Island hopping, ziplining, wellness: Mauritius insider reveals why the island jewel belongs on your bucket list
Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 7:00 a.m
Whether it’s the world’s most valuable postage stamp, canyoning adventures or relaxing in the wellness spa – Mauritius offers something for everyone. Hotel tester Andrea Labonte gives tips on what to discover on the island.
Mauritius – an island with an eventful history
Mauritius vacationers should definitely pay a visit to the capital Port Louis. The capital on the northwest coast of the island, which has 150,000 inhabitants, particularly impresses me with its historic center. The Governor’s House and Fort Adelaide bear witness to the island’s turbulent colonial past.
Fort Adelaide, the city’s citadel, was built between 1834 and 1840 as a fortress and was intended to protect against uprisings. These were expected after slavery was abolished. From Fort Adelaide I have an excellent view of Port Louis and its harbor.
Aapravasi Ghat, one of the first immigration points for Indian immigrants in Port Louis, is also one of the island’s historical memorials. From 1834 onwards, this facility served as a gathering point for hundreds of thousands of Indian workers who, after slavery was abolished, came to the island’s various sugar cane plantations to take on the work of slaves. The complex has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006.
about the author
Andrea Labonte from Wellness Heaven has an extraordinary job that is the envy of many: she has been a hotel tester for over 17 years Wellness Heaven Hotel Guide on the go, Germany’s largest portal for wellness hotels. She writes regularly in her column about her spa experiences, extraordinary destinations and the most bizarre incidents from her everyday working life “From the life of a hotel tester”.
Blue Penny Museum: Home of the world’s most valuable stamps
One of the best-known island museums is the Natural History Museum, which provides information about the island’s diverse nature – while the Blue Penny Museum is dedicated to the history and art of the island. The museum owes its name to the most valuable stamps in the world: the Red and Blue Mauritius. By the way, the museum is located on the Caudan Waterfront, the island’s largest shopping mile, which is perfect for strolling with over 170 shops.
The colorful umbrellas that float over the narrow street in the Caudan harbor district have become a symbol of the popular promenade. For gourmets, a visit to the Central Market is obligatory. Fresh fruit, exotic spices and vibrant life are on the agenda here, as are local, freshly prepared delicacies. On the other hand, I experience Asian flair in China Town in Port Louis.
Mauritius – an island for families
Due to its versatility, Mauritius is also an ideal destination for families – in addition to family-friendly beaches, the island in the Indian Ocean also offers numerous activities and sights that are both entertaining and educational. How about discovering the Vanille Nature Park in the south of the island? This is known for its giant tortoises, but also crocodiles, monkeys and exotic birds.
The interactive reptile farm with its snakes, lizards and chameleons also has a special fascination for visitors young and old. Even safaris are possible in the Casela Nature Park to the west. Here you can admire lions, giraffes, zebras and other exotic animals up close.
Ziplining, quad rides and canyoning are also on the program for all adventurers.
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Sugar cane and sea creatures
The Sugar Adventure Park also offers entertainment and education at the same time. Here, families can learn a lot of interesting facts about the sweet history of sugar cane, which once had a significant influence on the island’s economy. And even today, the lush green sugar cane plantations still characterize the island. Even if tea fields and coffee plantations fit into the landscape here and there. Families can find out what sugar cane juice tastes like and how sugar cane is grown through interactive demonstrations, short films and giant flip books.
An adventure playground and a water park also provide variety. At the Mauritius Aquarium, located in the small coastal village of Point aux Piments in the north of Mauritius, 150 different marine animals native to Mauritius can be admired. And even up close, because there is a “touch pool” for little visitors where they can interact with harmless marine animals.
Fish feeding takes place every day at 11 a.m., where sharks, turtles and moray eels, among others, can be observed feeding from a safe distance.
Rain of flowers and island hopping
Families should also plan a quick visit to the Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. This almost 300-year-old botanical garden in the north of the island is home to an impressive collection of exotic plants such as the Amazon giant water lily, gigantic water lilies and rare palm species such as the Talipot palm. The latter only blooms after 30 to 50 years and is captivating with millions of small, cream-colored individual flowers when it is in bloom and is a feast for the eyes, and not just for botanists.
Boat trips to the islands off the coast of Mauritius can also enrich your holiday biography in the long term. Boat tours to the islands of Île aux Cerfs, Île aux Aigrettes and Île aux Benitiers are particularly popular due to their picturesque beaches, snorkeling opportunities and abundance of rare bird species. And with a bit of luck, wild dolphins might even find their way to the islands.
Tailor-made wellness programs at the Seven Colors Spa
If you feel slight signs of fatigue after the many adventures on land and on the water, you are in good hands in the island’s numerous wellness temples. The Seven Colors Spa at the Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort is such a place of well-being. An enchanted path past centuries-old banyan trees shows me the way towards regeneration.
Anyone who walks through the temple-like archway automatically leaves their everyday life behind them and only hears the calls of exotic birds and the quiet splashing of the water cascades, which run like a leitmotif through the jungle spa. What particularly impresses me is the tailor-made spa program “Wellness Bliss”, which sets the Seven Colors Spa apart from other wellness resorts.
With the support of a wellness ambassador, guests in need of relaxation can choose activities and treatments that meet their personal goals and individual well-being needs. The focus can be on detoxification, weight loss, a more balanced diet, improved sleep quality, better fitness or even sustainable nature experiences.
The Mauritian Ravin particularly challenges me during a 60-minute body balance session and gives me valuable help with the numerous asanas for my external and internal balance.
Authentic Ayurveda experience in the Maradiva Spa
I have a particularly authentic spa experience at the Maradiva Spa. In addition to its excellent location and its Villas Only concept, the Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa has also made a name for itself for its sophisticated Ayurveda concept. The excellent equipment in the Ayurveda treatment rooms amazes me, as does the thorough anamnesis discussion with the Ayurvedic doctor Dr. Praveen Nair.
He comes from the Ayurvedic Mecca of Kerala and runs the Maradiva Spa. In the conversation, Dr. Nair asked me about my physical constitution, my rhythm of life and my health problems and amazed me with his precise powers of observation. So he anticipates many of my character traits and preferences before I even articulate them.
He focuses less on a medical checkup and rather identifies my Ayurvedic type. He selects the massage technique and also the herbal oils based on my dosha type. So I recommend an Abhyanga full-body massage with detox oils, which the Indian Meera carries out perfectly with warm detox oils and virtuoso massage movements.
Relaxation in the midst of dignified colonial-style architecture
The “Pure Spa” at the JW Marriott Mauritius Resort is also perfect for wellness enthusiasts. This self-contained, colonial-style wellness retreat exudes peace and relaxation in every pore. Here, guests aged 12 and over will find gentle touches, the rustling of palm trees and calming views of the Indian Ocean, the dense jungle green and even the island’s landmark, the mountain giant Le Morne Brabant, on a spacious area of 2,000 square meters.
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Andrea Labonte
Renowned hotel tester and columnist specializing in wellness hotels
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Renowned hotel tester and columnist specializing in wellness hotels
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Andrea Labonte
Renowned hotel tester and columnist specializing in wellness hotels
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