It might be a small tropical island, but Mauritius sure packs a punch when it comes to things to do, from the chilled to the more adventurous. It’s certainly more than Sun, Sea and Sand! I took a direct flight with TUI from London’s Gatwick to Mauritius’s airport based in the SE corner of the island. It was about a one hour drive to my first hotel on the SW side, just outside the small village of Bel Ombre. Tamassa Hotel, although a 4*hotel, sure was 5* when it came to the food, service and facilities. The staff couldn’t do enough for you! The hotel is full of nice little touches and quirks, from paintbrushes to brush the sand from your feet, to giant games dotted around the hotel, to a funky bright yellow burger van sunk into the sand and a colourful umbrella art installation leading from reception. Another nice touch is an old phone box where you can make free calls back home….no catch! The hotel was All Inclusive and you get a lot for your money, including all the watersports on site such as Paddle boarding, Kayaking and Waterskiing. They also do daily snorkelling trips and the glass bottom boat for free. Being the SW side of Mauritius, of course you get the great sunsets too!
I’d been to Mauritius before so wanted to do some activities this time around that I hadn’t done ten years ago. Back then I did swimming with dolphins on the west coast in the wild, quad biking in the black river gorge and zip lining through the rainforest across seven different lines. I organised all these through www.Mauritiusattractions.com , one of the main tourist providers on the island. I found the activities this time around via Instagram and Facebook searches; all of them living up to my expectations!
The first trip was with Eco discovery - they specialise in Dolphin and whale watching/swimming, off the West coast of Mauritius and do it in an eco-friendly way with respect to the creatures themselves. Their website Instagram is eco watch_discovery_tour
It was an early start, I met them at Le Morne public beach at 7am to ensure we got ahead of all the tourist boats that can flock the area later on in the day. There was a small group of 6 of us and it was 2,500 rupees per person for a 4 hour trip. We were in search of whales and the dolphins were a bonus, had we of spotted them, but sadly we didn’t this time! We went quite far out to sea it felt but not far enough that you couldn’t see the mainland. Unfortunately for me, the seas were quite choppy on that day and it wasn’t long before I got sea sick! Bruno, the skipper called over to me and said “have you met my friend, Albert” (said in a very French accent!). I replied “No”, He replied “Al-Bleurgh!”, and sure enough I threw up badly! I found the funny side though! Shortly after he spotted a school of Sperm Whales, they looked huge! So amazing to see them up close. We all jumped in the sea and you swam closely until they swam slowly off. You can see the clip on my You Tube video. We headed back towards Le Morne, with Le Morne Brabant (the huge mountain), dominating the skyline. I was to climb that bad boy a few days later!
The second trip was a hike up at sunrise to the top of Le Morne Brabant, in SW Mauritius. Again, I saw the clips on You Tube and Instagram and thought why not!? I’m not a climber or hiker so was a bit apprehensive as I thought there may be a group of dedicated hikers with all their kit. Luckily not! I mean, tourists don’t pack hiking boots do they!? I met Bryn, our experienced, knowledgeable and friendly guide at 6am, just at sunrise, at the base of the mountain, with a small group of others. The mountain is 1,825 meters above sea level, so quite high up! It was a challenging climb but doable with limited experience, especially with someone like Bryn. Make sure you book with him, he was amazing and safety was first throughout! He also took videos and pics on the way which he then sent to us all after as part of the price, not bad as it was 2,500 rupees all in. Once you get half way, it gets steeper and more dangerous, so the signs remind you! There are three ‘scrambling’ sections, on of 85 metres, one of 20 and the last of 12, which are the most challenging. When you get to the top where the metal cross is, the views are AMAZING!! We luckily had climbed on a clear day so you could see quite far and both sides of the ocean and lagoon that surrounds the island. I had such a good sense of achievement and then realised, bloody hell, we have to get back down! It wasn’t as bad going down as going up to be honest. To say my feet were aching, would be an understatement. The whole climb up and down was about 4 hours in total. Luckily i had booked into a spa for some reflexology at the 5* Lux Le Morne hotel down the road. Bryns company is called Explorers Mauritius and can be found on Facebook.
Lux Le Morne was my second hotel. The location was stunning, with the mountain looking directly over the resort. I looked up at it while swimming in the pool with a big smile on my face knowing I had climbed to the top only hours earlier!
The third trip was organised via Instagram through Angel Tours, based in Blue Bay, SE Mauritius near the airport. We up with the lovely Laura and her team and headed out of the bay on a small boat, about 12 of us. First stop was a shipwreck on the edge of the lagoon. While a big part of it juts out of the lagoon, the other half is it submerged in the deeper part of the ocean. We then stopped at a series of island forts, one we got off at which had a derelict lighthouse on. Great for exploring and getting some cool pictures, especially looking out of the windows of the room without a roof and the light tower spiral staircase. We stopped for some snorkelling on the reef before stopping for lunch on the island, Ile Aux Cerfs for a BBQ. We also went inland slightly to see a waterfall that can only be accessed by boat. Cheeky monkeys line the banks of the river and some of the group i was with bravely gave them banana out their hands. One monkey even jumped on the boat!! Needless to say I quickly hid all my cameras! On the way back, we stopped again for swim and saw loads of starfish and other fish. A very relaxed fun day out. It was a full fay from 9.30-4.30 for 2.500 rupees again (seems to be the going rate!). They can be found on Instagram at angel cruises_mauritius
After a few days of relaxing, we headed out again using a local guide as a taxi to explore SW Mauritius which I think is the greenest/lushest part of the island. It was cheaper to do it this way rather than using the hotel taxis as they are so expensive! We paid 1,500 for 4 hours. First stop was Maconde Point, a rugged rock that juts out into the ocean with a sharp bend for the traffic, which makes for an interesting stop looking back at the top of the steps. We then headed towards Black River Gorges national park and the small town of Chamarel to see the waterfall. it’s pretty impressive and a great view from two viewing points. You can hike down to the base and swim but I decided against this one! The waterfall also houses a few other attractions such as the geological Seven Coloured Earths, which is a volcanic marvel, with seven different colours of rock. You’ve also got some very old tortoises there! Its 250 rupees to enter the park.
Opposite the entrance is the Curious Corner of Chamarel. i came across this via Instagram too. It’s great for a fun few hours or even a rainy day - it’s basically an indoor and outdoor museum full of quirky illusions to test your mind and brain! You can see some of the pics below. We had great fun putting these together! It was 400 rupees to enter and allow a good few hours to look around.
So, that was my trip to Mauritius this time around. I haven’t included my lazy days lounging by the pool and crystal clear warms seas, but there were about 8 of them! Mauritius really is a beautiful island with friendly people and great for those who either want total relaxation in paradise or to get out and about and explore. It’s really something for everyone!
VIDEO VLOG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLRSQPUdmE0&t=5s
