Femina India – August 09, 2019

anoxygentanktohelpyoubreathenormally.

A guidethentakesyouaroundtoshowyou

thevariouscoralreefsandmarinelife.You

canevenfeedthefishandgetphotos

clickedunderwater.Forthoselookingfor

somethingmoreadventurousthanthis,

scubadivingis youranswer.You,however,

needtoundertaketrainingbeforeyoutake

theplunge,sofinda divingschoolassociated

withtheProfessionalAssociationofDiving

Instructors(PADI)ortheMauritiusScuba

DivingAssociation(MSDA),thecertifying

boardsfordives.

Anotherfunwaytoexploretheunderwater

worldis totakea submarineride.A company

calledBlueSafarioffersa servicewhereyou

canbeina realsubmarinethatgoes 35 mdeep

intotheocean.Visita shipwreck,marvelatthe

differentspeciesoffish,andexploretherich

coralsasyousitintheglassed-cabin.Youalso

havetheoptionsofridinga subscootersolo

orwithanotherperson.It goesa fewmetres

underwaterandgivesyoua glimpseofthe

magicalmarinelifeoftheIndianOcean.

Stayingata beachresortinMauritiusis

a goodidea,especiallyif youlovewateractivities

asmostofthemoffersportslikekitesurfing,

kayaking,stand-uppaddleboard,windsurfing,

andmore.Catamarancruisesarealsopopular

intheislandwithseveraloperatorsofferingthis

LIVING travel

service.Mostofthemincludebarbequemeals,

unlimiteddrinks,anda visittothebeach

withsomeevenofferingdolphinspottingas

youcruiseonthegleamingwaters.

Mixedbag

Havemoretimeathand?Withanabundance

ofsugarcanefields,Mauritiusis a largeproducer

ofrumandyoucanwitnessthisbypayinga visit

totheChamarelRumDistillery,whichis located

closetotheValleyofColoursNaturePark.

TheBlackRiverGorgesNationalParkhas

severalspeciesoffloraandfauna,andgivesyou

manyhikingtrailstoexplorewiththeadded

bonusofswimmingintheriver.LeMorne

Brabant,a UNESCOWorldHeritageSite,

is a basalticmountainwitha summitof 556 m

abovesealevel,andis visitedbylocaltrekkers,

andtouristsforthebreathtakingviewsit offers.

Whilehalfofthehikeis easy,therestofit

requiresa guideandevenspecialequipment.

If youplantotrekallthewaytothetop,lookfor

anauthorisedguide.TamarindFalls,LePouce,

andTroisMamellesareothernaturalbeauties

youcanexplore.Nomatterwhatyourinterests

are,youwillfindsomethingtodointhisland

ofnaturalwonders.

QUICKFACTS

zMauritiusoffersfree

visaonarrivaltoIndian

tourists.A returnticketis

necessarytogetoneat

theairport.

zMauritianRupee(MR)is

theofficialcurrencybut

USD,GBP,andEurosare

alsoaccepted.

zHiringa carinMauritius

iseasyandaffordable.An

Indiandrivinglicenceis

acceptableandcarsare

drivenontheleftsideof

theroad.

zYouwillfindhotelsofall

tariffshere,sopickone

accordingtoyourbudget.

zApartfromseafood,

curriesarealsopopular

here.Theirmost-loved

localstreetfood,however,

isdhollpuri,a vegetarian

dishinspiredbythe

Indianparatha.

CATAMARANRIDES

INCLUDEBARBEQUE

MEALS,UNLIMITEDDRINKS

ANDEVENDOLPHIN

SPOTTINGASYOUCRUISEON

THEGLEAMINGWATERS.

(Clockwise) The UNESCO World Heritage Site of

Le Morne Brabant; the 23-coloured earth at La Vallee

Des Couleurs; a catamaran cruise; sugarcane fields

PHOTOGRAPHS: SHUTTERSTOCK, SAMBIT SATPATHY