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Though visitors are fascinated by the beach, the lagoon and the coastal villages, Mauritius certainly has still more to after than the sea surrounding it. There is much to see
inland. The Pamplemousses Gardens offer an unparalleled attraction.
A visit to Plaine Champagne, the Black River Gorge and Chamarel will prove that Mauritius has much to offer in terms of natural, green tourism.
Grand Bay
The main sector of tourist activities in the island revolves around Grand Bay, a village renowned for its calm bay, which serves as the anchorage point for yachts and other types of
pleasure – craft. The bay conveniently served as a staging point for a variety of waterspouts even before it became the epicenter of organized tourist activities. Grand-Bay provides a whole gamut of
amenities to make life pleasant for visitors. Banking, postal and communication facilities are easily available. A number of agencies offer excursions at sea, inland trips, car-hire facilities, transfer
to and from airport and accommodation. Bicycles and mopeds are also available for hire.
The visitor can choose from different types of cuisine, ranging from Creole to Japanese, from Indian Ocean to Chinese. No other place in Mauritius can offer such a
variety. Nightlife is hectic is hectic in Grand Bay
Port Louis
The French Governor, Mahe de Labourdonnais, founded the capital and main Port of Mauritius in 1735. The harbour lies sheltered in a semi-circle of mountains. The town has
plenty of character, and shows in certain quarters signs of its past elegance, off the main square, palm-line place d’Armes, there are some particularly fine French colonial buildings, especially the Government
House (eighteenth century) and the Municipal Theatre, built around the same time. There are two cathedrals, Anglican and Catholic, a Mosque, a fine Supreme Court, some 18th century Barracks, a Natural History Museum. To see a fascinating cross-section of Mauritian life visit the lively covered market. There you can have a wide range of local products, souvenirs, artifacts, imported goods and spices are available. The best high-up views of the racecourse, town and harbour are from a splendid boulevard called Edward VII Avenue and from Ford Adelaide, a citadel fortified in the time of William IV. The worldwide masks museum is a private museum at the heart of the unique and historic site of the “Parcours Culturel” at the old Council Road, Port Louis. It displays a wonderful collection of various tribal masks from Africa, America, Asia and Oceanic. The avid visitors in quest of cultural knowledge will be fascinated to discover tribal masks coming from remote places, which are sometimes even inaccessible to tourists from around the world. An original entertainment program making use of masks is also scheduled daily. The two waterfronts built recently also house several restaurants, cinema halls and even a casino while offering a close view of the busy harbour. Visitors can spend several hours just sampling the attractions available. Port Louis counts several restaurants, fast-food joints and traditional food-stalls. The capital is unique in the food business, with street vendors hawking oily fritters next to classy restaurants. A monument by the harbour, the Coolie Ghat, has been set up to commemorate the arrival of Indian immigrants in the last century.
Domaine les Pailles
At a stone’s throw from Port Louis lies the Domaine les Pailles, a nature park spreading over 3,000 acres at the footed of a mountain range where visitors will be able to discover
some old ways of living in an enhancing environment.
Domaine Les Pailles offers a wide range of facilities: a gastronomic restaurant, “Le Clos Saint Louis” a reception hall
Casela Bird Park
A popular attraction to many visitors is the ‘Casela Bird Park’. This park, set in the district of Black River, stretches over 20 acres and contains more than 140 varieties of birds
from the five continents maybe seen there, but the main attraction is the Mauritian Pink Pigeon, one of the rarest birds in the world. Other attractions are tigers, fish, tortoises, monkeys, orchids, and the
overall green scenery and peaceful atmosphere created by trees, steams and small cascades.
LE VAL NATURE PARK
Le Val Nature Park is situated in the south east of the island at Cluny in the Grand Port District. Le Val derives its name from the valley that lies between luxuriant
mountains. It offers the following attractions: spring water with natural aquatic life like shrimps, eels and carps; anthurium and andreanium green houses, prawn ponds, watercress ponds deer park, monkeys, birds,
endemic plants and animals.
BLACK RIVER GORGES NATIONAL PARK
The black river nature park covering an area of more than 6500 hectares of prime forest is home to indigenous flora and flora species threatened with extinction but not saved by
vigorous conservation measures. The national flower, the trochetia, grows in this park and the breeding ground of the kestrel.
LA VANILLE CROCODILE PARK
Near Riviere des Anguilles, nestled in the wild south, lays this farm of Nile crocodiles imported from Madagascar. The site offers a vast park with a nature walk through
luxuriant forest studded with freshwater springs. A small zoo of animals found in the wild in Mauritius adds to the attraction. La Vanille Crocodile Park was opened some ten years ago, in luxurious rainforest,
and has already become one of the most visited tourist attractions of the island. There are of course Nile crocodiles (1000) and a whole range of animals and reptiles of the Mascareines islands; monkeys, fruit
bats, stags, tentecs, mangooses, as well as chameleons. Iguanas, lizards, fish and tortoises…
SOULLAC
A small resort along the rugged coast in the Savanne district. The appeal of Souillac lies in its scenery, for it is not a bathing spot. In striking contrast to the soft curves of
the northern coastline, the high cliffs here drop abruptly to the sea and the bracing winds of the Indian Ocean blow all the year around. A charming feature is the garden overlooking the sea, named after Dr Charles
Telfair. At the southern end of the village, a favourite viewpoint is Gris-Gris on the cliff top. Facing it, the sea engulfs itself in dark, which have been hollowed out by the constant crashing of the waves.
LE DOMAINE DU CHASSEUR.
It is a magnificent park covering 2000 acres. On forciest-clad slopes at an altitude at 300 to 500 metres live stags and deer, monkeys and wild boars amongst a luxurious vegetation
of ebony, eucalyptus, revenala, palm, trees and wild orchids. Rare species such as Kestrel can be seen in the woods. The domain also boasts in thatch-roofed lodgtype bungalows and an open restaurant overlooking the
sea
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