Here at last is part two of our Mauritius itinerary highlights. Part one took us round from the airport and the town of Mahébourg in the south-east, to some places in the south and then up the west coast a little to Flic en Flac which was our main base for the first half of the trip. This second part continues up the west of the island, via the capital Port Louis, and to the northern-most tip. It finishes with the perfect way to spend a final day back in the airport area, a glass bottom boat from Blue Bay.

EUREKA FALLS & COLONIAL MANSION

Up in the Central Plateau of Mauritius lies the town of Moka – the official residence of the president –which is presided over by Le Pouce mountain. Here you’ll discover Eureka: a Creole mansion which was once part of a sugar plantation owned by the Le Clézio family. A visit entails a walk to the waterfalls and a wander around the house itself. 

There are four waterfalls. Due to the little legs, the proximity to lunch time and the large number of mosquitoes despite ALL the bug spray, we just did the first two. The walk was very steep and slippery under foot with some super sheer drops and no fences! Occasional breaks in the dense trees revealed just how high up we were.

But the rewards were great. 

No one else around. The hypnotic, thundering water. The girls were mesmerised. 

Dean and Small explored a little further on the first one. The second had the type of pool that would have been lovely for a dip without the kids/mosquitoes! 

After the serene-but-slightly-perilous waterfall walk, we headed back up the hill to enjoy the other half of the Eureka plantation experience: the house and gardens. 

The gardens are lush and beautiful, full of endemic and exotic plants. And every one of the 109 doors and windows of the 1836 Creole-style mansion, gives you sight of them. The house is long and two rooms wide with a veranda all the way around. 

Each room gives clues to Mauritius’ melting pot past: a Chinese-inspired living room, a grand piano once belonging to the original French owners, East India Company furniture, French porcelain painted in China… it’s so full of intrigue at every point. 

The girls LOVED it! Running unhindered throughout the airy rooms, in and out of the doors, deciding who’s bed was who’s. And Small was particularly taken by the old-fashioned bathroom! 

The waterfalls, house and gardens were all lovely. But this was also where we had our absolute best meal of the trip. Two different curries, a heap of rice, pickles, daal and a starter of some fried deliciousness! All the more memorable for the view over the lawn as we ate. 

It’s a beautiful place – both inside and out – but I couldn’t help imagining the segregated plantation residents who must have trodden the same paths and hallways long ago: the French family, the imported slaves and indentured labourers. 

But what I found staggering about the place was that there just wasn’t really any information about the history. I suppose the visual impact was the greater for being uninterrupted by signs but I felt it was a missed opportunity. I even asked at the welcome desk on the way out but they seemed bemused by my question! 

Key info: not pram-friendly; good amenities; car park on site; £7 for over 10s; allow 1-3 hours depending on whether or not you include the waterfalls and lunch.

PORT LOUIS

Port Louis is a very gentle version of a capital city. Interestingly, it remains similar to the way it was set out by the founder, Labourdonnais, in 1736. The Chinese and Muslim owned restaurants and shops, as well as the pagodas and the country’s biggest mosque, lie on one side of the Place d’Armes. Churches, government buildings, law firms and banks are on the opposite side.

We parked in Le Caudan mall and grabbed some lunch from one of the food vendors which we ate whilst Small grooved out to some street musicians! Then we headed out along the waterfront which was a hive of activity. 

Then, loosely following part of the Lonely Planet’s mural trail, we meandered throughout the streets, seeing the two differing sides of the city; the entwined blend of old and new; and all the sights, sounds and smells it had to offer.

The Jummah Mosque was very welcoming to visitors and boasts some beautiful Indo-Islamic architecture. There are shops, including a metalwork workshop beneath the mosque.

We always love a local market and Central Market didn’t disappoint with its stacked fruit and vegetables, array of homewares and range of clothing. One friendly stallholder gave Tiny a cinnamon stick which she was delighted with!

We entered the grounds of the Slave Museum which is housed in an old military hospital. We’d have loved to explore this properly but it just wasn’t going to work with the girls and the time of day but looked very interesting. We did, however, investigate these next two highlights.

AAPRAVASI GHAT

UNESCO listed Aapravasi Ghat is one of the best places to learn about some of Mauritius’ history. Situated in Port Louis, it is the remains of an immigration depot where, from 1849, almost half a million indentured labourers from China, Eastern Africa, India and South-East Asia arrived to work on the sugar plantations.

This was just after the abolition of slavery and the radical idea of indentured labourers was meant to staff the plantations due to the loss of the emancipated slaves. The success of the scheme led (from the owners’ perspective) to it being replicated extensively throughout other colonies. 

It’s said that nearly 70% of Mauritius’ current population is descended from the labourers who arrived at Aapravasi Ghat. They would have experienced long, dangerous sea voyages and then resided here for two days for processing. At times, up to 1,000 people at once would have been sleeping on the floor in the depot’s sheds. You can still see the remains of this housing, kitchens, the bathing area, a hospital block, stables and officers’ quarters.

Indentured labourers were attracted by the fixed term contracts (5-10 years) and the hope of better working conditions. However, as a sign in the little museum records it, plantations exploited the captive workforce through ‘irregular rations and payments, the double-cut system, restrictions on mobility, lack of health care and proper amenities, the non-conformity to employment code by employers, physical and moral abuse.’

This wasn’t the first time we’d spoken to Small about the concept of slavery (and we certainly didn’t stress the difference between it and indentured labourers) but it certainly raised a lot of questions for her little brain. Of course, at 4.5, she doesn’t fully understand and may not remember all we talked about but hopefully it’s a seed of an experience that shows her that all lands, cultures and histories are not the same. 

This is exactly why we want to travel with the kids. 

Key info: pram-friendly enough – there are steps but you can avoid them/lift the pram up them/take turns looking at sections; no amenities; free; allow 1 hour.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

This little museum was the perfect size for us: a few spacious rooms full mainly of taxidermy and plastic replicas. Mammals of the land, birds, sea creatures and insects are all displayed thoughtfully and the place feels open, inviting, colourful and relatively modern. There’s also an upstairs part we didn’t realise existed at the time, which houses information about Mauritius in the World Wars.

The main reason we came, however, was to see the dodo skeleton. It’s the only near-complete one ever found. Most others are compilations of various different birds. It was pretty cool to see and gave Indy a specific focus for the visit. Discovered in 1904 by a barber named Etienne Thirioux, it’s such an icon of Mauritius so we were glad to learn more about it!

Our visit was near to closing time so we didn’t loiter. Added to that, the girls were WILD! When we were given a 5-minute warning, I genuinely thought we were being thrown out for being too rowdy until I realised they were just closing up! 

Just outside the museum, a pleasant spot to sit for a rest or a picnic is Les Jardins De La Compagnie which is a square full of vast banyan trees, their aerial roots hanging down to create otherworldly curtains.

Key info: pram-friendly; no amenities; free; allow 1 hour.

BOTANICAL GARDENS

Officially named Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens, this wonderful place is situated in the equally wonderfully named district of Pamplemousses! It’s the oldest botanical garden in the southern hemisphere (built in 1770) and is home to many species of plant including 85 types of palm.

Little ponds and waterways, winding paths and bridges, and grand palm-lined avenues make it a magical spot to explore (or propose or celebrate a special birthday it turns out!) but the main draw is the long rectangular pond of giant Amazonian water lilies. I’d really wanted to visit and we very nearly didn’t because of the wintry weather but I’m so glad to have seen them in the end! There were a few flowers dotted about but the huge leaves were the most impressive thing. It was very tempting to try and stepping stone across them!

We’ll also forever associate the water lilies with the moment Tiny helpfully managed to squirt yogurt all over herself, all her clothes and the pram – all of which was just about to board a 12-hour flight home!

Key info: pram-friendly; we didn’t spot any amenities but there may have been toilets somewhere – bring a picnic; tickets £5 for over 5s; reasonably priced guides available; free parking on site; allow 2+ hours.

PEREYBERE BEACH

We stayed four nights in Pereybere which is in the very north of the island and is surrounded by a lot of lovely beaches. Our day on Pereybere Beach was HOT! The hottest day of the holiday in fact, which had been mainly very comfortably warm with it being Mauritian winter. We were definitely glad of our little beach tent. 

It was also a weekend so the beach was full of locals hanging out, playing music, drinking, swimming… it was a great atmosphere and we always love to feel like we’re not surrounded by other tourists.

It’s quite a small beach and finally gave us sight of some palm trees! The water was beautifully clear but there was nothing to see snorkelling near the beach and there weren’t even any shells or corals to collect and paint as we love to do! But the girls still had a brilliant time in the sand and darting in and out of the sea.

The best thing about Pereybere beach, though, is that a local man (who is also a saxophonist apparently!) comes twice a week to create sand sculptures for everyone to enjoy. Even though the one we saw had been made in the morning and was broken in places, it was still very impressive. Such a talent!

Key info: toilets; no refreshments on the beach but there are a few nearby cafes; carpark nearby.

MONT CHOISY BEACH

Another beautiful day on another beautiful beach, making memories!

The only thing that took the shine off it was the ice cream van to which we paid an exorbitant price for a couple of ice creams! Then, as it turned its familiar music on to depart, I remembered reading on a Facebook group about the scammer. How could I not have noticed Jingle Bells on a hot May day in Mauritius?!

Key info: toilets; refreshments served on the beach by some nearby ‘snacks’; carpark.

CAP MALHEUREUX

This first image sums up a lot of what Mauritius is like: a Hindu family floating offerings for a new baby in front of one of the most iconic Catholic churches on the island. Religions and cultures are so intertwined here and everyone just seems to tolerate everyone else. 

The famous red church – Notre Dame Auxiliatrice – stands at the northernmost tip of the island in a pretty little fishing village. Cap Malheaureux means ‘unfortunate cape’ and is so-called for all the shipwrecks it’s witnessed over the years.

The church is striking but what makes the place even more captivating is the setting. The calm, clear water of the bay is home to moored boats and broad trees provide shade in the church’s grounds.

We visited on a Sunday, just after the morning mass, when the congregation were spilling out onto the grass so we didn’t go inside. There were other tourists around, as well as various groups and individuals set up around the grounds, selling food or souvenirs or raising money for charity. Such a friendly and relaxed atmosphere but we couldn’t stay long as we needed to make the most of our last day on the island…

Key info: small café opposite; free entry.

GLASS BOTTOM BOAT (technically not a northern highlight but just the last thing we did on the trip)

Dean and I are divers. We’ve been fortunate enough to dive in some amazing places around the world. So a glass bottomed boat is not something we’ve ever done before and would never have even considered had we not had the kids. But diving is off the cards for now while we travel with them because we love to dive together and wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving the girls with a sitter.

Someday we hope they’ll want to snorkel and dive with us but I felt like this would be a great way for them to see the underwater world which divers are privileged to be a part of. Dean took some convincing that it would be worthwhile but they loved it, of course! It didn’t matter to them that we only had a few rupees left and so could only buy a short trip or that the number of species of fish was fairly limited. They just loved being on the boat and having a close-up view of the creatures below! I took mainly videos so these photos don’t really do the number of fish justice.

As it was a Sunday, the locals were out in force on Blue Bay beach (such a different atmosphere to when we visited briefly on a Wednesday when it was full of school trips!). There was a real party vibe with big gatherings of friends or families BBQing or picnicking. It was a lovely way to spend our last afternoon before boarding the flight home.

Key info: many tour companies will let you book ahead but you can just approach a boat driver on the beach and negotiate a price and duration; ice cream vans and small cafes along the beach road.

Mauritius: you have captured our hearts!