Mark Twain's Heaven - Mauritius

The Republic of Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean, located about 900 km east of Madagascar. Since it is near the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere, its climate is subtropical. There are two seasons, the humid hot summer from November to April and the dry, less warm winter from June to September. The months of May and October can be considered as transitional periods between the two. The cyclone season lasts from November to mid-May, with the two worst months being January and February - the latter one is the most rainy. When is it worth traveling here and to which area in the island? The eastern coast is beautiful, but you should visit it from November to the end of March, when the wind is not that strong. If you are looking for summer heat, you will definitely have good weather from the beginning of October to May. In general the north and west coast of the island welcomes travellers all year round. The most ideal time is probably between October and December due to the amazing weather and you can also find it less crowded. It is important to highlight that despite of the misbeliefs, you shouldn't expect monsoons simiar to the asian ones that have heavy, all day long raining. In most of the cases the rain comes and goes during the night, cooling down the temperature for the morning.

We arrived there with Ádi in the second half of October and stayed in the northwestern part. We visited a lot of places, so I can share a relevant, personal experience about this period.

How did we get here? This trip was also the result of research, when we came across this island while looking for good value for money trips and it immediately captivated us. It was a fantastic experience and we haven't regretted it.

We travelled on an Emirates flight with a stopover in Dubai. I think the length of the trip falls exactly into the tolerable category, roughly 5.5 hours once, and another 6.5 hours after the connection. Emirates flights are always comfortable and thanks to the on-board multimedia service, watching a few movies will pass the time quickly. The current entry conditions for Hungarians require only one passport, which must be valid for 6 months from the date of entry. A visa is not required for a stay of no longer than 90 days, but you'll need to fill out an online form (link here).

This was the first place for us where traffic is on the left and we rented a car. A dear friend of mine recommended the local contact, who deals with renting. Everything was fine and worth the price (roughly 500 USD for 12 days, with airport pick up and drop off, both of us could drive it). I was in charge of navigation, but even I often found it strange that we were turning to the right in a big and not a small curve. Overall, I don't think it's a bad idea to explore the island by car, even if you're not used to driving on the left. Mauritius has a developed, good infrastructure (I expected worse) and we could get anywhere with the help of google maps. I have only one advice: if it suggests an alternative, faster route, don't accept it, let's stick to the bigger, main roads. This is how we drove into an alley where one of the rear-view mirrors was almost taken by an open window. Now we are laughing about it, but back then it wasn't that funny.

We booked our accommodation in the north-western part of the island, in Pointe-aux-Piments, for the entire duration of the trip, at the Victoria Beachcomber Resort. At first, I felt that the hotel costs were way too high, but by the end of the trip I thought it was definitely worth it. Since there weren't too many dining options or larger shops nearby, we requested an all-inclusive package for the sake of comfort. All the food was amazing, we could taste a variety of local and international delicacies. The biggest show for me was the sea urchin - it didn't became my favorite, but at least I could try it. There were many water sports options to choose from, and there was also a diving center here. My biggest experience was water skiing, which I was able to try here for the first time.

We were in a bit of trouble when it came to excursions, because even though the island is easy to explore, since there are no huge distances, there is still a lot to see, with many hiking opportunities. Mauritius attracts visitors with its green thickets, barren peaks, waterfalls, and an endless array of flora and fauna. We travelled in the second half of October and at the beginning of our trip, there were several changes between sunny and cloudy weather during the day. We didn't mind this, it even worked to our advantage, because we didn't get sunburn right away. What bothered me a bit was that the coast was very windy in the first couple of days, so I needed a beachdress or a towel in the late afternoon to not feel cold. This was an excellent weather for hiking though, so our first excursion led to the peak of Le Morne Brabant, with a breathtaking panorama at the end. I write in detail about the programs and experiences in a separate article, because including everything in one post would be too long. Spoiler: we thought it would be easy peasy lemon squeezy, since we exercise regularly. After the hike we got home covered in dust and sweat, our legs were shaking and we were happy that we didn't have any serious injuries. The weather overall got hotter and less cloudy towards the end of our trip, but I can say it was ideal this way.

We visited the Black River Gorges bel Ombre biosphere reserve and got a sneak peak into the Alexandra Falls from the viewpoint there. The Seven colored Earth was a very special attraction of the island with the Chamarel waterfall that was located in the same area. The Grand Bassin is considered to be the most beautiful Hindu place in Mauritius, and it really was. On the way there we could also admire the almost endless tea plantations of Bois Chéri.

We visited the SSR Botanical garden and the sugar factory that was turned into a museum. On this day the humidity was particularly high, so it was a more difficult ride than we thought, but it was also very interesting and exciting at the same time. We finished our holiday with a catamaran trip to the Island of the Deers (Ile aux Cerfs).

It was an unforgettable experience to see Mauritius, that got its well-deserved place on my bucket list. Our goal here wasn't necessarily to see everything, we tried to get the usual mix of active and resting days. If you like hiking, you can spend more time with exploring the national parks through the trails. The best thing about the island is that there are so many various attractions that everyone can choose from according to their needs and preferences, let it be an individual, couple or family adventure.

On the way home, I was thinking that Mark Twain was right when he once said: Mauritius was created first, followed by heaven, which was copied after Mauritius... The many miracles I saw here cannot be described in words. This place is a paradise on earth with water shining in countless shades of blue, white sand, green nature and barren peaks.

Thanks for reading! For more details and trip ideas, explore the linked post. If you liked the article, please let me know by clicking on the heart and don't forget to share it with others!