Mauritius (Africa)

It is easy to run out of adjectives when attempting to describe the natural beauty of the small tropical Indian Ocean island paradise of Mauritius. The volcanic island Republic, covered with lush forest, streams and waterfalls, and fringed with palms, dazzling white sands and teeming coral reefs, lies east of Madagascar just south of the Equator. Mauritius, covering just 720 square miles (1,864 sq km), is the archetypal dream destination for an idyllic holiday, equipped with modern resorts that have been carefully developed to preserve the island's beauty and ecology.

Along with its natural beauty Mauritius has a valuable tourist resource in the warmth and friendliness of its multi-cultural population. Since being officially 'discovered' in 1505 by the Portuguese, the island has been occupied by the Dutch, the French and the British. All have added to the melting pot that constitutes the island's human heritage, along with injections of African slaves, Arab traders and Chinese indentured labourers over the centuries.

Most of the tourist resorts are situated along the 205-mile (330km) coastline, with the capital Port Louis, on the west coast, being the centre of operations for most visitors. The bulk of the population, however, reside on the central plateaux around Curepipe, the island's other major town.

Although everyone who visits Mauritius comes for the sandy beaches and blue lagoons, most are delighted to discover that the island has plenty of other attractions too, from some of the world's rarest stamps to the first ever race course to open in the southern hemisphere. Of course no holiday would be complete, either, without good food and entertainment. Mauritius offers both, with some delicious local cuisine that makes use of tropical fruits and vegetables, and the chance to learn the island's indigenous wild dance, the Sega, which originated among the African slaves of yore.

Mauritius is found in the South West Indian Ocean, 1,300 mls off coast of South Africa. It is one of 3 remote islands known as the Mascarenes. Far-flung sister islands are Rodrigues, 350 miles North East of Mauritius, and Reunion, 100 mls South West. Mauritius itself is a green tropical island of volcanic origin with miniature mountain ranges and a high plateau area where most of the towns are situated; surrounded by virtually unbroken coral reef. Rodrigues is rugged and hilly, surrounded by coral reef.

The beaches are well distributed around the island, although those in the East are prone to winds, particularly during June, July and Aug, and beaches in the South are wild and undeveloped (some have dangerous currents). Elsewhere, miles of soft white sands shelve gently into a safe bath-like lagoon. There are no private beaches but coastal development sometimes makes them the exclusive preserve of the hotels which line the shore. On public beaches expect hawkers and the public to share your space, and they can get crowded at weekends.

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