I was able to stay at Club Med La Plantation d'Albion, a 5-Trident Resort that offers real luxury all-inclusive on the west coast of the island. Located in the heart of a natural area of 22 hectares, it hides its 266 rooms behind lush vegetation:tamarinds, cacti, flamboyant or banyan trees... Lined with casuarina trees, its beach is not private and you can rub shoulders with Mauritians who come to spend Sunday with the family at the water's edge, but also the local fishermen. Laze by the zen pool or get moving in the lively pool? It's as we want! We especially take the opportunity to try the flying trapeze, it is the only one in the Indian Ocean and it is not insurmountable if we focus on the advice of the G.O. Yes, yes!
If its long white sand beaches, its heavenly islands (Ile aux Cerfs, Coin de Mire, Ile Plate…), its small deserted coves and its transparent waters protected by a long coral reef have made Mauritius “the” seaside destination, we also have a choice outside of the deckchair. A paradise for hikers and walkers, the interior lands can be discovered with sneakers on, from the peak of the Petite Rivière Noire (828 m) to the Lion mountain (480 m). You can also walk with lions in Casela Park, which is home to 15 hectares of zebras, giant tortoises, macaques, tigers and more than 1,500 birds. Personally, I preferred to opt for an outing in a 4X4 with a fence in the middle of the tigers… Impressive, especially when you can see their claw marks on the roof!
This tourist route from Curepipe is a good way to visit the last typical colonial houses. First stop:the Domaine des Aubineaux, with its glazed veranda, its period cinnamon, teak or cashew wood furniture and its camphor oil distillery. We continue with a visit to the factory and the tea museum of Bois Chéri and we end on the south coast at the Domaine de Saint-Aubin, a colonial residence from 1819 transformed into a table d'hôte, where I was able to feast local (palm kernel salad with smoked marlin, chicken flavored with vanilla…) under the fans. Housed in a disused sugar factory, the Aventure du Sucre museum is another essential stopover to understand the history of the island. Inherited from the 19th century, its vats and ovens retrace the stages of sugar production, from colonization to independence. My other “historical” favourites? The Château de Labourdonnais in Mapou, springing up as if by magic at the end of an alley of hundred-year-old trees, and the sublime Saint-Antoine residence (member of the Mauritius Boutique Hotel label), on which time seems to have no hold…
The ideal way to get around the traffic jams that plague the capital? Get there by sea in around 30 minutes from Club Med La Plantation d'Albion. We walk along the cliffs at the foot of which the pirates, led by Surcouf, hid their loot and we disembark for a walking tour of the old quarters. At the Natural History Museum, you can see the bones of the mythical dodo with atrophied wings. At the central market, Indian saris, African sculptures and drums, medicinal plants, spices and woven baskets reflect the diversity of cultures present on the island. We stock up on souvenirs and 100% local flavors. And if we have time, we climb to the Citadel, an old fort built by the English, where the gaze embraces the city and is lost in the turquoise blue gradients of the lagoon.
Successively Portuguese, Dutch, French and then English, Mauritius enjoys a unique ethnic mix, which is reflected in the cuisine. If Mauritian gastronomy is based on local fish, fruits, vegetables and spices (chili, saffron…), the flavors of Europe, Africa, China and India are naturally added. On the menu. So I feasted without counting the rougail, curry, gato chilli, samosa, dholl-puri (garnished pancake), briani (dish made with rice and different meats) or fried mines (Chinese noodles) from the many street vendors… Here more than anywhere else, the journey begins on the plate!
For more information:Tourist Office, 01 53 25 04 28, www.tourisme-ilemaurice.mu.
