Mauritius - Belle Mare & Beyond

This was our first trip this far south and to such a far away island. We were originally thinking of going back to our honeymoon location not too far away in the Maldives, but we decided that with so much to see and do on Mauritius, it would a better place for us to explore. We wanted to be in a place that we could have some beach time as well as get in the car and find some freedom to get out and about. The island itself isn’t that big, so you can easily drive form one side to the other in an hour.

Planning for this started well in advance. I think it may have been 8 or 9 months! We had a lot to consider such as planning for our house sitter to come and stay. Our House sitter is a lovely lady who lives in Berlin. She loves staying with us and adores our two cats. She has been staying for quite a few years and its safe to say we view her more as a friend now than just someone to look after our house and pets while we are away. She’s invited us to stay with her in Berlin, which we are really looking forward to in 2020.

Mauritius is located about 1200 miles from the coast of Africa. The country includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agaléga and St. Brandon. The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues form part of the Mascarene Islands, along with nearby Réunion, a French overseas department. Madagascar is a hugely important island, rich in history and flourishing with a diverse population of pant and animal species.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

As with all travel there are just so many options. Some can take the best part of 20+hrs like this one. We weren’t too bothered as we knew we would be arriving somewhere breathtaking. As with the majority of our flights, we always fly from London Gatwick. for us, its 45 min from door to airport so it’s really easy to fly from and means no long journey prior to the flight. We flew with Emirates on the new Airbus A380. What an amazing piece of technology. How its able to get off the ground is unbelievable.

Our flight started at Gatwick for the 7hrs where we would have a short layover in Dubai. It was only 2hrs and would mean getting on our way again without having to sit around too long. The flight from Dubai to Mauritius is another 6hrs so its a fair trip!

PROPRIÉTÉ

There are no shortage of places to stay in Mauritius. Our base was on the North East of the island in Belle Mare. Home to some of the Islands best hotels and located on a 1km long white sand beach, which is also one of the best on the island. The one we opted for is the award winning Maritim Crystals Beach Hotel.

The buildings are similar to a French colonial style with a modern twist. All are luxurious , relaxing and tranquil. There are multiple room options available, with some right next to the beach. Ideal for watching those amazing sunrises and sunsets. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to stay. There is no shortage of things to do. To feed your adventurous side there is paddle boarding, kite surfing, sailing and much more.

Tip: I’d opt to stay in the rooms closest to to the relaxation pool. It’s adult only!

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

There is no shortage of experiences to be had and you may not even get to do them all. Mauritius is a big producer of sugar cane and along with sugar cane comes Rum! Gavin is a big rum fan, so we visited one of the biggest rum producers on the island, Rhumerie De Chamarel. The Rhumerie is located just on the edge of the Black River Gorges National Park and its an amazing journey getting there, winding your way down the mountain roads. Not too far from here you can visit the Seven Coloured Earth, the Chamarel waterfall which is the biggest on the island. You will also find many miles of unspoilt hiking trails that will blow you away!

We also went to the Bois Cheri tea factory to see how the local tea was made from harvesting the leaves grown on site, right the way through from picking, processing and packing. The capital of Port Louis is a must visit. There is a central market with stall holders selling locally made souvenirs and produce. There is a magnificent new marina hosting upmarket bars and restaurants to cater for the people vising on their multi-million pound yachts.

Mauritius has a majority Hindu following among other religions. What amazed us was the sheer number of bight and colorful Hindu temples that you would see as you were driving. Each time we just had to stop and look at these amazing places of worship.