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Mauritius
Port Louis
Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius - star and key of
the Indian Ocean. The capital was moved from Grand
Port to Port Louis in 1735 by the fifth French Governor
of the island, Mahé de La Bourdonnais,
who established a big harbour to encourage trade. As a result
of his efforts, Mauritius became the most important port in
the Western Indian Ocean.
Port Louis has had a face-lift in recent years, making the
city more appealing to travellers, with lots of shiny new
buildings, cinemas, restaurants, shops, and cafés in
the new Caudan Waterfront. To explore the
city a little deeper, head to the Champ de Mars,
also called Hippodrome, founded by punting
fanatic Colonel Draper back in 1812. It's
the second oldest racecourse in the whole world with most
of the horses coming from South Africa and Australia. Mauritians
are crazy for horse racing. The racing season lasts from May
to November and races take place on Saturdays. Admission is
free but if you want to have a good look at the condition
of the horses beforehand, be prepared to spend around $50
US for a stand ticket. Champ de Mars is also where Mauritians
celebrate Independence Day on the 12th of
March.
Head to the city's bustling Central Market
on Farquahar Street where everything goes.
Hawkers representing all of the island's ethnic groups shout
to flog their wares which include lottery tickets, a rainbow
array of exotic fruit and vegetables, Indian herbal medicine,
and a fishmongers' warehouse.
You can explore the near-mythical dodo,
a now extinct flightless bird which is a symbol of the island,
by visiting the carefully preserved skeleton and authentic
reconstruction at the Mauritanian Institute
and Natural History Museum in Jardin
de la Compagnie.
Vieux Grand Port
The first settlement in Mauritius was built by the Dutch
at Vieux Grand Port and you can still see the remnants of
their fortress, Fort Frederik Henrik, constructed
in 1638. The Dutch chose the port's location because it's
the only part of the island that isn't surrounded by the reef,
so ships could easily enter. The Dutch stayed here until the
French arrived in 1710, introducing deer and sugar cane to
the island, although they only had a hundred settlers on the
island at any one time. They burnt the Dutch fortress to the
ground when they left, but the French liked its location so
much that they built their own fortified lodge where the Dutch
one once stood.
Domaine du Chausseur
Reserve
Domaine du Chausseur is nestled in the hills of the Lion
Mountain. This 950-acre hunting reserve is best known
for being the only place in the world that conserves the endangered
java deer. On some nights you can join the
hunt for Mauritian hedgehogs. Armed with a wooden baton and
a flashlight, descend into the Reserve's valley in the dead
of night. Tendracs, or tangs,
(Mauritian hedgehogs) are easy to catch as they are slow and
noisy: listen out for their puffy breathing noises, shine
your light, then beat them with your stick. A word of warning:
they have sharp teeth. The next day, the tendrac is carefully
prepared for the evening meal. Sliced, skinned and boned,
it is boiled for several hours then chopped, marinated and
served in a Kreol curry. If this is too stomach churning,
another delicacy of the lodge is pan-friend deer brains, served
with Domaine's very own aged rhum and Rhum Arrange.
Curepipe, Grand Bassin
At 55 metres above sea level, Curepipe is the highest outpost
in Mauritius because it grew out of the malaria epidemic of
1866 which caused a massive exodus from Port Louis onto higher
ground. Although most of its inhabitants live outside of the
town in its scenic neighbouring countryside, it is a pleasant
market town which has built on its tea and model-ship building
legacy and become a good place to people watch or shop.
Réunion
Saint Denis
Réunion's capital is a pleasant, Frenchified town
with plenty of brasseries, bistros, cafés, and quality
restaurants to blow your budget on in one fell swoop. Explore
the historic town centre, Government Park,
and its many banlieues (suburbs) crammed with superb architecture.
Hell Bourg
Hell Bourg in the Cirque de Salazie is like
a chunk of France that has been dug out and shoved over to
an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. There are outdoor
cafés serving croissant coffee, a Kreol baker selling
jambón baguettes, signs in French, French tourists
and everywhere people speak French, and playing dominoes with
a 'je ne sais quoi'. This is a jumping off point to centres
of outdoor activities like exploring Trou Blanc Canyon.
Seychelles |
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Mahé
Mahé is the largest granite island in the Seychelles.
It was claimed by a lazy Frenchman called Captain
Lazare Picault in 1742 who 'captured' the island
by firing off seven rounds of cannon and yelling 'long live
the King'. Here you will find the Seychelles capital, Victoria,
and its tiny 81,000 population who are largely Creole. They
speak good English, moderate French, and great Creole. It
won't take long to explore Victoria: it's one of the smallest
capital cities in the world. Visit the colonial courthouse
and Post Office then Selwyn Market
for plenty of local fruit, vegetables, and seafood - groupers,
red snapper, and wahoos. Two miles west of Victoria is Beau
Vallon, one of the biggest beaches in the Seychelles
which is clean and pretty with big waves and breaks that beg
to be surfed. |
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| Praslin
Island
Praslin Island was named after the Duc of Praslin
who was guillotined during the French Revolution.
It belongs to a group of islands, which includes Curieuse,
Cousin, and Aride. At eight miles
long and three miles wide, Praslin is the second largest island
in the Seychelles. It's a granite island awash with lush forest
preserves and some great beaches - most notably Anse Lazio
- and yet another Seychelles embodiment of a tropical island
paradise. Most people come here to visit the Vallée
de Mai Forest Preserve, a renowned World Heritage
site. The island's hot and humid tropical climate has created
a cornucopia of wildlife, with over 1,000 species of plants
that thrive in the Seychelles, sixty of which are indigenous.
The most talked about is the Coco de Mer,
a giant 'sea coconut' with a strangely erotic male and female
shape.
La Digue
La Digue island is forty miles north-east of Mahé.
The common way to get to La Digue from Mahé is by taking
the Cat Coco catamaran: first to Praslin
and then to La Digue by schooner. The Cat Coco only takes
an hour and costs about a hundred dollars each way. 2,000
people live in La Digue and they make their living leisurely
- a bit of fishing, some farming, and a lot of enjoying the
fruits of a very good tourist trade. Coasts of sugar white
sand and dazzling emerald waters, La Digue is an indisputable
paradise on earth and it's the location of L'Anse
Source D'Argent, considered to be the best beach
in the world, according to the Travel Channel and a heap of
celebrity tourists. Savour its huge pink granite boulders,
pretty coves, forty foot high palm trees, and white sandy
beach. |
