.... along the southeast coast of Mauritius with many boats, even more sunshine, and pleasant conversations with people from Mauritius, France, England, and South Africa.

We will come back tanned 😎

.... through a bike tour. Upon our return, we were - considering the 33°C in the shade - 'like fish out of water', but it was still very informative and beautiful.

Our excursion was a guided bike tour organized by our hotel. However, we had the guide Patrick 'all to ourselves', as no one else was crazy enough to do sports in these temperatures.

The ride to Mahebourg took us past sugar plantations to an old, large, and very impressive baobab tree.

The town and the region around Mahebourg are - compared to other regions of Mauritius - still strongly traditional and not very touristy developed.

First, we visited the waterfront promenade of Mahebourg before heading to the market. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and a bit of street food characterize this market. After that, we went to the 'fishing harbor' of Mahebourg, which is only used by small and tiny traditional boats. Then we headed to the only more tourist-oriented village in the Mahebourg region, the Blue Bay .... the name says it all. Along the way, we frequently had views of Lion Mountain, which shapes the silhouette of Mahebourg.

By the way, we learned all of this from our guide Patrick, who has lived and worked in Mahebourg since birth.

.... is actually not our thing, but we want to properly 'chill' one more time to process the many experiences of the past weeks.

With our choice of hotel, we clearly got lucky: generously designed and largely natural, three beaches (in a cove or open sea), numerous water sports offerings, golf option with a view of the Indian Ocean, nice restaurants and bars, and great interior .... what more could you want!

Day 132: Port Louis/Mauritius

And still no signal, sitting in the cruise terminal and using the Wi-Fi there to catch up on the blog.

After 4 days at sea, we reach Port Louis, Mauritius, welcomed by dancers.
Mauritius, approximately 2,000 km2 in size with 1.3 million inhabitants and the capital Port Louis with around 150,000 residents. Once completely forested, today only about 15% remains, while 40% of the area is sugarcane.
Mauritius has been independent since 1968 and has been a republic since 1992. A multi-ethnic state with English as the official language, written French, and spoken Creole, along with legislation of English/French origin.
The first day in Mauritius is dedicated to playing golf at the Anahita Golf Club.
The second day takes us primarily to the south of the island, to the waterfalls of Chamarel, the Chamarel Geopark with its 7-colored earth, the Black River with views of the original rainforest (biosphere reserve), the sacred lake 'Grand Bassin', a Hindu temple where a 33m tall statue of Lord Shiva greets you at the entrance, a workshop for ship models handcrafted in pure craftsmanship, and finally a viewpoint from the crater 'Trou aux Cerfs'.
In the evening, we leave Mauritius heading towards South Africa.

I flew from the French island of La Réunion in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius on December 10, 2025, in 50 minutes - out of laziness, as the approximately 42 hours that the car ferry takes from Saint Denis (Réunion) to Port Louis (Mauritius) according to the travel app 'Rome2Rio' seemed too tedious for me. I later found direct flights to Southeast Asia only from Mauritius, not from Réunion, as I want to reach there before Christmas.

With around 2000 square kilometers, Mauritius is about half the size of Mallorca but has 1.3 million inhabitants, meaning it is just as densely populated as Réunion. You can really feel this, especially when you find yourself stuck in traffic somewhere around the capital Port Louis (150,000 inhabitants).

Complicated History

Compared to La Réunion, which has been French since 1638 and has been a full-fledged department of France since 1947, the history of Mauritius is more complicated: The island was discovered by the Portuguese in 1505 and settled by the Dutch from 1638. The French took possession in 1715. In 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars, the British conquered the island. On March 12, 1968, Mauritius gained independence from the United Kingdom but remained a member of the Commonwealth.

This tumultuous past has had curious consequences to this day: The spoken languages are Creole and French, like in Réunion, while the official language is English, and left-hand traffic prevails. The island is also known for the 'Blue Mauritius,' one of the most famous, rarest, and most valuable postage stamps in the world. It was issued in 1847 by the British Crown Colony of Mauritius and shows a youthful portrait of the then 28-year-old Queen Victoria.

Exciting Diversity

Due to its eventful history, life in Mauritius is also characterized by exciting diversity. About two-thirds of Mauritians come from the Indian subcontinent; their ancestors were once brought to the island by the British as laborers and domestic servants, while slaves from Africa toiled on the sugar plantations.

Hindu temples are scattered across the island, the largest of which is located by a lake called Le Grand Bassin. It is dedicated to Shiva and his family, whose members are represented in numerous colorful statues. Believers lay down flowers, light candles, and drink water from the lake; this is said to be as holy as that in the Ganges, my Indian driver assures me.

The downside, however, is that the ethnic Indians also dictate political life and play a disproportionately large role in the economy, while the Creoles, of African-European mixed descent, who make up about a third of the population, are underrepresented. Moreover, although the Indians have been settled here for centuries and speak Creole like everyone else, they have, as a teacher tells me, imported the unfortunate caste system one-to-one.

Five-Star Luxury...

A few years ago, I visited Mauritius on a luxurious trip, with overnight stays in five-star resorts and a private car with a driver. I first stayed at the Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa, hidden in a palm grove in the far northwest of the island, with a sandy beach stretching to the horizon.

The resort markets itself as 'the most romantic hotel in Mauritius' and has a loyal German and Swiss clientele. On booking.com, the cheapest room for two guests with breakfast starts at around 500 euros per night, while the hotel's website offers it with an early booking discount for approx. 450 euros in the off-season and more than 700 during high season.

The small, fine Constance le Prince Maurice Resort is referred to as the 'flagship' by the Constance group and is similarly priced: in high season from about 700 euros and in the off-season from about 450 euros per night for couples, breakfast included. The Prince Maurice is located in a lagoon in the east of the island near the village of Poste de Flacq, and features villas standing on stilts in the water. In the evening, you can dine, gently swaying, in a restaurant on pontoons under white sails.

Finally, the Shanti Maurice Resort and Spa, located in the south of the island near Saint-Felix, was once a purely Ayurveda hotel. The therapies in the spacious spa area still play an important role. However, you can also spend a normal holiday at Shanti, at the beach, by the pools, in the bars and restaurants. A double room with breakfast for two costs around 380 euros in the off-season and about 700 euros per night in the high season.

...or simpler Pleasures

This time, I am traveling on a much more modest pensioner's budget and could not afford such opulent refuges, even though Mauritius is by no means a cheap destination. Instead of a luxury resort for a few thousand francs a week, I chose a guesthouse right by the water for a fraction of the price. The 'Auberge SeaFever' is also not located in a chic holiday resort but in the sleepy town of Mahébourg, which is almost entirely untouched by tourism, near the International Airport.

Here, one indulges in simple pleasures: swimming at Blue Bay or Pointe d’Esny, both reachable by bus in a few minutes. The water is just as clear and turquoise, the sand as fine as in the five-star resorts. For an evening aperitif, people meet at the former harbor at 'Les Copains d’abord,' and instead of dining in an overpriced trendy restaurant, one enjoys simple but extremely tasty Creole dishes served at 'Chez Marilyn.'

Saved Nature

Whether in a guesthouse or a resort: It is definitely worth exploring the island extensively. In the middle of the sugarcane fields of Beau Plan, in the municipality of Pamplemousse, there is a spectacular museum, L’Aventure du Sucre. It tells in generally understandable language not only about the development of sugar production, once Mauritius’s most important export product, but also the tumultuous history of the island itself. Furthermore, the museum dedicates a lot of space to the tragedy of slavery and thus becomes an important witness to a dark historical epoch.

Contemporary history can be experienced in Vallée de Ferney in the southeastern part of the island, north of Mahébourg. Here, a forest is to be restored to its original condition, meaning it will be freed from all invasive plants over the coming decades. That this picturesque nature park still exists at all is thanks to civic resistance, 'perhaps the first Mauritian citizens' initiative ever,' as our guide tells us.

A former government had planned to build a highway right through the charming valley with a view of the sea, funded and designed by Chinese investors. 'In that case, guests from the airport would have been a half-hour earlier at their hotels in the northeast,' says the guide - and for that marginal time gain, one of the last intact cultural landscapes of Mauritius would have been irretrievably destroyed. The protests were successful: Shortly before the start of construction, elections were held, and the government that had planned to push through the road construction against the will of the people was voted out.

A trip that should not be missed leads to Chamarel in the mountains in the southwest. There, there is a unique natural phenomenon to visit, the Terres des Sept Couleurs ('seven-colored earths'), a completely vegetation-free hilly landscape with a colorful striped pattern made from oxidized metals like iron and aluminum. Also selfie-worthy are the giant tortoises in an enclosure near the seven-colored earths.

And while you are in this beautiful area, make sure to visit the Rhumerie de Chamarel, a modern distillery where sugarcane liqueurs are produced that have won international awards. Those who come from Tuesday to Friday can observe the entire working process from the pressing of the sugarcane to the distillation. At the end of the tour, there is a tasting of the liqueurs.

So fortified (or discreetly hazy), you let yourself be driven back to the resort, to sit on the beach under a thatched sunshade, allowing the high-proof alcohol to evaporate. Or in my case: back to the guesthouse, to relax on a sun lounger on the terrace, lulled into a gentle siesta by the soft sound of the sea.

After our last delicious breakfast, the first stop is at the fabric dealer we trust. I need a brown cloth, but he can't get that for me; the color doesn't work that way. Well, then I decide on 2 other colors, and Ira takes one as well. So 3 for 15€ - today he won't negotiate anymore.

Next item on the agenda: Frisbee golfing and the mall (which is on the way), we still need the souvenirs for the boys. Ira and Micha are not interested in throwing discs, so we drop them off on the way to the mall. If we take too long, they want to walk back.

The Frisbee golf course is about 45 minutes from the hotel.

We decide to take the shorter route without traffic. We just didn't consider that it goes up high. Schahaatz suddenly says, “Hmm I feel pressure in my head. The diving instructor said 300 meters is no problem. We're now at 350 m and the summit is not yet reached. Mister Google says 400 m is the maximum. What now? You can't just turn around on the highway, especially not when it is also structurally separated. Schaahatz goes full throttle - eyes closed and go for it. 400 m - 430 m - 470 m and then it finally goes down slowly and the head becomes clearer again.

The court is supposed to be a 9-hole grass course. A beautifully designed garden,

with something like golf holes. No baskets.

On Udisk, there is also no map showing where the tee-off points are and how far the distance is. So we stand a bit at a loss, searching in the midday sun, wondering where it might start.

Eventually, we find a stone that says 35 m. We take that one now and throw it into the hole with the pole on the green (brown).

I think we played 5 or 6 holes, then I didn't feel like it anymore; I felt bad and hot.

We head home. This time the longer traffic route, but at least flat.

Meanwhile, Ira and Micha are already back at the hotel, so we quickly grab the souvenirs and return to the hotel.

Actually, we wanted to do a rum tasting, but since we have our massage appointment at the spa at 3:45 PM, unfortunately, that has to be skipped this vacation.

After so much action, we deserve the massage too. An hour and a half of being massaged from head to toe. All 4 in parallel in two couples' cabins.

Completely relaxed and oiled, we enjoy the last sunset of the vacation at the beach.

No one really wants to think about packing the suitcase.

Schahaatz launches the drone again and starts a conversation with his dive partner, who had to stop during the second dive. We learn that she is a Chinese real estate agent, Diyan from Dubai, who has flown to Mauritius for a week to unwind. She flies back in the evening.

Now we still have the casual packing of the suitcase ahead of us.

We enjoy the last dinner in the 2nd A-La-Carte restaurant, with Italian dishes.

One last cocktail at the bar and then it's off to the room and then to bed, because the night is short and the suitcase is not yet ready.

Penultimate day. Schahaatz is once again submerged today, and that too in a double session.

Personal entry:

“The excitement is significantly less today. I'm having breakfast alone, the first dive starts at 9:00 AM, and I’m at the dive center by 8:30.

This morning we are heading to the Hoit Rocks, massive boulders lying in several heaps.

It will be a private dive with Divemaster Iydin. (sadly without photo).

A simple dive in an impressive backdrop. The current is strong and I’m diving for the first time in a noisy environment. You can hear the waves crashing, divers jumping into the water, and motorboats engaging in water sports.

All in all very relaxed, we complete the safety stop and ascend. We return to the dive base by boat to go back out after just a bathroom break. 

Once again a dive with two people and again with John. This time we are heading to a drop-off. Vertical rock walls with plenty of hiding spots for various sea creatures. 

John has sharp eyes, we spot a large stonefish in its hiding place.

We dive through rock crevices and under rock overhangs.

And then, in a rock niche, there's a sea turtle. Definitely 100cm in diameter. Somewhat majestic and very calm, she makes herself comfortable there.

Kurt, we then make an important safety stop, a must after two dives in a day.

When we surface, it is there, the open water feeling. Our boat is not there. John, slightly confused, jokes, saying: Well then we'll swim back. 

Yeah right, I think, 10 minutes by boat, we'll need a maximum of 1 1/2 days to swim back with all the gear 😂

Not even 10 minutes later, the boat is back, lucky us.

We head back.”

Personal entry ends.

The rest of us are passing the time at the beach. 

Yesterday at the pool with all the splashing, ball-playing guests was a bit annoying, plus the sun was gone by 3 PM.

So today, we are at the side beach. A nice towel vendor crosses our path and, of course, wants to sell his goods to us. He had already made Ira a special Sunday price on the first day, 2 towels for 12€. We could pay in Euros too, no problem, and he shows us a thick bundle of euros. Seems to be a lucrative business.

Today, Ira finds two really nice beach towels. But today Ira's price is Two for Ten. Ira, the rock in the negotiation surf, remains steadfast, so after tough negotiations he gives up on his alternatives “3 towels for first 20€ then for 18€, 2 towels for 12€ - and mother, father, and children will starve” and accepts the price.

We enjoy the day at the sea, the water is pleasantly warm, 

once you're in, and even at the beach, fish are visible. Micha dares to go further out with his snorkeling gear, I prefer to stay here in front.

Since Schahaatz is not here (he's passing time at the reef), I borrow his water shoes, so I have fins too 🤣. 

Because going without shoes is okay, but with them it is much lighter to swim.

Another sundowner

For dinner, we have reserved a table at the à la carte restaurant 

Starters

Main course:

Dessert 

One more goodnight drink☺️

Good night 

Now it is slowly getting exhausting to squeeze all the activities we still want to do into the last days.

Schahaatz wants to dive, we all want to get a massage, a distillery still needs to be visited, and we have to see Port Louis and the Botanical Garden. Oh yes, and we also want to play Frisbee Golf. Total stress.

Good that clouds are gathering today, then we could tick off 3 points from our list.

In advance we reserve tables in both a-la-carte restaurants, schedule the massage for Thursday and arrange Schahaatz's dive.

Carefree we can set off for Port Louis.

The closer we get to the capital, the more strenuous the traffic becomes.

Micha is handling it great.

Arriving in the center, the search for parking begins. Not quite simple, especially since all cars, buses, trucks, mopeds, and pedestrians move in every direction, and it feels like there are only one-way streets. But those who search long will find, and we finally find a marked spot at the roadside without any signs. A sign refers to a maximum parking time of 2 hours. While Ira and I are still peeling ourselves out of the car, the guys are already gone and are assessing the situation. Ok, here you need so-called parking coupons, which are found in the cars. But where do you get them? We haven't seen anything like a parking meter yet. Micha asks in a shop and the guys are already on their way while we girls stand here looking dumbly around, like ordered and not picked up, observing the colorful hustle and bustle.

Eventually, the two come back with a block of 10 parking coupons.

To park for half an hour, you need a coupon, so 10 Rupees (0.20€). The coupons still have to be filled out, but how without a pen and knowing what to fill out. So back to the first store.

After the parking saga is behind us (and hoping our car will still be there later 😅) we mingle with the crowd.

The Central Market is supposed to be the crowd puller. Open Mo-Sa from 5:00-17:30. On the way here, we had already seen a covered area at the bus station. So, we dive into the hustle. Many stalls with clothes, but none with vegetables. Strange, the travel guide said that everything is available here. Shiva, please bless the inventor of Google Maps, because now we know that we are wandering in the wrong market. So we stroll through the streets of the area for bathroom fittings, spices,

Metal goods of all kinds, 

Clothes and much more towards the Central Market. The fruit and vegetable market offers a variety of familiar and unfamiliar.

In the other part, there is everything the tourist's heart desires. Clothes, baskets, shoes, spices and so on.

Bargaining is a must, I don’t think you can make any bargains here, but they can sell you things in 4 languages. Even in German, although the vocabulary is limited to the words “Come - Good day - good price - Germany good”, but at least it’s more than I can speak French.

Loaded up with a few souvenirs and overwhelmed by the many impressions we make our way back. 

Micha receives a stern reprimand from a local law enforcement officer on the way to the car for smoking in public. Because in Mauritius:

Smoking in vehicles and in public is subject to strict regulations. In case of violation, there are high fines or imprisonment.

Lucky us, there was only a reprimand. 

We actually wanted to play Frisbee Golf, but I think they don’t have floodlights here. So we drive to the Botanical Garden because it is right on our way home.

Facts:

The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, also known as Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, is a tourist attraction. It is named after the politician Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who led Mauritius to independence. In 1770, Pierre Poivre

established the garden. It is the oldest botanical garden in the southern hemisphere and covers an area of about 37 hectares. The garden is particularly known for its giant water lilies, talipot palms, and water lilies, but it also offers a large number of partly exotic spices, ebony trees, sugar cane, and 85 different types of palms from Central America, Asia, Africa, and other islands in the Indian Ocean. Some of the trees were brought to Mauritius as gifts by heads of state, including Princess Margaret (the youngest sister of Queen Elizabeth II), I. Gandhi, and F. Mitterrand.

300 Rs (6€) entrance per person, and 1 hour until the park closes. Right at the start, we encounter an Indian bride and groom who are here for a photo shoot. The bride wore a stunning sparkling green dress. And of course, none of us took a photo, we were so blinded.

The garden is beautifully designed, but the fat, asphalted paths are somewhat inappropriate.

Passing the pond with the giant water lilies, 

whose leaves can reach a diameter of up to one meter, we stroll through the park in search of the….tree. 

We haven't found that, but we found plenty of flying foxes.

Homeward bound, dinner and cocktails await us.

Hello Carmen, 🤗

tell me: are you not writing a travel blog anymore? 🤔 Or was that planned for Mauritius? Wish you a wonderful time...☀️🌊⛱️🙋🏽‍♀️😘

Of course, Mauritius is also included.

Today is beach and pool day. The audience, in terms of nations, is well mixed here. Nevertheless, there are still some who set out in the morning and mark their territory with objects or towels. The fools never die out.

After our daily extensive breakfast round, we try to snag 4 loungers around 10:00 AM. Impossible at the pool, futile under any umbrellas at the beach, it leaves us with the place in the scorching sun or under the palm trees near the vendors' camps. Okay, then it is there, at least there is shade.

However, it's not just the flies 🪰 that are annoying here, but also the street vendors with their cloths, glasses, and chains. With a friendly “No thanks” you definitely won't get rid of them immediately. It was different at the other hotel.

The sea is quite refreshing, whereas the pool water is bathtub temperature.

11:45 AM water aerobics - new animator, new program. Warm water, sun above, and a strenuous workout, the pounds don’t stand a chance anymore.

Completely exhausted and drought-stricken, we first have to balance our fluid intake.

And you can't stand on one leg, the third one tastes good too, and suddenly the question arises: “does the fourth one taste good as well?”

So far, all the cannoneers have tasted different.

Schahaatz and Micha went to bed at 20:15 (watching TV🤪) and Ira and I enjoyed the evening program with a wine spritzer.

One last delicious breakfast, then packing the suitcase, and off we go to the final stop of our journey. Heading north in Mauritius to Grand Baie.

Pure luxury for a farewell - the suitcases are picked up from the room, taken to the car, and the vehicle is even brought forward. A sedan would have completed the picture, but I think even Prince Philip walked - well, maybe he was driven in a golf cart.

In Mauritius, there is a deposit system for glass bottles (e.g., for beer or cola) just like at home. Before we start heading north, we have to get rid of the bottles. (You can actually return them at the information desk in the supermarket.)

Ira wants to visit an Indian clothing store and look for a dress. A real Bollywood store. Shahat is considering buying a kurta (an Indian suit), but it didn't work out because they were either too small or too big, and when they fit, the color wasn't right. The one top that fit and had the right color blew the budget with its price and especially its weight. Micha tried on two where everything fit, but then the question arose, 'When should I wear it?' So only Ira left the store with a pretty dress (including pants and shawl - always included in India).

Today, Micha is completing his last required driving session - highway driving.

After an hour, we reach our last hotel 'Club las Piranjas.'

Some might remember the 1995 film featuring Hape Kerkeling. In 2023, Part 2 was released, and the filming took place in the spring and summer of 2022 in Mauritius at the Canonnier Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa.

And here we are

6 days of all-inclusive club vacation, eating and drinking until the doctor arrives. Only Hape is not here.

Tomorrow we will leave our accommodation next to the royal bungalow.

In 1994, Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, visited Mauritius with his son Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and they stayed here beside us.

The day was quite boring and without highlights. It became quite windy and cold in the afternoon. After a delicious dinner, we just finished our drink supplies

and went to bed.

Today there is a fresh wind blowing and the sun does not really come out from behind the clouds.

The perfect weather for a trip to see the last remaining sights down here in the south of the island.

We set off into traffic that is quite heavy for such a small island. In addition to the horn, the switch for switching to recirculated air is very important here.

Today Google maps and our navigation system agree: “Take this exit at the roundabout”

…….. and standing on a construction site.

We continue through endless sugar cane fields and small villages (with narrow streets that we are supposed to drive through) to the Black River Gorges National Park.

In the parking lot we are greeted by a horde

and a horde

who cannot read.

We follow the path towards the viewpoint.

The effort of the trail (fending off the many vendors that line the path) is rewarded with a great view.

Lost in thought, our gaze wanders into the distance when we suddenly jump up. A monkey has crept up unnoticed and is now sitting half a meter in front of Schahaatz. The two watch each other eye to eye until the monkey shows Schahaatz his teeth.

Okay… I’d rather keep my distance.

Micha had an unusual encounter with a monkey earlier. He was sitting on your wastepaper basket and didn't like it at all that Micha wanted to get too close to him.

Micha had to run pretty fast. As a garbage can bottle collector, you're in a really bad position here.

Another short stop at the Victoria Falls

We continue to the Grand Bassin.

Facts

68% of the population is of Indian descent.

Ganga Talao, also known as Grand Bassin, is considered the holiest pilgrimage site for Hindus in Mauritius. It is a crater lake on whose shores several statues of Hindu gods

as well as several smaller temples.

In 1972, holy water from the Ganges was mixed with the water of the lake to create a symbolic connection with the holy Indian river. The lake was renamed from Grand Bassin to Ganga Talao.

A 33 m high Shiva statue has been located at the entrance to Ganga Talao since 2007.

This is the tallest statue in Mauritius. The statue is a copy of the statue from Sursagar Talav Lake in Vadodara, India. Across the road there is another statue of Durga Maa Bhavani, also 33 m high.

Today, the annual pilgrimages to the lake, during which some walk more than 70 kilometers barefoot, are the largest pilgrimages of the Hindus outside India.

Not only Hindus from Mauritius are represented, but also from South Africa, for example. Around 450,000 pilgrims are counted in February and March.

Under the large Shiva figure we receive the blessing of Shiva

and a band around the wrist (men right, women left) which is supposed to protect us and our family.

Facts:

Another symbol is the red thread that Hindus tie around their wrists. It is a symbol that they trust in the blessings of the divine triad Brahma, Vishnu and Mashesh (another name for Shiva) and their wives Saravati, Lakshmi and Durga and are assured of their support.

Mindfulness, prosperity, strength, wisdom, serenity, absence of all bad influences are some of the effects of this blessing.

Schahaatz, Ira and Micha then enter the inner circle, barefoot, to wet their heads with the holy water. The water is said to contain an elixir of immortality and is useful for spiritual cleansing and the healing of illnesses. Well, we'll see.

Of course we also make a pilgrimage to the lake, because they say:

A bath in the Ganges significantly increases the chance of a better rebirth.

……..we just skipped swimming because there are so many fish in there that you would rather walk on the water than get wet.

Further towards the coast there is a tea factory (unfortunately closed because it is not picking season and we don't feel like going to the museum) and a rum factory.

The visit here fails because only Schahaatz and Micha are allowed to drive the car, Ira and I don't drink rum and one person doesn't like it alone. We quickly visit a neighboring petting zoo

and a small vegetable garden

and move on sober and without accomplishing anything.

From here, Micha's second hour of driving begins. Only 10 minutes later, the Rochester Falls follow.

We take in everything there is to see here.

Following the signs, we reach a residential area. Boys are playing football in the street with goals made of flip-flops - and of course - we have to go through there. They let us through and already have a grin on their faces, because 3 bends further on we are back there - a ring road 🤦‍♀️.

According to the satnav this is the way

….. but nothing, just a closed gravel road with three parked cars in front of it.

Ok, continue on the coastal road B9 towards Le Morne.

We originally wanted to book the Hotel Lux here, but Kitzi (the man from Explorer) said that the trade winds in the south and east are very strong at the time of our trip. That's why the hotel was ruled out 🤣, but we still want to take a look at it.

In Mauritius, every house has a high wall around it. And every hotel too, the gates are rarely open so that you can visit another hotel. We were lucky at the Lux. The gates opened - Schahaatz and I went straight in and through the driveway to reception, the doorman didn't get out of her cubbyhole that quickly. Then she caught Micha and Ira. "Room number please?" and Ira very confidently: 105.

The facility was beautiful

And it wasn't any windier than it was here. So now it's time to go home, dinner is ready and it's already getting dark.

PS: Micha has already completed his compulsory hours of cross-country and night driving in left-hand traffic.

At breakfast, the sky should decide what we are going to do today.

Clear sky = Pool

Cloudy = sightseeing

See for yourself how the decision turns out.

Great 11:00 am water aerobics (hopefully the animator will come up with new exercises for tomorrow - otherwise it will be boring)

Clouds are slowly moving in and the wind is picking up. You could also say it's cold 🥶.

We spontaneously decide to take a short trip.

Destination: Discover Mauritius Iconic Geopark

And Micha's first driving lesson in left-hand traffic. A half parking exercise drive and then off we go, out into the real life and always keep left.

And you can guess where our GPS leads us?

Right - this dirt road is ours.

So back on the road. The geopark is located in a volcanic basin, which means we first have to overcome the crater slopes via serpentines. And here, just like on Reunion Island, there are these deep rain gutters at the edge of the road. The co-driver needs nerves of steel.

For the first driving lesson, a real challenge.

The geopark has 27 points of interest with information boards. Past Arabica coffee plants 

we come to the first attraction

Cascade de Chamarel

It is a twin waterfall and the highest of its kind in Mauritius.

The water falls about 100 meters deep.

Just 1.5 km away, there is another highlight:

A unique, unusual geological phenomenon:

the seven-colored earth

Facts

The bare, hilly ground presents itself in various shades of color on an area of about a hectare. The main tone is rust red, but a total of seven different colors can be distinguished - the spectrum ranges from ochre, brown, and red to yellow, orange, blue, and violet. 

The hill is probably of volcanic origin. However, a clear explanation for the variety of colors has not yet been found. One theory suggests that volcanic ash has been deposited there, which has cooled at different temperatures and has thus taken on its respective color.
Other scientists suspect that the layers of sand have been colored differently due to the oxidation of minerals.

The low sun brings out the colors properly.

Just a few steps away, in a small enclosure, we can look at tortoises. 

 

Those that sailors used to take as live food in the past. The male probably had a total length of just under one meter and a height of maybe 60 cm.

They were already impressive.

There are now 2 attractions to choose from: the Adventure Park or the Ebony Forest.

Due to the late hour, we decide for the Ebony Forest

The Ebony Forest is a 50 ha protected area for Mauritian endemic species (e.g. ebony) where a native forest is being created. Here you can plant a Love-Tree (according to the travel guide).

...... if the station had still been open. To get home in the daylight,

we decide to go back. A quick stop at the supermarket (the rum, cola, beer, and water supplies are running low), then getting lost 3 times and suddenly it's dark. 

We reach our hotel just in time for dinner, with a ravenous hunger.

Oh, today we were able to sleep in. Yesterday we had to get up at 6:00 a.m., which was pretty early. Breakfast was a seamless continuation of yesterday's dinner (in terms of choice and taste).

Craziness.

10:58 a.m. - Reserve the loungers at the pool (it's nice that there are still places where you don't have to secure your lounger with your towel at 5:00 a.m.)

11:00 a.m. - Water aerobics in the infinity pool.

11:45 am - Change of location to the sea

12:20 pm - Studying the travel guide on the lounger

And suddenly it's already 5 p.m. and we have to start preparing dinner.

What a stress 🤣

After the sumptuous international buffet, we stretch our legs in search of the fitness room. This is located in the neighboring hotel Sugar Beach (which we can partially use) and I would say it could rival some of the gyms in Germany.

However, we were impressed by the hotel

Facts:

An important traffic artery that connects the port in Le Port in the west with the airport in the north - and thus the two largest economic locations on the island. This route is now used by almost 20 million vehicles a year and traffic is constantly increasing. The new construction was necessary because the current RN1 route along the coast is at risk of rockfalls and erosion. The new coastal road runs at a safe distance from the cliffs and is being built as a mixed construction on dams and bridges (six dam sections and two bridges). Estimated costs are 3 billion euros, making it the most expensive road in the world.

The plane takes off almost on time. We've barely got up when the captain starts his approach to landing. The steward hands out a tetra pack of juice as he goes, and collects the empty ones as he goes back. After 30 minutes, the plane lands rather roughly on the runway.

Here we are, in Mauritius.

Facts:

The island belongs to the Mascarene archipelago and is located 200 km from Réunion. At 65 km long and 45 km wide, it is half the size of Mallorca. For a long time (15th-17th centuries), the island was considered a stopover for provisions on voyages between Europe and India (around the Cape of Good Hope). First the Portuguese, then the Dutch, the French and finally the English shaped the island. They were all the ones who eradicated the dodo 🦤 (a flightless, 20-25 kg, edible bird with no natural enemies) and the elephant tortoises (both were taken as provisions). They decimated the ebony stock to almost 0% and brought pigs, rats and sugar cane to the island. Slaves from Africa and India served as workers.

Since 1992, Mauritius has been a republic and independent of the British Crown.

Today, the almost 1.3 million multicultural population is made up of Indians (68%), Creoles (27%), Chinese and Europeans (each about 2%).

The flag means:

Red for the blood that was shed for independence.

Blue for the Indian Ocean.

Yellow for the light of independence.

Green for the country's rich vegetation.

National languages: English, French and Creole

Economic sectors: textiles, sugar and tourism.

Collecting our rental car was easier than ever. A huge Kia van that even had enough room for all of our luggage.

First challenge (thanks to the English) - left-hand traffic. Good thing we have an automatic car. Schahaatz drives us confidently

and with a super clean windshield to the hotel 🤣, because the indicators and windshield wipers are reversed here.

On the way there we were already joking about which back corner of the hotel we would be put up in this time.

And then …… The hotel - a dream.

And the food…..

…… 14 days here and you come home with 20 kg more body. Good thing we are only here for 5 days. 😅

And what's fantastic is that we don't have to worry about what and where we eat - wonderful.

10 more days and then it starts!!!

Since I obviously have no interest in protecting the environment this year , three days after landing on La Réunion I was already on a plane again, this time heading for Mauritius.

The whole trip started off stressfully on Sunday, when the bus I wanted to take to the airport was full. That's a shame, because there aren't many buses on Sundays and planes don't wait. I somehow managed to find another bus and arrived at the airport an hour before boarding. The advantage of that was that the queues were very short everywhere, because all sensible people had already arrived at least an hour ago.

The fun continued at the security check: Apparently hiking poles are not allowed in hand luggage. But I didn't know that and only had hand luggage with me, so I had to painfully part with them in front of an annoyed employee. It also seemed like I had attracted suspicion, because my hands and luggage were checked for drug residue and my entire backpack was unpacked and checked. It's a good thing I had planned for so much waiting time (not.).

After I was able to convince everyone that I was not a criminal, I was allowed to continue and from then on everything went smoothly.

The plane was huge (10 seats per row), but there were maybe 40 of us in total, which was really strange. But it also meant free choice of seats and lots of comfort, so I'm not complaining. But on the flight to Mauritius, comfort is really not that important, because you're effectively in the air for 30 minutes, 5 of which are horizontal, if you're flying high.

When I arrived at the airport in Mauritius I was a bit lost, but since you can't really make mistakes at airports, I ended up where I was supposed to be, namely at the border police. They wanted to know where my hotel was. Unfortunately I didn't know that either, as Nora was going to pick me up and had already been there for a few days. This made me seem suspicious again and I was immediately questioned by two border guards. Well, in the end it was sorted out and I was able to withdraw Mauritanian rupees and get a SIM card.

My Belgian friend Nora was waiting for me outside in the car. We had about a two-hour drive to our accommodation ahead of us - and we drove on the left. I was soooo glad I didn't have to drive. At the first roundabout I was convinced that we were going to die :D

When I arrived at the AirBnB I was pleasantly surprised; after Madagascar it was pure luxury. I took a shower and got settled in. Then we ended the evening relaxing, ate together and watched Divergent.

---------------

On Monday we wanted to tackle the most famous hike in Mauritius, the Morne Brabante .

The first hurdle we had to overcome was the fact that our car's tire was completely flat. We called the agency, which was a two-hour drive away from us. They laughed at us a little and said we had to find a man because as two girls we would never be able to change the tire. Of course, we thought: now more than ever! And actually it wasn't that difficult, the worst part was the crappy car jack we had to use.

With our professionally fitted spare tire, we drove to the nearest garage and unfortunately learned that the old tire was irreparable. So we bought a new one and had it put on straight away. 20 minutes later and €50 poorer, we were on our way for our hike.

We started right by the sea and then climbed 550m. The whole thing was split into 10km, so it was no problem for us Réunion-experienced hikers. The hike was really beautiful, but the last part really involved climbing. It was pretty dangerous and I was a bit scared at times, but all the fearless hikers supported each other and in the end we made it to the summit without any major problems. There we were immediately rewarded with a phenomenal view of the coral barrier of Mauritius. It was really unbelievably beautiful.

After spending some time up there, taking photos, refreshing ourselves and simply enjoying ourselves, we started climbing straight back down. I did most of this on my butt, but that didn't matter. We still managed it in 2h30 instead of 3h30, which we were a little proud of.

Next up was Chamarel , a park where naturally formed, seven-coloured earth is exhibited. This Terre des Sept Couleurs was also really beautiful, but I was more impressed by the waterfall, which you can also see in the park. It falls 100m into a gorge that is surrounded by beautiful green nature. Despite all the waterfalls on La Réunion, it is a real eye-catcher!

After a long day, we had a nice evening on the beach and went to bed quite early.

---------------

What is the best thing to do the day after a hike? Exactly, a hike!

We set off for the Sept Cascades hike, which, who would have thought, includes seven waterfalls. Right at the car park we were harassed by the first guide who wanted to accompany us for quite a lot of money because the path was very difficult to find. We politely declined and drove to the start of the hike. There we were able to fend off two more guides, although we hesitated for a moment because at least the prices were better here. But when we saw a couple who were also setting off without a guide, we decided to just follow them.

That went really well until we got to the first waterfall, because the two of them were taking a longer break there and we didn't want to wait that long. So we tried to discreetly follow another hiking group with a guide to find out the way. This guide wasn't so keen on it, however. But suddenly someone spoke to us from behind: A guide from yet another tour group asked if we were alone and if we didn't want to just join his group. At first we were a bit embarrassed, but in the end we agreed - it was the best decision of the day! We chatted with the other three tourists and with the guide and I even had photos taken of me. It was absolutely beautiful. I was also really impressed by the waterfalls, somehow it was just completely different to La Réunion.

After about 5.5 hours of hiking, our guide (who we gave some money to at the end, of course) asked us if we wanted to eat something together. We agreed, and so Nora and I drove in our car and the guide and one of his clients drove in her car to a totally unremarkable snack bar that probably hadn't seen many tourists yet.

We all ordered Roti , which is a typical dish from Mauritius, consisting of a flatbread/crepe with a hearty filling. It sounds super simple, but it was really amazing, soooo delicious! And then the best part was: the guide invited us. So not only had we sneaked into his guided hike, but we were also invited to dinner. And then he actually asked if we wanted to spend the rest of the day with him and his actual customer. We asked her if it was okay and she agreed. So off we went to a national park.

Unfortunately, the weather had turned bad, so the viewpoint was a little dull. But we were able to marvel at the monkeys that live on Mauritius. Somehow they just suddenly came around the corner and were there. Totally sweet!

The next stop was Grand Bassin, the holiest pilgrimage site for Hindus on Mauritius. There are a lot of temples like this on La Réunion, but not as big as here. We didn't go into the temple because people were praying, but the outside area was really impressive. I would like to find out more about this religion, which is so different from Christianity.

In keeping with the bad weather, the next and last stop of the day was a tea factory, as Mauritius is known for its tea production. Here we benefited again from our free guide, as he naturally had cheaper prices for the tasting than unaccompanied tourists. So we sat in a light drizzle on a really cute veranda with a beautiful view of the greenery and tried all the types of tea that were on offer. We chatted a lot and discovered that the guide's actual customer would soon be coming to La Réunion. Of course, we immediately exchanged numbers and arranged to go on a hike - if that actually works out, that would be pretty cool, I think!

The tea was super delicious and I even bought some. But that might also have been because I was a bit overwhelmed by happiness hormones, because I managed to convince the cat that was present to sit on my lap the entire time I was drinking tea :D

After this relaxing and warming stage, we continued on as a couple. We drove to the beach very close to our accommodation, Cap Malheureux , and watched the sunset. Unfortunately, it started to rain again, but that didn't bother us. You can enjoy beautiful sunsets even when it's raining!

Once we got back to the AirBnB we watched the second part of Divergent and then went to sleep.

The day was really an absolute highlight because we had been wondering the whole time what we could do after the hike. And then suddenly this wonderful guide fell from the sky, who simply adopted us and made our day wonderful. Thank you!

---------------

On Wednesday we finally had a relaxing day. We slept in and made delicious banana pancakes for breakfast. We left around 10am because we had booked a dive that took place at 10:30am.

The diving club was a bit strange, it lacked the very open and friendly attitude that I was used to from divers. Nobody really talked to us. There was also very little equipment and so I had to wear a wetsuit that was way too big.

To be honest, I didn't feel particularly comfortable and found the whole thing rather poorly organized. Our diving instructor didn't really understand French very well and only gave us a very brief briefing. The dive itself was still very, very nice and we saw a lot, including two really enormous turtles :)

We spent the rest of the day on the beach, where we met our guide from the day before again, that was really nice!

While Nora was alone in Mauritius, she discovered a restaurant that offered an all-you-can-eat buffet. It's quite expensive, but after Madagascar I somehow felt like spending some serious money on good food.

At around 7pm we went to a really fancy four-star hotel full of rich people and sat down in the restaurant. The chef greeted us really nicely and even gave us a cocktail on the house, which we of course gladly accepted :D

Then the excessive overfilling began, because of course I wanted to get my €40 back. In total I got something to eat six times, including pizza, salad, squid, lasagne, vegetables, pasta, wok and lots of dessert. I have to say it was really delicious, even if I felt a bit uncomfortable among all the super chic rich people :D But I honestly have never had such a stomachache before, I definitely overate, but like I said, the money has to be worth it.

It was a really nice last evening, we talked and laughed a lot. The way home was really a bit painful though, we both rolled across the street rather than anything else. But it was worth it, everything was really delicious!

---------------

On Thursday the last day had already dawned.

After a hearty breakfast, in which we almost destroyed all the leftovers from the fridge (that wasn't very pleasant after the gigantic dinner the day before :D) we packed our suitcases and put everything in the car. I only had my 35l backpack, Nora had a large suitcase and a hand luggage backpack :D

We drove straight to the airport, which is at the other end of the island and therefore a two-hour drive away. We lay down on the beach nearby and waited for the time to return the car. While we were lying there on the beach and enjoying the last few hours, a woman suddenly came up to us and asked us all sorts of things and talked about her job as a fisherwoman, etc. At first I didn't understand what she wanted from us until it turned out that she wanted to sell us bracelets or necklaces that she makes from coral and shells.

Unfortunately, we had almost no money left as it was our last day, but as we hadn't found any nice souvenirs yet, we still wanted to buy something. We explained the situation to her, scraped together the last notes and coins and managed to make a good deal: we got three bracelets for the actual price of 1.5 - lucky us. The woman was really nice and made the bracelets in front of us. We chatted to her while she was doing this and were really happy that we had once again encountered such a lucky coincidence.

I chose a bracelet made of white shells and Nora took a white-green one for herself and a red one for her friend.

The whole production process actually took quite a long time, which meant that we only had about an hour left on the beach afterwards. So we went back into the water and sunbathed a bit before heading to the car rental agency.

Luckily, returning the car was no problem at all and an employee of the agency drove us to the airport. Here too, everything went smoothly and we landed back in Saint Denis at around 6 p.m.

Nora's friend kindly picked us up here. This was the end of my last trip from La Réunion, because I definitely want to make the most of the few weeks I have left on the island!

---------------

I liked Mauritius a lot, it had a lot more to offer than I expected. Everyone always raves about the beaches etc., but to be honest I didn't find them that much nicer than on La Réunion. The coral reef is much more impressive, that's for sure. I was surprised by the beautiful landscapes and hikes, I didn't have such high expectations.

Overall, we were really lucky with all our encounters and acquaintances, it was really great!

• Geography:Mauritius is an island of volcanic origin, almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs. It features a central plateau with mountains, including the highest point, Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire. The island has a diverse landscape, with beaches, lagoons, and inland areas with sugarcane fields and forests.
• Culture:Mauritius is a melting pot of cultures, with a population of diverse ethnicities including Creole, Indian, Chinese, and European. English is the official language, but French and Creole are widely spoken. This cultural diversity is reflected in the island's cuisine, music, and festivals.
• Tourism:Mauritius is a major tourist destination, renowned for its beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, and rich marine life. Popular activities include swimming, snorkeling, diving, and exploring the island's natural attractions.
• Economy:While historically reliant on sugar exports, Mauritius has diversified its economy with a thriving tourism sector and growing financial services and outsourcing industries.
• History:The island has a complex colonial history, having been under Dutch, French, and British rule before gaining independence in 1968. 

Soooo, we're finally writing the long overdue post about a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius has sooo much more to offer than crystal clear, turquoise sea that runs to the horizon.

We did a lot, but doing nothing wasn't neglected either.

We hiked on our own from our accommodation near La Gaulette through dense jungle up a trail to marvel at the Seven Colored Earth on the other side of the mountain. You could have easily gotten there by taxi, like all tourists do, and it wouldn't cost the world, but in "normal life" we wouldn't have done that either. So we conquered the 350 meters of altitude on foot and were very proud when we saw the sea from above over the tops of banana palm trees. The Seven Colored Earth was very impressive and the Chamarel waterfall in the middle of the Chamarel Geopark was simply breathtaking, but somehow unapproachable. At the end of this day and the 17 kilometers we had walked so far, we wanted to reward ourselves with a rum tasting - it was nothing. Private event with live music and we were turned away. All taxis in front of the Rhumerie were pre-booked, but there were other travelers who were also on foot, so two nice girls took us in their rental car in their/our direction when they saw us walking on the street. That evening we were very happy and fell asleep with heavy legs.

Tine went snorkeling for the second time in her life. We had booked a snorkeling tour with diving students and were allowed to take a small boat to the cliffs of Gunner's Quoin. We saw colorful fish, large and small, with black and white stripes. At the bottom of the ocean Flo discovered a huge sea urchin and some big fish down there shimmered in the wildest colors. Some smaller fish swam in schools just in front of our faces, close enough to touch, it was fantastic. But it was also sickening, the rocking back on the boat made Tine feel sick. The breakfast banana wanted to go out again and out to the wide sea and to Flo, who actually didn't want one, but Tine hadn't calculated the wind direction and Flo still got some banana. In a relationship you share everything :-)

We saw many different, wonderful, sometimes more and sometimes less visited beaches. If you just want to relax, this is the right place for you; there are hotels for every budget. But beaches in Mauritius are never private, they are open to everyone, so we too had found the perfect little stretch of beach that we visited for these three days.

In total, we had four different accommodations in different parts of the island during the 12 days in Mauritius. All reached by bus. Mauritius has a well-developed bus network, but it takes three times as long as if you were traveling by car, but it's unbeatably cheap. And we were always the only visible foreigners traveling by bus. It is very adventurous, especially the express bus. We really sent a quick prayer to heaven.

From our last accommodation we did a guided five-hour hike along the 7 Cascades (which were actually 13). It was extremely tiring, the tree roots were our best friends when things got steeper to hold on, but the swimming stops in the waterfall pools made up for it all.

Otherwise, we had unwinded in the countryside in Mauritius over the last few days. We had a great B&B with a hammock on the balcony with a wonderful view between the mountains and out to sea.

We strolled leisurely along the waterfront in Mahebourg to have delicious rooti with various toppings for breakfast at the weekly market next door. Strengthened, we then walked for about half an hour to the beautiful beach at Pointe d'Esny. It was a wonderful day with a white sandy beach, crystal clear water, colorful boats sailing on it and we were the only ones in this paradise for miles around. What else can top that?

In the early hours of the morning our journey continued - off to Mauritius.

After the capital's culture shock, we urgently need something beautiful to reconcile ourselves, especially Ida, with the island. Our landlords recommend Balaclava for snorkeling. The underwater wonder world starts just two meters away. So, we lazy ones don't have to waste any calories before we can admire the fish and the fish can gaze at us. We like that. Overall, a splendid tip: enough sunbathing area under the trees for us northerners, a meadow almost to the water, and shaded parking spaces. And once again, we are almost alone and are delighted with the clear water like a Cheshire cat.

Only the Boom-Boom Box in boombox size under the tree next door, which blares penetrating booty-shaking music into the idyll, really annoys us.

In the evening, we are invited to our landlords for a small drink. We dig deep into our pockets, bring a South African rosé, and chat for a few hours about everything under the sun.

A good day; the mood is back on track.

For the next day, we have already booked a kayak tour in the mangrove forests of the east coast around Ile D'Ambre in Frankfurt. We have to get up at half past six, but both the alarm clock and the long journey will be worth it!

Because our mobile navigation system apparently wants to have some fun, it leads us completely through the Mauritian Pampa on the way to the meeting point! Where asphalt is in short supply and the "road" has trees in the middle. At a, let's call it a crossroads, we want to turn around when a completely toothless scooter rider appears from the undergrowth, carrying ten bags of luggage, and signals to us that we do not need to roll off in the direction he came from. To our astonishment, he asks about our destination and leads us out of this predicament. Although we still have to drive through deep craters and over meadows for a short time, thanks to his help, we actually arrive at the meeting point on time! The people here are really great!

After a short briefing, we immediately get into the kayaks with life jackets. Ida and I share a double kayak, while Lena, the only participant in the entire group, gets to ride alone! I think she is extremely grateful for that...

The group is completed by a four-member French family and another four-member family from Bad Vilbel. The world is sometimes a small village. Although we always want to stay for ourselves on vacation and find this "looking for other people" really unnecessary and annoying, we get along very well with Eddy and Lene and their children Leni and Fridi. Just the bastardization of names immediately makes us like them!

So, together with our guide Patrick, we head out into the mangroves. He explains to us after a few strokes through the somewhat calm water that they are essential for a coastline as they protect against floods and possible tsunamis and also serve as a retreat for fish. Unfortunately, there were only 40 hectares of mangrove forest left out of the original 10,000 hectares! In contrast to many other displacements and destruction of nature here, however, this is a success story, as the area of mangroves is now back to the level of long ago!

Somehow, since the first settlers 400 years ago, Mauritius has been taken apart overall. The dodo is gone, the mangroves were hardly available, and most of the components of flora and fauna have invasive origins!

Nevertheless, we want to enjoy the excursion and after a short snorkeling break near a small school of fish, we continue along the coast to Ile D'Ambre.

Here, a French family settled almost 280 years ago to operate a lighthouse on the northeastern edge of the island. This became necessary after the "Saint-Gerain" shipwreck in 1744, in which 191 people lost their lives. Even today, you can explore the paths and remnants of the settlement!

On the way back, we stop at a tiny island in front of the main island because Ida wants to go in the water again and Patrick wants to make that possible for her!

Back on land, we say goodbye to our Frankfurt neighbors and our guide and make our way home.

Since the day started at 6:30 a.m., the afternoon is only good for a quick swim at the house beach and a mandatory game of UNO. Tired and exhausted from the oppressive weather, we go to bed early!

Saturday is almost completely dedicated to the round leather. Our bucket list for every vacation is to attend a game of a popular or national sport in the respective vacation country!

In the case of Mauritius, this seems to be indisputably football. Although we would have expected cricket due to its proximity to India, the last match day of the "Mauritian National Super League" suggests itself!

During the evening with Louis, his wife (name forgotten), and daughter Carole, we already learn that our selected match between Savanne SC and Le Cure Silvester SC will not take place in Savanne as expected, but in the 16,000-seater Anjalay National Stadium. We are excited and expect a full house and corresponding atmosphere in the stands due to the precarious situation for both teams, as the loser of the game will be relegated to the depths of the second (no longer "Super") League. Feels familiar to my Schalke heart right away...

Louis also gives us hope, describing the football fans as loud and enthusiastic! In retrospect, we suspect a blatant misunderstanding of language on his part... or he has not watched a single game in his 20 years on the island!

Fact is: the game starts at 3:30 p.m.; my plan as an experienced football goer to arrive at the stadium at 2 p.m. due to the certainly crowded stadium is being sabotaged by my travel companions, so we "agree" on arriving at 3 p.m.!

Upon arrival at the stadium, our first thought is that the game is not taking place here, but indeed in Savanne. There is no sign of traffic congestion or parking lot overcrowding anywhere!

So, we can drive directly to the main grandstand through the large entrance gate and find a parking space in the shade next to the 10 other cars...

Skeptical and confused, we climb up to the stands without encountering any ushers or ticket collectors or whatever. At least when we look into the vast round, we are calmed down by seeing two teams warming up. So we are in the right place after all!

While only five football enthusiasts have taken a seat in the lower tier next to us, the upper tier of the main grandstand is completely full... and so overrun by pigeons that one might think Hitchcock's "The Birds" is being remade here!

So, to the amusement of all of us, eight fans are in the stadium 15 minutes before kick-off. Out of interest and some amazement, we ask two young fans if this is the Mauritian version of "Candid Camera" or actually Mauritian everyday football life.

The young woman first tells us that the stadiums are allocated for the matches because not every club in the 10-team SUPER LEAGUE has a fairly suitable venue. Normally, there would be more people, but there is not much to expect at the upcoming game, to be honest!

All right...

Just before kick-off, the stands fill up a bit more, so there will probably be around 100 spectators who have found their way here.

Upon closer inspection of the stadium (which "more resembles the Villa of Shambles," Ida quotes) we are honestly relieved that there are only the said 100 crazy people who have gathered here. Looking at the main stand and the surrounding stands, one would rather not imagine how this bowl is supposed to accommodate 16,000 spectators. On the way to the restroom, Ida even tears out one of the seat shells with a loud echo, just because she leans on it!

HOORAY, HOORAY, the Schalke fans are here!

The game itself is of district league level, as impressively demonstrated by the two goals in the first half. After a looooong clearance by the Le Cure defender, both the entire defense and the Savanne goalkeeper run under the ball... 1-0 to the loud cheers of the Le Cure fans, among whom we are apparently sitting!

Not even two minutes later, the defender, who just cleared for 1-0, sends a high ball back into his own penalty area, where the striker, who resembles Ailton, is lurking/pumping for air and scores on the second attempt to make it 1-1!

To cut a long story short, we are horrified and amused, but decide, in order to avoid the probable rush to leave, to head to the nearest beach after the first half! The game itself ends 2-1 for Savanne SC, securing their position in the league and certainly aiming for the upper third of the table next year. But we will probably never find out.

The beach visit is a total failure as the chosen Mont Choisy Beach is hopelessly overcrowded on weekends and there simply are no more parking spaces available! So, we retreat back home, have a quick swim at home, and sit on the terrace!

Sunday calls for more activity on our part as we have planned a hike in the Chamarel National Park for today. After a long search for a hike that is doable but not too easy and therefore too boring for Ida (it should be steep, climbing, and over rough terrain), we decide on the ascent to Little Black River Peak! The starting point is at the Black River Visitor Center, which resembles the scenery from Jurassic Park - The Lost World! Overgrown huts and overgrown paths adorn the theoretically open center, but both the information point and the toilets are closed!

Doesn't matter, let's just go. The only orientation for our way is to follow small yellow flags up the mountain through the prehistoric wilderness around us! First, we cross the same river three times, unfortunately, twice through the water rather than over it, so our shoes are already wet at the beginning!

But that doesn't matter much, as the path is partly so difficult and the humidity is so high that the sweat is already in our socks in no time!

But we are in one of the most beautiful areas of the country with wonderfully diverse fauna, huge trees, and seemingly endless aerial roots on our way! It also goes along a stream similar to the hike to Le Pouce up the mountain!

In between, steep cliffs force us to pull ourselves up the mountain using chains attached to trees. Ida rates the hike at 12 out of 10 at some point, which reassures and makes us happy!

When we finally reach the top (or at least we finish the ascent at a decent altitude at a viewpoint), we enjoy the view to the sea and on the other side deep into the Black River Valley. After an equally strenuous and sometimes critical descent over muddy and slippery ground, we take a well-deserved cooling bath in the Black River and have to constantly remind ourselves in between that we are taking a bath in a mountain river in the Mauritian jungle in a national park! Insane...

On the way home, we want to make a detour to Flic en Flac beach since it is on the way!

Despite a mighty thunderstorm over the sea and rain from above, we enjoy the crowded beach and the cool water!

Because today is also a weekend, Flic en Flac is rightly besieged by locals!

Satisfied and exhausted, we end the day with a Thirsty Fox beer and listen to the distant thunder while, as it should be, we throw UNO cards at each other!

Phew, what a day!

Exhausted yet excited by today's impressions, we try to review the day!

For us, every vacation trip clearly includes a visit to the respective capital city, unless the vacation itself consists of a capital city trip!

So it is also the case in Port Louis, Mauritius. We wonder in advance whether it is deterrent that the travel guide offers only 3-4 pages about the city itself and then immediately switches to the surrounding area and beaches of the west coast.

But we don't mind, we want to take a closer look at the hustle and bustle and the (seemingly) hectic atmosphere, after having already had a taste of it a few times on the northbound highway.

Even the journey to the parking garage at the completely renovated Caudan Waterfront in 1996 proves to be the first challenge; the navigation system is completely overwhelmed with the street layout for the first time! After four attempts and multiple tests of the turning circle of our mini vehicle, we finally find the right entrance and have to take a deep breath! First hurdle is overcome.

The Caudan Waterfront is like a promenade on the city side near the harbor and consists of completely new buildings such as an opera house, several hotels, expensive designer shops and cafes/restaurants! And the Blue Penny Museum... but more on that later.

Somehow, this section of the city seems completely out of place and in complete contrast to what awaits us after crossing or passing under the highway!

Here we immerse ourselves in the complete chaos, noise and narrowness of the capital!

And it overwhelms us completely. Especially Ida becomes quieter and clings to us closely, seemingly overwhelmed by the visual, optical and especially olfactory impressions!

We struggle through the narrow alleys, where despite that, cars and motorcycles rush past on two lanes, passing all sorts of shabby shops, in search of the few highlights we want to visit.

First, we visit the Yummah Mosque, built in 1850. The building combines Indian, Muslim and Creole architectural styles and stands out with its completely white exterior facade in the dirty surroundings. We take a look inside and are warmly welcomed by three locals who invite us to look around!

Here, everything seems quieter than "outside," so we enjoy the silence for a while while sitting in the courtyard.

The next stop is the Central Market, which is a "must-see"!

The front hall is actually quite interesting, with fruit stands lined up one after the other, and the smells are pleasant, as spices like cloves, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg find their way into our noses!

A heated argument between a vendor and a local customer interrupts the activity, which we use as an opportunity to move on and then take a look into the meat and fish hall. This is where our stomachs turn completely, as the stench that hits us from the halls is more than borderline. At least, probably in accordance with the different religions, there are separate halls for beef, pork, goat, poultry, and fish! But that doesn't change the unbearable smell and the anything but hygienic sight.

Various chicken feet, offal, fish parts, and other delights for meat lovers are laid out on wooden boards without any apparent refrigeration!

We bravely try to maintain our composure until we see daylight again and can take a deep breath.

We knew this type of market hall from Thailand, but both the exterior and the interior of these rundown buildings surpass the impression from back then by far!

The next stop takes us out of the chaos to the harbor side, to the Aapravasi Ghat. This is where the indentured laborers (mostly from India) of the British colonial rulers arrived on the island from 1834 onwards to be distributed to the various sugar cane plantations. In nearly 100 years, over 450,000 workers reached the island in this way. At the same time, the tiny barracks housed up to 1,000 people!

Today, the descendants of these contract laborers make up 68% of the Mauritian population.

This brings us to our penultimate point on the Port Louis list: a visit to a Hindu temple framed between the city highway and the feeder road!

The Madurai Mariamman Temple is full of colorful statues and figures and is a fascinating splash of color in the middle of the city. Once again, we use a religious site as a retreat from the hustle and bustle around us!

The final highlight of this overwhelming morning is the Blue Penny Museum at the Caudan Waterfront.

Here is where the most famous and almost most expensive... stamp in the world is located! Although we have to correct ourselves, because there are two. The Red and Blue Mauritius stamps are unique in combination on the "Bordeaux cover" and make every philatelist's heart beat faster! These two treasures were sent on September 21, 1847, as the first stamps of the crown colony of Mauritius, making the island the seventh territory in the world to issue stamps... Goosebumps!

But we are actually also quite impressed, as the museum not only showcases the two stamps, but also exhibits some artifacts from the colonial period, including interesting historical paintings and maps from the British colonial phase! (No irony!)

Back in the car, we take a deep breath once again! Port Louis appears to us Western Europeans as a typical African city, as the complete opposite of civilized and thus as the epitome of chaos! However, due to the multicultural mix of all religions, we probably only see a kind of light version of the classic African (dis)structure here, which is so foreign to us as Germans accustomed to structure and order, and therefore causes restlessness and stress in us! However, even this chaos has a well-defined structure in small scale and is bound by rules that make all of what we have seen today work!

As a complete contrast, our afternoon destination is the Pamplemousse Botanical Garden! Founded in 1736 by the French governor Mahé de Labourdonnais, who originally only wanted to plant vegetables, with the help of a resourceful businessman, it has become one of the most impressive and species-rich botanical gardens worldwide! Here you can find over 80 different species of palms, sausage trees, nutmeg trees, and the Amazon giant water lily, among others!

The absolute highlight of the ensemble, however, is the Talipot palm, which grows for only 80-100 years, blooms only once, and then dies! Unfortunately, we do not catch any of the palms in their flowering season, but with the help of a guide, we get a closer look at other fascinating plants in this garden and get to know plants like the Streblus asper (mother-in-law's tongue) and the pimento tree!

The peace and vastness of the garden recharge our batteries and we enjoy the gigantic variety of plants with awe-inspiring eyes!

The day ends almost obligatorily with a slightly cloudy sunset at the beach and a subsequent UNO marathon in the mist of mosquito repellent incense sticks!

Tomorrow, we will go on a beach and snorkeling tour again!

We will report...

09.-11.04.

It is (or since we are always lagging behind) was Easter. Strange feeling not to be with the family in Rumeln, but on the other side of the world. Here too, people are preparing for the holiday: in tents, on the beach, in churches, music is celebrated here too. In fact, Mauritius is one of the few places in the world where all religions are represented and, one has to say, perform the miracle of peacefully coexisting together. We like the colorful and loud. People gather in crowds, have picnics, listen to loud music and dance. Considering how civilized we in Germany 'celebrate' church services and festivals, it seems that we have forgotten how to enjoy ourselves exuberantly.

Since we are not sure how much the Easter festival affects the activity in the cities, we avoid the densely populated areas and decide to spend a day at the beach in the south. We choose Le Morne. One of the most famous parts of the island with a rich history.

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Morne Brabant served as a refuge for escaped slaves who formed groups in the caves of the summit. Protected by the wooded cliffs of the mountain, the slaves lived on the mountain for many years.

It is said that when slavery was abolished in Mauritius in 1835, the lookouts on the mountains discovered the approaching British, which prompted some of the escapees to jump from the mountains and prefer the death of slavery. Tragically, they knew nothing about the impending news of their freedom. This is at least the legend.

Unfortunately, we cannot explore the mountain. It has been closed for several years due to lack of safety.

So we settle for the beach and are thrilled. The drive to the southwest was already worth it. In fact, the vegetation here seems even more lush and green. It is not as chaotic, and everything seems more well-maintained. Whether that is the case for the tourists or the tourists are here for that reason... one does not know.

In any case, the hotels have chosen their location excellently, that's for sure. One joins the other. In contrast to the Ballermann, the bungalows blend nicely into the landscape. Multi-story construction is not allowed on Mauritius. The island should retain its charm. Thank goodness. A concrete jungle at this beautiful spot would be a shame.

However, the beaches are state property and therefore public, so we settle down under the palm trees right in front of the LUX Le Morne.

Just like in Flic en Flac, it is not crowded at all. It is unbelievable that we almost have the white sandy beach to ourselves. We had already planned towel territory strategies from our Mallorca repertoire during the drive, and now there is no need to fight for the best spot. It is also covered. Perfect weather for our cellar tan. After just a few meters, the corals begin, and we are grateful that we practiced snorkeling at the Kelsterbach indoor pool. Here we present ourselves (almost) like professionals and snorkel leisurely. "Fux, Fux, Fux!!!! Quick! Over here!"

"Mooooom! There are sooo many here!"

No one could ever guess that we have never done this before. The corals are probably not healthy, and the fish stocks are not very diverse either, but we cheer for each individual specimen. Striped ones, yellow ones, a trunkfish, funny needlefish, small water leopards, black giants... and we are in the middle of it. How lucky we are!

All of this at the foot of Le Morne, which seems to watch over the peninsula like a big guardian! We are in awe of this scenic beauty and, fitting for Easter, we think of Goethe's Osterspaziergang! "Here I am human, here I can be!"

After a day in the fresh air, we treat ourselves to a sun break on Monday. Rain is forecasted anyway. Even if it doesn't necessarily rain, even though it was predicted, and Ida really wants to experience a tropical rain, we prefer showers without clothes. So we spend a day at the Mall of Mauritius. Without mosquito spray and sunscreen. If only the drive weren't there. 20 minutes in African traffic chaos is more instructive than a week in German elementary schools: sticking your hand out the window justifies everything; there is no right before left (here the hand out the window applies. If both have their hand out, it simply takes some luck); flashing the headlights warns of the police; honking is a greeting (but also a warning); turn signals are unnecessary (because there is the hand out the window); Christmas decorations do not belong on trees but in line buses; you can drive on every (!!!!!) street with three lanes; you just have to dare (one-way streets are respected though); no matter how narrow and crowded the road is, there is always enough space to sit on the road with your butt and clean the rims; you can easily ride three people on a moped on the highway (also without a helmet); the higher the loading area of a truck, the better the view for the passengers on top; the traffic police regulate the traffic flows in the roundabouts and since there are about 3-4 of them per kilometer, unfortunately there is no time for traffic offenders. Well, maybe that's also intended: in China there is birth control, in Europe life with many children is simply too expensive, and here natural selection according to Darwin takes effect.

Although... we haven't consciously noticed any accidents so far. We do see police and emergency medical services, which remind us of films from the 60s, but otherwise we have been lucky so far! To be honest, we also want to do without such spectacles for the rest of our vacation!

Speaking of spectacles. The Mall of Mauritius offers them as expected. But that's not a big deal, because strolling around and letting yourself be carried away in the hustle and bustle doesn't hurt either. We all find something in some store; a large part of the providers are of Western origin anyway and less local than we might have expected.

For lunch, however, we rely on the tastes of the locals and choose the stand with the longest queue! However, while waiting, we realize that the queue is not because of the good food, but because of the unbelievably slow service throughout the food court! Goodness gracious, the two employees are slow. Unfortunately, the long wait doesn't help us figure out why we are queuing up here in the first place, so before we know it, we are facing the expectant and at the same time empty eyes of Tippertriene and Schöpfschluri!

With a little frustrated help from the two energy brakes, we get a bit of everything. We suspect that there are different dim sums in strange broth and a noodle soup with beef stew. Ida even likes the latter, but neither of us likes the former. Between 'Omma, try this' and flummy cheese (or is it fish?!) apparently everything is included.

Halfway fortified and after a few more hours of strolling including a manicure and pedicure, we head back home. By the way, the announced rain, which was the reason for today's excursion, stays away until we arrive at our cabin in the evening and start the grill.

Timing is everything...

The next day is beach hopping again.

The north is calling and with it another attempt at snorkeling.

First, we go to the northwest tip to Mont Choisy Beach, a secret tip on the island according to a blogger.

How can something be declared a secret tip if it can be found on the internet with about 1849 reviews?! It actually makes little sense, but never mind...

We arrive at the parking lot around half past 10 (as at all locations directly on the beach so far) and after another 30 meters walk through palm trees and Kilaobäume, we find ourselves in almost complete solitude on a paradise-like white sandy beach in front of turquoise blue water. Seriously... this beach is a true gem. Only about ten other tourists or locals get lost at this picturesque spot, along with us. And for the first time on this vacation, there is an almost cloudless sky, which highlights the contrasts of the sea, beach, and trees even more. We are in awe and jump into the water for an extensive round of Frisbee.

Unfortunately, what is missing here are the hoped-for snorkeling spots.

For those, we have to and want to drive a few minutes back to the south to Trou aux Biches.

But before that, we let ourselves be completely and typically touristically overwhelmed. Something that shouldn't happen to us anymore.

A tourist trap talks to us and asks if we would like to eat something. He would even bring the food directly to our sunbed. My first reaction is "No!", but since we are all hungry, we ask for a menu or rather his poorly copied overview of 08/15 dishes.

Since the prices are also listed next to the dishes, we decide to order a meal on the beach and order grilled rice with fish, grilled noodles with chicken, a mixed salad, and fries with chicken wings (for Ida)!

Each collection of finest culinary art costs a maximum of 200 Rupees according to DIN-A4. "You pay when I bring the food!" the somewhat nice gentleman repeats, and under the influence of hunger, we agree to this deal! 20 minutes later, he returns with 2x rice with overcooked fish chunks and three frozen shrimps each, as well as a box in which fries are on the left and salad is on the right, with three chicken wings letting go of their excess fryer fat! He demands 1500 Rupees for this (30 €!!!) and leaves us somewhat stunned! Because what good is a discussion here?! Exactly nothing...

We enjoy the rice, after sorting out the fish, we imagine the other portion of rice to be noodles, but also sort out the chicken fish or fish chicken, and try to dry the fries in the sun from the fat!

We try to see it positively by convincing ourselves that we didn't have to search for a lunch snack like this. The lousy food found us and defeated us with laughter.

We leave the paradisiacal "secret tip" and drive a few kilometers south as planned and apparently exchange paradise for touristville at first glance! As soon as we set foot on the sand, we are besieged by various providers of various excursions and action possibilities. From dolphin tours to glass-bottom boat trips and banana boat rides, to the obligatory pearl necklace seller, everything is there! But this time we skillfully reject all the seductive-sounding offers!

Unfortunately, there is hardly any shade at this beach section, so we squeeze ourselves under one of the few trees with a few other vacationers. Never mind, because we are here for snorkeling.

We feel a bit uneasy about the many boats directly behind the separate swimming area, but we venture into the sea. Since the lagoon drops very shallowly into the sea here, we have to swim about 150 meters out to reach the first corals! But we are rewarded with a variety of fish in different sizes and colors!

Simply absolutely impressive. We can't think of anything else!

After a short rest, we go for a second trip to the corals in front of the imminent change in weather (at least the sky around us looks quite threatening), before we are drawn back home!

At home, we enjoy dinner on our own private beach area, enjoy the sunset (unfortunately not cloudless), and let the experiences we had sink in again with a beer and a soda for Ida!

We are grateful for the moment.

07.04.-08.04.

In every travel guide, every TV report, and on every website, Mauritius is described as a beach paradise where fine sand mixes with crystal clear water. So our first excursion takes us down the west coast to Flic en Flac, where we find an approximately 8-kilometer-long sandy beach lined with filao trees (similar to our larch trees).

Since we are quite late due to a 12-hour night, we are afraid of a crowded beach and not finding a parking space despite our small car. Both are far from true: there are plenty of parking options along the "promenade", which are also free. In our place, the parking spaces would have been chargeable long ago and would have a maximum parking duration of two hours at a minimum of 2.50€ per hour.

The beach is anything but crowded. Mostly locals scatter here at a great distance. We are confused and wonder where all the tourists have gone!

After the first observation of the beach and the waves, we suspect that they have rather stayed at the hotel pool. Because the sea appears somewhat "stormier" than it is normally here and relatively large algae are floating in the water!

That doesn't bother the three of us much. It seems to be due to the season that the sea is so restless, and also due to the heat, that so many algae form.

After an unsuccessful attempt at snorkeling (due to the rough sea), but lots of frisbee and wave fun, the stomach calls and wants to be filled.

A trademark of Mauritius and Flic en Flac in particular are the many tiny and completely inconspicuous snack stalls that offer all sorts of interesting and sometimes undefinable snacks for a small hunger. We decide to try the insider tip of a blogger, even though it requires a walk, but unfortunately, it closes at 3 p.m. What a disappointment.

So we go back and improvise. This is easier with a whole pineapple in the bag, which an extremely clean-looking coconut stand hands over to us for a measly 90 cents!

Hygiene doesn't seem to be a concern here, and we just have to hope that the peeling knife has received more water in the last seven days than the delicate saleswoman...

Doesn't matter! It tastes good, stays down, and is good for the soul!

Three stands further, we choose a meal rather panicky than convinced, because more and more stands are closing in front of our eyes and only open again in the evening or even the next day!

So, for the equivalent of €1.40, we get a large plate of rice with frozen vegetables and (let's call it) chicken! Tastes like grandma under the arm, but hunger drives it down!

Tired and somewhat satisfied, we head home, but on the way, we stock up on plenty of Yum Yum soups of all flavors! However, it remains a mystery why the company "Kellogs" sells Yum Yum's here. In Frankfurt, they cost €4 in an African kiosk, here we get them for 8 rupees (about 16 cents). The prices here are generally incomprehensible to us: goat yogurt for €6, KitKat like ours for about 75 cents. Only the wealthy islanders can afford wine (about €13 per bottle of white wine), while dried sausage only costs €2.50. Toast bread for 56 cents, dried fruit for €4.

The next morning, our plan actually includes getting up early, having a quick breakfast, and setting off quickly for the first hike of our vacation!

We're going up to Le Pouce, a relatively small mountain (812 m) with a summit resembling a thumb!

What we notice again and again during our research, which makes finding suitable routes difficult, are the weather conditions! Almost every route warns of extremely slippery and steep terrain, for which alpine experience is required! Added to this are difficult visibility conditions and the fact that it is sometimes completely overgrown.

Hmmm... what to do then?!

First of all, we oversleep, take longer to eat, and only start driving to the starting point of the hike around 10:30 a.m. After comparing hikes for ages last night, we decided to just try Le Pouce. We can still turn back if it gets too critical!

So instead of starting early in the morning before the intense sun, we begin at the foot of the mountain at around quarter past 11... great!

First, we walk along a slightly wider path through sugarcane fields up the mountain, which resembles a stream bed, so that shoes and feet are soaked after about five minutes. We think it can't be helped. It's actually quite nice so far! At a roundabout-like shelter, things get a bit more athletic, because we turn into the mountain and now fight our way through the stream bed to the top. Slippery is an accurate description!

Despite the humid heat and the surprisingly thin air, we enjoy the uphill path more and more, as both the terrain changes from rocky to muddy and back, and the vegetation changes constantly! Sometimes we scramble through dense forest that folds like a tunnel over us, sometimes we walk on red soil and through waist-high bushes where the path can hardly be guessed!

We are impressed.

Also by Ida, who starts whining in between but pulls herself together and pushes through to the plateau in front of the summit!

Up to here, it is exhausting but actually doable. Along the way, a hiker coming in the opposite direction warns us that our plan won't work with Ida. It's too muddy and steep!

Did he write the Komoot report?!

From the plateau, there is still about one kilometer (really!!!!) steeply uphill to the summit for an even better view. And unexpectedly, Ida is excited about the last endeavor, so after a short break, we also tackle the last section to the thumb.

With some scrambling, we struggle up the steep slope and are rewarded with a wonderful panoramic view to the islands in the north.

After a quick but no less strenuous descent, we still go to the nearby Minissy waterfall, in whose lake you can swim according to research!

This is a great opportunity as we are sweaty and stinky from hiking, and look like we participated in a Tough Mudder run, thanks to red mud!

To reach this goal, we rely on our feet once again, which leads to plenty of groaning and expressions of pain from the smallest family member.

However, the destination more than makes up for the suffering and whimpering (walking in swim shoes is really not easy), because what we see leaves us speechless. In front of us, a river about 10 meters wide falls about the same depth into a lake inviting us to swim!

Everything around is incredibly green, and resourceful hikers have even built a small swing over the water!

We don't hesitate long and cautiously make our way into the refreshing water over the sometimes very slippery rocks.

The current makes swimming strenuous, so after a short but more than satisfying pleasure, we start the way back.

To end the day, we sit on the beach at home with a Yum Yum soup and a beer for us and a soft drink for Ida and enjoy the unfortunately rain-covered sunset in the presence of several stray dogs!

During these two days, and especially today, Mauritius has completely convinced us, and we are blessed to have the opportunity to get to know this piece of earth!

By the way, we naturally don't want to forget to wish all readers of our vacation stories a nice and relaxing Easter holiday!

Feel hugged, everyone!

Come, let's do it!

It's that time again: we have the travel bug, the adventure calls, we're ready for the island!

After three years of a pandemic, many failed plans and disappointments, and some camping trips, we had this tiny idea in our heads. It kept whispering: 'There are still so many undiscovered places outside of Europe. Have you ever been to Central America? Or maybe Africa?'

Really? A long-distance trip? While everyone is talking about climate change? Is it necessary when Europe is also beautiful?

And then, eventually, the decision: yes! We're doing it now! We won't book a Western hotel chain, we'll buy local food and tours, and we'll strive for sustainability as much as possible.

In the end, we chose Mauritius: hardly any time difference, so no jetlag. Apart from a biting snail, there are no dangerous animals, the sea is suitable for snorkeling with children, there are suitable hiking trails, and the crime rate is low. And let's not forget: Condor flies the route with the new A330neo aircraft.

Decision made and implemented: on 5.4. after a sleepless night due to excitement, we fly in business class with DE2314 from FRA to MRU. How lucky: we start our first long-distance trip as relaxed as possible, with some nervousness. After a calm flight of 12 hours, with top service and even a few hours of sleep, we land in complete darkness in the Indian Ocean.

Mauritius is one of the smallest countries in Africa (smaller than Saarland), but the third richest. Oh my goodness - we have only visited the north of Africa so far (Tunisia and Egypt) and therefore we have no real idea about the conditions, but what we see is fascinating and at the same time shocking. Here, every car that was scrapped in Europe 20 years ago is still driving around, as well as every mini model from Asian manufacturers.

The most German of German questions about a tire tread depth gauge for the local tires would probably only lead to larger question marks on many people's faces here.

Right at the airport, we pick up our small vehicle for the next 14 days after a surprisingly thorough inspection by the car rental company, and then we plunge (deeply relaxed after two nights full of excitement and minimal sleep) into the morning rush hour towards Port Louis and the west coast... driving on the left side of the road! Oh my.

But surprisingly calm and with only a few panicked interjections from both passengers, who are more concerned about the (for our standards suicidal) oncoming traffic and the potholes the size of a lake, we arrive in Pointe aux Sables after about an hour of driving and waiting time, at Carole and her father Louis. Here, we have found accommodation for the next 13 days, somewhat away from the tourist crowds and hotel complexes.

In the middle of a garden with avocado, lemon, and banana trees stands our somewhat Spartan but still absolutely sufficient cottage. The landlords welcome us warmly, show us the entire garden and the access to the sea (about 100 meters on foot) via the landlord's own terrace, and present us with bananas grown on their own.

We have arrived!

Being so close to the roaring sea, we naturally cannot deny the red bouncing ball an immediate visit to the beach. Shopping can wait. Admittedly, we can't deny it to ourselves either.

So, snorkel masks out of the suitcase, leaving our personal touch directly on the cottage and leaving behind a delightful chaos, and into the bathtub water.

The previous ritual of applying SPF 3000 only needs to be mentioned once on this vacation. When three cream-colored people travel near the equator...

Snorkeling...

If you have followed our previous vacations, you may know that the seas we have been to were not suitable for snorkeling. Too cold, too rough, too little marine life...

In the Indian Ocean, we hope for a rich variety of animals and plants. According to the landlady, you can discover all sorts of things on your own beach.

Well then...

After a few minutes in the water, the sensation occurs:

The keen-eyed fox (that's me) believes, and after watching several episodes of "Naked and Afraid" in subtropical regions, he can be sure that he has spotted a poisonous snake.

Halfway calmly (not), we quickly return to land. The first snorkeling excursion is over after just three minutes. But it is still a success and the best proof of our state of mind.

After a brief internet search, however, we quickly realize that the animal we saw was not a "snake flat tail" but a very ordinary ringed sea snake. Harmless, non-poisonous, and not very sensational.

In retrospect, it would have surprised us too. All the information pages and the locals assure us that apart from the aforementioned snail and sea urchins, there are no dangerous animals, and then three German amateurs discover a poisonous snake on their first dive...

Acclimatize

Unfortunately, our biorhythm hasn't adjusted yet, so Ida asks at 11:00 a.m. when dinner will finally be served. Admittedly, we are all exhausted. The sultry heat is taking a toll on us. After extensive shopping in Tamarin, we leisurely end the day. We still have to learn to ignore the many mosquitoes, but the pouring rain, the green garden, and the sound of the sea are doing their best to get us into relaxation mode.

PORT LOUIS

Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, is located on the northwest coast of the island. With a population of around 170,000, it is also the largest city in the country and the administrative and economic center of the republic. Surrounded by mountains in the hinterland and the beautiful sandy beaches of the Indian Ocean, Port Louis presents itself as a cosmopolitan, modern city that also offers numerous historical sights and cultural treasures, such as the oldest racecourse south of the equator and the famous Blue Penny stamp. Two-thirds of Mauritians are descended from Indian ancestors who worked on plantations after the abolition of slavery. The everyday life of the locals is best experienced in Port Louis on the centrally located market square. The main sources of income are tourism, as well as the sugar, wood, and paper industries.

At around 3 p.m., we reach the southwest corner of Mauritius and turn north. The impressive mountains are shrouded in dense clouds and appear as silhouettes on the horizon from time to time. The first signs of the announced cyclone are unmistakable. Two hours later, the AIDAmar docks in Port Louis harbor in light drizzle.

The captain announces the release of the ship for shore leave, but also has bad news. The weather forecast for tomorrow is mixed with showers. In addition, due to the cyclone, the port of Le Port on Réunion will be closed and we will continue directly to South Africa after leaving. We didn't expect that.

Uwe, Pius, and I go ashore for a first glimpse. At the terminal, there are taxis and a driver named Ismir offers his services. To do some shopping, he takes us to a shopping center 20 minutes away (the one at the harbor has already closed) and then he wants to show us the waterfront. After a short negotiation, everything adds up to 50€. It starts to rain heavily and Ismir sprints to his car to pick us up here. During the shopping and later at the waterfront, he waits as agreed and picks us up again. This gives us a positive first impression of Port Louis. We can build on that tomorrow.

The next day at around 10 a.m., we really meet Ismir again and start the tour to the south, as discussed yesterday (about 5 hours for 160€). Our first stop is the long-extinct Trou aux Cerfs volcano, which is overgrown with dense vegetation. Next stop is the Grand Bassin Temple with its two large painted steel sculptures. Then we reach our main destination, La Vallée Des Couleurs Nature Park. First, we decide to walk through the park, but now heavy rain sets in. We adjust our plans and book a car with a driver, waiting time one hour. Fortunately, the rain subsides just as the driver arrives. Schak uses a new Ford pickup truck. That's great. While he explains the first viewpoints to us, his true passion emerges. He takes creative photos and videos with our phones. Amazing! We are degraded to models who pose and move according to his instructions. The results are worth seeing, the approach unique, and we have a lot of fun. As the round comes to an end, heavy rain starts again and continues during our entire taxi ride back. We are such lucky people.

To our surprise, we learn that we will stay one more day in Mauritius.

It is also raining this morning with gray skies. We want to go into the city for shopping again. And oh wonder, it stays dry from 11 a.m. We meet Ismir again, who wants to take us on a tour of the north of the island. We have to disappoint him because we are only going to the city) and rush through the shops of the waterfront, buy small souvenirs and gifts (e.g. spices).

After saying goodbye to our hosts and packing everything, we drove to the hiking parking lot of "Le Morne Brabant" (554m). The mountain is located in the southwest of the island, right on the coast on a small peninsula and has also been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The climb takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, depending on the pace... but it's not for the faint of heart! The last part has to be climbed and there are sections that are close to the edge. So, for people with fear of heights, think twice... but try it, because it's really worth it!! And definitely bring plenty of fluids, better too much than too little, especially when the sun is beating down on your head.

The view is as always breathtaking! It would be a shame not to see this. After we were back down about 1 hour later, we rewarded ourselves with coconut water :)

After a nutritious breakfast, we set off at 9 am (which is not early) towards Black River Georges National Park. It is the largest park on the island, covering 6.5 hectares and 3.5% of Mauritius' area. It is also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and has approximately 60 km of hiking trails. Even for those who are not keen on hiking, you can still explore the numerous waterfalls and viewpoints by car.

Without a map or GPS, we found one of the two Visitor Centers of the national park named Pétrin. The roads inside the park are well-built and signposted. From there, we took the trails de les Mares, Paillen-en-Queue, and Trochetta until we reached Georges Viewpoint. There were some nice souvenir stalls and a small cart selling drinks and ice cream (very expensive). We also saw monkeys being fed ice cream by tourists, so they were not really afraid of humans.

We continued hiking up to Black River Peak, the highest mountain in Mauritius at 828m. It took us about 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the top. The path was relatively easy, with some ups and downs, but towards the end, there was a small section where we needed to use our hands and feet. There were ropes to assist us :) When we reached the top, it was just the two of us, completely alone with a magnificent view!
After spending an hour there and having something to eat, we started our way back as it was already 4 pm. This is quite late here in Mauritius. Since the distances described on the signs were incorrect, we ended up walking into the night until a very nice couple gave us a ride back to our car. Exhausted, we arrived at our accommodation, had some food, and went to sleep :)