Read about a few places to visit during your Mauritius holiday. What will you want to see when you venture out from your luxury Mauritius hotel to explore the island?
The Capital, Port Louis
If you are a city fan, you might be interested in visiting Port Louis during your luxury holidays in Mauritius. Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius, located on the western shore of the island. As you might tell from the name, Port Louis was founded by the French and most likely named in honour of the French king at the time. On your Mauritius holiday, you might like wander along the main street, Place des Armes, which is lined with tall palm trees. It's good to explore the waterfront too, where you can see the shops, marina and casino, as well as the restaurants. At Fort Adelaide, also known as the Citadel, you may see the soldiers practicing cannon drills, and take in the strategic view of the harbour from its high walls.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
For those interested in the history of Mauritius, one of the areas of Port Louis that people visit on a Mauritius holiday is the historic site of Aapravasi Ghat. A UNESCO world heritage site that is being restored and preserved, Aapravasi Ghat is an enclave of the Port Louis Harbour where, in the latter half of the nineteenth century the British Empire imported and held people from India to use as labour on sugar plantations. The site is a memorial of an infamous economic scheme of indentured labour and large scale migration. It is a sobering but interesting place to visit on your holidays in Mauritius where you can see the conditions endured by the half a million labourers that the 'great experiment' uprooted and relocated to serve the plantation industries.
At the opposite end of the island is Mauritius' other UNESCO World Heritage Site, also related to slavery. The mountains of Le Morne became a retreat and area of settlement for escaped slaves, where they hid in caves to escape persecution. Le Morne is isolated and difficult to climb, but there are other mountains on the island that are ideal for walking during holidays in Mauritius. From the top of Le Pouce, which takes about three hours to walk, you can see a superb panoramic view of the island.
The North West
Mauritius is known for its sugar cane industry and in the North West of the island especially, you can see the sugar cane that is used to make several brands of the local rum. The Pamplemousses District, near the luxury hotels in Mauritius' Trou-aux-Biches resort in the North West, has thick, green fields of sugarcane. The district is home to the largest Hindu temple on the island, Maheshwarnath, near the village of Triolet, where you can see the temple's colourful statues and shrines.
One prominent luxury hotel in Mauritius' Trou-aux-Biches area is The Residence. Set on a mile-long stretch of white sandy beach called Belle Mare, this is a great place to take to the water; with just a snorkel, you can see a great number of fish close to the shore. This hotel provides luxuries such as a butler and unpacking service and a spa with eight treatment rooms, which will make your Mauritius holidays a delight.
At the opposite end of the island is the other UNESCO world heritage site, also related to slavery. The mountains of Le Morne became a retreat and area of settlement for escaped slaves, where they hid in caves to escape persecution. Le Morne is isolated and difficult to climb, but there are other mountains on the island that are ideal for walking during holidays in Mauritius. From the top of Le Pouce, which takes about three hours to walk, you can see a superb panoramic view of the island.
Ricky Coates is a Mauritius holiday specialist for key2holidays, an online tour operator offering luxury holidays in Mauritius, as well as trips to Australia, Cuba, the Caribbean, Italy, Egypt, the Far East, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Dubai, Oman and South Africa. key2holidays has a dedicated team of experienced travel consultants to share their knowledge and help you to plan and book your ideal holiday.
