Traveling to Mauritius. “The world is bigger, explore!” Inspired by the slogan “Mauritius is small, discover!” We thought that we could completely explore this island with a population of 1 million 265 thousand in a few days. We were wrong, but okay.
Now, to discover the places to visit in Mauritius, which offers a full journey, we first put our finger on Africa, then Madagascar on the world map and turn slightly to the right. Then welcome to Mauritius!
First day in Mauritius
This exquisite island, which I fear will be discovered by someone at any moment and turned into a play island, is truly green! It has pure white beaches and turquoise waters in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The hotel we stayed in is located in the southeast of the island, close to Blue Bay.
After a very long flight, we immediately throw ourselves into the cool waters of Blue Bay. This is a quiet beach with few tourists and mostly preferred by locals. Since it is located close to the airport, planes frequently take off and land over the beach. Although we spend the first day at a non-tiring pace, we start exploring the places to visit in Mauritius on the second day.
Second day in Mauritius
The second day; We bought the Catamaran tour, which allowed us to see the places to visit in Mauritius, including the island’s bays, waterfalls and water sports area. The catamaran first brings us to an area where we can see the fish by snorkeling. Fish with pointed noses and zebra and polka dot patterns put on a show for diving enthusiasts. Throughout the tour, the boat crew offers unlimited drinks accompanied by a barbecue.
As we progress a little further, we go to see a waterfall in the area called Black River. You can get off the boat and get as close to the waterfall as possible by speedboat. Be prepared to get wet here. Our third route is another small island where water sports are performed and which can be crossed by speedboats. Here you can parasail for 13 dollars and visit the souvenir market on the island. With a catamaran tour, you can enjoy the sea and get the chance to see the tropical creatures of the island.
At the end of the tour, we took a break to have dinner at seafood restaurants at Bagatelle Shopping Center in the capital Port Louis. Don’t forget to buy vanilla tea and garlic cheese before leaving the mall. Even though it is a holiday and honeymoon island, there is almost no nightlife in Mauritius. Most shops and restaurants close around eight-thirty in the evening.
Third day in Mauritius
On the third day, we decided to take a break from enjoying the sea and spend some time in the historical places of Mauritius and take a cultural tour. We organized a trip to La Vanilla Natural Park in the south of the island, the seven-colored soil protected by UNESCO, Chamarel Waterfall and the Grand Bassin region where Mauritians worship.
The Grand Bassin region is full of locals wearing colorful clothes, burning incense, decorating flowers around Buddha temples and praying. The people of Mauritius are a mixture of Indian and African and their religion is Buddhism. For this reason, the cultural mix here offers colorful images to the viewers. Among the places to visit in Mauritius, this was a region that gave me great peace of mind.
Continuing our tour of places to visit in Mauritius, we go to see Chamarel Waterfall and the seven-colored soil. You have to walk part of the way on foot. It is a good idea to be wary of monkeys that cross your path. A beautiful waterfall that will inspire painters flows gently through the mountains in the lush forest land.
Seeing rainbows on land is quite exciting. Seven-colored soil is also found in the Chamarel region. To get here, our vehicle travels on a winding and narrow road. It is possible to see pineapple, mango and tropical fruit sellers along the way. As its name suggests, the red, pink, purple, blue, yellow and green sand in the seven-coloured soil never disappears despite heavy rains. It is said that the reason for this is that the land is rich in minerals and consists of volcanic ashes. An interesting piece of information is that even when you hold seven different colored soils and mix them, they still separate in the end.
After leaving the Chamarel region, there is a crocodile park on our route. This is actually a natural life park where not only crocodiles, but also hundred-year-old turtles, bats, and all kinds of insects and butterflies are found. While visiting this park, which is among the top places to visit in Mauritius, our tour guide informed us about all these animals. What was meaningful to me was that he said that there was a restaurant in the park where we could eat crocodile meat if we got hungry.
Other places you should see in Mauritius
Another paradise you should see among the places to visit in Mauritius is Sir Seewoosagur Botanical Park, named after the first prime minister of Mauritius. The park was opened in 1867 with the efforts of the French governor of the time. This place is home to an incredible variety of tropical plants, huge lotus flowers and sugar canes. For palm tree lovers, there are also eighty-five different palm trees.
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