 | Mauritius
16-28 November, 2000 |
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Click here for a MAP, our
ROUTE and COUNTRY INFO for Mauritius
A Tropical Island Break Between Adventures
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On a picturesque dock at Grand Baie
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If there ever was an island that qualifies as "out there," Mauritius is it. Lying some 500 miles
due east of Madagascar, the island sits almost exactly halfway around the world from our home in
California. We would never be further away from home on our one year journey. Mauritius is a
quick 5 hour flight for South Africans, who comprise a large number of the island's annual visitors.
But for almost anybody else, it's a long haul. Europeans also come here in droves, but it's still
an effort -- about 12 hours from Paris. Of the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors Mauritius
receives, only about 2000 are Americans. It's really too
far away from the USA to justify a brief one or two week visit -- there are many other tropical locales much closer
to home. With that in mind, Jen brushed up on her French skills and we immersed ourselves in
an island lifestyle far away from our countrymen.
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Chowing down at a colorful food stall -- cheap and tasty!
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We chose to visit Mauritius because we wanted to break up the long flight from Cape Town to
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Both of us have always wanted to visit either Mauritius or its
more expensive Indian Ocean neighbor islands to the north, the Seychelles. The Seychelles,
though, were too expensive for an extended trip like ours. And Mauritius has the distinction of
lying directly on the flight path from Cape Town to K.L.. So, we went wih Mauritius. We
figured it would be a good place to catch some rays and get some relaxation in after seeing
so much of South Africa. We were right -- Mauritius was a nice place to spend twelve days.
Still considered part of
Africa, Mauritius has a bit of an African vibe going on, but its mix of cultures from other continents
blend with the African influences to create a very unique place. Indians, Europeans, Africans, and
Chinese have all left their mark on this island nation. Uninhabited by humans until the 1600s,
Mauritius was first settled by Europeans who came across the island in their trading journeys
between the Cape of Good Hope and Southeaast Asia. The Dutch tried first to settle Mauritius,
although with no success. Later, the French came and had much better luck -- their reign lasted
for quite a while. The Europeans brought with them African slaves, who formed the bases of the
vibrant Creole culture Mauritius has today. The British arrived and booted the French out, and
although English has since been the official language of Mauritius, everybody continues to speak
French to this day. The British, having outlawed formal slavery, brought with them thousands of
Indian indentured servants to help build the island's infrastructure and to work the sugar cane fields.
Finally, Chinese merchants arrived, adding the final bit of color to the island's cultural melting pot.
Such a complicated history for such a small island...
Mauritius is really unique in the way that the members of its ethnically diverse population get along.
Everybody respects everybody else, and all religions and cultural traditions are protected and
supported by the government. The rest of the world could learn a lot from Mauritius -- a true ethnic
melting pot where everybody lives in harmony.
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Colorful Hindu temple, Grand Baie
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Flaming red flamboyant tree in full bloom, Grand Baie
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While the water around Mauritius is beautiful, it's not an abundance of natural attractions that make
Mauritius so attractive. It's the local color -- a vibrant tapestry woven by the intermingling cultures
who have made this island paradise their home. In fact, the Mauritian experience can perhaps best
be summed up in colors: the baroque gaudiness of the Chinese and Indian temples, the beautiful Indian
women walking down the street in their equally beautiful saris, the rainbow-colored fruit stands on
the sidewalks, the fishmongers selling their day's catch by the roadside.
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The red church at Cape Malheureux
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We spent our first night in the tacky west coast resort area of Flic en Flaq (no idea where that name
came from). We found our hotel to be ridiculously overpriced, with facilities more in line with a Motel 6 than
a pricey beach resort.
Flic en Flaq is obviously a place for big package tour groups. We got out fast -- the next day, a
taxi took us farther north, to the much more relaxed area of Pointe aux Canonnieres. Just south of
the more developed (but still laid-back) area of Grand Baie, Canonnieres was a nice place to
spend a few days.
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Fruit vendor, Grand Baie
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How's this for the ideal tropical shot? Grand Baie
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From Canonnieres, we spent a few days in Grand Baie. Grand Baie is probably the most-developed
of the tourist areas on Mauritius, but it also is a real town with a local population (not just tourists), so
it's quite a colorful place. Grand Baie town is built along a long, protected bay. Many yacths and
fishing boats bob in the pale blue water here, while the busy waterfront street attracts fruit vendors,
mid-day strollers, and tourists intent on shopping for the latest fashion at bargain prices.
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Some things you can't escape, no matter how far from home...
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While we were visiting Mauritius, the big U.S. Election Crisis was going full-tilt back home. We had been in Cape
Town on election day. When we woke up the next day, we expected to have a new president elect,
but of course (as everybody on the planet now knows), we didn't. And wouldn't for over a month.
The election chaos went on, and on, and on...through
the rest of our stay in South Africa, through our 12 days in Mauritius...right into our visit to Malaysia.
We were happy to be far away from the political mess in Washington, but there was no escaping it.
Everybody we talked to on the street -- South African, Mauritian, Malaysian -- wanted to know what was
going on. And everybody had their own opinion of the election goings-on. We started telling people we
were Canadian to avoid branching off on the Election Rant. Needless to say, we were happy when we got
the news in Malaysia that we finally had a new president elect. Thank God.
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Sarongs blowing in the wind, Pereybere
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In front of our place in Pereybere
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From Grand Baie, we moved on to the beautiful beach area of Pereybere. Pereybere is a
small crescent of pure white sand with unbelievable turquoise water. A public parked filled with
big casuarina trees backs the beach. It's quite popular with local Mauritians on the weekend, when
the place gets packed with families picnicking in the shade of the casuarinas and swimming in the
beautiful water. Pereybere was our favorite spot on Mauritius -- a mellow, small town with an
idyllic beach and lots of swimming and snorkeling opportunities.
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The Chamarel Colored Earths
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Mountains near Chamarel
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Mauritius' tourist brochures talk up the islands "natural wonders" quite a bit. With such alluring names
as the "Chamarel Coloured Earths," "Le Morne Mountain," and "Troux aux Cerfs," we figured we just
had to rent a car for a day to check all the sights out. We spent two half-days driving around the
island (and that's really about all you need to see the entire island, it's so small), and we must say
we didn't really find any of the sights particularly compelling. Well, the Chamarel Coloured
Earths were sort of interesting. The "coloured" part of the name comes from soils which contain varying levels
of iron oxides. Where the soil is exposed at the surface, interesting bands of color appear, in various
shades of purple, red, and orange. Interesting, but not worth a drive halfway around the island for.
Our recommendation: go to Mauritius for the beaches and the wonderful, colorful culture -- not for the
natural sights.
From Mauritius, we caught an overnight plane to Kuala Lumpur, the bustling modern capital of
Malaysia...
Back to South Africa
On to Impressions of Mauritius
[Back to Itinerary ]
