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Port
Louis
 Capital and main port of Mauritius, Port
Louis was founded by the French governor,
Mahe de Labourdonnais, in 1735. The harbor
lies sheltered in a semi-circle of
mountains. The town has plenty of character,
and shows in certain quarters sing of its
past elegance. Off the main square,
palm-lined 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 Chinese Casino, a fine Supreme Court, some
18th century Barracks, a Natural History
Museum.
Domine Less Pailles
At a stone's throw from Port
Louis lies the Domaine Les Pailles, a nature
park spreading over 3,000 acres at the foot
on a mountain range where visitors will be
able to discover some old ways of living in
an enchanting environment.
Curepipe
Curepipe is the
island's main urban center, a pleasant,
town, which lacks the atmosphere of Port
Louis but has good shops and restaurants.
Between Curepipe and Floreal is the
spectacular Trou aux Cerfs, an extinct
crater 85 meter deep and more than 200 meter wide
from the rim of which one enjoys an
extensive view of the island.
Mahebhourg
Mahebhourg is one of the main fishing
centers. It lies in the bay of Grand Port
and has a Naval Museum, housed in the French
colonial mansion where in 1810 the English
and French naval commanders, both wounded in
battle, were brought to be given medical
care. A handicraft village built in typical
island architecture is found on the premises
of the museum.
Pamplemouses
Gardens
The gardens are known to
naturalist throughout the world for their
large collection of indigenous and exotic
plants, including the giant Victoria regia
water lilies and many species of palm trees.
Of particular interest is the talipot palm,
which is said to flower once every sixty
years and thereafter die.
Eureka, Creole
Museum
Eureka is a unique Creole house built in
1830 in a magnificent garden surrounded by
the waterfalls of Moka River and the Moka
Range. A visit to Eureka is a must to
understand fully the charms of the tropics.
Grand Bassin, within a short distance of
Mare aux Vacoas is one of the island's two
natural lakes. It rests in the creator of an extinct volcano and is a place of
pilgrimage for a large number of Mauritians
of the Hindu
faith, especially on the
occasion of Maha Shivaratri.
Chamarel (colored
earth)
A twisting metalled road leads
from Case Noyale village to the colored
earths at Chamarel. This is a mound of
undulating land stretching in contrasting
layers of color, and the patches of blue,
green, red and yellow earth are believed to
be the result of weathering. The nearby
Channel waterfall emerges from the moors and
primeval vegetarian and is startlingly
beautiful.
Souillac
Souillac is a small seaside resort on the
rugged coast in the Saanne district. The
appeal of souillac lies in its scenery, for
it is not a bating 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 round. A
charming feature is the garden overlooking
the sea, named after, Dr. Charles Telfair. At
the southern end of the village a favorite viewpoint is Gris-Gris on the cliff top.
Facing it, the sea engulfs itself in dark
rocks, which have been hollowed out by the
constant crashing of the waves.
Rochester Falls
Rochester Falls, near Souillac are well
worth a visit. The road leading to the falls
crosses a saugar estate. Spectacular joints
have been formed by the contractio of the
lave due to sudden cooling.
Iie aux Cerfa
Off the east coast, 20 minutes by boat
from Pointe Maurice is the island resort;
Iie Aux Cerfs. Tickets for boat transfers
are available on the spot. The island has
two restaurants, a boat-house and miles of
beautiful beaches.
Domaine due
Chasseur
(Domaine des Grands Bois)
Hidden in the hills at anse Jonchee
near Mahebourg on the south-Eastern side of
the island is a magnificent park covering
2,000 acres. On forest-clad slopes at an
altitude of 300 to 500 metres live stages
and deer, monkeys and wild boars among a
luxurious vegetarian of ebony, eucalyptus, ravenals, palm trees and wild orchids.
Rare species of birds such as the Kestrel
can be seen in the woods.
Le Domaine de I'Ylang Ylang
Le Domaine de I'Ylang Ylang rests at the
foot of Anse Jochee Mountain, Vieux Grand
Port. Its main resource is the plantation of
Ylang-Ylang from the fragrant yellow flowers
of which a perfume is distilled. The domain
commands a panoramic view over the bay of
Vieux Grand Port and the neighboring islets.
Hiking possibilities exist for nature-lovers
and food sampling of farm products can be
organized on request. Tel: 6345-668 for
bookings.
Rodrigues
The island is about 560 kilometers almost
East of Mauritius. Its greatest length, from
Pointe cotton in the East to Pointe Mappu in
the West is about 18 kilometers and its greatest
breadth, from Jantac in the North to Pointe
Poursuite in the South is about 8 kilometers. Its
area is about 108 kilometers, however because of the
hilly nature of the land, the actual surface
area is much greater.
On 30th June 1997 the population of the
island was estimated to be 35,070. 95% of
the population if of Roman Catholic faith.
Before Mauritius became an independent
nation on 12 march 1968, Rodrigues was
considered to be a dependency of Mauritius.
Under the new constitution Rodrigues is now
part of Mauritius.
The only year-round practical harbor of
Rodrigues is Port Mathurin situated at
latitude 19 40° S and longitude 63
26° E in
the North of Rodrigues. The airport of
Rodrigues is situated at Pointe I'Herbe,
Plaine Corail in the south Western part of
the island.
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