After three lovely and relaxing days in Seychelles, we jumped on a plane and flew over, or down, to Mauritius. This island did not disappoint!

Take a look at the map to see some of our top spots.

You can also click here to see the full gallery.

From the first day in Pointe D’Esny we were gripped by amazing views and deep coloured water.

We stayed in this area because it was very close to the airport. We landed at 4:00 PM, and so didn’t want to have to drive too far, or in the dark. The next morning, we jumped into a small boat to go off to the Ile Aux Aigrettes. This island is a national park and research center where they are rehabilitating both the flora and the fauna of Mauritius.

One of the local fauna that was virtually extinct is the long-necked tortoise. These specimens are actually imports from another part of the world, but apparently they are almost the same.

We also encountered a range of local birds including the …

After a couple days enjoying the local area, and eating a lovely meal of creole fish at the ‘Le Bazilic’, in Mahebourg, we headed north to our next stop. Along the way, we drove along the eastern coast, passing a range of small towns and amazing beaches. The island is surrounded by a reef which creates a series of giant lagoons almost entirely around the island.

The east coast has extensive, almost endless beaches. As you drive along, there are resorts, homes, fishing ports …

… and wide open parks with great camping facilities for locals and tourists.

It is easy to overlook the remarkable resource this is for everyone. It is a great place to sit and think for awhile.

There are a few restaurants here and there along the coastal road. At Chez Oceane, We stopped for some lovely noodles on yet another lovely beach.

One of the amazing birds that we came across was the Village weaver bird.

As you can see, they are named for their ability to weave quite complicated nests.

Apparently, the female has the right to decline the nest, forcing the male to weave another. Sometimes, you can see a range of unused nests lying on the ground.

They use the palm fronds to make the nests. So, after awhile, they tear off most of the fronds leaving only the long palm leaf backbone.

Take a look at this video.

Upon arrival in Grande Baie at the northern tip of the island, we stopped for groceries bfore heading to our AirBnB. I knew there was a good view from the deck, but I was not expecting just how remarkable it was.

… or this view.

Grande Baie seems to be the most touristed area in Mauritius. I will offer my support for the area. It has just about everything you could want. Some amazing beaches just minutes away …

…some excellent restuarants right on the beach (another beach) …

…  and beers in paper bags!

After a few days of just totally chilling on the beach and enjoying the view from our deck, ….

… Sandy showed up just in time for another day or two in Grande Baie and a trip to the Botanical Garden.

You can check the full gallery for a few more shots of the gardens.

We then headed south to Flic En Flac, which was touted in the guide books as another popular spot. It was also relaxed, and quite close to Port Louis, the capital city.

After driving frm Grande Baie, moving into the new place, and then wandering around in the heat, we just had to stop for a cold brew.

On another day, we took the metro into Port Louis. Traffic is quite bad in this crowded town, so we parked outside the city and jumped on the train. I did not realize that it too had a long history of both slavery and indentured labour. We went to the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Site which also hosts the Slavery Museum just next door.

As we wandered around the city, we saw the power of the Fig Tree in destroying the city walls.

We also took a walk through the central market, which, as expected, was crowded, a bit crazy …

… but full of good food.

Our time in Flic En Flac was cut short by a flood in our AirBNB. Luckily, although it was New Year’s eve, we were able to find a different place to stay. Pepper Tree Cottage, as it was aptly named, was considerably above our usually budget, and so we took advantage of the location to enjoy a mid holiday break!

Our time in Tamarin was also a bit short as it was only to fill the couple days we missed in Flic En Flac. While it had a lovely beach area …

… with a great view towards the interrior …

… it was not a bustling center. We then went on to La Gaulette, which I had purposely saved until the end of our trip. According to all accounts, it is the most picturesque area of the island and has some of the best beach life. I agree.

La Gaulette not only has amazing beaches and water, it is close to the Black River Gorges National Park which has quite a number of hikes and and views.

One of the highlights of the park was the Ebony Forest, which has the Sublime Point, and this amazing view.

One day, we hired Bernard, AKA, BeB (Be – be) of Beb’s Cruiseboat to tour us around. One of the highlights of the cruise was the opportunity to swim with dolphins. As you can see in the video, there were a few other boats around, but I think the dolphins were pretty safe and accustomed to the boats.

Check out this video.

Near Tamarin Bay

We also toured around a few others locations in the La Gaulette lagoon, which actually stretches for several dozen kilometers along the coast.

While in La Gaulette, when we weren’t hiking …

… or checking out another beach …

… ate very well at a few of the different restaurants in the area.

As a closing to the post, one night in La Gaulette, we were invited to go to the roof of the AirBNB to view the sunset.

As an added surprise, the moon rose directly opposite from the sunset.

Please make sure to check out the gallery to see all of the photos from the trip.