5 Things To Do When Visiting Mauritius

5 Things To Do When Visiting Mauritius

The island of Mauritius is of course, famed for its gorgeous white sandy beaches, offering the perfect getaway for some much-needed relaxation. Away from the beautiful beaches though, Mauritius is a destination full of vibrant and exciting activities and fascinating culture, so we’ve listed 5 of the things you must do when visiting this Indian Ocean paradise.

Try the local street food

Spicy, colourful and full of flavour, Mauritian street food is one of the hidden treasures of the island and is considered some of the best in the world, so make sure you don’t miss out on trying it. Mauritian dishes are a unique blend of Creole, African, Indian and Chinese influences, and offer bursts of intricate flavours. A excursion through the streets of Mauritius wouldn’t be complete without tasting the local street food which is typically vegetable fritters, spicy filled flatbreads, locally made samosas and delicious creole curries. A lot of the curries served are very spicy, so we’d recommend that you avoid the temptation to add extra hot sauce until you’ve become familiar with the taste!

Walk through the sugarcane fields

One of the first thing one notices when flying over Mauritius is the vast expanses of sugarcane fields, so it would be a shame not to explore them properly. They appear to go on for miles and offer the perfect backdrop to a drive through the island. The sugarcane plant has a rich history in Mauritius, it was introduced to the island by Dutch colonizers and then developed by the British as the primary crop in Mauritius. You can find out more about the history of the sugarcane in Mauritius by visiting L’Aventure Du Sucre, a sugar museum which has its own sugarcane fields and a variety of sugars to sample, and don’t leave Mauritius without sampling some fresh sugarcane juice. Wandering through the fields is a must-do, although it’s very likely that at some point you’ll lose your bearings amongst the narrow passageways surrounded by hundreds of swaying plants.

Explore the coloured earth on Chamarel

This little-known village in South Mauritius is home to a natural phenomenon, the seven-coloured earth. This small, uneven sand dune consists of seven distinct colours; red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow. The dunes were created by volcanic rocks which cooled at different temperatures and became crushed into sand which then settled into different colours. Despite the ever-changing weather conditions, the colour separation has never ceased and even if you mix the sands together, they will eventually separate themselves again, it is a true geographical oddity. A popular practice when visiting here is take home a pot of the multi-coloured sand as a souvenir. 

Go shopping in Port Louis

Perhaps best known for its white sands, blue ocean and green crop fields, Mauritius comes to vibrant, colourful life when you visit the capital city of Port Louis. The ideal place to visit for some retail therapy, Port Louis is home to Le Caudan Waterfront where you will be able to treat yourself to internationally known brands, or for a more authentic shopping experience you can visit the markets and pick up local crafts and jewellery. Some good Mauritian products to look out for are rum, vanilla tea, jams and chutneys, and woven bags and baskets are also good souvenirs to take home with you.  

Take in the culture in Mahebourg

The relatively untouched south side of Mauritius is home to a number of must-do activities such as taking a trip to the ancient Ile aux Aigrettes to discover life before the arrival of man, or hiking across the amazing Lion Mountain, but it’s a trip to the town of Mahebourg where you will get a true glimpse of life as a Mauritian local. The majority of Mahebourg has no beach so is less-visited by tourists and therefore is less developed, giving an authentic view of Mauritian life. The Market of Mahebourg is a wonderful experience where you will find a huge variety of unique products, tropical fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, local arts and crafts, and much more.