Last September I made a reconnaissance trip to the beautiful tropical island of Mauritius on behalf of Untamed Travelling. 25 degrees, palm trees, tropical flowers, white beaches, a turquoise ocean with crystal clear water and a lovely welcome cocktail, I have to blink twice with my eyes but it’s really true, I’m in paradise!
Mauritius is known to many as a luxury beach destination, an ideal honeymoon destination, but it’s more! The island is green, volcanic and has something magical.
The Wild South West, the village of Chamarel
My first stop is the Chamarel waterfall. A path leads you to a fantastic vantage point from where you can admire the 90 meter high waterfall. The water seems to fall down into some kind of crater.
Then I visited the Chamarel Seven-Coloured Earth park with the beautiful colored dunes. The colored earth is created by volcanic eruptions. Depending on the time of day and the light, you always see a different landscape. In the volcanic rock there is iron and aluminium, which is what created the different colors. It is forbidden to walk on the sand so that it remains intact for future generations.
I also got to taste the Chamarel rum during a tour of the Chamarel Rumfubridle; highly recommended!
Black River Gorges N.P.
Breathtakingly beautiful, the viewpoint of Black River Gorges at 825 meters altitude! Black River Gorges is a national park, a large, mountainous area of 6,754 hectares in the southwest of the island. There are over 300 different plants in the park and there are all kinds of bird species that are not found anywhere else in the world.
Troux aux Serfs Volcanic Crater
Wow! This dormant volcano is located in the middle of the island, is 65m high and has a circumference of about 350 diameter. The crater is only accessible via a steep embankment that is considered dangerous.
Mauritius also has a lot to offer in the cultural field. The island has a very troubled history. The Dutch were the first to colonize the island in 1598 and set up the sugar plantations. During this colonization, the famous Dodo rattan became extinct. The Dodo has become the hallmark of Mauritius and you can see it everywhere. The name Mauritius comes from Prince Maurits, the son of William of Orange.
Culture lovers are sure to get their money’s worth here. There are several museums, Creole country houses, remains of the Dutch Fort Frederik Hendrik and several Hindu temples.
The Sacred Lake or Grand Basin is a fairly large Hindu complex with temples and statues of gods.
Ile Aux Cerfs, like I’m in a bounty commercial!
Great to discover this idyllic island by catamaran, with a stop to snorkel along the way. On the island with powder-white sandy beaches it is wonderful to stay, just like in the warm water that always colors different colors turquoise.
Of course I have also visited many great accommodations and my knowledge is completely up to date. But there’s a time of coming and going again. I am lucky to be able to fly back in Business class on behalf of Turkish Airlines. What a great onboard service, and a delicious candlelight dinner high in the air! Make use of the wifi before my seat is transformed into a lovely bed, I dream a little further…
