i can never forget my first rendezvous with Mauritius. It was three years back when I had just become a beauty queen. I was chosen to become the Ambassador For Tourism of this country. So, whenever I have been there, I had the opportunity of being there at the most luxurious places — I have also stayed for about five days in the presidential suites of the best hotels there, like say Hotel Beau Rivage and Maritim. There was also a third great hotel there but I can’t remember the name.
Whenever I go there, I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the water. You can’t imagine how beautiful the water looks — pristine blue! I never saw water in shades of blue....you could see the marine life under it!
During my sightseeing, I went to a pristine and incredibly gorgeous Island nearby and indulged in crazy water sports there. I tried surfing, para-sailing, undersea walking, sub-scooter diving and fishing. There are also a few exciting adventure sports available like bungee jumping, quad biking and rappelling. I did all of them too.
Every night we had dinner by the sea shore where the water would be kissing our feet and there would be great live music playing. I also tried learning the traditional Mauritian dance moves, wore their traditional outfit and clicked few pictures too.
The island town is small and you can manage to go around the whole of Mauritius in just one day actually. But when you are there, you don’t go around too much — the beauty of the trip lies in just laying on the sun-beds on the beach, enjoying scrumptious sea food, hiring a cruise and indulging in some serious spas treats.
Mauritius is not actually known for its shopping, although there are a few malls with good brands available in Port Louis, the capital.
But you must pick up some stuff from their local shops. I picked some gorgeous straw hats, souvenirs etc. Try having their famous sugar cane juice too. While staying there, I was felicitated by the deputy prime minister of Mauritius who handed me the ‘Friends of Mauritius’ certificate enabling me to visit Mauritius more often and avail many benefits.
The lasting influence: Mauritius is vastly influenced by the French culture, so along with the local dialect, you will come across the French speaking population! Locals are very warm, hospitable and tourist-friendly. I had one memorable trip and plan to visit again with family and friends!
—As told to Soumyadipta Banerjee
