The republic of Mauritius is a very small island country located in the
Indian Ocean. Due to its proximity to Africa, it is generally
considered an African country. It is around 4000 kms from the Indian
coast line. It is 65 kms long and 45 kms wide. It’s about the same size
as Namma Bengaluru. That’s where the comparison ends. Its
population is around 1.2 million compared to 14 million in Bangalore.
Why did we decide to visit this remote Island?
Mauritius is renowned for its incredibly beautiful beaches with
powder-soft white sands, brilliant turquoise waters, and lush tropical
scenery.
We visited the Island in October when the temperature was between
20 to 27 deg C with a moderate easterly wind and clear skies.
In spite of all its wonderful beaches, lagoons and water sports, it’s not
at all touristy. The extreme hustle and bustle one finds in places that
are tourist attractions, is totally absent. The tourist population is
spread over a large number of pristine beaches located all along the
coast line. A few tourists minding their own business, non-interfering
locals, an absence of hawkers and shanty restaurants fills you with a
sense of privacy and lets you immerse yourself in the bounties of
nature.
After carefully researching the properties available on Airbnb, we
selected ‘Paradise Beachfront Holiday Apartment’ on Point D’ Esny
beach. A beautifully appointed ground floor apartment with an
attached beach that was practically private to all intents and purposes.
Jenith and Sushama our long time travel companions joined us on this
outing. After a long break, Rita Das also came along with us.
We spent most of our time on the beach. Lazing on the beach under a
clear blue sky and hearing the constant rustle of the sea waves
certainly invokes a primordial feeling. There is something blissful and
special when one is surrounded by nature. The atmosphere heralds
tranquillity and peace. An ultimate destination for rest and reflection.
Chilled beer, gin and tonic, cocktails and Laphroaig go a long way in
elevating your mood. Mauritius duty free rates are better than India.
Sea food is found in plenty. A satisfying lunch with octopus, fish,
pork, calamari, prawns and pizza accompanied by a chilled ‘Phoenix’
beer set us back by INR 5000 for five people. Lobsters are easily
available and have to be ordered in advance. Their cuisine is multicultural
reflecting their ethnicity. There is a certain similarity to Goa
in the slightly laid back approach to life. The people are helpful,
generous and pretty chatty. We went around looking for some raw
rice on the Sunday that we were there. We couldn’t find any, as most
places were shut, but the owner of a small store selling soft drinks,
gave us some from his own home with no charge. That tided us over
till the next day.
A majority of its population consists of people of Indian origin and
the rest are descendants from Africa, China, Dutch, France, Britain
and Arabs. I was truly impressed with the bonhomie that prevails
among all the different and diverse communities. All of them speak
Creole, followed by a small percentage speaking Bhojpuri, French
and English. Sega, Seggae and Reggae remain the most popular form
of music in Mauritius. It is a complete performance art, involving
music, story-telling and traditional dance. In fact, one night, our
Airbnb neighbours invited us over and we had a blast singing and
listening to a couple of Mauritian singers rapping and singing local
popular songs the entire evening.
Sugarcane is widely grown in Mauritius. We visited a famous
brewery – The Rhumerie de Chamarel and indulged in a long rum
tasting session. One gets to taste almost 8-10 varieties of rum that is
made there. A happy hour indeed! Most rum around the world is
made from molasses. However, in Mauritius, the rum is derived from
sugarcane juice, giving it an exceptionally mature and smooth taste.
They also produce a variety of infused rums with botanicals like
vanilla, cocoa, coffee, cinnamon and orange. I am now the proud
owner of a bottle of Chamarel Premium Gold Rum. The same day we
visited a Shiva Parivar temple, a beautiful, clean temple next to a
Ganga Talab (so named as the waters of the Ganges have been
brought and added to this wonderfully pristine lake).
The country has a great network of roads. They are in excellent
condition and have very good signage. We hired a self-drive SUV on
arrival which came in very handy during our stay. We travelled
extensively covering the length and breadth of the island. Except for
Port Louis, the capital city, traffic elsewhere is low to moderate. Port
Louis is a very new and modern city bubbling with activity. I found
the rest of the island extremely easy going and laid back. As I
mentioned earlier, it reminded me a lot of our own Goa – Susegad.
We flew Emirates from Bangalore to Mauritius via Dubai. It’s a long
and tiresome flight. The other option was via Mumbai which is
equally bad. Come November there are likely to be direct flights from
Bengaluru. It’s Visa on entry for Indians. Dollars and the local
Mauritian Rupee are preferred.
They have kept their surroundings extremely clean. We never saw any
garbage dump or unattended waste during our drives to the cities and
in the country side.
Good roads and high standards of cleanliness speaks volumes about
their culture. The tax payer’s money has been ploughed back,
ordinary citizens are responsible and in control of their surroundings.
Their beaches are pristine and totally free of any form of rubbish. One
can walk miles without coming across any sign of pollution. In a
recent report released by IQ Air, only seven countries worldwide
managed to meet the stringent air quality guidelines set by the World
Health Organization (WHO). Among them stands Mauritius.
‘Ile Aux Cerfs’, an island
golf course
Every variety of water sport is available. Snorkeling and Scuba
diving, Sea, kite and wind surfing, para gliding and much more. One
day we went island hopping in their super-fast boat. It was a very
thrilling experience, even for someone who has spent all his life at sea.
Beer, music and the sheer thrill of the wind in your face makes this
day long trip very invigorating. We were thrilled to spot dolphins and
visit the site of an old shipwreck. To make the ride more interesting,
chilled beer and other beverages are served. I liked their “Jungle
Juice” a delectable cocktail of rum and orange juice the best. The trip
ends with an elaborate barbeque lunch on ‘Ile Aux Cerfs’, an island
golf course. The trip included a visit to an island with an old
dilapidated but charming lighthouse.
The highlight of the trip was a ride in a Blue Safari Submarine for 40
minutes to a depth of 35 meters. A memorable thrilling and unique
experience. My submarine friends tell me that 35 meters is a very
respectable diving depth.
Looking back, our trip to Mauritius was very easy going and laid back.
We returned to India relaxed.
Captain's Corner 