photo credit: Surreal 85

We have just visited Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocen for the first time and can agree uppon the following account of Mauritius:

Mauritius Island and Its Attractions

Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean can be considered as a unique destination in the world with complete visitors attractions.

Many of the beach hotels operate a club house with practice nets and a store room for guests’ golf equipment.

The Gymkhana Club in Vacoas – A Mauritius golf course

This is the only private club with an 18-hole golf course. A new golf course has been created on Ile Aux Cerfs and others are being planned in other parts of the island.

Casinos in Mauritius

This is another one of the island’s attractions and is catered for on a lavish scale by some resort hotels, which offer a variety of tables (roulette, blackjack, etc.) as well as “one-armed bandits” or fruits machines.

Horse Racing in Mauritius

Of outstanding interest for visitors is Horse Racing, at Champ de Mars in Port Louis. The race course is one of the oldest of its kind in the southern hemisphere. The season previously ran from May to November, but as from the year 2010 it runs from March to December. Among the main meeting held is the Mauritian derby, the Maiden Plate, run in mid-September.

photo credit: Avinash Meetoo

The greatest resource of Mauritius is its people …

Royston Ellis poet and writer reports, “Visitors to Mauritius come first as tourists and stay in beach hotel. On their second visit they rent self-catering accommodation. On their third visit they stay with a Mauritian family. They then feel at home.”

There are many who believe that the greatest wealth of this island-nation is its people, the descendants of immigrants from many continents, with an amazing blend of cultures, whose hospitality has been acclaimed as “legendary and spontaneous.”

This is one reason why the tourist, whether from Africa, India, China, Europe or anywhere in the world can always find the island a piece of his own world he can relate with. The number of tourists visiting Mauritius has been increasing year by year. Here too the Mauritian record is impressive.

Not surprisingly, many visitors who have adopted Mauritius as their holiday home claim that they feel more intensely alive here than anywhere else, that they relate with other people on a much more personal level than even back in their own home countries, that they end up discovering important things about themselves that they were not aware of.

Testimonies which only go to confirm the truth of what poets and visionaries have affirmed that Mauritius has been built according to the scale of the man, a place where the man is not dwarfed by the sheer size of the country and the immensity of his natural environment, a place where he can come into his own, where he can be a man among other man.

Author: Valirie Seneque, a retired air hostess, has been a professional hostess for Air Mauritius for several years. She has travelled throughout everywhere around the world and her experience has helped her to publish many tourism articles in the national print magazine, and her web site at http://www.mauritravel.com/articles.php?id=207

One of the best beaches in Mauritius - a sandy beach with clean water.

photo credit: Surreal 85
It is renowned as an upmarket winter sun destination, and any luxury holiday in Mauritius will inevitably focus on the beaches. They remain the island’s greatest attraction, seemingly endless stretches of white sand and turquoise sea that prompted Mark Twain to comment that “you gather the idea that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.”

If you are on holiday in Mauritius, the only challenge you’ll find is in choosing between the many beaches on offer! Whether you want the hustle and bustle of one of the island’s “party beaches” or a more secluded place to relax, you are sure to find a place to suit your needs – here are five of the finest beaches to visit whilst on holiday in Mauritius…

Ile aux Cerfs Beach

For a very different experience away from the crowds, catch a boat over to Cerfs, a small island just off the east coast of Mauritius. The Ile aux Cerfs beach runs almost around the entire coastline, and the quiet beaches provide the perfect place to relax on a luxury Mauritius holiday. You can catch a boat to the island from Pointe Maurice, and if you are on holiday in Mauritius the island is well worth paying a visit to.

Trou aux Birches Beach

Trou aux Birches, located on the island’s popular west coast, is the ideal beach for a family holiday in Mauritius. The gorgeous beach itself is complemented by the local attractions – the excellent aquarium and Hindu temple are great places to visit with your family, and the stunning sunset provides the perfect conclusion to a day spent lounging on the sands.

Pereybere Beach

The deep waters at Pereybere beach make it perhaps the best beach for swimming on the island, and the calm surf make it perfectly safe for families. It is popular with young people on holiday in Mauritius and is something of a party beach, so those looking for peace and quiet could struggle here. But for the best snorkelling swimming and a vibrant atmosphere, it has hard to better Pereybere.

Flic en Flac Beach

Visit the bizarrely named Flic en Flac (Dutch for flat and free land) on the west coast of Mauritius, and you’ll be treated to one of the best sunsets on the island. Flic en Flac is picture perfect, with powder white sand and a deep blue lagoon, but recent developments of apartments and condos mean that it is relatively well populated. Still, if you don’t mind the crowds, Flic en Flac remains one of the most beautiful beaches in Mauritius.

Paradis Beach

This beach remains fairly exclusive to the guests at the Paradis Hotel (it is hard to get to unless you are staying at the hotel) but if you choose to take a luxury holiday in Mauritius here, you’ll be in for a treat – this beach truly lives up to its name. With rocky mountains looming over the flawless beach and a golf course located a stones throw away, this is the beach of choice for those who like to relax in style.

Author: Claire Bryant is a Mauritius holiday expert for key2holidays, an online tour operator offering [http://www.key2holidays.co.uk/mauritius]Mauritius luxury holidays, as well as trips to Australia, Cuba, the Caribbean, Europe, Egypt, the Far East, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Dubai and the Arabian Gulf. Key2holidays has a dedicated team of experienced travel consultants to share their knowledge and help you to plan and book your ideal holiday.