Mauritius Excursions

Mauritius is a beautiful place and one of the best means of sightseeing is via excursions that are offered by many travel agencies. Usually there is a fixed pick up and drop off point whereby the excursions can start as early as 9am and finish as at 5.30pm. The price ranges from agency to agency (minimum of £25/person) as well as the number of persons per excursions (usually minimum of 4/persons). Excursions can be broadly categorised into land activities which comprise of visits to breathtaking places on the island; water activities involving numerous water sports and visits to the beautiful underwater world and aerial tours of the island via helicopters. Inland tours comprise visits to the different parts of the island such as the north, south, east, west and central plateau. Common places to visit in the North are Grand Bay and its shopping malls, the world renowned Pamplemousses garden with all its rare plants, the orchards of Labourdonnais and the Sugar Adventure. In the South, wonderful scenes unfold such as the Gris Gris cliffs with the breathtaking views of the crashing waves, the Vanille Crocodile Park, La Nef Museum and the Rault Biscuiterie (where cassava biscuits are made from a family based recipe) and the Naval museum of Grand Port, the tea factory and the beautiful Rochester falls. On the Western part of the island where the temperature is quite dry, salt pans are one of the most amazing views not to miss; other attractions include the Chamarel coloured earth, the Casela Nature Park where safaris can be organised. It is also the best place to observe dolphins and whales from boats that reach up to their whereabouts or swim with these adorable creatures. On the East coast of the island, the weather is more windy but beautiful beaches can be seen; the water park is located there as well as the balaclava ruins, the Domaine du Chasseur and other nature parks where hunting is allowed. Further away at sea is the Ile Aux Cerfs which is ideal for basking in the sun and swimming; it also has a luxurious golf course. On the Central Plateau, dormant volcanoes can be seen as the Trou aux Cerfs, Trou Kanaka; the sacred lake of Grand Bassin attracts a lot of people because of the lake itself and the spiritual feeling that emanates from it; a patch of the pristine Mauritian forest is located in the National Park where endemic trees can be observed and endemic birds such as the Pink Pigeon reside. Alternatively the capital Port Louis can be visited in one day: the visit include the huge shopping mall of Caudan, the little hill of the Citadelle, the Mary Queen of Peace Park that overlooks the entire city and a number of worship places of different religions (Mosque, Mandir, Kovil, Church etc). One of the best excursions in Mauritius is definitely the sea cruises: catamaran cruises can be done in the North which includes visits to the Ilot Gabriel and Flat Island. If you want to explore the rich marine life you can go for underwater walks, unique in the Indian Ocean, submarine safari or the subscooter submarine stroll. For fish lovers, deep sea fishing is unique and you are almost certain to hook on a marlin!