Mauritius: Charmed, I'm sure
Not one but two densely colourful arcs stretch from one horizon to the other, and I can’t tear my eyes away from the double rainbow miracle that has just materialised overhead. As a consequence, a fuzzy green ball bounces my way while my racquet comes nowhere near making contact with it.
I’ve been in Mauritius less than a week, but already I’ve formed the impression that this has to be one of the most blessed places on earth. The volcanic island emerged from the Indian Ocean 8 million years ago, and I’m pretty sure it was born under a lucky star.
Sited 2,000km off the southeastern coast of Africa, Mauritius had the good fortune to find itself well away from all of history’s major sea trading routes. As a result, it remained uninhabited and remote, allowing a bounty of unique plants and animals to flourish.
The first people to live on the island were the Dutch, who initially settled in 1638. With no indigenous human population to conquer, colonisation proved an unusually bloodless affair. It wasn’t entirely peaceful however – human occupation did achieve the extinction of the island’s famed flightless bird, the dodo, in just a matter of years. By the time the Dutch left in 1710, the bird was only a memory.
By 1715 the French had arrived on the little island (it measures just 720 square miles), and were in charge for less than a century. Nevertheless, Mauritius maintains a distinct francophone flavour. During the Napoleonic Wars, the British vanquished the French at Cap Malheureux on the far northern coast. At the formal surrender in 1810, the conquerors took the anomalous step of agreeing to allow the populace to maintain French laws, language and customs, and the French settlers were even allowed to keep their lands, which their families still own today.
With its emphasis on catering to French families on holiday, Mauritius delivers almost limitless opportunities in two main areas: fitness and fine food. It is not the kind of place where you’ll find olde Irish pubs or traditional English fry-ups; instead get yourself prepared for foie gras and sun-drenched physical activity.
I arrived during L’Atelier des Saveurs, an annual food festival that brings Michelin-starred chefs from around the globe to experiment with local ingredients and exchange ideas with their island-based counterparts. It was an etoile-studded line-up, and together with my travelling companions I ploughed through an unexpectedly diverse week of flavours.
Which goes some way toward explaining what I was doing on a tennis court when two rainbows burst out of the tropical sky and took my breath away. Vijay, the coach at the Beau Rivage resort, was patient, funny and wise. It was easy to make a daily ritual of burning off a big lunch on the court in lieu of a siesta.
In actual fact, the legendary blue water and bright sun make it hard to sit still long enough to flip through a magazine or even snooze. After the 12-hour flight from Heathrow, the glorious tropical vision that is Mauritius had me peeling off my clothes and strapping myself into a bikini in seconds. Within an hour of arriving I was seated on a dock overlooking the Indian Ocean while one of the boathouse crew gave me a refresher in waterskiing. “Just slide zee bumb to zee ankles and let zee boat pull you up by zee arm.” He may have sounded like Inspector Clouseau, but he looked like a Ralph Lauren model, a combination that suited me fine.
The famed reef that very nearly encircles the island is like a living, breathing string of pearls. The constant sound of waves crashing and rumbling in the distance completes the picture of island paradise. Whether you dive or snorkel, you’d be crazy to miss the chance to explore the coral and all its inhabitants.
Its outstanding physical beauty combined with its relatively short history of human habitation means the island’s claim to fame is not culture – but don’t be fooled into thinking it hasn’t got any. Sure, if you’re looking for ruins of ancient civilisations or revered collections of art you may just need to holiday elsewhere, but what it lacks in age, Mauritian culture makes up for in diversity. The past few centuries have seen a remarkable blend of settlers (including European, Indian, Chinese and African) come together here under the island’s notable legacy of tolerance.
There are two official languages, a half dozen religions and one national dance – the Sega. The latter blends Latin, African and Southeast Asian movements, and there’s a good chance you’ll be treated to a performance at your resort. Another great way to absorb the country’s fusion of social flavours is to visit the Victorian central market in Port Louis. Here you’ll not only find aisle upon aisle of vegetables and fruits – paw paw, breadfruit, lycee and guava – and vibrant piles of fresh spices from vanilla to tumeric, but you’ll also see Mauritians of every walk of life. An excursion to the peaceful colonial house La Maison de l’Etoile will lend further insight into island culture, and a Creole lunch there brings it to life.
As we drive from one resort to another on our three-leg island tour, the scenery consistently inspires awe. High white clouds march purposefully across the blue sky while green peaks tumble down to the sea. Everywhere are fields of sugar cane, punctuated by temples, shrines and old industrial chimneys.
I really think I may be onto something with my theory about Mauritius being some kind of divine and charmed place, and a quote I encounter confirms I am not alone in my beliefs. Wise old Mark Twain apparently wrote: “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first then heaven; heaven being copied after Mauritius.” Such a clever man – who am I to argue?
TRAVEL FACTSTo attend the annual food festival L’Atelier des Saveurs contact Naiade Resorts. 00 230 698 22 22;
www.naiaderesorts.com Ten nights in Mauritius on a mixed board basis for two adults sharing, including two nights at Tamassa, two nights at Beau Rivage, six nights at Legends, return airport transfers and return flights with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow departing 1-14 Dec is priced from £1949 per person. 0844 5573 861;
www.virginholidays.com