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Mauritius |
Capital: Port Louis
Official Language: English
Currency: Mauritian Rupee
The picturesque Mauritius island nation of Asia is a perfect destination to enjoy an exotic holiday trip. Mystical mountains, vast sugarcane estates, rippling waterfalls and dark rainforests with casuarinas plantations are those that make up Mauritius. The gorgeous tropical island is named after Prince Maurice of Nassau. After a long era of Dutch, French and British Empire Mauritius gained independence in 1968. As a result Mauritius represents a perfect blend of different cultures and lifestyle, influenced from Indian, British and French. The people of Mauritius are renowned for their friendly and cordial attitude. Marvelous landscapes rippling with volcanic skylines, blue crystal water, miles of golden sand beaches lend Mauritius an ethereal beauty. From sightseers, sunbathers, beachcombers, swimmers to mountaineers, yachtsmen and water-skiers Mauritius mesmerizes all with its ethereal charms.
Major Cities
Port Louis is the capital city of Mauritius. Other major cities are Curepipe, Mahebourg and Grand Baie. Founded by the French governor, Mahe de Labourdonnais in 1735, Port Louis is named after Louis XV of France. It is a leading port city bounded by Port Louis Moka Range. Though a sprawling city of high rises and skyscrapers Port Louis also boasts of many historic and colonial buildings. Well known among them is Fort Adelaide or La Citadelle, built by the British in 1835. The Chinese Quarter is the most vibrant part of the city with herbal and spice shops. Swish Le Caudan Waterfront sports enormous entertainment options like the casino, cinemas, shops, bars and restaurants. Champ de Mars is popular for enthusiastic punters. Curepipe is an elegant residential town with colonial houses, public gardens, standard restaurants and excellent shopping options. Curepipe where travelers used to stop to cure their pipes is the hub of Mauritius's tea and ship building industries. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens in Curepipe is a place of breathtaking beauty. The garden is decked up with some enchanting species of flora like Victoria fish poison trees, water lilies, chewing-gum trees, golden bamboo, and the ancient Buddha tree. Mahebourg is another chief town named after the French governor Mahe de Labourdonnais. The place is popular for the victory of the Napoleonic troupe over the British. Grand Baie offers facilities for safe swimming, sailing, windsurfing, and water skiing
Tourist Attractions
Natural History Museum in Port Louis is a place of major tourist attraction. The museum exhibits replica of several extinct birds, mainly the dodo birds. The Mauritius Postal Museum sports a collection of beautiful stamps of Mauritius. Other attractions include the Port Louis Bazaar and the old Port Louis theatre. Pere Laval's Shrine, located at the Ste-Croix, is a popular pilgrimage renowned for healing powers. Built in the center of China Town the Islamic architecture of Jummah Mosque is spellbinding. The Domaine Les Pailles nature park nestling at the foot of the Moka mountain range is a charming spot with a spring, a spice garden and an old rum distillery. Pamplemousses Gardens to the north of Port Louis is a nature's paradise with a collection of various exotic plants, including the giant Victoria Amazonica water lilies and the unique talipot palm. Ile aux Cerfs on the east cost is a holiday spot Tourists loll or take a sunbath in the blonde beach and indulge in fun water sports. Black River George is a remarkable park sheltering some unique endangered species of flora and fauna. For the adventure tourists Mauritius comes with astounding entertainment options. Tamarin offers unique surfing, Mt. Limon and Mt. Malartic is ideal for hiking, Caverne Patate is set for caving and Rodrigues offers excellent diving opportunities.
Getting Around
With five airports and numerous international and domestic airlines a travel to Mauritius is not a difficult task. The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam international airport located at Plaisance, Mahebourg is a major airport organizing various overseas and inland flights. Air Mauritius operates over 30 weekly flights to and from all the major European cities, including 15 combined flights with Air France to and from Paris. Other international airlines operating in Mauritius include Air Australia, British Airways, Condor, South African Airways, Air Seychelles, Emirates and Singapore Airlines. The roads are well paved and the public transports are frequent and regular. Buses are plentiful connecting major cities and towns. Taxis are numerous and equipped with meters. It is wise to book taxis in advance and the fare can be negotiated at the time of the booking.
Accommodation and Precaution
Mauritius Hotels soothed by the islands pristine beauty provide comfortable and luxurious accommodation to the tourists. Some major hotels doting Mauritius are Beachcomber, Kerzner International, Naiade Resorts and Constance Hotels. Vaccinations are not required prior travel to Mauritius . However a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers who arrive from yellow fever infected areas.
For further details and information on Mauritius and its tourist destinations browse more pages of Allwonderscountries
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