Mauritius 🇲🇺 Dreamlike Tropical Island & Multi-cultural Paradise For Travelers !

Mauritius is a beautiful island state in the Indian Ocean.
Its tropical climate, breathtaking nature and mixed culture make it an exciting destination for travelers from all over the world!

Mauritius Info

Location: Indian Ocean

Size: about 2,000 km2 (780 sq mi)

Population: about 1,250,000

Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Capital: Port Louis

Weather: Since Mauritius is located on the southern hemisphere, the seasons are in reverse to Europe, US and Asia.

History of Mauritius

Mauritius used to be a uninhabited until first being discovered by arab sailors some time during the middle ages.
The island then became a Dutch colony in 1638, and was first named "Mauritius" after Prince Maurice van Nassau of the Dutch Republic.

After the dutch abandoned the island in 1710, the French then took control and renamed it Isle de France.

Mauritius was a French colony from 1715 until 1810 - but you can still feel the influence until today. French and English are still the 2 official languages of Mauritius, and the french influence had a big impact on the country's culture, cuisine and art.

From 1810–1968, Mauritius was under British rule.

It still remains part of the commonwealth today and some British traditions (like driving on the left side) have stuck with the Islanders until today.
The British made a lot of social and economic changes, and helped shape the island and its culture into what it is now.
Since the island is so isolated, Port Louis first received electricity in 1910 - and since then, the economy (especially exports of sugar) started to boom.

In 1968, Mauritius then gained independency from Britain as they decided to release all of their colonies and just have the commonwealth remaining.

It'S fascinating to see how two languages and two cultures - French and British - have shaped with multi-cultural, multi-ethical island that's located between India and Africa.
Mauritius offers a really unique mix of different cultures which is represented everywhere: in the food, art, music, lifestyle and society!

Culture in Mauritius

Since Mauritius has such an interesting history with impacts of different other cultures like Dutch, French and British, this is also represented in the island's culture.
Even the religions are mixed within the island, dominated by hinduism, followed by christianity and islam.

It seems like everything is a multi-cultural mix in Mauritius:

The music and art show influences of different European cultures, as well as some African and Indian traditions. This is also reflected in the overall atmosphere and lifestyle on the island.
The cuisine in Mauritius is also a combination between Creole (local Mauritian dishes), Chinese, Indian and European dishes. It is quite common to have parts of different cuisines within one meal.
While many Chinese people own the restaurants in the cities, home-cooked Mauritian food is often based on rice and combined with fish, red meat or local vegetables.

What to do in Mauritius

Of course, Mauritius has some amazing dreamy beaches, crystal clear water, and palm trees swinging in the wind.
The island is probably best known as a destination for luxury vacations or honeymoons, due to the tropical weather and beautiful scenery.
But apart from the gorgeous climate, Mauritius has a lot more to offer:

Black River Gorges National Park

This National Park is one of the main sights in Mauritius. The national park is over 6600 hectares large and showcases some of the remaining primary forest, as well as some spectacular species of flora and fauna.
Located within the National Park are the Alexandra waterfalls, one of the main attractions and a true miracle created by mother nature.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden

Another location showcasing the beautiful nature in Mauritius are the botanical gardens located in Pamplemousses.
The gardens were first created as private gardens by the French governor of Mauritius almost 300 years ago.
When the British took over Mauritius the garden faced some difficulties, and was later revived and re-opened as public gardens and tourist attraction.

The botanical gardens are populated with over 650 varieties of rare, tropical plants.

Amongst those are giant water lilies, Baobab trees, over 85 different varieties of palm trees from all over the world, dozens of medicinal plants, a large spice garden and much more.

Ile aux Cerf

Ile aux Cerf is a small island located east of Mauritius. There are no hotels on this island, but countless tourists are taking a 30-minute boat ride for a daytrip on the paradise island.
The beaches are dreamy and white, and the scenery with the turquoise water is absolutely beautiful. Ile aux Cerf was named one of the most beautiful locations in the Indian Ocean and is a "must-see".
Of course, as with anything popular, the island is often crowded with tourists - but nevertheless, you can find a private spot when walking further along the beaches.

Have you ever been to Mauritius ?

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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