Local Flavours: Mauritian cooking blends food from several continents using Indian, Chinese, French, English and Creole flavours to create exotic dishes that will appeal to many. Chicken, fish and beef curries are popular as are samosas. The local island specilaities are camarons (prawns in hot sauce), dholl purri (wheat pancake filled with yellow split peas, dipped in tomato sauce) and gateaux piments (chillies and yellow split peas deep fried in batter). Green Island Rum and Phoenix Beer are the top two alcoholic tipples in Mauritius, or for the non-drinkers among you, give the fresh coconut milk a whirl.
On a Night: The top nightspot in Mauritius is to be found in Grand Baie with its nightclubs, cocktail bars and beachside cafés. The waterfront at Port Louis is a haven for live music whilst the popular sega dancing (nothing to do with Sonic the Hedgehog we may add) is to be found most places - Rivière Noire is one of the best places to head to see the dancing at its best. Whilst it is no Las Vegas, gambling is popular in Mauritius with hotel-based casinos proving a big crowd puller.
Shopping: Grand Baie is home to numerous stylish boutiques and clothing outlets, Port Louis plays host to a top-rate craft market, whilst shopping centres can be found in Rose Hill and Quatre-Bornes. Local specialities include leather, rum, vanilla tea, jewellery silks and model ships. Expect to see the Dodo, once a native of the island, featured heavily on many goods.
Top Resorts: Grand Baie is probably the islands most popular destination, although Mauritius is more hotel-based than resort-based so there isn’t too much in it. Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, has plenty of character and history, whilst Rodrigues Island (340 miles NE of Mauritius) is rugged, beautiful and ideal for a relaxing Mauritius honeymoon. Le Morne, in the South, Turtle Bay, in the North West, Belle Mare, in the East and Flic-en-Flac on the West are also popular tourist haunts and the diversity of their locations demonstrate how the whole island has something to offer visitors.
Out & About: Sightseers will love Mauritius with its abundance of natural beauty. From the stunning Pamplemousse Royal Botanical Gardens with rare flora and fauna and giant turtle colony, to the extinct volcano that can be found at Trou aux Cerfs. There’s plenty on offer for lovers of wildlife too – the Casela Bird Park at Rivière Noire plays host to nearly 3000 birds whilst the Aquarium (situated between Pointe aux Piments and Trou aux Biches) allows visitors a unique insight into the marine life of the Indian Ocean. La Vanille Crocodile Park near Souillac is a must, especially if you are honeymooning with kids (because they will be interested – not so you can feed them to the crocs!). For history and culture lovers head to Port Louis where French colonial buildings, cathedrals, mosques, a Chinese Padoga, the Natural History Museum and Fort Adelaide can all be found. Helicopter tours around the Island, a day sailing and eating on-board a luxury catamaran, and a night at the racecourse at Champ de Mars are just some of the other options open to visitors.
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