Mark Twain wrote, “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then Heaven, and that Heaven was copied after Mauritius.” Yesterday I started my post right off with a description of our epic hike up the side of a mountain and never did get around to saying much about the island that so impressed Mark Twain. Today was our second day on Mauritius, which gives me an opportunity to rectify that oversight.
Mauritius is a small island nation, just 38 miles long and 29 miles wide, lying roughly 600 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Both it and its similarly sized neighbor, Reunion, are geologically considered to be part of Africa despite their great distance from the mainland. Both islands were also formed by volcanoes, though unlike Reunion, Mauritius is quiet these days.
If first impressions count, it’s hard to argue with Mr. Twain, because Mauritius is gorgeous. Everywhere you look, jagged peaks thrust abruptly upward, giving the island a wild, untamed feel despite the fact that more than 1.2 million people live here. The lush, tropical landscape can hold its own against anything the Caribbean or Hawaii can throw at it, and the turquoise waters are picture perfect. Unlike Hawaii there are no big waves here because the island is ringed by a coral reef that breaks them up, so the beaches are pleasantly quiet. To top it off, the national symbol of Mauritius is the dodo bird, which tells you all you need to know about how cool the people here are.
I could go on, but it’s time to describe our bonus day here, which we got by virtue of skipping Madagascar to avoid Cyclone Ialy. We certainly got off to an interesting start when our bus driver was pulled over and issued a ticket before we even reached the first stop on our itinerary, which leads me to go off on a short tangent. The roads are good here, better than many back home, and it’s not unusual to see Land Rovers, Jaguars, BMWs, Porsches and Audis go by. There are shopping malls and dining options ranging from high end restaurants to KFC and McDonald’s. While there’s poverty, as there is anywhere, there’s no squalor, my point being that overall the country seems to be doing pretty well.
Back to our itinerary. Our first stop today was at the Bois Cheri tea plantation and factory. The factory, along with a tasting area, cafe and small store, occupy a picturesque location atop a small hill, overlooking rows of neatly groomed tea bushes and a small lake. Inside, we watched a short video describing the tea growing, harvesting, and processing steps, then were taken on a guided tour of the factory. After that we were given the opportunity to try several of the company’s teas and had some free time to browse the store. I tried and liked their vanilla tea but didn’t buy any, primarily because I need to be a little judicious about my souvenir purchases if I’m going to be able to fit everything into my suitcases when the cruise is over. Besides, I’m still collecting ball caps from many of the countries we visit. It’s all about priorities. 😁
Next we were off to a very different site, Grand Bassin, a volcanic crater lake that is the most sacred Hindu place on Mauritius. The lake is dedicated to Shiva, the main Hindu god, and there temples on and around the lakefront dedicated to Shiva and other lesser reincarnated gods. As with Hindu temples we’ve visited in other countries, we were free to stroll around the complex, though we had to remove our shoes to enter the temples. Hindu temples are always colorful, and the statues of the various deities are fascinating, and this one was no different. To me the top attraction of Grand Bassin wasn’t the lake, but rather the two 100 foot statues just outside the rest of the complex. Check out my photos below and see if you agree.
By now it was time for lunch, and like yesterday our destination was a mountainside restaurant offering spectacular views all the way down to the Indian Ocean. La Table du Currybou served up a buffet that was every bit as good as the one we had yesterday at Le Chamarel, leading me to conclude that the dining scene on Mauritius is probably vibrant enough to satisfy any foodies who might be considering a vacation trip to the island. After lunch we wandered outside to enjoy the views and take some photos before hopping back on the bus to head off to our next stop, the overlook at Black River Gorges National Park.
While this was a brief stop, it was a good one. From our vantage point high on the mountain we could see all the way down the deep gorge to the ocean, and it was easy to see why this area was set aside as a national park. The overlook also provided an excellent view of a 300 foot waterfall as it plummeted down from a nearby peak. I’ll post photos of the gorge and waterfall below.
On my way back to the bus from the overlook I had an experience that provided a nice segue to an unexpected stop on the way to our next destination. As we were driving to the park we had passed large numbers of cars parked along the side of the road, with their drivers and passengers working their way into the thick, high bushes that lined both sides of the road. Our guide explained that the bushes were wild guava, and that the berries are now becoming ripe and ready for picking. Then at the park I thought I spied a guava bush, and I took a photo of a couple berries to show our guide, who confirmed that I was right. Back on the bus we continued to pass guava hunters along the road until without warning our driver pulled over, and he and our guide hopped out and plunged into the bushes in search of some berries to show us. A few minutes later they returned with enough (unfortunately unripe) berries to share with each of us. This is the kind of extra we often get on our tours, and they really enrich the experience.
We still had two more stops to make, and the first was at Voiliers de l’Ocean, which translates as ocean sailboats. The establishment was a combination shop and museum full of elaborate models of (mostly) extraordinarily detailed sailing ships, I enjoyed poking around and inspecting the models dating from relatively new back to the time of Christopher Columbus. It was here that I also bought one of my tackier souvenirs, an orange Mauritius baseball cap featuring a dodo bird on the front. Hey, it’s the country’s national symbol, so don’t judge, right? 😂
Our last stop was at Trou aux Cerfs, the crater of a dormant volcano that is considered the most likely of the island’s sleeping troublemakers to wake up, potentially at any time within the next thousand years. There really isn’t much to see there, other than a deep, vegetation covered hole, but what I found most interesting was that it is in a very developed area. If it does wake up, it will indeed be a troublemaker.
With that it was time to return to the ship after a second long day of exploring the southern half of this delightful island nation. The highest compliment I can pay is that I’d consider coming back despite the fact that it’s halfway around the world from our home in Pennsylvania. If you’ve visited Hawaii and the Caribbean and are looking for something similar yet different, Mauritius is worth considering.
Tomorrow we’ll be in nearby Reunion, which unlike the independent nation of Mauritius is actually considered part of France, where euros are the official currency. It also has an active volcano, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it is similar and/or different from neighboring Mauritius. I’ll be back to tell you all about it, so stay tuned.
View from the front steps of the tea plantation and factory. Not bad, if I do say so myself.
Freshly picked tea leaves.
Inside the factory, which also houses a small museum.
This tea is not ready for sale or shipment, but is actually still being processed. Believe it or not it is fermenting in those bags.
The final product is separated into four grades before being packaged for sale.
Inside the working factory, where the finished product is being boxed and labeled.
Ready for sale. They certainly offer a wide selection of teas.
One of the Hindu temples at the sacred lake.
Worshippers at the sacred lake.
Making an offering inside the main temple.
Statue of one of the gods at the lake.
The giant statues outside the lake complex were impressive.
This one was standing guard over the large parking lot. You can see the other across the road in the background.
The restaurant where we had lunch. The buffet at La Table du Currybou was outstanding.
My lunch. The green chili paste on the left side of the plate was scorching hot.
Inside the restaurant. There were several caribou heads mounted overhead, which are just visible in the back of the photo. Hence the name of the restaurant.
And this is the view from the restaurant. Spectacular.
Outside the restaurant. Exotic, inedible, and not endemic to the island, but these softball sized things were interesting.
On to the overlook at Black River National Park, where the view of this gorge was breathtaking.
This photo was taken from the same spot on the overlook. The waterfall plunges 300 feet before reaching the bottom. I took a video too, but this blog site unfortunately doesn’t support videos.
Walking back to the bus I thought I spotted a wild guava bush with unripe fruit on it (ripe berries are red). Our guide confirmed that I was right.
At the sailing ship museum. The models were exquisite.
A model of a more modern sailboat.
The one on the left goes back to the time of Columbus.
Oddly enough, the museum also sold dodo bird hats. Of course I had to buy one. Hey, it’s the country’s national symbol.
The crater at Trou aux Cerfs, a dormant volcano that scientists say could wake up at any time in the next thousand years. Note all the development in the background.
Michele at a viewing point above the crater.
And last, my friend Don and I showing off our dodo bird hats.
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