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Mauritius: Sugar and spice on the Indian Ocean
by
Mary Ashcraft
On
the map it is only a dot that might easily be overlooked for its smallness.
Though the island is relatively unknown to Americans, European vacationers have
been reveling in this exotic, tropical Eden for years. Today, some of the most
luxurious hotels and resorts in the world line the white sand beaches where
bathing waters are kept calm and safe for swimming by the encircling coral
reefs. Europeans enjoy its cosmopolitan sophistication in a laid-back
environment. Asian, African and European influences are readily apparent with
women dressed in silk Indian Saris, Ornate Tamil temples, Muslim Mosques, the
Chinese Spring festival, the music and dance of the Sega from Madagascar and
mainland Africa plus excellent French cuisine. And everyone speaks English!
In
sharp contrast to the Central Market is the newly constructed Cauden Waterfront
Complex along the harbor. This trendy fresh air mall is a shoppers Mecca, with
its clothing boutiques, first class restaurants, simple snack bars, hotel,
casino and live street entertainment, reminding one of the energetic atmosphere
of the South Street Seaport in New York City. It's a good place to sit over a cool
drink and plan excursions to see all there is to see around the island.
On
the east coast of the island, sheltered in luxuriant tropical vegetation, is
the Aman Resort’s five-star, flagship Prince Maurice Hotel. The hotel is spread
out along a coral sand beach and private lagoon. One enters the lobby over
bridges spanning plant-studded, moving pools and water displays. The swimming
pool seems to become one with the lagoon and with the natural and man-made
pools of water. The hotel itself feels like a serene island. Unashamedly
luxurious, but not in the old fashioned sense of lavish decorations, gold paint
or velvets, this hotel is one of natural elegance born of simplicity and
beauty, using natural marble, wood and stone in the architecture, to harmonize
with the landscape. Every suite has a tranquil water view. With thatched roofs,
extensive use of bamboo and rare woods, and decor utilizing the spice colors of
cinnamon, curry, saffron and mace, the guest is easily caught up in the romance
of the Spice Islands. The atmosphere emanates a Zen quality. Patrick Finet,
general manager of Prince Maurice, remarks, “Only here in Asia can the guest
receive the special kind of care and attention my hotel offers.”
Making
it easy to travel the island, Mauritours/Mauritours Cruises is there to be your
guide. The company offers a complete selection of tours around the island as
well as on the ocean and are willing to plan individualized tours to suit your
needs. E-mail: mauritours@mauritours.intnet.mu
Getting
there from Europe or South Africa is easy on Air Mauritius. The airline offers
two flights weekly from London’s Heathrow Airport with brand new,
state-of-the-art Airbus A340-300 aircraft. Expect excellent French/Island food.
Service is non-stop to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport on the island of
Mauritius. Non-stop service also is available from most other major European
capitals. To contact the airline toll-free: 800-537-1182 Here
is a list of quality hotels to chose from if you are planning a trip to Ile
Maurice: Le
Prince Maurice: leprince@intnet.mu
Le
Touessrok: suncro@sunresort.com ; Toll-free
phone, 800-223-6800
Paradis: parahot@intnet.mu
Berjaya:
Fax, 603-244-2527; Toll-free phone, 800-528-1234
La
Croix Du Sud: Fax, 230-631-9603 PHOTO
CREDITS: Mary Ashcraft, Le Prince Maurice, Le Touessrok, Paradis, Berjaya, La
Croix Du Sud |
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TM
Mauritius
or Ile Maurice, as it is known to the locals, sits like a tiny green gem in the
middle of the vast Indian Ocean. It bubbled up from the ocean floor thirteen
million years ago through volcanic activity, creating an interesting landmass
of jagged mountain peaks, lagoons, waterfalls, a great plateau in the center of
the island, and a coastline almost completely surrounded by coral reefs. 
Pirates
on the high seas knew the island and used it as a stopover for food and water
and as a rest stop from all their plundering. Though these brigands never lived on the island for long they made haste
in depleting its source of ebony, ambergris and the legendary Dodo bird. The
Dutch loved the taste of Dodo bird and hunted it to extinction. However, some
of the adventurers stayed long enough to plant sugar cane (now a major source
of income,) tobacco and to raise cattle.
Eventually,
the Dutch formed a colony and named the island after Prince Maurice of Nassau
and the Netherlands. Next, under the French flag, Governor Labourdonnais gave
his new French colony the stability and direction it needed, and, finally, it
was the English who took the island, governed the longest and made English the
official language. Mauritians are taught English in school, but French and the
Creole patois are widely used in everyday discourse.
The
first tourist visit in 1952 was purely accidental. A plane full of Australians
on its way to India was forced to land on Ile Maurice. The Australians had a
chance to look around, liked what they saw and began to leak the news of a pristine
and diverse tropical island whose people were welcoming and friendly. It is a
rare combination that exists today despite the rapid increase in tourism.
Though it is a relatively small island, there are so many things to see and do
that the visitor would be hard pressed to be bored. To begin with, there is the
bustling deep harbor capitol city Port Louis. 
The
central part of the city is marked by a wide boulevard dotted with Royal palm
trees that begins at the harbor and stretches all the way up to Old Government
House, with an impressive statue of Queen Victoria keeping a watchful eye on
the entrance. Even though there is a concentration of modern government
buildings and offices, there is still a lot of old world charm. Many of the
streets have the original cobblestones, and there are flower-filled balconies
overhanging narrow alleyways where pedestrians can stroll away from the bustle
and congestion of car filled streets. In stark contrast to modernization is the
old outdoor Central Market resembling a busy bazaar, with venders hawking from
wooden stalls their freshly caught squid, sea shell jewelry, fruit from Africa,
brightly printed beach wear, your winning lottery ticket and the ever present
Tee shirt. All the while, one is caught
in the heady aromas of exotic island spices. The market is open every day
including Sunday morning.
Ile
Maurice is not just for sun and sand worshipers, but for nature lovers as well.
Set in the Southern Bamboo Mountains on 2,350 hectares of privately owned land
is the environmentally protected Domain du Chasseur game park and reserve. Its
owner, Alain O’Reilly, has created a safe haven for Javanese Deer, wild boar,
the rare Kestrel, monkeys and all the creatures that live on his land. There
are marked hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty and length with
breathtaking views of the mountainous countryside and ocean. One trail leads to
a waterfall where one can swim in
pristine water with the last freshwater prawn in the world. In this idyllic
setting, Mr. O’Reilly has built, high on one of his mountains, an open air,
rustic, informal bar and restaurant. The feeling is casual and comfortable, and
his preparation of wild boar, venison, and hare has brought presidents and
kings to his table. One may get permission to hunt wild boar and stag in their
natural habitat and then stay overnight in one of the rustic chalets to enjoy
the stillness of the mountains. 
When
it comes to experiencing nature, Ile Maurice has something for everyone.
Designed in the 18th century, Pamplemousse Botanical Garden is popular with
Sunday picnickers and walkers and is home to the unusual Talipot Palm. It
doesn't bloom until it is between 40
and 60 years old. Suddenly, in one glorious burst, the tree is showered with
millions of tiny blooms and then, seemingly exhausted, it dies. Bird watchers
are able to spot the Mauritius Pink Pigeon, Mauritius Fody, Mascarene Paradise
Fly Catcher, and White-tailed Tick Bird flying about the garden, to name only a
few. Fishermen have miles of sea coast with a good reputation for deep sea
fishing. The most frequent catches are Wahoo, Yellow Fin Tuna and Marlin
weighing up to several hundred pounds. Golfers may choose from several of nine-
and eighteen-hole courses around the island. The first international
eighteen-hole golf course in the Indian Ocean opened in 1994 at the Belle Mare
Plage Golf Hotel and Resort. It is traditional for men and women to wear
collared shirts, tailored trousers or shorts for men and skirts below the knee
for women. A small green fee is charged
to non-hotel guests. 
At
one time Ile Maurice was an island of plantations, and one of these graceful
old mansions remains. It is the largest house on the island and has one hundred
windows to catch the cooling summer breezes. Large as it is, the second floor,
where the family’s seventeen children slept, must have been crowded. The
plantation house is carefully maintained in its original style and is still in
the family of the original owners. Now it is a small museum with a shop full of
unique quality crafts mostly reflecting island themes or the Eureka plantation.
