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Sunday 30 September 2012


Mauritius


Mauritius is the perfect place to celebrate your honeymoon by staying at a luxury resort with fine dining, enjoying the endless white sandy beaches and romantic sunsets. Mauritius is a honeymooners favorite offering stylish and elegant hotels on pristine sandy beaches. The island is a rich and diverse mix of cultures, which is reflected in both the architecture and the food. Mauritius is more than just a honeymoon beach destination with clean nice warm seawater and as many resorts offer a wide range of sports activities including tennis, golf and water sports.


Idyllic white soft sand beaches, turquoise blue ocean and your honeymoon in Mauritius are made to be remembered forever. Mauritius offer some of the best island honeymoon packages available.


The place offers various beautiful destinations for hanging out with your lover and family.


The iconic places to visit Mauritius are:

PORT LOUIS



Port Louis Waterfront

The capital and main harbor of Mauritius, Port Louis was founded by Mahé de Labourdonais in 1735. Around the main site, the Place d'Armes, several buildings of French colonial style can be found, namely the Government House, the Supreme Court and a history museum and the Municipal theatre all built during the 18th century. Port Louis also has two beautiful cathedrals, one Protestant and the other Catholic. Around the town at the foot of the mountains is the racetrack, however, the best view is from the Fort Adelaide, a strong citadel in the era of William IV. The waterfront offers a variety of entertainment including shopping, eating, cinema and theatres. To the south of Port Louis, you'll find Le Reduit, a colonial residence surrounded by superb gardens, built by the French for the Governors of that period. From Port Louis you can go to Beau Bassin, Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes and Vacoas. 
 

Domaine Les Pailles

Domaine Les Pailles

Only ten minutes from Port Louis, is The Domaine Les Pailles, a natural reserve that extends itself over 1,500 hectares at the foot of a mountain range, where visitors can experience the old island life style in an enchanting natural environment brought up to date by the passion of several professionals. Domaine Les Pailles offers a variety of features including gastronomic restaurants "Le Fouquet's", and "La Canelle Rouge", an Indian restaurant "l'Indra", a Chinese restaurant the "Fu Xiao", an Italian restaurant " La Dolce Vita", a casino, a pizzeria, a pool, miniature golf and stables. You may also choose to tour the mountain -- in a 4 x 4 vehicle, on a cart or a small train -- where deer, monkeys and rare birds live in perfect harmony. The garden is fitted with a mill, a perfect replica of the first sugar mills on Mauritius, allowing visitors to see how sugar was produced. The distillery refines the rum of the Domaine.

Curepipe

Trou Aux Cerfs

Curepipe is the main residential town of the island offering excellent shops and several restaurants. Between Curepipe and Floréal, is the spectacular Trou aux Cerfs, an extinct volcano approximately 85 meters deep and as wide as 200 meters. From here you are afforded a panoramic view of the island.


Mahebourg



Mahebourg is built on the splendid bay of Grand Port, which was the theatre of the naval battle between the French and the British in 1810. Since then it has evolved into a fishing village, while retaining its secret charms from the past. This area was the first part of the island visited by the Europeans as the Dutch sailors landed at Vieux Grand Port. They named the island "Mauritius" in the honor of Maurice de Nassau and the bay of Grand Port, ''Port Warwick'', after the admiral who was commanding them. The historic museum at Mahébourg tells the story of the battle of Grand Port. In the old French house of the 18th century where the museum is located, the British and French chiefs, Commodore Willoughby and Captain Duperré, both wounded in the battle of Grand Port, were restored to good health. The museum contains souvenirs of this battle as well as a collection of cards and stamps illustrating Paul and Virginie. An artisan village built in 'creole' architecture is located adjacent to the museum, offering a variety of handicrafts products.

THE BLACK RIVER GORGES NATIONAL PARK
This park of 6, 574 hectares is a conservation area to protect what is left of the indigenous forests of Mauritius and offers visitors the chance to enjoy the magnificent views and to see some of the endemic plant and bird species. The National Park is accessible from Vacoas via La Marie and Mare aux Vacoas. Several paths afford wilderness walks bringing you closer to nature. On the Plaine Champagne road towards Chamarel, an easy walk will lead you to Alexandra Falls - with its panoramic view of the south and Bel Ombre as well as spectacular view of the Black River Gorges.

SOUILLAC
Souillac is a village located on the rough coast of the Savanne. It obtained its name from François Vicomte de Souillac, who was Governor of the island from 1779 to 1787. Today, the main focus of this small village is fishing. The very steep cliffs swept all year round by the powerful breeze of the ocean, contrasts with the calm beaches of the north. The tranquil garden on the sea front takes its name from Doctor Charles Telfair, secretary of the Governor Farquar (1801-23) and founder of the Royal Society for Arts and Science. On the cliffs sculpted by the waves, the Coral House, where Poet Robert Edward Hart lived, has been turned into a museum. To the south of Souillac, Gris-Gris, churned by the waves into a fountain of foam, protrudes itself into the sea. Souillac was also the subject of the work of Paul-Jean Toulet, another French poet who lived in Savanne for some years.

LE VAL


Le Val Natur Parc is situated in the south east of the island at Cluny, in the district of Grand Port. This natural park is in the heart of a valley surrounded by luxurious vegetation. It extends itself for over 100 acres. Ponds of carp, fresh water fish, shellfish as well as birds, monkeys, deer and endemic plants can be seen.


Talking about beaches, Mauritius have plenty to explore:

The bay of Tamarin
The bay of Tamarin is one sight you definitely should visit during you stay in Mauritius. This small village has a special atmosphere and charm and is one of my favorite places in Mauritius.Some of its particularities are the Black River which comes from the highlands and ends up in the bay of Tamarin whereby a gorgeous view over the river land and the adjoin mountains of the high land of Mauritius is given. The river cuts the beach of Tamarin in two parts. You can reach from one part to the other by crossing the river by foot. Another particularity is the ground of the sea which consists only of sand and some stones. You don’t need to worry about sea urchins and corals which means there is no need for you to wear swimming shoes. Furthermore Tamarin bay is one of the rare places which hasn’t got an offshore riff therefore the sea in Tamarin is tougher and if there are the appropriate weather conditions you can see meter high waves dashing into the bay. In the shallow water of Tamarin Bay it is not dangerous to swim, surf and enjoy the waves. Between the missing offshore riff in Tamarin is one of the best surfing spots in Mauritius especially for beginners. Get further information about surfing in Mauritius here.

Friday and Saturday night there are often people who set up a campfire singing, dancing, drinking and having a party on the beach.


Trou d'Eau Douce


Trou d'Eau Douce is a fantastic place for a vacation any time of year. With a large variety of activities and attractions, a vacation in Trou d'Eau Douce will appeal to travelers of all ages with diverse tastes and preferences. Get ready for some fun Trou d'Eau Douce adventures.


East Coast

Blue Bay
The bay with its nice deep blue color in the southeast of Mauritius. Once you reach the bay of Blue Bay, you know where the name comes from. The colors of the sea are incredibly powerful and consist of a variety of many different blues. The Blue Bay has a very nice public beach which is perfectly suited for swimming and relaxing. Blue Bay, as well as the general area in the south and south-east is not so much touristically tapped. That is why the beach of Blue Bay is very quiet during the week. On weekends, however, one has the feeling that the half population of Mauritius pilgrimages here to spend some nice free days at seaside.




If you walk the bay down a little to the left you will first pass by a hotel. Continue the way and a series of small lonely beautiful bays opens up. They are also very quiet at the weekends.
Blue Bay is particularly famous for its snorkeling trips. Since 1997, a 353-hectare area which is located in the sea just in front of the public beach is appointed as the first and until now the only Marine Park in Mauritius. The reasons for the foundation are the unusual and unique coral gardens, which are situated here. The marine ecosystem provides a rare beauty with its many different species of flora and fauna. These are especially the corals, which are in an incredibly good condition. Overall a figure of about 72 different corals and 32 different species of fishes are founded in this area. The corals are sometimes even up to 800 years old. Opposite the Public Beach is located a visitor center of the Marine park where you can get information about the park.


To reach the park the best way is to go out with a glass bottom boat. The trip will take between 1 ½ and several hours. First the boat will drive you through the park, which is already an experience. Through the glass bottom of the boat you will have a good visibility up to the ground of the park and the skipper will provide you most probably some information about the different corals and fish.
Afterwords the boat will anchor and you have the opportunity to go snorkeling. The underwater world in which you dip here is really unique. The centuries-old coral garden and the various fishes that pass by make you feeling as if you were a part of them. Depending on what you arranged with your skipper, you can now visit the Ile de Deux Cocos which provide some beautiful beaches.
The skipper will pick you up after some time to bring you back to the public beach of Blue Bay.

Many skippers on the beach of Blue Bay will offer you the trip with the glass bottom boat. The rates vary between Rs.350 up to Rs 600 per person depending on length and season. Try in any case to negotiate a good price.

Belle Mare
Some of the most beautiful beaches on the island are situated along the east coast. One of these is the beach of Belle Mare which is a miles long white sandy beach stretched till the next small village Trou dÈau Douce. Because of its length the beach of Belle Mare is perfectly suited for sport activities like jogging and walking and also it is great for endless long walks along the coast. If you walk the public beach down to your right hand you will pass next to one of the best hotels of Mauritius.




Another peculiarity of the beach of Belle Mare is the combination of the colors. The turquoise deep blue lagoon ends up in a white clean beach which is bordered to lush green grassland covered by many trees and plants which provides also many shadow possibilities.




WEST COAST

Flic en Flac
The beach of Flic en Flac, located on the west coast of Mauritius is the longest beach of the island. It covers a long part of the west coast and provides also perfect possibilities for endless beach walks. If you walk the beach down to the south you will reach the next village Tamarin after approximately 1 ½ hour where you will find the next gorgeous beach as well as the best spot for surfing in Mauritius.


The beach of Flic en Flac is a natural beach which is the cause for the ashore corals, sea urchin and shells which makes the beach special and unique. Of course the beach of Flic en Flac provides also a turquoise blue lagoon which offers best swimming possibilities with out strong currents. One thing you need to take care of is the sea urchins which appear in the water. A good protection is to wear swimming shoes which can be for example bought in the supermarket.
On weekdays the beach of Flic en Flac is quite empty and calm in opposite to the week-ends when the beach is well visited by natives coming on the beach for camping and enjoying the days off. On the northern end of the beach you can find a beach volleyball net which belongs to the Hotel “Villa Caroline”. In spite of it everybody can play on the net. Almost everyday after 5 pm you will meet some volleyball players for a match.


SOUTH COAST

Le Morne
Le Morne is a small village in the southwest of Mauritius. The town was founded by former slaves. The beaches of Le Morne are located on the peninsula on the foot of the Le Morne Brabant, an approximately 550 meter high mountain. 


The Le Morne Brabant was adopted by the UNESCO as World Heritage since 2008. The reason is, above all, his tragic history. In the 18th and early 19th century, hundreds of slaves fled to the mountain and have been hiding there for fear of their holders, who actually wanted to deliver them the decision of the discharge and the freedom of the slaves. The high fear of the slaves drove them to their deaths, since many of them jumped down from the high mountains before the men could absolve them. Since this sad event the Le Morne Brabant is a symbol of the slaves fight for freedom.From the main road a junction is leading up to the peninsula. If you follow this road you will reach the public beach of Le Morne.


The white coral sand beach is very beautiful and a destination for a weekend trip of many locals. A particularity of the beach of Le Morne is the very clear water which provides a beautiful visibility. If you go swimming please beware the current that sometimes is strong. But bathing is in general safe here. Furthermore the trees which are bordering the beach are providing good shade opportunities. Take the road a little further, you come to the next beach of Le Morne, which is particularly popular for windsurfing and kite surfers. Perfect wind conditions are given almost all year-round. Also for all non-surfers among us it is worth to make a trip to the beach to watch the professional surfers. Swimming at this beach is also possible. However, you should orientate a little bit left of the surfers, because otherwise unpleasant collisions may occur.




Those who prefer to enjoy a calm and sheltered beach should choose the first of the two beaches of Le Morne.

St Félix
The public beach of St Félix is another beautiful beach of Mauritius. St. Felix is located also in the south between the towns of Belle Ombre and Soulliac. Actually St Félix has even two public beaches; however, the second beach from the direction of Le Morne is much more beautiful. To get there you have to continue the road after the direction sign to the public beach of St Félix a little bit until you reach a roundabout where you have to take the third exit. From here you can even see the sea. The beach is wonderful, the exceptionally white sand, which flows into the turquoise green of the Indian Ocean of Mauritius, gives a wonderful contrast to the verdant trees of the back land. The beach of St Félix is very lonely and offers an excellent opportunity to chill out and relax. However, a small disadvantage from the beach of St Felix in Mauritius is that bathing is problematic. First the ground of the lagoon is covered with corals in which one or the other fish from the family of the highly toxic stone fishes can be founded. Secondly the current can be quite strong and should not be sneezed.

NORTH COAST

Mont Choisy
mont choisy hotel
The public beach of Mont Choisy is situated between Pointe aux Cannoniers and Mont Choisy not far away from Grand Baie. The beach belongs to one of the longest and most beautiful ones in Mauritius. You can take a walk for more than 3 kilometers. Many sports activities such as jogging, aerobic and water-skiing can be done there as well.

During the week there are only a few tourists who share the huge sandy beach. There is more than enough space for you to enjoy the sun. If you wish to have a little bit more comfort you can rent sunloungers and sun umbrellas at the southern end of the beach near Mont Choisy. From there it is only few minutes walk to reach the Hindu statues which are put close to the ocean. Even though it is very quiet from Monday to Friday the beach will be crowded with locals especially on Sundays. Many people come here to spend the weekend at the beach and have a good time with the whole family. Food, as well as tables, chairs, music and any other thing that might be needed at the beach is brought along. Even though not really relaxing is it a very interesting and funny experience to spend a day at the beach at the weekends. If you feel hungry you can just go to one of the many stands in the shadow of the filao trees and have a little snack.

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