Africa, Eastern: Mauritius

The ultimate Romantic Getaway

Apart from just enjoying its spectacular scenery, you can treat yourself to long walks on bright sunny beaches, sailing trips with cocktails at sunset and a whole lot of adventurous fun!

Although the island definitely serves its purpose as a top romantic beach escape destination, it also offers an array of adventure and activity for those who feel they want to do a bit more than just dip their toes in the sea! Together with popular water activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, surfing, ocean kayaking , water skiing and the island’s famous Undersea Helmet walk; the island offers a whole lot for one to discover inland. Couples who play golf can experience some of the finest golf courses in the southern hemisphere. The Le Touessrok for example has an 18 hole championship course set in idyllic surroundings on it’s own island with wonderful views of the ocean. And if hiking is your thing, one can take a few of the forested trails in the Black River Gorges National Park followed by a picnic and a cool down in the clear rock pools. Outdoor fun at the Casela Yemen Park and Domaine de l’Etoile should not be missed. These reserves will both bring one close to nature and allow one to experience a small portion of the island where deforestation has not taken place and natural flora and fauna have been well preserved. At these two reserves, one can enjoy a couple of hours of 4x4ing, quad biking, hiking, mountain biking, abseiling and zip lining. And after an active day, you will be served a scrumptious Creole meal and a few cocktails to beat the heat! And to add guaranteed exhilaration to your holiday, hop onto a catamaran off the east coast towards Ile aux Cerfs and enjoy a tandem parasail over the most magnificent setting in the Indian Ocean!

For a bit of culture, take a trip down south for a mystical tour. Here you can do a half day trip and visit the dead crater in the town of Curepipe, the impressive Tamarin Falls, the Grand Bassin Sacred Lake as well as temples and shrines containing colourful statues of gods where worshippers regularly leave sacrificial offerings of incense and fruit. To end off this tour, make sure you get a transfer south-east to Mahebourg where you can hop onto a Pirogue at sunset and enjoy a scenic boat ride to the lighthouse on the offshore island of ile aux Fouquets and take a glimpse at the ruins on the island of ile de la Passé.

If you are wanting to try some local dishes, Domaine Anna is a restaurant set in a real Garden of Eden with large pools and English lawns situated at the rear of the village of Flic-en-Flac. There is also the Le Jardin Beau Vallon restaurant which is situated in one of the most outstanding colonial houses in Mauritius amidst sugar-cane fields of the "Beau Vallon" sugar estate in the South of Mauritius in the vicinity of the picturesque village of Mahebourg. They have a swimming pools where you can relax while you sample one of their cocktails and you may also choose to have your meal inside the vast, tastefully renovated and decorated building, under the sheltered veranda or under the kiosks mounted above the pools. To experience the delicious flavours of Mauritian tea, the Eureka Colonial House is a créole house, at Moka, in the centre on the island and is one of the best preserved period residences in Mauritius with ancient architecture of rare beauty. Serving lunch and tea delights in the magnificent garden, Eureka is an absolute must! And for a magical moment, you can also choose to have lunch at Le Panoramour at Domaine du Chasseur, the highest restaurant on the island with a full view of the Old Grand Port bay.

So, behind its picture postcard image, lies a land of contrasts with so much to see and do. This jewel of the Indian Ocean clearly fulfills the dream of the perfect holiday!

For further information and enquiries, please visit www.tourism-mauritius.mu

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The Travel-Informed Team

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