Eight Ways To While Away a Day in Mauritius

Published February 2007 Discovery Magazine.

Hook A Big One in Mauritius
Some of the world’s most highly prized game fish run off Mauritius from December to March. Thousand-pound blue marlins are the ultimate trophy, but yellow-fin tuna, sailfish, barracuda and wahoo are among other large fish that feed just beyond the reef of Mauritius.

Play the Ponies at Mauritius
Founded in 1812 on the site of an old French army parade ground, the Champs de Mars racetrack is the oldest thoroughbred turf club in the southern hemisphere. The season runs from May to October with race meets nearly every weekend on Mauritius.

Play Eighteen Holes of Golf
Mauritius boasts half a dozen top-quality golf courses including the double Legends & Links courses at Belle Mare Plage on the eastern seaboard. Legends is marked by numerous water hazards, while Links is the tropical version of a rambling Scottish links course.

Dive a Wreck at Mauritius
The tropical waters around Mauritius contain many long-ago lost ships like the British Royal Navy frigate Sirius that went to the bottom during the Battle of Vieux Grand Port in 1810.

Bet the Mauritius Farm
Many of the big resort hotels sport their own casinos and scattered around the island are half a dozen “indie” gambling houses including the new Caudan Waterfront Casino in Port Louis, with its pirate-ship theme.

Smell the Roses …
… and thousands of other plants at the sprawling Pamplemousses Royal Botaincal Gardens, originally laid out in the late 18th century and still one of the world’s most important horticultural hubs. Among its hundreds of flora species are acajou mahoganies, talipot palms native to Mauritius and giant Victoria water lilies.

Buy a Ship on Mauritius
Forest Side village int eh island’s interior is world famous for its model wooden ships, rendered in incredible detail by skilled artisans. The miniature fleet ranges from the Bounty of Godlen Hind to 20th century marvels like the Titanic and the racing yacht Endeavour.

Reach a Peak on Mauritius
Many of the island’s volcanic mountains may be reached on foot, although in some cases, it’s an all-day effort. Among the more climbable peaks are Signal Hill, Corps de Garde, Pieter Both, Le Pouce and 827 Metre high Black River Peak (Mauritius’ highest peak).