Many choose Mauritius as the place for the perfect beach holiday and rightly so! Almost all the beaches of the island are maintained by hotels in perfect condition, constantly cleaned of sharp coral fragments and covered with fine creaking sand. The Flik-an-Flak area with several excellent beaches near the Kazella-Bird-Park National Park is a favorite among locals. In the eastern part of Mauritius there is a pleasant, calm Bel-Mar beach, but the south-west of the island with Pereyber beach is considered the most active, most parties and holidays take place here. In the south of Mauritius you will find one of the longest beaches on the island of Trois d’Haus Douce, its length is 11 kilometers. In the bay of Tamarina, surfers will be wounded by raging waves, while the rest can simply admire the primordial element in all its beauty. Port Louis is the center of life in Mauritius, its capital and heart. The waterfronts of Codan and Port Louis invariably attract many visitors from all over the world; the best shops and restaurants of the country are gathered here. The Museum of Blue Mauritius, the Champ de Mars racing track, the National Historical Museum, as well as the Catholic and Anglican cathedrals are also worth visiting. You can feel the special flavor of local life by visiting the Chinese “Chinatown”, as well as the central market of Port Louis. Mauritius is a rather small island, but the number of attractions here, along with the most beautiful natural areas, is impressive. On Cape Malheuret, the northernmost point of Mauritius, look out for the original Rep-Dame-Oxillatrice church, with a seashell-shaped font and carved wood interiors. The most famous and largest Hindu temple of the island of Maheswarnath Shivala is located in the small village of Triole. This place is worth visiting because of the originality of architecture and interior decoration of buildings. Admire the colonial architecture in the picturesque town of Rose Hill, which, in addition to many colleges and institutes, houses an Italian-style theater and gallery, as well as an atmospheric Arab quarter. Not far from the city of Curepipe, located in the center of Mauritius, there is an extinct Trou aux Cerf volcano with an impressive crater that is 85 meters deep and 200 meters wide. In the suburbs of Curepipe, it is also worth visiting the Black River Gorge National Park, where you will see a huge variety of rare plants and birds. On the island there is an interesting botanical garden “Pamplemousses” (Pamplemousses), in it you can get acquainted with unique local plants, as well as visit a recreated former colonial estate, which still produces local rum according to old recipes. Guests are invited to observe all stages of production from the collection of sugar cane to tasting. See wild and rare animals? You are welcome! This is possible in the natural reserve of Il-a-Agre, which is protected by the rarest endemic plants and endangered animal species. The natural park is located in the south of Mauritius. Local pride and the most popular souvenir in Mauritius are the local multi-colored sandy soils called “Chamarel”, they have seven different colors and are incredibly beautiful in cute souvenir vessels as a reminder of sunny Mauritius. In addition to relaxing on the beach and visiting the most interesting excursions in Mauritius, you can do what you probably dreamed about for a long time, but did not find the time. Water skiing, surfing, golf, tennis, kayaks and kayaks, horseback riding, snorkelling, diving and parachuting are popular here.
National cuisine of Mauritius
According to extrareference, the whole difficult history of Mauritius is reflected in its national cuisine; traditions of India, France and Great Britain are traced here. Invariably, the basis of Mauritian cuisine is curry and white rice. Almost no Mauritian dish is complete without the bright aroma of spices in shatini, sabayon, rugay and vindaye sauces. To the delight of tourists, delicious fish and seafood occupy not the last place in the national cuisine. In most restaurants in Mauritius, guests are offered a buffet, where both local and European dishes are presented. Of the Mauritian delights, it is worth noting dishes such as “samussa” – small fried puff pastry pies stuffed with meat and vegetables, “millionaire’s salad” with smoked blue marlin fillet and tender palm heart and “puri” appetizer, which is remotely similar to sandwiches – pieces of baked dough with a variety of fillings. A national cocktail based on coconut milk with rum and a slice of lime is very popular. Of the local varieties of alcohol, it is worth trying Phoenix, Blue Merlin and Black Eagle beer, as well as white rum called Green Island. The people of Mauritius also consider black coffee to be their national drink and they prepare it excellently, although not in the way that is customary in Europe.
Transport
In Mauritius, there is only one international airport named after Sivusagar Ramgoolam, it is located near the city of Mahebourg, 46 km southeast of the capital – Port Louis. You can get here by the local airline Air Mauritius, which serves not only the neighboring islands of the republic, but also other African countries, as well as Australia, Asia and Europe. You can fly to Mauritius with many other airlines, including Air France and Emirates, but you cannot avoid at least one transfer if you are flying from Russia. Between the main islands of the country, Mauritius and Rodrigues, planes of the local company Air Mauritius run with daily flights, as well as regular ferries. On the islands themselves, it is quite convenient to travel by bus, this is a budget and convenient, although not very fast, form of local transport. Many foreign tourists use taxi services in Mauritius, they are available near hotels and at the airport. Please note that the vast majority of drivers do not use meters, which means that you should check the price in advance and, preferably, actively bargain. If necessary, you can even hire a taxi for the whole day, it will be more profitable than paying for each separate passage, and you will be able to see all the beauties of the island at once. You can also explore Mauritius on a rented vehicle, it will be a car, a motorcycle or a bicycle – it’s up to you. To rent a car, you will need an international driving license issued no earlier than 1 year before the date of rental.
