| Brief Guide to Mauritius |
| MAURITIUS |
|
Mauritius is an independent country in the Indian Ocean directly to the East of Madagascar. It is a paradise for people looking for a beach holiday but it is also a fascinating place to visit to encounter other peoples and cultures. How the unusual mix of people came to be here is described below under “The history of Mauritius”.
The beaches are well protected by a coral reef, which runs around ,most of the island and is generally a few hundred metres out to sea. Within this reef the sea is warmer, there are no sharks and the waves, if any, are small. The island is about 40 miles by 30 miles and has a land area of about 750 square miles. The population is quite large for such a small island at 1.2 million people. This makes it about the third most densely populated country in the world, but the Mauritians are heavily concentrated in the dormitory towns centred around Curepipe, Phoenix, Vacoas, Quatre Bornes and Rose Hill. In contrast there are many very sparsely populated areas where agriculture or mountains predominate. The population is very mixed with about half being Hindu, about 25% being Catholic and around 20% Moslem. There is also a Chinese population of only 1-2% but they are high profile as they own and run so many of the shops. 
|
| Agriculture |
|
Cane sugar plantations cover almost 90% of the cultivated land. Other agricultural products are manioc, banana and coconut. On higher ground there are also a large areas of tea plantations. Tea is heavily subsidised for social and political reasons. Recently agriculture has started to diversify away from sugar and the main new crops have been flowers, including anthuriums, and tropical fruit such as mangoes, papayas and pineapples.
Mauritius along with the islands of Rodrigues and Reunion is part of a series of volcanic islands called the Mascarenes: at the top of this ridge are the Seychelles and Reunion is in the South. The island of Reunion is still a province/department of France and still volcanically active. The volcanic origin of Mauritius is key to understanding the island’s shapes and its agriculture. The soil is very fertile, though rocky, and this made it an ideal place for sugar cane plantations that have dominated Mauritius’ economy for over 200 years. The tea plantations have very much been in decline in recent years – higher labour costs make it hard to compete with Indian production. In any event the tea flavour is not well suited to the international market – the flavour is weak and consequently vanilla is often added to Mauritian tea. |
| What about language - how do you ask for things in Mauritius? |
|
The main language of the island is “Creole” which is a French based patois that evolved amongst the slave workers on the estates, but is really a spoken language. The official written languages are English and French of which French is the more widely spoken. There are also half a dozen Indian languages spoken by the descendants of Indian immigrants, including Urdu. In practice for tourists a basic knowledge of French with the addition of sign language and smiles goes a long way for all but the most abstract of conversations. For language courses see the website at www.languages.co.uk. Mauritian people are generally very gentle and extremely well-disposed towards tourists. They are a very warm and welcoming people and their history has taught them how to coexist happily with others of different backgrounds. Quite naturally shopkeepers and others do appreciate it when a boost to the local economy means a boost to their own personal economy!
The Mauritian people live a much more outdoor lifestyle than Europeans and in many ways are closer to nature: many work in agriculture or grow some of their own food, they are very likely to cycle or walk and many social events and religious events are held outdoors. |
| Why do the people live mostly on the higher land? |
| Historically this was to keep away from the swampy mosquito areas of the lowlands but in the hills there is also more shelter from tropical storms and hurricanes. The coolness of the higher ground attracted most settlements though of course the coastline itself is dotted with fishing villages. |
| Fishing |
| As a tourist you will see the long, brightly coloured wooden fishing boats which are usually powered by a combination of wind, motor and rowing power. If you are staying in self-catering accommodation you are very likely to find fish salesmen at your door offering locally caught fish. These will be very fresh and it is safe and sensible to buy this way, but don’t hesitate to haggle over price and to ask for advice on preparation and cooking. You will do well if you can establish a regular supplier so that trust can be built up on both sides and you can make special requests (eg prawns, calamara, squid, etc) |
| History – how did such a wide range of people get to be on this island? |
|
Slavery and sugar were the driving forces, as we shall see, but let’s go back 400 years to the early settlers. Apart from the discovery of the uninhabited island by Arabic seafarers in 975AD and a brief Portuguese report on the island in 1507, the first real settlers to Mauritius were the Dutch. Admiral van Warwyck visited the island in 1598 on his way to the silk and spice markets in the “Far East”. He it was who named it Maurits, after Prince Maurice of Nassau. The Dutch used it as a stopping off and re-watering point for ships travelling between Europe and the East Indies. It would also have been an important point to restock ships with fruit as there was much naturally occurring fruit and a major hazard of sea travel for many years was scurvy amongst the crew as a result of vitamin c deficiency. The banana plant was introduced to the island in 1606 by the Dutch. The Dutch settlers also saw the value of the vast forests of ebony timber and in order to harvest it they imported the first slaves from Madagascar and prisoners from the East Indies. At around this time they introduced deer (from Java), sheep, pigeon and ducks and, for the first time, sugar cane. The problems of runaway slaves, pirates and cyclones eventually disheartened the Dutch who instead decided to use for shipping stop-overs their colony in South Africa, the Cape of Good Hope. In effect the Dutch abandoned the island in 1710.
There is a nice monument to commemorate the first Dutch landing. The French came five years later and rather grandly renamed the island the “Ile de France” and progressively occupied it until the point when they appointed a governor in 1735 who was Mahe de Labourdonnais. This governor restored law and order and developed Port Louis into a viable port and capital. At Port Louis he made a shipyard for building of sea-going vessels, organised fresh water to be piped into the town and generally accelerated the road building programme. Within 50 years the population of the island had grown to 60,000. However events in France had an echo in the Indian Ocean when in 1790 there was a mini revolution and there followed 13 years of self-rule until Napoleon sent out a governor to restore rule from Paris. This also ended a period in which Mauritius was a base for pirates who regularly plundered British vessels travelling to the East Indies. The British and French each wanted control of this shipping route and so the battle of Grand Port in the Spring of 1810 was very much a strategic one. The French won this four-day battle and their victory is celebrated even on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. This battle is well documented in the Museum at Mahebourg which is housed in the splendid house of one of the early French sugar barons. The commander of the losing British forces was Sir Josiah Willoughby whose name, like many of the early colonists, is remembered in various street names in Mauritius. However, despite their defeat the British retaliated with a surprise attack at the end of that year (1810) and succeeded in taking control of the island. The British governor (Robert Farquahar) gave the French inhabitants the right to keep their property and their laws were to be respected, so that to this day the legal system is a hybrid of French and British traditions. As part of a regional treaty between Britain and France in 1814, the French got the southerly island of Reunion and the British kept Mauritius, Rodrigues and the Seychelles. Of course, following the treaty the name “Isle de France” was inappropriate and the island was returned to its Dutch name, Mauritius. Farquahar continued the rapid development of the island’s sugar cane industry for which there was a rapidly growing international and British market. Sugar was, and is, a crop that could tolerate the occasional cyclone, but it is a labour-intensive product. Until 1833 with the abolition of slavery much of the work on the sugar estates was done by slaves from various parts of the world but especially from Africa, Madagascar and the East Indies. The abolition of slavery was the result of a long campaign in Europe and America. In fact the Danish were the first to outlaw it in 1792. It was campaigners like Clarkson with models of slave ships (sometimes described as “floating coffins”) who persuaded the British to rethink their attitude. Economically of course the British did not suffer as much as they might have done having recently lost their 13 American colonies and in any event the abolition was likely to hurt other, competing, countries more than British interests. The immediate result for Mauritius was the mass immigration of over 200,000 indentured workers from India – both Moslems and Hindus – to work on the sugar estates. These were workers who were paid but committed to work for a certain period for their employer. This immigration continued until 1909 and most of these Indians were in Mauritius to stay and when everyone was given the vote in 1959 they became the majority group. Today 51% of the population are Hindu. Independence from Britain came in 1968 when the British, to use Gandhi’s words, left as friends not as enemies. The island remained part of the Commonwealth with the Queen as nominal head of state, represented by a governor general, until Mauritius declared itself a republic in 1992. The first Prime Minister, in 1968, was Sir Seewosagur Ramgoolam after whom the airport and many buildings and streets are named. Well-respected by many Mauritians, Ramgoolam held office until 1982 and at the time of writing (2005) his son has recently been elected prime minister. Like many islands there is always a pressure for the young people to travel abroad to make their fortunes and the Mauritians have indeed established communities in many parts of the world. There are strong Mauritian communities in countries that welcomed immigration in the late 1950s and early 1960s. For example, Britain, Australia and Canada all welcomed Mauritians to become citizens and to join their workforce. Most of these communities retain strong links with the island through family ties and nowadays through internet connections. There are many websites where you can book accommodation on the island and of course there are plenty of internet cafes in the main centres, especially Port Louis and Mahebourg. |
| Economy |
|
Since independence in 1968, the economy has grown at 5-6% per annum which impressive growth has led to significant benefits to the people – lower infant mortality, improved infrastructure including a good road network and generally longer life expectancies. In exports sugar is important, accounting for 25% of export earnings.
Announced in early 2005, the country is to become a duty free zone after a 4 year transitional period. The idea is to make consumer goods cheaper for the Mauritian people and to encourage stop-overs by Airlines flying to Singapore and Dubai. |
| Internet Access |
| The government has been determined to promote internet businesses and the Technology Park is dedicated to them. The majority of the island is covered by a "hot spot" which is being expanded to 90% coverage via new antennas. |
| Conservation – corals and islands |
|
One of the most astonishing features of Mauritius is the coral – both the reef and the lagoons with coral “gardens” just below the surface. You can go for a boat trip at Blue Bay in a glass-bottomed boat. For about 1,000 rupees (maybe £20/$34) you can hire a boat with a couple of crew for an hour or two. This gives the chance to see the coral and associated fish as well as to swim from the boat and go to the beach opposite Blue Bay at the Blue Lagoon Hotel/Shadrani.
Coral is extraordinary in its variety of colour shape and fish that it attracts. It grows slowly – only about 1cm each year – so one can believe the claims that the enormous white domed coral in the blue bay coral garden is 800 years old. If you haven’t seen coral in the wild previously then don’t leave Mauritius without seeing some. Many people take home pieces of coral fascinated by the texture and beauty of the calcium branched patterns of the dead coral. If collected from the beach this is harmless as these coral pieces will otherwise be broken down by the waves to make the characteristic white sand of the island. The coral beds are also home to sea cucumbers, spikey sea anenomes and vast numbers of fish – Mauritius has several thousand species of fish and many are brightly coloured. The large number of fish is possible because the coral supports such a large variety and quantity of life – even the coral has evolved into many different species. Whilst coral makes up only about 1% of the ocean habitat it is the home to 25% of ocean species. Some of the small offshore islands have been turned into nature reserves. For example in the South East, near to Mahebourg, opposite the Peskil beach resort Hotel is Isle aux Aigrettes (“Egrets’ Island”). Trips to the island can be booked through the hotel or from Mahebourg harbour for about 800 rupees per person, although surprisingly the exhibition centre manager is welcoming to anyone landing under their own steam in small craft. Here there is a visitor centre with an exhibition of indigenous species, some extinct and some, like the pink pigeon, making a healthy come-back. Also in the visitor centre are sculptures, a gift shop and perhaps incongruously a coke machine! There is a good guided walk around the island though you are asked to keep to the pathway. In order to help with conservation the conservation NGO running the Isle aux Aigrettes has cleared it of both rats and imported plant species. To the south of Mahebourg and along from Blue bay is the Pointe Jerome. This is a favourite place for water sports including water-skiing, kite surfing, wind surfing, snorkelling and simply swimming. All beaches in Mauritius are officially open to the public and so the only issue sometimes is getting to them. In the last few years the Mauritians have very much improved their facilities at beaches with more public WCs and much less litter. |
| Potential dangers at the sea-shore |
|
The biggest risk is probably the stonefish. If you step on it the danger is that its poisonous spines will go into your foot causing it to swell up. Hospital treatment is necessary and don’t wait – delay may make it much more serious. Stonefish lurk in the lagoons and are well camouflaged. Sometimes they are beneath the surface. However, you shouldn’t let this stop you swimming – good tips are: wear flip flops or “reef shoes” when paddling, keep an eye on the sea floor and generally swim rather than wade. A less serious, but common, danger is the sea urchins with their spikes – here the important thing is to remove all spines from your foot to ensure the foot doesn’t get infected.
Where there a dangerous tides and beaches are not suitable for swimming there are good warning signs, but generally because the coral reef protects large shallow lagoons around the island, most of the sea is ideal for swimming in. |
| Forests old and new |
| The original virgin forest was so heavily harvested and converted into agricultural land that very little survives – there is less than 1% of the indigenous forest left. What does survive has been mostly turned into nature reserves and tourists are very much welcomed there. |
| Le Domaine du Chasseur |
| This estate to the East of Mahebourg is well worth a visit. It is about 3,700 acres in extent and has a small animal reserve including goats, various domesticated birds including turkeys and a giant tortoise. However the main attraction is the deer hunting and there are about 14 hunting lodges where one can stay overnight. It is also easy to hire quad bikes with a guide and drive round the estate – though not as environmentally friendly as cycling or walking it is great fun – children are supposed to be 16 or over to join in. Their website is at: www.domainduchasseur.mu. |
| Le Souffleur |
| At one of the southernmost tips (Savinnia) of the island is a blow hole or “blower” in the rocks where certain tides cause the water to shoot out and rise to about 50-60 feet into the air. To visit you must get a permit from the nearby police station at L’Escalier, though some visitors don’t bother. |
| 9-11-2001 World Trade Centre Attack and the 2004 Tsunami |
| Did the Island’s tourism suffer from the drop in tourism? Very little it seems, perhaps because Mauritius is not seen as distinctly western or Jewish – maybe too because it is, as it were, “on the other side” from these problems. In relation to the Tsunami the island only suffered minor flooding and hasn’t been affected by fear of big waves – this is ironic as almost all the hotels in Mauritius are on the coast. |
| Port Louis - Market |
| One of the major attractions of the capital is the market, established over 160 years ago. This has recently been moved indoors and is a must for any tourist. You can buy snacks as you go round such as faratas (thin pancakes with a layer of saucy sauce), badjahs (pieces of fried dough), and samosas. When it comes to buying goods at the stalls, negotiating over prices is very much expected, but not at the “fast food” carts. |
| Port Louis - Racecourse |
| Called the “Champ de Mars” this is not only Port Louis’s race course but is the island’s only racecourse. It is said to be the second oldest course in the world and dates back to 1812. Mauritius has very few racehorses and most of those that race are imported from South Africa. Of course the Chinese are keen gamblers and perhaps for good luck they have one of their three Port Louis temples here: it is called the Lam Soon Temple and incense can be smelt from some way off. |
| Port Louis – Postal Museum |
| Mauritius became the 5th country in the world to use postage stamps when they were introduced in 1854 and there is a very good exhibition at the museum in Port Louis. The stamps Red Penny and Blue Penny are very rare and consequently valuable. |
| Sugar Mills – tours and transport |
| Several of the mills are open to the public. Notably amongst the older mills is the St Felix mill which is at the South end of the island near to Souillac. The tour costs 100 rupees for children and 150 rupees for adults, but gives you the chance to see the production - from unloading of the freshly cut cane to the output of granulated sugar, mollasses and fertilizer. There are two cranes operating most of the time – an electric crane and a steam crane. The molasses are used for rum and cattle feed. Although the process is energy intensive external power is not required because the pulp is dried and burnt in large furnaces which provide heat, steam and electricity for the processing. The ratio of cane to produced sugar by weight is 10:1. Such tours are noisy but worthwhile. |
| L’Aventure du Sucre |
| A much more extensive exhibition of sugar is available outside Port Louis near to the gardens at Pamplemousses at “L’Aventure du Sucre” – this converted sugar mill has very many pictures and displays on the history of the industry. It includes the agriculture of the island and the productsfs into which sugar is made (rum, molasses, various types of sugar). There is a restaurant, Le Fangourin Restaurant, and a souvenir shop but both are very much geared to foreign tourists. You can view their website at: www.aventuredusucre.com |
| Rochester Falls |
Only 2 kilometres from the St Felix Mill are the Rochester Falls. The falls are on the Savanne River and are distinctive because of the vertical columns of basalt over which they cascade. If you go by car (and most do) you may be followed closely by a motorcyclist who will offer to be your guide and he will probably encourage you to take photos of his friends diving into the pool beneath the falls. You will be expected to make a donation of your choice, but with salaries about 20% of those in Europe or America your 100 or 200 or even 50 rupees is a large sum to your guide.
|
| La Vanille Crocodile Park |
| Do you want to ride on a tortoise? This is the place! Near Souillac this is a must if you have children and you like animals. There is a nature trail through the forest and a delicious restaurant (called the “hungry crocodile”), where disconcertingly you can eat crocodile steaks. Open every day and clearly signed from Rivierre des Anguilles. |
| Comments, copyright and linking |
|
Comments on this brief guide would be welcome. Also, please let us know if you do put in a link to this guide from your website and we will try to reciprocate with a link from us to your site.
Copyright: these pages are protected by copyright and reproduction of this material is strictly prohibited. Copyright belongs to Giant Games Limited, owner of the briefguides.co.uk and onlineshopping.co.uk websites. © 1997-2006 Giant Games Limited, but you are welcome to have a link to this webpage. |