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Places of Interest
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| Port
Louis: Port Louis is the
Capital city and also the harbour
of Mauritius. It lies on the north-western
coast & is surrounded by a semi
circle of mountains. The city covers
only 45 square kilometers. It is the
hub of all business activities in
Mauritius. Port Louis shows the signs
of its past elegance through the Government
House off the Place d' Armes, the
Supreme Court, the Museum and also
the colonial houses lodged
between modern buildings.
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| There is a
bustling market with stalls selling
everything from spices to T-shirts,
postcards to pareos & dried fish
to jewellery. From the heights of the
Fort Adeaide, now an open air theatre,
magnificent views of the Champ de Mars
race course, the town & the harbour
can be enjoyed. |
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The
Caudan Waterfront: In November
1998 Port Louis got a new look with
the addition of 'The Caudan Waterfront'
to its skyline. It's an architectural
marvel. It houses large & spacious
shopping centers, fast food outlets,
restaurants, cinemas, casino apart
from a luxury hotel. Overlooking the
harbour this place is a must see.
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Grand
Baie : Grand Baie
lies 20 kilometers north of Port Louis
with its splendid beaches and its
deep and sheltered bay, often as calm
as a lake. It is the main touist attraction
and as been aptly named the ' Mauritian
Cote D' Azur '. Grand Baie has a host
of restaurants, . discotheques,
clothing and craftswork shops, self
catering bunglows, hotels & beach
resorts. It is also the main
water sports hub in Mauritius where
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in all kinds of water sports like
the Undersea Walk, Semi-submersible
rides, the submarine apart from a host
of other water sport activities. The
high class shopping arcade the Sunset
Boulevard is also located in Grand Baie.
. It is a must visit. |
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Pamplemousses
Garden : This famous botanical
garden was started in year 1735 by
Mahe de Labourdonnais, with Mon Plaisir
Castle, once his residence. The 60
acre garden boasts of 500 different
species of plants of which 80 are
palms. Of particular interest are
the giant water lilies, a spice garden
& the Talipot Palms. Talipot Palms
are said to flower once every 60 years
after which they die.
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| Domaine
Les Pailles : A unique site where Mauritius
can be observed as it used to
be. Discover the traditional
way of making sugar from freshly crushed
sugarcane and see rum being distilled
from sugarcane syrup. The train, a
horse-driven carriage and the colonial
architecture blend in to complete
the picture. Tours can be done
in the
natural reserve on horse back
or in land rovers. Equestrian sports
are also available at the stables.There
are a selection of the finest restaurants
here specializing in Chinese, French,
Indian & Creole Cuisine.
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Ile
Aux Cerfs: Located on the east
coast, this emerald lagoon is easily
accessed through the regular half-hour
boat service that runs to the island
from Pointe Maurice. With clear
calm waters & long beaches fringed
by fialo trees, Ile Aux Cerfs is a
heaven for lovers of the sea, the
sand & the sun. Abundant watersports
facilities & the two open - air
restaurants are available on the island.
It is a must visit. |
Casela Bird Park: This
beautiful garden & a bird sanctuary spread
over 25 acres is located in the west of the
Island. Almost 2500 birds of 140 different
species are housed in 90 aviaries. One of
the rarest bird, the Mauritian Pink Pigeon
can be seen here. Casela also houses wallabies,
ostriches, crown-cranes, cassowaries, axis
deer, giant tortoises, lemurs,
tigers & emus.
| Chamarel
Coloured Earth : Located in the district
of Black River these are coloured
dunes of volcanic ash which are naturally
displayed in an orderly pattern of
seven distinctive colours, result
of weathering - a fascinating phenomenon
worth the visit. |
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Trou aux Cerfs: This
is a crater of an extinct volcano located
in Curepipe. It is 85 metres deep & more
than 200 metres wide. From here one can have
a panoramic view of the western part of the
island. It is also possible to go down the
crater.
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Grand
Bassin : This natural lake resting
in the crater of an extinct volcano
is a place of pilgrimage for all hindus,
especially on the occasion of Maha
Shivratree. |
La Vanille Crocodile Park:
South of the Island in the heart of an
unspoilt forest lies this farm where Nile
Crocodiles imported from Madagascar are bred.
Also to be found is a small zoo with wild
animals that can be found in Mauritius.
Waterfalls: There are two main
waterfalls in Mauritius. One is the Rochester
Falls near Souillac in the south, formed by
strange columns of contracted lava. The other
one is the Chamarel Falls with its fairy-like
atmosphere in the south-west next to the seven
coloured earth.
Entertainment
/ Activities / Night Life
| Undersea Walk: This is one of the most unique &
enthralling activity that one MUST experience when in Mauritius. Just
off the coast from a floating platform
one goes under the water, which is
about 3 meters deep. A Helmet with
a transparent visor is placed on your
head. A special apparatus allows normal
breathing under the water. Life Guards
assist in taking you down. Once there
it gives the feeling of walking on
the moon. You
witness the beautiful fauna, corals
& the wide variety of fish in
their natural habitat with assistance
from a guide who takes you around. |
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| You
could make it a photo opportunity too.
Offering a piece of bread brings in
fish by the droves to you. The Guide
could then click you with them with
his special underwater camera &
give you the roll for developing. |
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Catamaran
Cruises : Reach
the jetty in Pereybere ( North ) or
Riviere Noire ( West ) and get on
board the catamaran boat.After an
exciting 2 - hour long boat crossing
in the open sea , reach Ilot Gabriel,
a perfectly preserved small Eden.
Discover the beautiful submarine marvels,
the immaculate beaches.
Throughout the cruise,
fresh soft drinks are offered. Lunch
is served on board the catamaran in
an abundance of fresh drinks and food. |
Deep Sea Fishing: For
people interested in Deep sea fishing Mauritius
offers a lot. Its waters abound with large
varieties of fish: marlis, dorados sharks,
sailfish, yellow fin
tuna, wahoo, barracuda & bonitos among
others. Big Game fishing competitions are
organized from October to March. From March
to May is the yellow fin tuna season. The
main fishing activities extend from the south
- west to the north coast. Boats for deep
sea fishing can be booked from most of the
beach resorts.
| Blue
Safari : The BLUE SAFARI 600,
a unique Submarine in the Indian Ocean,
can make your dreams of a nice trip
under the sea come true. The Safari
will last one hour. The submarine
can accommodate 5 passengers and the
pilot. The submarine is air-conditioned
with fully transparent-glassed
cabin at atmospheric pressure. You
will thus enjoy exceptionally clear
panoramic views of the extraordinary
underwater world. At 25 or 30
meters undersea, you may notice some
rare species, just like on any other
traditional safari. Around a coral
massif, at the foot of a ridge, or
even at a wreck spot, you will discover
a vivid fresque made up of
fish and coral. The amazing maneuverability
of the submarine |
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will allow you to move around or follow
a fish or even watch, remaining standstill,
a morray eel, coming in and out of its
hole. Diving in the night is also possible.
Under powerful spotlight beams, you
can well witness the most fascinating
show on earth, a silent symphony, fish
performing a memorable ballet, a colourful
choreography. |
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Safari schedules
Every hour from 9 am to 9
pm, everyday. (Please allow 2 hours
time for the Safari)
It's worth a try.
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Diving:
The Mauritius Scuba Diving Association
consists of about 5 Diving Centres located
in large hotels along the coasts. Aqualung
diving lessons can be had from these centers.
Beautiful coral gardens are found at
the depth of 15 metres and are home to over
1000 different species of fish. Note that
the use of spear-guns is forbidden & the
collection of shells & corals is strictly
prohibited.
Horse Racing:
From the beginning of May until
the end of November the horse racing season
would interest the horse racing enthusiasts.
The meetings are held during weekends at the
Champ de Mars racecourse in Port Louis.
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Sega
:
It
is a local specialty dance which is
a must see. The music for the Sega
is derived from the African music
of the old slave days, with added
Creole patois lyrics. Listening to
its beats & the overall atmosphere
it creates will make the most inhibited
& introvert visitor join the dance
floor trying to match the swaying
hips. Most of the hotels have a Sega
performance once a week.
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Bars &
Discotheques:
| Secrets Discotheque |
Port
Louis Waterfront. Tel: 2103833 |
| Latitude 20 Bar |
Labourdonnais
Waterfront Hotel. Tel: 2024000 |
| Alchemy Discotheque |
Grand
Baie. Tel: 2635314 |
| Banana Cafe |
Grand
Baie. Tel: 2638540 |
| Le Prive |
Pointe Aux
Canonniers. Tel: 2638766 |
Casinos:
Le Caudan Waterfront Casino
Port Louis. Tel: 210 2191
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Le Grand Casino
Domaine Les Pailles. Tel:
212 4225
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Berjaya Resort
Le Morne. Tel: 450 5688 |
La Pirogue
Wolmar. Tel:4538441 |
Le Casino de Maurice
Curepipe. Tel: 6755012 |
Shopping
: Mauritius is a good place to buy beach
& swimwear, T-shirts, knitted woollen
jumpers & sweaters, ceramic products,
Chinese goods like the kimonos. One could
also purchase a hand made model of an ancient
ship from the factories making them, where
one could even bargain.
Shopping Centres :
| Port
Louis |
Air Mauritius
Centre; Le Caudan Waterfront; Happy
World Centre; Port Louis Waterfront |
| Grand
Baie |
Sunset
Boulevard |
| Quatre
Bornes |
Orchard
center |
| Curepipe |
Le Manhattan;
Jan Palach Gallery; Salaffa; &
Currimjee Arcade |
| Rose
Hill |
Atrium;
Galeries Evershine |
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