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Mauritius - A Picture Perfect Beach Destination
Mauritius has successfully managed to position itself as an
exotic beach destination. With beach destinations so plentiful,
this has been sustained not by mere hype, but by the substance
there is to this claim. Visitors are drawn to Mauritius by the
reputation of its 140 km of white sand beaches, and the superb
opportunities for water sports. Swimming, beach combing,
sailing, surfing, kayaking, diving and deep-sea fishing - there
is a sport for almost everyone.
Arab traders discovered the then uninhabited island in the 10th
century. But they were not charmed sufficiently to consider
permanent settlement. The Portuguese early in the sixteenth
century landed, but they too passed over the chance to lay claim
for their king. But in 1598 the Dutch finally seized the
opportunity. The island was grabbed for and named after Maurice,
Prince of Orange and Count of Nassau -then ruler of the
Netherlands.
In the century that followed, the Dutch established settlements
and devised means to live off the land. They introduced sugar
and tobacco, which they farmed using African slave labour. Sugar
is today still an important part of the economy. The Dutch were
insensitive to the extremely fragile ecosystem that makes up an
isolated island such as Mauritius. On their watch, most of the
islands' indigenous forests were felled, and lost. The bird
known as dodo was also shot to extinction. Thus did the
trigger-happy Dutch give life to the expression "as dead as a
dodo".
The Dutch courage that had made them pioneers was however not to
last. They were subjected to many trials by the forces of nature
- cyclones, droughts and floods. And also by the forces of man,
for pirates were a constant headache. In 1710, they fled to the
more hospitable Cape of Good Hope, at Africa's southern tip. A
short five years after the Dutch left, the French claimed the
island, and renamed it Isle de France.
The French were much more successful than the Dutch in
harnessing the potential of the island. They maintained law and
order and laid the foundations for administration of society.
Under the celebrated French Governor, Mahé de Labourdonnais,
real nation building began. The French brought in more African
slaves and expanded further sugar farming. They also laid out
some social and economic infrastructure to support the settlers.
Port Louis, named after King Louis XV, and today the capital of
Mauritius, dates back to this period.
Though the French had introduced systems of law and order, Port
Louis turned out to be a favourite of corsairs. Corsairs were
mercenary marine who specialised in the plunder of ships on
behalf of a client country. The British, a great sea power at
the time, had a vested interest in terminating the power of
these mercenaries. And that is how Mauritius, so far away from
Europe, got involved in the Napoleonic wars. In 1810, the
British backed by superior force of arms, persuaded the French
to leave the island.
In the 1814 Treaty of Paris, the British - magnanimous victors
indeed, allowed the French settlers to remain in Mauritius. They
too were allowed to retain their property, language, religion
and legal system. The British reverted to the name the Dutch had
given the island, but Port Louis retained its name. But in the
century and a half that the British ruled, they were never
really as grounded as the French had been.
Franco-Mauritians prospered on an agrarian economy based on
slave labour. But in 1835, they felt the capricious hand of a
great power when slavery was abolished. This is perhaps the
single most important measure carried out under British rule,
and the consequences had a far-reaching effect on the evolving
demographics of the nation. India, a British colony greatly
abundant in human resources was the answer to the labour problem
that arose. In the years that followed, the descendants of the
Indian labourers who came to work the sugar fields greatly
multiplied. The Chinese also came -as labourers and traders.
Today, Indo-Mauritians constitute close to 70% of the
population. As in other colonies in that historic period, and
upto the 1930's in Mauritius, non-whites had very limited say in
the running of the country. And that is why Gandhi - that great
liberator of men's minds, came to Mauritius in 1901, in
particular to give heart to Indo-Mauritians. After years of
protracted concessions to democratic rule, the British finally
bowed out in 1968, when finally granted independence.
The events we talk about above are however very recent. About
eight million years ago, the island emerged from the depths of
the sea as result of volcanic activity. Occupying 1860 sq km, it
is situated just above the Tropic of Capricorn, 890 km to the
east of Madagascar. Rising from the sea, the central plateau
formation is about 400 m above sea level. There are mountains
scattered in the island, and a few peaks, the highest of which
reaches 820 m.
As a country, Mauritius includes the islands of Rodrigues and
Agalega, the Cargados Carajos Shoals and a few smaller mostly
uninhabited islands. Mauritius is almost wholly ringed by a
coral reef that is reputed to be the worlds third largest. Both
the Dutch and the French were extremely reckless in allowing the
uncontrolled invasion of indigenous forests. Today, less than 2%
of these forests remain. Many of the nearly 700 species of
indigenous plants are threatened with extinction. Starting from
the late 1970's, a belated but systematic effort has been
underway to conserve the unique flora of the island.
The wildlife faces similar dangers. In the first place, animal
migration to this isolated island was by air or sea only,
greatly limiting the diversity of species. The animals the Dutch
found included out-of-size reptiles and flightless birds. But
except for bats, there were no mammals and no amphibians at all.
The animals brought aboard ships by man include monkeys and rats
- thanks to the Portuguese, while the Dutch take credit for deer
and wild boar. Some of these animals threaten to choke the life
out of indigenous species - they eat their eggs, and even their
young.
Mauritius is not all bad news for nature lovers' -there are
plenty of birds and marine life is abundant. However, some of
the endemic bird species, such as Mauritius
kestrel, echo
parakeet and pink pigeon number not more than a few hundred.
Such are now under some form of captive breeding program, with
the hope of raising their numbers.
The island's maritime zone boasts more than 1,000 species of
marine life- fishes, shells and mollusks, in numbers beyond
count. The spectacular way to explore the spectacular underwater
world is onboard a submarine. The sub also allows you to see
some ship wrecks dating back to the Dutch period.
You can swim at various places at beaches, lagoons and inlets.
Swimming beaches are best to the north, though there are other
good sites to the southwest and to the west near Flic en Flac.
The west coast offers good sites for surfing at Tamarin, and
diving at Flic en Flac. At Grand Bay beach, you get good
shopping, nightclubs, bars, and restaurants and the chance to
interact with locals. In addition, the swimming, surfing,
sailing and angling is good. From here, you can also make a boat
excursion of the islands to the north.
In the islands' interior, there are good opportunities for
hiking and trekking. Black River Gorges National Park has
excellent walks, and at the same time you can see some endemic
plants and birds. The Réserve Forrestière Macchabée and Rivière
Noire National Park are also good for hiking. In addition,
captive breeding to raise the numbers of Mauritius endangered
endemic birds is underway here. For trekkers, you will do well
at the plateau at Curepipe and at the island of Rodrigues.
The Royal Botanical Gardens of Pamplemousses are very popular
with visitors. The gardens date back to 1735, during the French
period. Here you will see a large collection of exotic and
indigenous plants in excellent surroundings. Among the most
peculiar specimens are the giant Victoria regia water lilies,
whose origins are in the Amazon, and the talipot palm- known to
bloom once every 60 years before dying. At the Casela Bird Park,
you can see some of its 140 bird species, including the rare
Mauritian pink pigeon. Some of these excursions are included in
the Mauritius tour packages offered by the various vendors.
Mauritius offers some excellent golf courses, and visitors are
increasingly aware of it. There are at least three hotels with
18-hole courses and another five with 9-hole courses. The Ile
aux Cerfs course, which sits on its own tiny island is the most
spectacular. For honeymooners, the island is very welcoming.
Almost all hotels offer a special honeymoon package. As a
non-resident, you can easily tie the knot here. But a few
formalities must be completed with officialdom; make sure you
comply before arrival.
Mauritius is at the cultural cross roads of Europe, Africa and
Asia. The Dutch, French, Africans, Indians, Chinese and British
came under one guise or another and have today influenced the
character and cultural life of the island. Though the island is
closest to Africa geographically, culturally it is much closer
to Asia.
The biggest racial groups are Indo-Mauritians who constitute
about two thirds of the nations 1.2 million peoples, followed by
Creoles - Afro- Mauritians who are just over a quarter of the
population. Franco- Mauritians and peoples of Chinese origin
combined make up about 5% of the population. While English is
the official language, French, Creole, Bhojpuri and Urdu are
widely spoken. Religion is the other factor defining the people
of the island, with Hinduism (51%), Christianity (30%) and Islam
(17%) leading.
The cuisine of the island reflects the diversity of its people.
French, Creole, Chinese and Indian foods - with local variations
are all found here. Wherever you stay, you will most likely be
able to watch or even dance the Sega. This energetic and erotic
Creole dance has origins in the sugar fields, in the days when
African labour was captive. You may also be fortunate to
encounter any of the various festivals celebrated in this
multicultural country. Only the most widely traveled however,
will be prepared for the Cavadi. On this Tamil festival,
penitents pierce their bodies, tongues, and cheeks while some
march on shoes of nails.
Tourism is one of the main pillars of the economy of Mauritius.
The bulk of visitors come from South Africa, Germany, France,
Australia and UK. Hotels in Mauritius are plenty, and they range
from 5-star luxury to those with just basic amenities. Budget
stay comes in the form of bungalows, guesthouses and
self-catering apartments. The period June to September and
around Christmas is the busy season and if you plan to travel
then, you are advised to book your accommodation in advance.
Mauritius is still relatively affordable, though there has been
talk of turning it into an up market beach destination.
Mauritius is a year-round destination. The best times to visit
however, are the periods April-June and September- November.
These are the months when it rains least and the temperatures
are moderate. January to April is hottest, and daytime
temperatures can reach 35°C. Temperatures tend to be lower
inland, away from the coast. The main rains come between
December and April, though there are light rains year round.
November to February is when cyclones are most likely to occur.
But do not be deterred; chances of meeting cyclones are not very
high, and it is estimated that they hit the island about once
every 15 years.
If you are keen on water sports, beware that diving is best
December to March, and surfing between June and August. For big
game fishing, come between October and April. You should be
comfortable with light clothing suitable for the tropical
climate. But you need warmer clothing for evenings and the
southern winter months between July and September. Whatever time
of year you travel, do carry some rainwear. In the summer months
between November and April, you are advised to bring along
sunglasses, sun hats and sunscreen.
About the author:
About the Author: Andrew Muigai is editor of AfricaPoint Insider
online newsletter. It is part of Africapoint.com - the Africa
travel website that has helped thousands of travelers discover
Africa. You can view more info on Mauritius hotels and resorts
at the website. http://www
.africapoint.com/hotels/mauritius.htm
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