Mauritius
Mauritius might not be huge, but it is quite diverse, with the North being more geared towards mass-tourism and the South more genuine. For this reason we decided to split our visit into two halves – first in the South, in Flic en Flac, second in the Grand Baie area in the North.
In Mauritius people of different origins and religions live next to each other and it is not uncommon to see Hindu temple next to a mosque. This has its roots in Mauritius’ interesting history, having been ruled by the French and the Britons before achieving independence.
Mauritius doesn’t make any “best diving destinations” lists, but this actually makes it more attractive. Less divers usually means reefs and wrecks are much better preserved.
Our wish to have six dives over two days was a little unusual for both diving centers we contacted (one in the South, one in the North). Most people dive there once or twice. This is not a surprise, as six dives is more than enough to see the most interesting sites in the area, some of them more than once.
We were diving on the following spots around Flic En Flac: Big Rock, Cathedral, Aquarium, Bambou and Snake Reef. And around Grand Baie: Jabeda, Holts Rock, Mimis Arch, Water Lily and Emily, Turtle Point.
Outside of diving we did also explore the island a bit.
In Flic-en-flac we hired a car with a driver and went to Ganga Talao, Rhumerie de Chamarel and Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth.
In Grand Baie we went to Port Louis by the bus and on another day to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden and Cap Malheureux by scooter. Scooter was a lot of fun, even more so because of the left hand traffic.
4-17 December 2017