16 Jan 5 Must-Do Experiences In Mauritius
Mauritius is one of those exotic places you can only dream of visiting. Situated in the heart of the Indian Ocean, its warm and tropical climate is a Honeymooners dream, but there’s of course lots to see and do on this magical island besides just lazying around. Let us share with you our five favourite experiences, shall we?
We partnered up with Nedbank and SAA Voyager recently to explore and experience all that Mauritius has on offer, and by using our brand new cheque and enhanced credit cards to do so, we earned ourselves some miles the entire time (bonus!) And while we’re on the topic (in case you hadn’t heard), SAA Voyager has recently launched the world’s first mile-earning cheque card, meaning you no longer need to have a credit card (or credit record for that matter) to earn miles while you spend on everyday things like food, flights, and hotel bookings – so you should check it out!
But back to the reason you’re really here – below are our five must-do experiences on the island of Mauritius:
5 MUST-DO EXPERIENCES IN MAURITIUS
1. Go On An Undersea Walk At Trou aux Biches
It looks as if you’re some kind of aqua astronaut, exploring an extraterrestrial land and, well, it’s pretty close. This was one of our favourite experiences during our time on Mauritius, and one of the best things about it, is you don’t have to have any diving experience at all. We booked our undersea walk through @mauritius.adventurer on Instagram (he also offers to shoot incredible photos for you at an additional fee, so if you’re traveling without a waterproof camera, no worries). After a short but important briefing, you are ready to explore the seabed below. Once the glass helmet (supplied with fresh O2 pumped through a pipe) is on, you drop to the sea floor, only three meters deep. It’s a bit disorientating at first, as the glass distorts your world, but take a deep breath, and take it all in. After a minute or so, you’ll be surrounded by fish and other sea creatures, and it will feel surreal.
Cost: 1,000 MUR (approx. US$28 or R415) per person and an additional 900 MUR (approx. US$25 or R375) per person if you want to visit the nearby friendly sea turtles too – both experiences earned us 263 miles
2. Eat Some Delicious, Local Street Food
The best way to get a taste of the local culture, is to explore the Central Market in Port Louis (the Mauritian capital). It’s very busy, but would you want anything else? You can try a mix of Creole cuisines which have been influenced by Indian, Chinese, French, and of course African cultures. The best way to get there, is to park outside the city centre at the Waterfront (as there is little to no parking near the market), and catch a “Park and Ride” – great value and highly recommended service. Once at the Market, don’t be afraid to try new and interesting-looking things. Our personal favourites were the Pineapple Confit, Aubergine Pakoras, and Dholl Puri (which could be considered Mauritius’ national dish). It makes a great day out so come hungry!
Cost: We ate a combined 140 MUR (approx. US$4 or R60), and paid 100 MUR (approx. US$3 or R40) for the “Park and Ride” – which in total earned us 17 miles (and a couple full bellies)
3. Visit Beautiful Temples, Shrines, and Churches
Immerse yourself in the culture of this unique multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural nation by visiting various holy temples, shrines, and churches scattered around the island. As you can imagine, all the influences of the past have shaped the religious landscape of Mauritius, and there are many stunning sites to see. We started at the Hindu temple of Sockalingum Meenatchee Ammen Kovil – the detail and colour is the first thing you notice when walking in (but please be respectful and remove your shoes before entering). Not too far away is the Kwan Tee Pagoda, which is a Chinese worship site, and offers a peaceful place to pay your respects if you choose to. One of the most renowned churches on the island is the Notre Dame Auxiliatrice Chapel at Cap Malheureux (which we visited on our last trip to Mauritius) – a Roman Catholic site known for its bright red roof. There are many other temples and churches that dot the island, so follow your curiosity and learn about all the cultures as you go along.
Cost: Entrance to all religious sites is free, but you will need to rent a car to travel around the island, which you can do for around 2,700 MUR (approx. US$75 or R1,120) per day – which earned us 933 miles for our 5-day trip
4. Set Sail On A Catamaran
Surrounded by such beautiful waters, it would be a shame not to venture off the island. There are many cruises and boating experiences you can do, and we chose to go on the catamaran to Ile Aux Cerfs. The weather wasn’t on our side that day unfortunately, but once we got our snorkels and fins on, the water was the place to be – we saw many different fish, and the water temperature was perfect. A great perk of this tour as well, was the open bar, and a wonderful BBQ lunch of seafood and chicken with mixed salads, served on the boat post-snorkel. At the end of the cruise, we got some time to ourselves on the beautiful Ile Aux Cerfs leisure island, where we enjoyed a couple coconuts and some chill time on the beach. A perfect day out – even if the weather isn’t great.
Cost: 2,355 MUR (approx. US$65 or R975) per person – which earned us 325 miles for the full-day tour
5. Experience A Sugarcane Massage
Huge expanses of sugarcane fields cover the island of Mauritius, and when you’re coming in to land, it’s very noticeable. This plant was first introduced by the Dutch, then made popular by the French, and now it’s a huge contributor to the economy of Mauritius. Other than being a key ingredient in Rum (a popular Mauritian export), sugarcane can also be used (interestingly) to release body tension, and after all the exploring you’ve done, it’s well needed and well deserved. We opted to get our “Baton Cane Massage” at Shangri La’s Chi Spa, where the wonderful masseuses rolled a warm piece of sugarcane in all the right spots. 60 minutes later, and we were feeling like new people. Highly recommended (and definitely a unique experience)!
Cost: 3,900 MUR (approx. US$108 or R1,590) for a 60-min massage – which earned us 530 miles for the two massages
*BONUS* Spend A Day At A 5-star Resort
It goes without saying that the island of Mauritius, and all the incredible resorts on it, can very easily take you away from reality. The white sand, gorgeous waters, and various water-sports on offer at most resorts (think kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding, and snorkelling) will allow you to experience the true beauty of the island. So – we know we preach explorations and adventures on a daily basis – but sometimes it’s best to just sit-back, grab a Piña Colada, and enjoy staring at palm trees and turquoise waters. Definitely try make some time to chill when visiting 😉
Cost: 14,366 MUR (approx. US$400 or R5600) for one night staying at the Shangri-La Le Touessrok Resort & Spa – which earned us 3733 miles for the four nights
Let us know in the comments if you have any more must-do experiences in Mauritius?
If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to read our London #VoyagerJourneys post: 5 Days in London – the Only Itinerary You’ll Need and New York #VoyagerJourneys post: 5 Days in New York – the Only Itinerary You’ll Need
Huge thanks to Nedbank and SAA Voyager for sponsoring this blog post, and allowing us the opportunity to enjoy our final of three #VoyagerJourneys, with all the perks and benefits of our new SAA Voyager cheque and enhanced credit cards. You can read our full Online Privacy Policy here.
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