{"id":3627,"date":"2020-01-17T19:20:10","date_gmt":"2020-01-18T00:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/?p=3627"},"modified":"2022-12-29T08:59:37","modified_gmt":"2022-12-29T13:59:37","slug":"republic-of-mauritius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/republic-of-mauritius\/","title":{"rendered":"Mauritius \u2013 Water Sports, Mountains and Blend of Cultures"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Introduction<\/h2>

We were looking forward to going to Mauritius to explore and relax after weeks of exhausting travel in Madagascar. After all, it is famous for its watersports…<\/p>

\"\"<\/p>

eye-catching mountains…<\/p>

\"Tourelle<\/p>

and colonial architecture.<\/p>

\"Cha\u0302teau<\/p>

We knew it was culturally diverse, but it really hit us on our first day when we were lost in a forested area, driving by gigantic Hindu statues.<\/p>

\"Durga<\/p>

We saw an event hall which was having a celebration. We drove in and saw two men outside and asked for directions in English, the language of the government. They were answering us, but we could not understand them. At first, we thought they were drunk and slurring their words, which was true. However, we eventually realized they did not speak English, but maybe French. Later we found out it was a French patois. This country is a mishmash of cultural influences!<\/strong><\/p>

Why Travel to Mauritius?<\/h2>

Because Mauritius is far from everywhere (almost 5,000 km \/ 3000 miles to Dubai and even further to Singapore), most visitors spend a week to justify the travel time.<\/strong> Each day you can do something different from water sports and hiking opportunities to visiting markets and historical sites. You can stay in comfortable hotels, drive on paved roads and eat in nice restaurants. You don\u2019t have to worry about your safety. What is not to like?<\/p>

Travel Itinerary for Mauritius<\/h2>

My wife Khadija, friend Gaynor and I visited there in late July for a week, after nearly three weeks of strenuous travel in Madagascar (about 1,000 km \/ 600 miles west). Because Mauritius is a small island, comparable to Rhode Island or Luxembourg, we decide to stay in one place, the area of Flic en Flac, and travel to different parts of the island each day. This turned out to be a sound strategy.<\/p>

\"Mauritius<\/p>

We could\u2019ve stayed in any place on the island, but the west side has the best beaches, most accommodations and easiest access to main sites on the island<\/strong>. A typical itinerary could be:<\/p>