Mauritius part 2

Traveling with family and exploring as a foreigner is great. What is even better is the ability to see the country through locals of the land. I titled this blogpost “the bergs, the beach and the buildings” …as that is exactly how best I could describe Mauritius!

When you think Mauritius, you automatically think “Beach”. Indeed. Situated on the Indian ocean, the idyllic turquoise waters together with white sands make it the best place to sit and enjoy the day. The two beaches I had the privilege of visiting, Flic en Flac, situated on the West Coast and Grand Baie in the North. A day at the seaside is also a great way to spend the entire day on a low budget. All you need is to get to there and you can enjoy local street food at lower prices than restaurants in hotels. By experiencing authentic food, you get to really immerse yourself in local culture. My hotel in Quatre Bornes was around 20 minutes in a shared taxi from the beach and cost me +-Rs70 for a round trip, as I described in my previous post.

Find the closest beach to you and spend an entire day at the beach, just to relax, rejuvenate. Appreciate the tropical paradise you are on and snap a few sun-kissed selfies with cocktails and street food. It’s the best way to create memories to store in your treasure box of life.

In so many ways, Mauritius is like a mini South Africa. Another option I strongly advise to budget travelers to explore is the self-catering option. With shops like Spar and Food Lovers Market at your convenience, you can save quite a bit on eating out if you have your basic meals at home. Rolls with butter and cheese for breakfast is always a winner! Restaurants can get quite costly, so the option of saving a few hundred Rands by cooking is the best idea. The Travel Savvy team have had travelers opting for the self-catering route, and they loved it.

When I say Mauritius feels like home, I truly mean it. Mirroring Cape Town, the next interesting findings I’d like to share with you is the mountains you can find around the island. (Ps, the mountains are your best bet at landmarks and having a general idea of where you are.) Although, they’re not quite Mount Kilimanjaro, they make great backgrounds for sunrise and sunset photographs. I spent majority of my time between the West Coast and towards the central parts of Mauritius, namely, Quatre Bornes, Flic-en-Flac and Moka. Mauritius is also great to hike! Formed around ten million years ago from volcanic eruptions, the hike up the Moka mountain range (mount le pouce) is challenging and exhausting yet incredibly worth it, as my friends described. Kovil Montagne, a Hindu temple, is located on the Corps de Garde mountain in Quatre-Bornes.

The flight out is 3 hours and return is around 4 hours, from Durban that is. A quick flight, with no layovers is absolute HEAVEN for the seasoned traveler. The Travel Savvy team would love the opportunity to issue your tickets, find you the best accommodation and even recommend the most exciting places in Mauritius!