Our local partner has a wide variety of sightseeing on offer, including activities on land and on water. The following are highly recommended:-
EXOTIC FLAVOURS: (Full Day )
Ile Aux Aigrettes / Manioc biscuit factory / National History Museum
We stop at Mahébourg Bazaar and lunch in the village. Mahébourg honours the famous French governor Mahé de Labourdonnais and here we can taste the traditional "biscuit manioc" - made from cassava according to an old family recipe. We visit the nature reserve of "Ile aux Aigrettes" with its rare Pink Pigeon and the indigenous fauna and flora of Mauritius.
ILE AUX CERFS: (Full Day)
Originally a haven for deer, Ile aux Cerfs now welcomes sun and beach-lovers alike. With its glorious, white sand beaches and calm lagoon, you can be assured of a relaxing visit. For the physically active, there's a host of water sports including water skiing, parasailing and much, much more.
TRADITION AND HERITAGE: (Full Day)
Bois Chéri / Gris Gris / St Aubin / Crocodile Park
We enjoy a traditional English tea at the Bois Chéri tea factory; visit the Gris Gris cliffs which so inspired the Mauritian poet Robert Edouard Hart; experience an historical visit to a colonial home in St Aubin; and view exotic flora and fauna at the Vanilla Crocodile Park.
THE SPICE ROAD: (Full Day or Half Day from the north)
Pamplemousses / Port Louis: the market and the "Caudan Waterfront"
We visit Pamplemousses (the magnificent botanical garden which displays many of Mauritius's exotic and endemic flora), then proceed to the capital of Port Louis (founded during the French period). Here we pass by old buildings which reflect the island's colonial past, then view the modern development around the harbour and waterfront.
SHOP IN MAURITIUS: (Full Day)
Includes shopping in Curepipe / Grand Bassin / Chamarel
Today we get close to Mauritian manufacturing know-how. We meet the glass blowers at the Mauritius Glass Gallery, make a purchase from the range of shirts, sweaters and cashmere goods at the factory shop, peruse trays of diamonds and admire the skills of the ship model maker.
"NATIR": (Full Day)
Trou aux Cerfs / Grand Bassin / Black River Gorges / Casela
We visit Trou aux Cerfs (a young volcano of 700,000 years), Grand Bassin (an important place of pilgrimage for the Hindus), the Plaine Champagne road which is surrounded by tropical and indigenous vegetation, Black River Gorges (a sanctuary for flora and fauna) and Casela where birds of different feathers flock together.
COLONIAL PAST: (Full Day)
Domaine les Pailles / Eureka / Sugar Museum
Relive the colonial past of the island at the "Domaine les Pailles" - including a replica of the island's first mill, a rum distillery, horse carriages and the spice garden. We then view the splendours of the past in the colonial houses of Eureka and "Les Aubineaux" and enjoy a cup of vanilla tea in historical surroundings.
CULTURE & DIVERSITY: (Full Day)
Pamplemousses / Port Louis: Tamil Temple, Pagoda, "Citadelle", "Musée de la Photographie" and market
We visit Pamplemousses (the botanical gardens) and Port Louis with its links between colonial and modern eras; and with numerous examples of a vibrant multi-cultural society.
THE BIG BAZAAR: (Half Day)
For a delightfully local experience, we'll stop and experience the produce of cake vendors and try the famous gâteaux-piments, samoussas and caca-pigeon. Then there's an opportunity to renew our wardrobes without spending a fortune, bargaining at the stalls and seeking out those designer seco
