MaurizioLagoons, splendid pristine beaches,dense nature trails with a chain ofluxurious resorts to choose from,Mauritius makes for a glamorousand decidedly enthralling beachgetaway. Peppered with volcanicmountains and regions engulfed indense jungles teeming with a richlife of their own, Mauritius's finebeach fronts make it one of theworld's best scuba diving andsnorkeling destination.

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Hemmed in by the longest unbroken coralreef in the world, Mauritius is a veritableparadise for watersports activites, bothunderwater and over the water's surface.Erstwhile French colony, set afloat in theshimmering seawaters of southern IndianOcean, Mauritius is a cultural hotpot ofEuropean, Asian and French flavors andcolors.

ith its colonial past and Hindu heritagerooted firmly in its fine sands, you will findMauritius to be a microcosm of everything abeach getaway can offer. While much ofMauritius's charms can be found on itscoastline and underwater, much of itslifeline runs deep within its tropical foliage.

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What To

SEE5 Sights

http://www.ixigo.com/places-to-visit-see-in-maurizio-lp-1475577

1 Black River Gorges NationalPark

Savanne, Mauritius

Black River gorges should be done duringthe south island tour. It is the site of theremaining 2% forest cover on the isalnd.This place has a number of nice picnic spots,numerous trails and two informationcenters for visitors. However the main pointof attraction are the huge waterfalls spreadacross a gorge with a 200m drop. The viewsfrom this place are more than justfantastic.They are phenomenal.You willcome across many more hidden treasures ifyou venture out on a hiking trip. Wildlifeenthusiasts will find a lot of indigenousspecies to study from close quarters. A

guided tour is recommended rather thanventuring out on your own. Make sure youhave a good camera on you and you are setto go.

2 Île aux Cerfs Island

East Coast of Mauritius

Located on the eastern coast of the island,lies a 600 scre of land that can be accessedby boat from the village of Trou d'EauDouce. Once you land on the jetty, you caneasily find your way to the beach byfollowing the line of souvenir shops and thecrowds. If you venture out further you willfind many secluded sports and privatecoves. This place was once full of deersimported from Java and was called the Deerisland. Even though it no longer has anymore deer, it continues to reamin one of themost popular and beautiful beachdestinations in the world. There are anumber of water sport activities availablelike, Water skiing, banana boat rides, glassfloor boats etc. Snorkeling here is anabsolute delight as you explore the coralreefs and the vivid underwater biodiversityin this area. The Deer island is also home toa sprawling 18 hole golf course. There are alot of hotels and restaurants around thearea, which are on the expensive side, soyou might want to pack your own lunchwhen coming here.

3 Ganga Talao

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Grand Bassin, District Savanne,Mauritius

Grand Bassin is also what Ganga Talao (amore popular name) is known by. A craterlake by its terrain, it houses temples ofimmense religious importance for thedevout Hindu. At a height of 1800 feet abovesea level, it is situated in central Mauritius.Shrouded in the relatively more isolatedpart of the district of Savanne, this craterlake is popular as it inspires an immenseamount of footfall from tourists, visitors,devouts and locals alike.

A temple is dedicated to some of the mostpopular deities of Hinduism - Lord Shiva,Hanuman, Lakshmi. Throngs of peoplecome here to offer prayers, take a dip in thewaters and meditate, especially during thetime of Maha Shivratri, which is consideredto be an auspicious time for religiousdevotees. Many of these devotees walk barefeet all the way from their lodges,residences or merely from the lake to thetemple.  

The prominence of the name comes fromthe amalgamation of two importantconcepts of the faith. ‘Ganga,’ signifies theholy river Ganges, ‘Talao,’ means pool. TheMangal Mahadev or the Shiva statue issituated in the middle of the lake and is 108feet tall. Its significance lies in the fact that itis perhaps the highest statue in the islandnation.

The Hanuman Hill, located at a closeproximity to the temple is dedicated to LordHanuman. It honours the monkey god andone will never be failed to be amused withthe amount of monkeys that roam aboutfreely here.

4 Tamarin Bay

Tamarin, Mauritius

Tamarin Bay is a fun beach famous forsurfing and dolphin swimming. There areinformal volley-ball matches and footballgames happening around the day and theevenings are filled with the peppy jazz musicand make this beach filled with a lively andfestive ambience.It is a fun and adventurous beach too, aswaves comes straight to the beach. TamarinBay offers some of the best surfing on theplanet. So don’t forget to bring boardsalong.It has two nice surfing spots. ‘Dal’ onits left and ‘Black stone’ on the right.The besttime to take advantage of the sea isbetween 8am and 9am when weather isclear and the kiosks have yet to open their

shutters.

Dolphins are often found close to TamarinBay and various boat companies offer tripsto watch and swim with them in themornings. Its definitely worth a visit whengoing around the southern part of theisland. As it is on the west coast, TamarinBay offers the most glorious sunsets whichmakes it an ideal place for sun-downers.

5 La Vanille Crocodile Park,Riviere des Anguilles

Riviere des Anguilles, Mauritius

La Vanille Crocodile Park was founded in1985. This park shows how Mauritius lookedlike before sugarcane was cultivated.Butthere is a lot more to discover. You can findsome few hundreds of Nile crocodiles and alot of other species in this lush greensurroundings.There is also the world’sbiggest tortoise grassland where you canfeed and pet giant tortoises. For the little

globe trotters, there is also a JungleAdventure Park which is a small play areajust next to the giant tortoises.

While exploring the park more and moreyou can see crab eating monkeys, iguanas,apes, fruit bats, chameleons, and a lot more.Little exhibitions on the way provideinformation about the differentspecies.Impressive is also the Insectariumwhich accommodates a large collection ofbutterflies, bugs, spiders not only fromMauritius but from all over the world.

Where To

Eat5 Places

http://www.ixigo.com/foods-in-of-maurizio-lp-1475577

1 Rasoi by Vineet

One&Only Le Saint Géran, Pointe deFlacq, Mauritius

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+230-401-1688

This award winning restaurant managed bythe renowned chef, Vineet Bhatia, is like adream come true when it comes to dining.You will be charmed by the scenic backdropwith views of majestic mountains andprivate lagoon, while you enjoy the freshlyprepared food here. The beautiful naturalsetting, plush seating arrangement and animpeccable client service match to thestandard of excellent preparations whichare a real delight for your taste buds. Themenu is constantly changing and you get tosavour some classic Indian dishes along withan assorted range of wines. Happy dining!

2 Le Palais de Barbizon

Route Sainte Anne, Chamarel,Mauritius

+230-4835078

Something more than mere a restaurant, LePalais de Barbizon promises a completedining experience for its guests. Known forits authentic local preparations, everything

that you have heard of Mauritian food canbe found on the menu, so its time to takeyour pick from a range of tempting choiceswhich will leave you yearning for more. Theyoffer home-made recipes at prices thatwon't be heavy on your pocket and thatadds charm to the whole experience. Forinstance, you can enjoy a full course menuat just MUR 180, Le Palais could be your bestbet in town with excellent client service,good food and a homely decor.

3 Le Palais de Barbizon

Route Sainte Anne, Chamarel,Mauritius

+230-4835078

Something more than mere a restaurant, LePalais de Barbizon promises a completedining experience for its guests. Known forits authentic local preparations, everythingthat you have heard of Mauritian food canbe found on the menu, so its time to takeyour pick from a range of tempting choiceswhich will leave you yearning for more. They

offer home-made recipes at prices thatwon't be heavy on your pocket and thatadds charm to the whole experience. Forinstance, you can enjoy a full course menuat just MUR 180, Le Palais could be your bestbet in town with excellent client service,good food and a homely decor.

4 Les Canisses Resto & Plage,Grand Baie

Royal Road, Grand Baie, Riviere DuRempart, Mauritius

+230-2635231

With a picturesque location, lovely staff anda lavish menu, the elegant restaurantdeserves a visit at least once when inMauritius. You would love to relish anawesome spread while enjoying the scenicviews of Grand Bay and the combination isirresistible. Menu here offers French, Italian,Seafood and Vegetarian cuisines and everydish is cooked to perfection, keeping inmind the right use of ingredients and spices.Some of the top recommendations are

smoked marlin and lobster, prawns, pizzacanisses, tartare of fish, fisherman salad andlast but not the least, chocolate mousse!Enjoy your meal with a heady mix ofbeverages and step out with a full stomachand completely satiated taste buds.

5 La Spiaggia

Poste de Flacq, Bella Mare Plage,Poste De Flacq, Mauritius

+230-4022777

One of the hotspot names in town for Italianfood, La Spiaggia has earned quite areputation for itself in a short span of time.Located right on the beach, it offers theultimate dining experience with stunningviews, well-decorated interiors and anattentive client service. If you are headinghere for dinner, make sure you have priorbookings so that you can get a seat whichoffers the best views of the sea as the entirearea looks all the more beautiful andcharming as evening passes by. The menuhas some nice choices in Italian as well as

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seafood dishes and they are all preparedusing the freshest and finest ingredients tomake your dining experience morememorable.