Mauritius: day five

fruit stand at Flic en Flac / beach at Tamarin / lunch at The Bay / fresh coconuts / pool at The Bay hotel

It's amazing to think that the past two weeks have been such a whirlwind that I have not had the time to blog! I'm going to jump straight back to our last day in Mauritius, which I am missing already. After checking out of our hotel, Marc's cousin Olivier picked us up for some sightseeing on the west coast of the island. As a cyclone was coming in from Madagascar, we decided to skip a few of the northern sights and head further down the island. We stopped at Flic en Flac, the most popular beach in Mauritius, for fruit from a cart on the side of the road. The mangoes and pineapples here are sweeter than any I have ever tried!

We spent more time marvelling at the natural beauty of the island, which is all sugar cane and green, jagged mountains before stopping for lunch in Tamarin at boutique hotel The Bay. Despite the storm clouds in the distance, it was sunny and warm and we enjoyed looking out across the crystal clear sea during our meal. I would definitely stay on the west coast in the future, it may be a little further away from the hustle and bustle of Grand Baie and Port Louis but it is so stunning.

Next was a quick stop to the area Marc's family is from to collect some Mauritian food (napolitains and dholl puri) to take across to France with us and then we were back at the airport ready for the next stop on our whirlwind honeymoon.

Mauritius: day four

Marc and I decided that this morning we would tackle sorting our wedding photos (yes, we got them back - all 4000 of them!) and then go to a nearby beach later in the day. Well it turns out that was a rather ambitious idea! We ended up going through photos the whole day long and only managed to reduce them by half. There are just so many good ones! We did do it by the pool though and it ended up being a very relaxing way to spend the day.

I'm going to hold off sharing the wedding photos until after our holiday because I really want to give them the attention they deserve. I'm keen to know - how much detail would you like to see? I was thinking of doing a series of posts focusing on each element of the day rather than one overview post. What do you think?

For now, we are off to dinner with a member of Marc's family and tomorrow I get to meet the rest of his family in Mauritius - yay!

Mauritius: day three

 

patting my very first deer / crazy expensive ice cream / incredible mountains / stray cat / giant Shiva statue at Grand Bassin / ice cream van / making friends with a giant tortoise / volcano crater / Grand Bassin / lover's lock / albino deer / eating a pineapple / Chamarel waterfall / Grand Bassin / Bambi times two / Black River Gorges Park / cat family / cool lizard / Seven Coloured Earth / flamingoes / sleepy tiger

Today was one of the days I was most looking forward to as we were doing a South West tour of the island that combined many of the must-do items on my list. The day began with a long drive from one end of the island to the other, stopping quickly at a ship model workshop and the extinct volcano crater at Trou aux Cerfs. Then we headed to Grand Bassin, a lake and sacred Hindu site complete with a giant model of Shiva, before taking in some incredible views at Black River Gorges National Park. Here we snacked on small pineapples cut in half that could be eaten on the spot, which I had always wanted to try!

Then it was onto the area of Chamarel, home to a huge waterfall and the Seven Coloured Earths. We met a cute little stray cat family at the waterfall, including a tiny kitten I just wanted to take home with me. I must admit, all the stray cats and dogs in Mauritius make me pretty sad. Most of them look healthy though which is a relief. On the topic of animals, we next headed to our final stop of the day - Casela Bird Park. Not only did they have a vast array of avian species including big parrots and flamingos but also giant tortoises, monkeys and a tiger. And don't even get me started on the petting zoo! Geese, chickens, ducks, wild turkeys and my favourite animal - deer. It was the first time I had been that close to a deer and was really humbled by how gentle and serene they are. I was so excited to see so many animals in one place that I actually fell down some stairs while watching some small tortoises mating. Serves me right for being such a busybody I guess!

Mauritius: day two

the boat journey / street food before we set off / our pirate ship / Ile aux Cerfs / Marc surprising me by sitting in a strange tree / my (muddy) sandals / huts on the island / sega dancing / expensive sun beds / having a snorkel / an old beached ship / Creole lunch / blending in / amazing mountains / public ferry counter / the view to Ile aux Cerfs channel / waterfall / coconut tree / houses on the river front / Mauritian musicians / lush gardens / the newest pirate / Ile aux Cerfs dock / hammock at Trou d'Eau Douce

While yesterday was more of a chance to get in touch with the cultural side of Mauritius, today was all about discovering the paradise that is the island's coastline. Bright and early in the morning we jumped in a mini bus and drove from one side of the other en route to Ile aux Cerfs, a stunning place that translates to 'deer island'. During the drive we cut through endless fields of sugar cane, some as high as the van itself, and took in breathtaking scenery and little villages. Arriving at Trou d'Eau Douce we jumped aboard a small themed pirate ship, which was manned by Mauritian 'pirates' and sega dancers.

The ship first stopped at a shallow coral reef for snorkelling, and then set off for Ile aux Cerfs. Meanwhile we were entertained by traditional Mauritian sega dancing backed by live music courtesy of the ship's crew. It was quite an experience! After passing through azure blue waters and mangroves, we reached Ile aux Cerfs and immediately I knew that it had to be one of the most stunning places I have ever visited. White sand beaches, crystal clear sea, coconut trees galore and little thatched huts everywhere. We swam in a shallow but fast-moving channel between two islands, and had fun trying to fight against the current but continually be pushed back down stream.

After a couple of hours on the island, it was back on the boat for some Creole lunch (delicious!) before we set sail for a nearby river. Here we got to see some incredible mountains close up along with little riverside houses that were unlike anything I had seen before. The ship moored shortly after and we hopped on board a speed boat to venture further down river, with the final destination being a waterfall within the jungle. Back on the ship, more music and dancing followed the whole way back to port. We left feeling sunburnt, happy and tired and slept the whole van ride home!