Mauritius is a small tropical island situated in the Southeast of Africa. You’ll find it in the Indian ocean between Madagascar and Réunion. Port Louis is the capital of the island, which was once referred to as Île de France. Its character is reflected by the Mauritian flag - red representing its struggle for freedom and independence, blue representing the Indian ocean, yellow representing the new light of independence and green representing the agriculture and the island's year-round colour.
Ethnic Groups
Unlike other countries in the world, Mauritius is a melting pot of several different ethnicities. Although it’s an African country, its inhabitants are mainly of Indian descent, making up 68% of the population. Another quarter consists of Creoles, Mauritians of African descent, while the rest are of Chinese and European ancestry.
This diversity results in various different religions, Hinduism being the most dominant, followed by Christianity and Islam. You can also find small Buddhist or other religious groups.
When walking in the streets, you can hear the prayer of the mosques, along with those of the Hindu temples, which gives you an impression of the multiculturalism.
History
Mauritius was once an empty land, only inhabited by animals. Arabs were the first people to ever land on this island in the 10th century. They would stop there to rest, before continuing their journey. You can still find constructions in the south as a result of the latter. They were followed by the Malays and the Portuguese, but none settled on the island; they would simply use it as a source of food.
The first settlers were the Dutch in 1630. They used the island to produce fresh food and products, but after a few years they decided to leave the island due to pests and bad weather conditions.
The French took over in 1734, giving it the name Île de France, and building houses, roads, hospitals, canals, and so on. They also brought in slaves from Mozambique to help with the with the plantations, followed by Indian sailors and artisans.
The British took over in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars, changing its name to Mauritius. Slavery was abolished 5 years later, and laborers were brought in from India to work on the sugar cane fields.
After several elections, Mauritius gained its independence the 12th of March 1968 and became a Republic 24 years later.
Food
The fact that Mauritius has been inhabited by people from different origins created a variety of traditional food. It ranges from Indian meals, consisting of curry and spices, over Chinese food with noodles, vegetables and meat, to European international food.
On the streets, you can buy Samosas, fried pastry with different fillings such as potato, chicken or fish. Other street food includes Roti, a wrap with white beans, masala sauce, tomatoes and vegetables.
Mauritius can get pretty warm so you can enjoy their famous Alouda, a creamy drink with vanilla ice cream and basil seeds.
Languages
The dominant language in Mauritius is Creole, a language derived from French.
During the French colonization, the slaves that were brought to the country had a difficult time speaking French. They would pronounce the words differently and therefore changed them, resulting in Creole. Although you can recognize several words, it is still difficult for French speakers to understand it. Today most Mauritians understand and speak French, however it is mainly used in formal settings. Contrary to what one may think, English is often more dominant in Mauritius than French.
Activities
Mauritius is mainly famous for its beautiful beaches and scenery. You can go snorkeling, diving, swimming with dolphins, whale watching, or just lay on the beach and enjoy the sun. Other beach activities include parasailing, banana boats, and even an underwater walk.
Those who prefer more adventurous activities can go on a 3 to 4 hour hike at Le Morne, a mountain situated in the Southwest of the island, visit the 7 colored earth, or jump down waterfalls. Also, they can spend a day at Casela park to walk with big cats (e.g. lions, cheetahs,…), zip line through a forest, swing through a canyon, or enjoy one of several other fun activities.
Let’s not forget about the extreme adventure junkies, who can admire the beautiful Mauritian skyline through skydiving or paragliding.
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