Finally I've arrived!

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Mauritius is a destination I've wanted to visit for over a decade, but always seemed to be on the back burner for some reason. I have friends in Sydney who were born on this beautiful island, and it's a thrill to finally have the chance to visit. The Mascarene Islands are my home base for the next five weeks island hopping, and it all begins on the west coast resort town of Flic en Flac. With ten nights booked at the gorgeous Villa Osumare right by the beach, it's time to get the ball rolling on a new set of travel adventures. I jetted with Air Mauritius from Sydney to Perth, and it's a further nine hours flying time direct to this tropical paradise. It's currently winter, and the temperature rises to around 26 degrees in the middle of the day. However swimming is still comfortable, in fact this could be the ideal time of year to visit!

The people of Mauritius have long considered themselves African, and this small island off the east coast of the mighty continent has a familiar African feel about it. The mosquito nets in the villa, the slow pace of life, and the easy laughter of the locals as they frolic on the beach reminds me of Africa. Yet this is a unique destination, where English and French are spoken but the native tongue is Creole. It sounds very similar to French at first, and many words have been taken from the french language. Creole cuisine is also a unique part of the culture, and the fish curry as well as octopus curry are not to be missed. On arrival I jumped a taxi for the drive across to the west coast and the beach resort town of Flic en Flac. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mauritius, and I was surprised to see the beach loaded with foreign tourists basking in the swim, or choosing to have a snorkel right off the beach. There are buoys placed not far offshore on all the popular beaches on the west coast, to protect the gorgeous coral.

Abbi and his team at Villa Osumare have been kind and helpful hosts, and my room is immaculate. It's great to have a friendly base when travelling, and I dumped all my stuff in a most unseemly manner as soon as I checked in. The next day however, my clothes had been neatly folded; with shoes, packs, and all manner of stuff packed away in an orderly fashion. How wonderful is that, along with fresh linen and towels provided every day. I spent the first few days easing into island life, going to the beach and getting to know the staff and guests at the villa. There is a dog problem here similar to the South Pacific, with 70,000 strays roaming the island. Everything is fine during the day, but along the beach you can be confronted by dogs at night when they become more territorial. It's a shame really, and hopefully steps will be taken by the authorities to address the issue. After a few days of chillaxing, I started to get moving with the activities. First cab off the rank I jumped a local bus for the hour long journey to the capital Port Louis. I had to got into town to book onward airline tickets, and the respective teams at Air Mauritius and Air Seychelles had my itinerary for the next month sorted in next to no time.

That left me free to explore the capital, and the big attraction Le Caudan waterfront. It is designed by the same architects who spruced up the waterfront in Cape Town, and is absolutely gorgeous. Le Caudan was heaving with locals and tourists alike, and I had a great time strolling around and snapping photos of the beautiful architecture. The traffic is pretty chaotic in and around Port Louis, but the waterfront is a must see for tourists visiting Mauritius. Then I booked a boat trip where we clambered aboard a catamaran for the day, and headed out on a search for dolphins. We got to see four dolphins right next to the boat, and as we were making our way to the coral reef we diverted to see a whale swimming not too far from the coast of Flic en Flac. Our hosts cooked up a terrific barbecue for lunch, and all drinks were included for a reasonable price. I came back to shore slightly sunburnt but happy with the day's adventures off the coast of this beautiful island. It's always relaxing and enjoyable to spend a day at sea, and the weather was lovely for our day out in the open waters. Fortunately the ocean was quite calm, so the overall experience could not have been better. A full day sailing, snorkelling and with a delicious lunch concluded by 4:00pm.

The next day I booked online for a walking with lions tour at Casela Nature Park. It's quite an expensive option but an activity I've always wanted to do, and was even aware of this walk in faraway Australia. Casela has been running for over twenty years, and this large and professionally run park features all kinds of wildlife to view, including the famous big cats. Our group were given a debrief and a walking stick, and we headed through the fence to wait for the lions. Three one year olds walked down the trail towards us with their handlers, and you cannot begin to describe the exhilaration of being in such close proximity to these magnificent animals. Things soon got better, and we were amazed at how much time we had interacting with the big cats, holding on to their tails as we walked alongside them, and patting them firmly on the back as they walked, rested, or clambered on to rocks and up trees. The walk took a full hour, and one by one we were bought forward on several occasions to interact with the big cats, and pose for photos like it's the most natural thing in the world. The walking with lions tour is one of the best experiences of my life, in fact I've been buzzing for days!

For my final weekend I booked a hire car so I could get around this beautiful paradise. On the first day I headed south, and there are so many beautiful beaches it was difficult to make any significant progress. I had to cut short my plans because visiting the beaches, walking around and taking photos took so much time. But I've always believed it's preferable to stop and enjoy the scenery rather than just drive when on holidays. Highlights of the day include Le Morne, a beautiful island in the south west, with a stunning mountain jutting up directly behind the beach. It really is a picture perfect place and quite unique. There was a scenic lookout further south, and several other beaches famous for kite surfing on the windy island.

On the final day I headed north to the famous beaches of Trou aux Biches and Grand Baie. These beautiful beaches were childhood haunts of a Sydney friend, and it was great to visit special places from her upbringing. The beaches feature perfect white sand and aqua water, with palm trees lining the shore to complete the tropical picture. It may seem an odd observation, but ten days in Mauritius has fairly raced by, and I could spend far more time getting to know this beautiful island. However, my onward itinerary beckons so for the moment I bid farewell to lovely Mauritius where, basically all of you should be here now!

Our knowledge is a little island in a great ocean of non knowledge." Isaac Bashevis Singer

As I continue my travels, until next time it's signing off for now

Tom

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Comments

[Aniele]

: )
I am so happy that you enjoyed Mauritius, warms my heart : )

[Liesa]

Sounds wonderful! Could do with some beautiful beach weather and yummy Creole curries in this chilly Sydney winter...also, boys miss playing with you

[taracloud]

Five weeks of island hopping!
Fabulous start to what sounds like a fabulous holiday! How great to fulfill a dream and walk with lions. I once helped raise 5 lions cubs--even as babies, they were incredibly powerful. Beautiful beaches and tropical paradises--heaven!