables stretched over the abyss are considered to be among the longest in Africa. You have to cross a rickety rope bridge to get to them.

There is a not so long, but also very impressive zipline in La Vallée des Couleurs park. It's great that you land on the platform above the waterfall. The path runs above the view restaurant. You fly with your arms outstretched and envy the more down-to-earth tourists who, at this time, are devouring a fragrant leg of lamb below, admiring your brave madness.

In the southwest of the island is Mount Le Morne Brabant. Put your feet in your hands and climb up! The opening view will leave no room for regrets, but the organization of the ascent should still be entrusted to professionals. They will make sure that the adventure goes smoothly and with maximum comfort.

However, if hiking romance is not for you, you can take a helicopter and view the mountain from a bird’s eye view, which is all the more justified since nearby there is a famous underwater waterfall, the beauty of which is best appreciated from the air. This is a kind of natural illusion: currents, silt and rocks create the optical illusion of a bottomless crack into which masses of water fall.

In depth

The area around Flic-en-Flac is considered one of the best diving spots on the entire island. The fact is that you can dive here almost right next to the shore. In this area there are more than four dozen interesting places for scuba diving: a whole city of underwater caves with the romantic names “Cathedral” or “Snake Shaft”, the Strait of Saint-Jacques, four sunken ships, whose skeletons lie at depths from 20 to 40 m. However, fans of deep-sea fishing should be careful. They can easily encounter barracuda and tiger sharks, but there are marlins of exceptional sizes.

Behind the glass

One of the most exciting sailing experiences is to take a glass-bottom boat from the southeast of the island to the Blue Bay Marine Reserve to snorkel among the mangroves, seagrass and coral. Taking a speedboat, you can take a long walk in the coastal lagoon. First you go to the island of Ile aux Aigrettes, where breathtaking mountain views open up, then make a stop on the island of Ile aux Fouquets with an ancient lighthouse. The best snorkeling is off the island of Haut Bleu, then the path goes to lush coves where long-tailed macaques swing from the coastal trees, and to the Grand River waterfalls, and then you can go far north to the picturesque Ile aux Cerfs for a picnic and swim.

Surfing

Mauritius is an ideal place for riders, be it kiteboarding, windsurfing or classic surfing - there is always a wave on the local reef. 20–30 Russian surfers permanently live in Mauritius, and up to a thousand regularly come. One of the most famous people in the local surf community is Dmitry Evseev, founder of the Pryde Club kite school and one of the most active participants in the largest telegram channel of Russian expats “Paradise Island”. In the spring, Dmitry made headlines after he and his friends saved a Swiss tourist in the ocean,

“Le Morne is considered the world capital of kitesurfing,” says Evseev. — The southwestern tip of the island ideally combines the direction of wave and wind, which is very important when riding with a kite, sail and wing, so that the wind blows along the wave. You can also ride in the north, in the southeast there is Pointe d'Esny, in the east there is Poste Lafayette, but all these spots cannot be compared with Le Morne. Mauritius is in the zone of the south-east trade wind, the wind blows here all year round, so you can come and ride without much thought, but still the best time is in winter, from July to September.”

Going out

Beachfront hotels are essentially sanctuaries of luxury. If you want to go out to the people, start with Mahebourg, not Port Louis. Mauritius is an offshore zone, so the capital of the island has a lot of banks and offices of international companies, hustle and bustle. The seaside Mahebourg is a different story with colonial houses (either well-groomed, snow-white, or beautifully shabby, like old leather suitcases), with the romantic Cavendish Bridge, a winding embankment, colorful towers of Hindu temples and gardens where shoots of passion fruit, lychee, vanilla and betel nut burst through the fences. In Mahebourg you can take a boat and take a walk around the local lagoon. The Mauritius Regatta also takes place here.

A walk through Flick or Mahebourg should be combined with a gastrotour. Just like in Italy with its trattorias, here at first glance it may seem that this is a suspicious eatery with oilcloth on the tables, but there is a queue at the entrance, every conceivable award hangs on the walls, the bill is impressive and the same family has been running the business for many decades. That's the beauty of it!

It is useful for travelers to know about the Mauritian bureau Taste Buddies. They provide a guide who takes tourists to all sorts of insider places. These are cheerful young guys, with them you can discuss in advance the categories of restaurants, your personal preferences and route.

Palm tree and bottle of rum

Mauritius is a melting pot where immigrants from India and African countries, the ubiquitous Chinese and descendants of European colonists have merged into one people. Hence the peculiarities of local cuisine. The easiest way to explain this is with the example of one popular dish: Chinese noodles with shells, shrimp and spicy sauce. Everything is very spicy, a lot of meat, curry, rice, lentils. Papaya, mango, tamarind and chilli. And, of course, the freshest fish and seafood. For meat, we recommend taking game - roe deer or wild pig.

The so-called “millionaire palm” is considered a delicacy, which is cut down only once every seven to nine years and peeled from the bark. The complexity of the process explains its high price. Hearts of palm, similar to shredded cabbage but with a delicate flavor, are added to fresh octopus salad. For a fit lover, this dish is an excellent way to avoid changing your wardrobe upon return. The portions on the island are enormous, and there is a lot of baked goods all around. Take, for example, the national snack boule, a type of dim sum with vegetables, or fried vegetable balls fried gato pima.

Mauritius produces some of the best rums in the world. A truly magical potion: you don’t get too drunk from it, but on the contrary, you cheer up after a long trip, and you don’t have the urge to complain about life, but on the contrary, your face breaks into a contented smile. And if the local sega music starts playing, then the legs themselves start dancing. If you are traveling to Chamarel to see the waterfall and colorful dunes, stop by the La Rhumerie de Chamarel distillery. In appearance it looks more like an eco-park. A tetrahedral factory chimney grows out of thickets of palm trees and lush flowers. The entrance ticket includes a tasting, which can be continued in a pleasant restaurant with a veranda. Chamarel is considered a top rum brand and is regularly included in world rankings.

As an alternative to Chamarel, you can try Labourdonnais from the northeast of the island. The revived historical rhumerie is located next to the estate, which is now a house museum with beautiful interiors from the second half of the 19th century, original wallpaper, openwork spiral staircases and lions in front of the entrance to the veranda.

The third brand worthy of attention is New Grove (produced by Gray’s Distillery). Their rum is also found in a blend with some Caribbean varieties.

Where to stay

Typically, a Mauritian five-star hotel consists of a main building and long, twisting centipedes of two-story houses connected to each other. On the territory there is a cascade of swimming pools, a separate infinity pool for adults, a spa and fitness center and various sports grounds.                           

Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa

A suitable choice on the west coast between Flic en Flac and Tamarin. The hotel has recently undergone renovation, and now literally everything is finished in teak. There is also a cascade of pools with carp and good tennis courts (entrance is free, you only pay for renting rackets and balls or inviting a coach to be your sparring partner). The chef from India is the breakfast champion among Mauritian hotels, however, lunch and dinner are not far behind. It is known that people on the island love to eat, but no one forces you to fill your plates, it just comes out naturally. Several types of roti, perfect croissants, it would take a long time to list everything. In the evenings, the best workers go to the beach in a torchlight procession. The real “White Lotus”...

Sugar Beach Mauritius

It is perhaps the best beach in Flic-en-Flac, with soft white sand. On the first day of your stay, while you have not yet become accustomed to the vast territory, do not overdo it with rum at the Buddha Bar - there is a risk of winding along the labyrinth of paths for a long time. There are many types of active recreation offered here: surfing, sailing, water skiing, snorkeling. But the most original (again the English heritage makes itself felt!) is the game of croquet. Every Thursday, people in all white and Panama hats stopped on the main lawn to go through all the required gates. By the way, there are croquet enthusiasts in Russia too; after trying it in Mauritius, you can continue at home. The most interesting of the quiet entertainments is a master class on creating fragrances from one of the oldest French perfume houses, Gallimard. An experienced specialist will help you prepare the composition and give its formula.

Heritage le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort

An ideal choice for the south of Mauritius both in terms of location and level of service. The hotel in Bel Ombre is suitable for those who will wear light Neapolitan jackets on vacation in the evenings, who like to live in large rooms with white painted wooden walls, panoramic windows and floors lined with Metlakh tiles and noble wood. And, of course, for golfers, because the hotel owns La Réserve Golf Links, which hosts the Mauritius Championship. A hilly field on the shores of the Indian Ocean is a real quest. If you lack experience, the club provides instructors and conducts training. There are villas available to rent, and the most interesting of them all is a 19th-century mansion with ornate woodwork, a downstairs salon and a second-floor bridal suite. Next to the hotel, right by the ocean, is the Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort, decorated in African style.

Anantara Iko Mauritius

We recommend a combined holiday: spend half the time in the west or south, and the other half in the southeast, where you should stay in Anantara. Geographically, this is convenient in that it’s about fifteen minutes’ drive from here to Mahebourg, and a little more to the airport.

Externally, the hotel is distinguished by its austere appearance. The burgundy-gray shell rock slabs and sharp lines of architecture look very brutal, which, however, only emphasizes the beauty of the interior decoration. Breakfasts and dinners here are divided into Indian, European, Middle Eastern and Creole. Take a little from everywhere and improvise with fusion cuisine, you won’t regret it. Anantara has a good spa complex with a variety of massages and beauty treatments with a signature line of skin care products.