Thursday 19 January 2017

Ile Maurice


Soft waves lapping ashore, coconut cocktails and traditional Sega music playing as I feel the sand between my toes is making me want to stay in this tropical paradise forever. Mauritius was my first tropical island experience and it's got me hooked!
The purity and simplicity of the island life has instilled a level of peace in me I never realized I was looking for in my high pressure fashion industry life. Days filled only with sunshine, boat trips and snorkeling have left me feeling more than ready to never leave!

La Roche Crystal off the coast of Ile aux Benetiers

Located off the shores of Africa, Mauritius is one of the more "down to earth" islands in this region. It carries a tropical feel similar to close by Zanzibar and Seychelles but is by far the larger island. With that comes a whole fascinating, cultural inland territory to explore over and above the clear blue waters the island is famed for. 

Black River Gorge National Park views over Black River

Mauritius, with a population that is more than 68% Indian, is heavily routed in the Hindu faith. The east side of the island is a lot more conservative than the touristy west coast but still you will find shrines and temples wherever you go. Temples so incredibly decorated that it is near impossible to capture the detail, complexity and pure beauty of them. The island's largest temple being in the Black River Gorge National Park, on the Grand Basin, preceded by 33 meter high Shiva statues.

Temples at the Grand Basin

During my visit to the gorgeous island I stayed in the heavenly Mont Choisy. Not wanting to get too caught up in the luxury resort living I opted for a comparatively humble self catering lodge called Mont Choisy Beach Villas 

Mont Choisy Beach Villas garden and pool
It may not have been the four seasons but this little piece of palm tree heaven changed my life. The privacy of a resort with only 14 rooms, a gorgeous pool and a stone throw away from the ocean - I couldn't have asked for more. Despite all the incredible activities during my stay, the best part of my every day was waking up to this island and getting to watch the sun set into the ocean from the recliners set up on the edge of the lodges. 

Watching the sun set from the recliners outside the lodge
The most idyllic setting one could ever ask for, tropical evenings watching the sun go down and the storms rain out far at sea.
But as perfect as the sunsets are, the days themselves are equally enchanting. Full of natural life with an abundance of lush greenery, it is only a two minute walk away from Mont Choisy public beach. Before the day starts and everyone awakens, Mont Choisy public beach is the best place to begin your day; the heat hasn't fully set in yet and there is nobody else around and so the whole ocean is yours for your morning swim. 

Mont Choisy public beach

Morning swim out of the way, you have the whole island and the Indian Ocean surrounding it to go and explore! For a list of things to do check out my post //Mauritius Explored




1 comment:

  1. Oh wow! My favourite island too. Looking forward to more amazing content

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