“Let’s get on a short weekend getaway to Mauritius for your birthday,” he said.
Travelling for my birthday in May has been a tradition for a few years now. The initial plan was for 4 friends to go for a week via Mauritius to Reunion, a small gorgeous island country (French territory) off the coast of Africa.
But there had been a tragedy in the family, and my heart wasn’t feeling settled. I wasn’t up for a birthday trip anymore. Not a week-long one where I would be planning for fun and adventures. That’s when my friend suggested we cut it short to three days in Mauritius. “Let’s keep it simple. And we plan as little as possible,” he said.
If you’ve followed my stories on Instagram, you would understand my love for mountains and spontaneity.
Mauritius is a beautiful combination of gorgeous sandy beaches and lush mountains. This little island country is reachable in about 6.5 hours by air from Dubai. The other comparable African island country I visited in 2020 is Comoros, but Mauritius is far easier to access and navigate.
The idea of lush green mountains and quiet beach sunsets felt therapeutic. Maybe it was all I needed. So, I said yes.
The itinerary was simple – drive around the south coast of Mauritius and spend time in nature.
At the airport lounge, as we scrolled through booking.com hotels, we picked an ideal location known for its beach activities and proximity to mountains and hiking trails. Le Morne.
Le Morne Brabant: Secrets of the South
Le Morne lies in the southwest part of the island and has a few luxury resorts and snorkeling activities. It is about 1.5-2 hours from the airport.
Accommodation: We chose to stay at a local bed & breakfast close to the Lux Le Morne resort. Our hosts were a lovely French couple who helped us plan activities during our stay.
A side visit from Le Morne is the popular Chamarel Seven-Coloured East Geopark. Our taxi driver made a pit stop on the way from the airport for us to visit it, but I will admit, it looks better in photos than in reality.
The rainbow-coloured rocks were not as rainbow-ey or as coloured, which may be due to the cloud cover. But still!
The tortoise conservatory on the site is interesting but lacks enough information. Although it’s a decent walking path through the park, in general, I’d give it a miss if it didn’t fall on my way from the airport.
Day 1: Rochester Waterfalls – the widest in Mauritius
We started the day with a late breakfast, and early lunch at a restaurant nearby – the Enso Restaurant. Now, Mauritius is typically an island economy. It is pricey and touristy. It wasn’t any different for us even though we were there during the off-season.
Food: A hearty seafood meal at a restaurant with a view can go up to USD100 for two. We discovered smaller, family-run restaurants, but they were priced the same. One restaurant worth mentioning is Chez Meilee. The Mauritanian cuisine is a mix of Sri Lankan, Indian and African, with French influence.
Rental Car: After our first meal of the trip, we were off for our first nature experience. To get there, we needed to rent a car, which turned out to be painfully difficult due to the lack of supply at the time. I normally pre-book rental cars and accommodation for the first night. But this trip was a last-minute decision and we had to go with the flow. After 10-15 failed attempts, we managed to get a car from Ravi car rental, Mauritius. They were helpful and reasonably priced and even dropped off the car at our location, which was great.
The Rochester Falls were about 30 mins from our B&B. They are the widest waterfalls in Mauritius. Getting to the main falls required us to cross streams and grassy trails and clamber down huge rocks with huge spiders. The little effort paid off.
Set against rectangular flank rocks, the waterfalls make for a striking spot for swimming and a picnic. Our guide got us fresh coconut water, which I suspect wasn’t too fresh.
The drive back at sunset was mesmersing. Hues of pink and orange gorgeously filled the sky, giving us the most serene backdrop for meditative reflections.
Before the day ended, we enjoyed a scrumptious meal at Chez Meilee, which was the highlight of our local food experience on the island. The owner and chef, Mrs Meilee doesn’t keep a regular menu card since she buys locally available fish and ingredients that can vary due to seasonily and prices. Customers are therefore assured of fresh and delicious food, bursting with rich flavours. Top marks for authenticity and cleanliness!
Day 2: Birthday on top of Le Morne Brabant
‘Twas my birthday and the day to put on our hiking shoes. We chose to go up the Le Morne Brabant, which is a 4-5 hour hike to the summit with stellar views of this corner of the island. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for being a refuge for freed slaves in the 19th and the early 20th century.
With an elevation of about 550m, the hike is not too physically demanding, barring a few steep slopes and rocky bits. A large part of the trail is exposed to the sun, therefore we started early with our guide, Alan. In dry season – late May to the end of September – although there are occasional spells of rain, it’s probably not too restrictive. I would imagine the trail to get wet and slippery during the rainy season though.
Although we had tried to book a helicopter ride to see the famous Underwater Waterfall, the weather wasn’t right for it and there were no available slots for the day and time we wanted. Even though I didn’t get to film an Instagrammable video of the falls, hiking up Le Morne turned out to be a great alternative.
Great views, a great workout, and the perfect birthday gift for me. Thank you, Mauritius.
Day 3: Port Louis City Vibes
We had an open morning before heading to the airport for our evening flight. It seemed like a good idea to visit Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. The city is known for its French architecture, but what amused us were the colourful Hindu temples that dotted the city.
What didn’t amuse us quite the same was the traffic getting there. Although we didn’t have time to visit museums or the Caudan Waterfront, we walked around the parks and got a feel of this bustling city, away from the nature and quiet of the southern part of the island.
There are spectacular white sand beaches further up north from Port Louis, but we didn’t have the time for them.
We left the city with mixed feelings, not knowing if we had enjoyed it or not. We made one last customary stop at McDonald’s before driving back to get our flight to Dubai.
Additional Information
Visa: Indians get a free on-arrival visa for 60 days.
Flights: Two Emirates Airlines direct flights every day from Dubai (DXB) to Mauritius (MRU). Flying time is 6 hr 45 min.
Budget: $$$ Plan to spend on food, accommodation, car rental and tours. Island destinations are never easy on the pocket and Mauritius is no exception to that.
