The island of Mauritius may be found in the southwest Indian Ocean, though not immediately on the map. Originally uninhabited, the island was probably known to Arab and Malay traders in the Middle Ages. Mauritius was controlled by the Dutch, the French, and the British before independence was achieved in 1968.It became republic in 1992. The bare name of the island conjures exotic. It has attracted the European rich and famous, who have been stingy enough to keep it secret for many years. And I would not blame them, the island is an Indian ocean paradise, sun and surf and sweet breezes; everything needed to keep one away from the reality.
Mauritius is full of all-inclusive hotels which comprise most of the characteristics of the perfect five-star-holiday. Once landed among the amenities that go hand in hand with life’s sophisticated pleasures that can be found within the shores of Mauritius it is hard to keep the track of time and space.
The climate of this special island would not guarantee you sunburn it's quite tricky. It is tropical, modified by southwest trade winds. There are two seasons - a warm, dry winter from May- November and a hot, wet and humid summer in the other time. In the summer it is never strange to feel at the same time rain, wind and ardently sun on your uncovered skin. Most of the houses on the island are made of concrete. Although this may seem a little too strange decision, it has been a very wise one. The reasons are the cyclones which rage in the months between November and April.
The exceptional natural beauty of Mauritius has been admired of Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling, who have said "First God made Mauritius, then he copied Paradise after it" and "God modeled heaven on Mauritius". And indeed the flora and fauna on the island are extremely fascinating, not only for their beauty but also for their uniqueness.
One of the simplest and most pleasurable ways to discover the beauty of this island is by taking nothing more than a bike tour! After e few days of total relaxation and placidity it is amazingly refreshing to pedal for a few hours trough the fairy beauty of Mauritius. The beach line is long and interesting. While cycling around it you may enjoy incredible stone beaches, where every wave provokes different sound from the stones, or you could find a smaller island near the beach so close that you would be able to step on it and have some rest on a part of land that is hardly known by any other human being.
There are some forests on the island too. Except the most common coniferous trees which surround many beaches, you could find some bigger and more impressive forests in the middle of the island. They are like little jungles where one could really feel the magnificence and power of Mother Nature. The funny thing is how near every spectacular view in the forest there is always a bunch of hawkers ready to sell you the most delicious peeled baby pineapples on e stick at their "lowest" prizes!
One thing of biggest priority is to take a day-tour with a local taxi-driver. It is important that you check whether your driver can speak fluently English. Even though English is the official language of Mauritius, most of the people know better French and their own spoken language- Mauritian Creole. It is a mix from mostly French, Portuguese, English and Hindi. So, on the island map you shall find many places to catch your attention, but in this article I have chosen to reveal the most interesting route for your day. On that day it would be good if you get and early start because it gets hot quite quickly.
La Chamarell. This is the village where you can find the magical seven-colored land. Before you get there you will probably receive a lot of valuable information from your driver. For example, all Mauritians are crazy about football (soccer). Unfortunately they don’t have their own national team but every single man on the island knows the exact situation in the football fields- especially for the English teams. Mauritius has gathered many religions- Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%;and many ethnic groups - Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2% . Despite the precise data your driver would most probably tell you how difficult is for so different people to live together. But there is always a tough period in the creation of a new culture. And the Mauritians are making it! They have their sega and seggae for example. So you have already arrived at La Chamarell. To be continued...
Tags: countries, Mauritius, islands, travel, tourism, travel places
