World Travel 4 Indians

Mauritius- Introduction

Mauritius is an idyllic and beautiful tourist destination that is just perfect for a stopover on a business trip to Asia or for spending a fantastic holiday on the golden beaches of this magnificent island in the Indian Ocean.

For the island has everything from beautiful landscapes with open valleys and dense forests to endless gardens of coral populated by a countless variety of fish on the reefs surrounding it.

The Republic of Mauritius has a total square area of 1860 km with a population of 1.2 million people.

It has an interesting mix of Indo-Mauritians, Créole, Sino-Mauritians and Franco-Mauritians who may be Hindu, Christian or Muslim. Predictably, a large number of languages are spoken here such as English, French, Urdu, Créole, Hindi, Hakka and Bhojpuri.

Major Tourist Attractions

Port Louis

Port Louis is the capital and main harbor of Mauritius and has an excellent market that sells island clothing, splendid replicas of old warships and things as varied as religious icons, statuettes and religious objects.

Old colonial buildings line its streets with a variety of small shops that sell things ranging from fabrics to books and spices. The Port Louis Market near the watefront is an ideal place to get a sense of the city.

It has sections devoted to fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, souvenirs, crafts, clothing and spices, be ready to practise some hard bargaining. The Natural History Museum is a worthwhile visit for a look at the stuffed replica the now extinct dodo

Mahebourg

There is no other place in Mauritius where the past has left as deep a mark as on this town. The Naval Museum is a must see.

Grand Baie

The Mauritian Cote d' Azur, this is the place for exquisite dinners and parties that carry on late into the night.

Pamplemousse Gardens

Also known as the Royal Botanic Gardens, these modest but well kept gardens are a highlight of a visit to Mauritius. It is well worth to visit to them for a view the giant water lilies from the Amazon.

Other attractions include golden bamboo, chewing gum trees, fish poison trees, a 200-year-old Buddha tree and a cross tree with leaves shaped like crucifixes. There is also an art gallery and a cemetery located within the premises.

Casela Bird Park

The Casela Bird Park houses a wide variety of 140 exquisite birds from many countries and are well known to Ornithologists all over the world.