What Makes Mauritius My Favorite Tourist Destination

I’ve visited more than half of the countries in the world and I’ve experienced beauties that I never thought I’d see with my own eyes. The most common question I hear from readers or friends is, “which country is your favorite?” I find it impossible to answer though. I might have a favorite for beaches and a different favorite for culture, another for food, another for adventure, and yet another for luxury. Mauritius is a country that offers extremes. Extreme adventure. Extreme beauty. Extreme nature. Extreme luxury. I dream in extremes and have decided it is my favorite tourist destination in the world. What makes Mauritius my favorite? You’ll see here.

Luxury, Accommodations, & Dining

I stayed at two hotels while I was in Mauritius – Constance Le Prince Maurice and Constance Belle Mare Plage. Constance Hotels and Resorts are luxurious with attention to detail, stunning architecture, beautifully crafted food, and ideal locations.

There are very few things that didn’t exceed my expectations at Constance Belle Mare Plage. With 92 Prestige Rooms, 96 Junior Suites, 6 Deluxe Suites, 20 distinctive Villas and a Presidential Villa, a large spa, free water sports including water skiing, wakeboarding, glass bottom boat tours, wind surfing, sea kayaking snorkeling, and hobby cats, a Kids Club and baby sitting service available 24 hours a day, a stunning 2 km powdery, white sand beach, seven distinctive restaurants and five bars, two golf courses, and a fitness center, Belle Mare Plage is the perfect combination of family-friendly and extravagant living. At Belle Mare Plage, you have the opportunity to experience unparalleled luxury.

Constance Le Prince Maurice is one of the Leading Hotels of the World where space is combined with stunning architectural design establishing an exclusive 5* hotel. You can choose from one of the 64 Junior suites, 12 Family suites, 12 Villas, or the lavish Princely Villa at Constance Le Prince Maurice. Lounge in the intimate and secluded setting, pamper yourself at the U Spa by Constance and feast on exceptional cuisine created by top chefs from around the world. Families can choose beach villas with complimentary Constance kids club, while golf pros can retreat to two 18-hole championship golf courses. One of the major draws to Le Prince Maurice is the pontoon restaurant, Le Barachois. Set among mangroves and natural reserves, the restaurant provides absolute serenity. The gourmet restaurant, L’Archipel, is surrounded by beauty as well. With the ocean in the foreground and the pool alongside, L’Archipel is picturesque.Constance Le Prince Maurice is the essence of tranquility.

Natural Beauty

When I think about Mauritius, I immediately conjure images of powdery beaches, palm trees, and azure waters. There are shades of color that I didn’t know existed. The ocean’s blues called my name and wrapped me like a blanket, but the beautiful blues are not the only natural paradise of this tiny island. The incomparable landscapes make Mauritius a true natural beauty. There are waterfalls and multi-color earth. There are lushes greens and impressive forests. Mark Twain put it perfectly; “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.”

Chamarel is a small village located in the district of Savanne. Chamarel is home to the highest waterfall in Mauritius at 100 metres and the Seven Coloured Earth. The Chamarel Falls are as impressive a waterfall as you’ll find anywhere in the world. Climbing the stairs to the viewing platform reveals an awe impressive view as it hits the pool 100 metres below. The Seven Coloured Earth, made up of sand dunes of different distinct colours including reds, browns, and purples is equally impressive. This phenomenon is due to the cooling, at different temperatures, of volcanic rocks which resulted in dunes of different colours.
Black River Gorges National Park stretches over 6,574 hectares of land and you can hike its trails to view the native forests and wildlife. The thick forest is home to over 300 species of flowering plants and if you’re lucky, you may see the famous pink pigeon, a bird endemic to Mauritius which almost became extinct. There are a number of long hiking trails which take several hours to walk. For visitors who love the great outdoors, this is the ideal opportunity to see panoramic views of the island’s landscape, including vistas, gorges, peaks, and waterfalls.

Adventure

I’m always looking for adventure during my travels and Mauritius offers ultimate adrenaline sports and experiences. At Skydive Mauritius, you can tandem skydive for spectacular views of Mauritius from the air, including lush green forests and turquoise blue waters. Canyoning, racing high performance Side By Side Vehicles, diving, walking with lions, ziplining, rappelling, mud karting, kiteboarding, river trekking, sea walking, sub-scooter driving, deep sea fishing, wildlife safaris, buggy and quad adventures… do I need to go on? Interactions with rhinos, riding ostriches, mountain biking, hiking, night safaris, horse riding, private helicopter and seaplane flights. It’s an adrenaline-seeker’s Paradise.

Mauritius is a sparkling crystal in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. The contrast of color, nature, and experience make the island so unforgettable that it got under my skin and left me dreaming about it for years. It’s the one country I can’t imagine not seeing again in my lifetime. It’s my favorite tourist destination in the world.