Right in the middle of the vast Indian Ocean lies the paradisiacal little isle of Mauritius. It has forever been a tourist favourite, with the surrounding emerald blue waters, beaches and stunning natural beauty. Its capital city, Port Louis, is a refreshingly modern blend of multiple cultures while being a centre for perhaps the best water sports in the world. You can no doubt enjoy some priceless moments exploring the pearl white beaches with your loved ones, or even trudge through the glorious mountainside or view the world's third largest coral reefs. If there was even the slightest doubt in your mind, Mauritius also hosts some of the swankiest and most luxurious resorts in the world. While there is no end to the number of places that you can visit on this island, below is a humble list of some of the absolutely un-missable spots:
Seven Coloured Earths:
If you ever dreamed of a place where the earth was layered into seven coloured stripes while a waterfall flowed musically in the background, Mauritius is the place where it comes true. A stunning phenomenon of nature, Chamarel is the only place on earth where you can see all seven colours of the land, created by the chemical pressure in the soil. If this itself wasn't enough to stun you, try mixing up a little sand in your hand and watch with fascination as all the little grains are magically pulled back to their respective colours. Also making this an even more picturesque sojourn is the massive waterfall in the vicinity, a stream of pure white water, flowing rapidly in the majestic green mountain. A delight for the eyes, and for your camera of course!
Black River Gorges National Park:
If you want to look beyond the endless beaches into something a tad bit more adventurous, the Black River Gorges National Park in south-western Mauritius shall be your haven. Home to over 300 exotic and rare species of flowering plants, it has multiple hiking trails and open spaces for serene picnics with all your friends. The best time to explore each of these fascinating trails is from May to October, as there is almost constant sunshine with very little rain. Cross tinny little streams in the middle of exotic vegetation in order to reach great cliffs of waterfalls, or merely bask in the sunshine over a shared lunch with your loved ones, but whatever you do, do not give this place a miss!
Deep-Sea Diving:
Plunge into the depths of the Indian Ocean to explore a world never seen before, from the stunning coral reefs, to Mauritius's abundant aquatic life aided all the more by the excellent under water visibility. Do not let any lack of past experience deter you, the Dive Dream Diving Centre will make your dream possible with adequate training. And for the experienced scuba divers, you can take a jump deep enough to explore famous ship wrecks deep in the heart of the ocean. While here, treat yourself for a night's stay at any of the resorts in Trou Aux Biches to unwind after a day full of diving.
Flic en Flac Beach:
The view of the sunset here is possibly the best in the world, with the sky at dusk painted into rich shades of orange and crimson, reflecting their waning light over the green, green sea. The entire beach is littered with a number of mouth-watering food stalls, with food options ranging from exotic sea food to good-old burgers and the sweetest coconut water you'll ever taste. An absolute tourist favourite out of the surrounding restaurants is the Italian Chez Pape. Just think of the delight it could give you to dive into a pizza while enjoying this view!
Sky Diving:
Can you even imagine what the island of Mauritius would look like from the sky, a piece of land in the middle of the blue ocean, bordered with white beaches and stunning volcanic mountains? No amount of imagination can do justice to what the view will truly be like, especially with the adrenaline high that you will experience after a day sky diving at Skydive Mauritius. With staff having experience of over 5,000 dives, there is nothing for you to fear. Also take back a video of your jump to forever relive what will surely be the most exhilarating day of your life!
Mont Choisy Beach: The longest beach on the island, Mont Choisy is the perfect place to spend quality time with your family. The beach has a sweeping arc that borders the ocean with perfect white sand and other activities like water sports and fishing. There are a number of restaurants dotting the coast as well as perfect breeze almost all year long.
Other than the obviously stunning scenery and natural delight that is in abundance in Mauritius, it is also an amalgamation of multiple cultures. And each culture has given its share to the architecture, ambience, multi-lingual people as well as cultural richness of this country. You can see just about the same level of pomp and excitement for the Chinese New Year as you may for the Maha Shivratri, which happens to be a Hindu Festival, or the Islamic Eid-Ul-Fitr. The food too, is just as varied as this land, with each dish having its own unique Mauritius-ian flavour, tracing back its lineage to any number of parent nations.
Being the tourist favourite destination that Mauritius invariably is, it hosts a number of luxurious and fashionable resorts, hotels and retreats. Odyssey Travels offers multiple packages at excellent rates.
Stay for four nights at super luxurious beach hotels like the Le Meridian, The Residence, Le Mauricia, St. Regis and La Plantation d'Albion Club Med with all inclusive select meals, return airport transfers as well as three full day sightseeing tours at envious rates!
Exploring Mauritius is more than just seeing its heavenly beaches. It is jumping into the depths of the ocean to see the coral reefs, snorkelling or taking a dive deep enough to see an ecosystem you couldn’t rightly dream of, it is throwing yourself off a plane with reckless abandon to experience a high that shall never be repeated. Walk through the shopping paradise of Saint Louis and taste the vindaye poisson or the rougaille saucisses while the salty sea breeze hits your face. Shake a leg to the beats of the Sega and experience not a holiday, but a feeling that will stay with you forever.