Mauritius — A jewel in the Indian Ocean
“Mauritius was made first, then heaven was copied from it.” — Mark Twain
Mauritius, located some 2 000 kilometers off the southeast African coast, was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch — who named it in honour of Prince Maurits van Nassau. The French assumed control of the island until the British captured it in 1810. Mauritius obtained independence in 1968 and became a republic in 1992.
The Republic of Mauritius comprises four islands, Mauritius being the largest. The multi-ethnic society includes people of Indian and European origin, along with injections of African slaves, Arab traders and Chinese indentured labourers. English is the official language but Creole is most widely spoken. French is predominant in the media, business, and the educational system. Local cuisine is a blend of Creole, Chinese, European and Indian influences — it’s common for a combination of cultural dishes to form part of the same meal. Mauritius is also a shopping mecca, with Grand Baie as the fashion capital and Port Louis famous for bargain shopping. There are only two distinct seasons with minimal differences between them, making it a perfect year-round destination.
Tourism is the island’s third highest employer, with more than 1 000 hotels in operation. Only four hours from South Africa, Mauritius is the archetypal dream destination. The numerous modern resorts have been carefully developed to preserve the island’s beauty and ecology. Different holiday packages are available to suit your budget. The best option is an all-inclusive holiday that covers all meals, drinks, most sports, entertainment and services. Each resort has its own character, catering for different tastes. The resort offers everything you may need for a relaxing holiday.
Mauritius is a golfer’s haven with a number of spectacular courses. The island has attracted the attention of many of the top golf course designers in the world, such as Bernard Langer, Ernie Els, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Peter Matkovich. The island’s Gymkhana Golf Club is the oldest golf club in the Southern Hemisphere and the fourth oldest golf course in the world.
The countryside boasts the perfect scenery for horse riding, hiking, cycling and quad biking, and the island itself is a veritable paradise for deep sea and game fishing, with the ocean being 70m-deep one kilometre from the coast. Almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs, the island is also a diver’s dream. And for the boating enthusiast, there is no shortage of opportunities as the sport thrives around the entire island.
With the Central Market, Natural History Museum and Blue Penny Museum, Port Louis offers plenty of cultural experiences. A short ride takes you to the Royal Botanical Gardens of Pamplemousses, the Domaine Les Pailles cultural centre and Chamarel, the “Seven Coloured Earth”. La Vanille Reserve des Mascareigne and Black River Gorges National Park offer nature lovers scenic drives and wildlife encounters. Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Le Morne Brabant — symbol of the slaves’ fight for freedom — and Aapravasi Ghat Immigration Depot are also worth visiting.
According to the World Bank, Mauritius expects an impressive economic growth rate of 5% in 2023, even after upwardly revising its 2022 growth rate from 7.8% to 8.7%. This exceptional growth is attributed to the successful revival of its tourism industry, coupled with Mauritius’ removal from the global grey list following the implementation of various measures to satisfy the international financial community. Tourism continues to be one of the key industries on the island, with an estimated 1.3 million international visitors expected during 2023 — a 25% increase from 2022.
The information contained in this article is of a general nature and intended for information purposes only.
