Mauritius Information Centre
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The
reputation of Mauritius for its beaches and sea is now
established and Mauritius remains first of all a "sea sun &
sand" destination. Since several years, there is a will to promote
the country as a whole for its nation and fauna as well as for
its inland regions. Many are those who are astonished by their
discovery of the island's inner regions wondering why they had
not been briefed about this aspect of Mauritius.
Since the beginning of this century the inner regions are more
easily accessible as:
- There are some magnificent private properties that are now
being commercialised and accessible to visitors through guided
hikes,
mountain
biking or Quad rides.
- It is now possible to find excellent accommodation in lodges
and guesthouses
inland. |
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Climate |
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The
climate in the centre of the island is totally different to
the coastal regions as the centre part is higher in altitude.
It is therefore generally cooler, especially after sunset and
simply cold in winter in the highest parts (around Curepipe).
Temperature may vary between 12-degree Celsius and 22-degree
Celsius in winter or between 18-degree Celsius and 30-degree
Celsius in summer but this is just a numerical indication as
due to the high humidity (up to 90%) the extremes in temperature
are amplified. |
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| Topography |
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It
is difficult to describe the topography of the centre as it
covers a large part of the island. However, all the sub regions
of the centre may have one thing in common; it is always sloping
up or down and in altitude. The vegetation is much richer than
the coasts and often free of sugar canes. The different lakes
and reservoirs give a more continental atmosphere. |
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| Towns
and villages |
The most important residential towns of Mauritius are
found on the high lands. Although they are not very pleasant
to the eyesight, visiting them allows the discovery of the day-to-day
life of Mauritius, although it could be seen as a visit to "the
dark side of the moon."
Curepipe
Curepipe is almost in the middle of Mauritius where the climate
is rather cool, very humid and rainy almost all year round.
The sky is grey and the buildings are all dark grey from mildew.
This colour seems to have bled into its inhabitants' minds,
as they do not seem very cheerful. The region of Curepipe is
worth for only one thing; the buying of duty-free
fine jewellery made in Mauritius and the visit of the diamond
cutting factories.
Beau Bassin / Rose Hill
If you have some extra time, the town of Beau-Bassin / Rose-Hill
are a better detour. Rose-Hill came to life at the end of the
18th century when the malaria disease was spreading in Port-Louis.
People moved their residences to the higher plains where the
cooler climate was keeping most mosquitoes away. Rose-Hill and
Beau Bassin were then the new places to be and until the mid
1900's Rose Hill and especially Beau-Bassin had plenty of wonderful
colonial houses.
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Owing
to the quality of the earth and the humidity the huge gardens
around these well-kept houses were simply magnificent.
Today, Beau-Bassin / Rose-Hill is just another busy town
of Mauritius with very few of these luxuriant properties. However,
it takes its charm from being by far the largest residential
town of Mauritius inhabited by all ethnics, which we
can qualify as the true Mauritians.
Rose-Hill is full of funny shops, visited by all, especially
the young ones. We suggest to park in the centre and have a
stroll in "Arabtown" and around the fair.
Quatre-Bornes
This town is adjacent to Beau-Bassin / Rose-Hill and is slightly
more organised and "modern." Its main attraction is its fair,
which by the way occurs namely on Sundays, the ideal day as
the beaches are crowded. A guided excursion of ½ a day in minibus
is proposed every Sunday.
Although the above does not make these towns very attractive,
we recommend allowing them a few hours especially due to the
fact that they are close to the Plaine Champagne to Chamarel
road, which is highly recommended. |
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| Our
favourite village: Chamarel |
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Chamarel
is unique as it is the only typical remote mountain village
of Mauritius. Quiet, pretty and tidy, Chamarel successfully
merges with its surrounding vegetation.
Populated by the Creole community of Mauritius, Chamarel
is the nursery of this culture and is the place from which most
of the Sega songs were written, sung and danced. Traditional
but not conservative, the people of Chamarel successfully separated
the wheat from the chaff of evolution.
Warm, friendly with a deep sense of hospitality, the people
of Chamarel have welcomed visitors and tourists since
decades but contrarily to inhabitants of other regions, they
managed to remain authentic.
The yearly Fancy Fair of Chamarel remains the most important
event of the region and an occasion for its people to proudly
share with others, the specialities of the village, namely the
Curry No. 1 (monkey curry). Otherwise, it is the Sunday mass
that makes the event.
View
location on Google Earth. |
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| To
See and Do |
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Chamarel Road
There are three ways to access Chamarel, but for the view,
we recommend to start form the heights (Plaine Champagne road)
and drive towards the coast.
The rich and wild vegetation along the road changes every
kilometre as you drive. It is often cold and rainy uphill
to become sunny and warm after just ten kilometres. There
are several places along the road where you can stop for a
snapshot, a walk in the woods or to waterfalls, for a visit
to the village or for lunch at one of the "table d'hotes"
along the street.
This drive is a must and is the most convenient way to take
you from the centre of the island to the south or west coasts.
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Grand
Bassin |
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Grand Bassin
is part of the itinerary of the excursions proposed along
the high plateau. The call is interesting for its legend;
the water inside the crater is said to be in direct contact
with the waters of the holly Ganges of India.
The Hindus of Mauritius have thus declared Grand Bassin
as the holiest and sacred place of Mauritius. A Pilgrimage
occurring every year on the Occasion of the "Maha Shivaratree"
festival leads tens of thousands of people to Grand Bassin,
contributing to this mystical atmosphere. A huge statue of
Shiva has been erected on the spot. |
The
best way to go round the high grounds routes is to rent
a car or hire a taxi for the day but there are also excursions
in minibuses or in a chauffeur-driven car.
View
location on Google Earth.
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| Le
Pouce |
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For
those who wish to hike in open nature independently from guides
and tours, the "Le Pouce" mountain is the right thing
to do. It is relatively easy to climb except for the last
50 metres, and the view from the top is of course fantastic
as almost the whole island can be seen from there. The easiest
way to start off is to park at its foot in the area of Moka.
(Follow the signs to Eureka
House, then the ones to Le Pouce). It is recommended not
to leave any valuables in the car and the ascent is probably
not adequate to children below 10 years.
View
location on Google Earth.
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| Restaurants |
Along the road from Plaine Champagne to Chamarel
there are enough possibilities to have very nice lunches.
One of the most outstanding restaurants of Mauritius "Varangue
Sur Morne," is in the region of Chamarel (it is well indicated).
Superb in simplicity, its all wooden veranda fits well into
the setting and derives the atmosphere of the continental high
mountains with the open air and the magnificent view on the
South as bonus. The cuisine is rather gastronomic and its panned
"foie gras" (not always on the menu) is a treat. Think about
taking with you a pretty filled wallet.
The village of Chamarel counts several "table d'hotes";
we would mention 2 of them: Chez Pierre Paul and Le Coin Tropical.
Chez Pierre Paul has a more authentic Creole cuisine and often
has game meat on the menu while Le Coin Tropical is slightly
more oriental and is sea-food orientated.
These restaurants open only for lunch (or for dinner but under
reservation only). |
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| Accommodation |
The best quality accommodations
in the central regions of Mauritius are in the form of lodges
and Guesthouses,
entirely adapted to their environment. |
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Updated:
June 2006
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