Mauritius… ethereal beaches and nature’s bounty

Located in the mystical turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, the island which has a territory of only 2040 square kilometres is a sun, Mauritius is a sea and sand lover’s dreamland.

With stretches of magnificent white sandy beaches, turquoise blue lagoons and breath-taking mountains, words cannot describe the experience of visiting this place that is rich in natural beauty. The capital, Port Louis, blends foreign influences and offers sites such as the Champs de Mars horse track, colonial Eureka plantation and 18th-century botanical garden. The island was officially discovered and documented by the Portuguese at the beginning of the 16th century and was then occupied by the Dutch, the French and the British successively. Mauritius achieved independence in 1968 and now has a population of 1.3million, most of whom are of African, Indian and Chinese descent, with a small European community as well. The mix of cultures, faiths and races has L ocated in the mystical turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, the island which has a territory of only 2040 square kilometres is a sun, Mauritius is a sea and sand lover’s dreamland. AL'AMAL - April 53 made Mauritius a very exciting, diverse and yet peaceful place to be, where there is always something new happening and something even more exciting to be discovered. Located in the southwest Indian Ocean, Mauritius enjoys a tropical climate that is greatly affected by south east trade winds. In general, the western and northern regions are warmer and drier than those in the east and south. The best time to visit Mauritius is during its winter months, the temperature is much cooler and on most days you will not even have to use the room air conditioning, also it rains less and even when it does rain it’s mainly in the evening or just a passing shower during the day. Mauritius is one of the most developed of the Mascarene Islands located in the south west Indian Ocean, and is developing rapidly even more-so year after year. Its 330 kilometre coastline of sandy beaches is almost entirely surrounded by one of the largest unbroken coral reefs in the world, playing home to more than one thousand species of fish. This certainly magnifies the majesty of the island and makes underwater activities even more magical. Often, the traditional sounds of Sega music, the local folklore, can be heard far and wide, inspiring dancing, singing and laughing on the beach well into the night. Traditional Mauritian cuisine is just out of this world with its fusion of Chinese, Indian and creole food, resulting in dishes which are full of rich flavour and colour leaving you wanting more. Tourism Guide This issue's question On which day does the annual In