The North

Probably, your first real contact with Mauritius will be the cosmopolitan city of Port-Louis with its quaint streets bustling with activity on week-days. Park your car at the Caudan Waterfront next to the harbour. This stylish waterside complex offers shops bulging with quality goods and local artefacts, restaurants, pubs, a casino and the museum which houses one of the rarest stamps, the Mauritius Blue Penny

Move on foot to the Central Market where you will find spices of every kind and bargain souvenirs to take home. The popular attractions of Chinatown with its traditional red gates, include excellent restaurants and a wide assortment of oriental goods.

At season week-ends, drive to the Champ de Mars racecourse. Set in a natural amphitheatre, it bustles with a riot of colours and excitement. As you drive there, you willsee some of the country`s historical buildings; Government House, the Supreme Court and, towering above, the racecourse, the citadel.

A fifteen minute drive will take you to SSR Botanical Garden the oldest botanical institution in the Southern Hemisphere. Admidst the luxuriant vegetation, you wil discover some of Nature`s wonders amongst which, the Talipot palm which flowers once only before dying at the age of sixty.

Almost opposite to this unique garden, L`Aventure du Sucre museum is dedicated to the island`s proud sugar industry. The lay-out allows the visitor to discover the complex of migration which has underpinned this lifegiving sector. The Village Boutik stocks quality local craft and gives you the opportunity of tasting "special sugars" and some potent local rum.

Further North, lies Trou aux Biches with its casino, its aquarium and a fantastic golf course. Drive slowly along the coastal road and enjoy a sundowner in front of glistening Grand Bay, our local Riviera.