I can't believe a) I hadn't noticed there was a section here for Mauritius, and b) how little I know about it. I thought it was a country in itself, like the Maldives - is it actually part of India? Or is it included here because it's nearby? Is it near enough to do a short trip to Mauritius while travelling in India?
Hi! I've been to Mauritius, so I can answer some of your question. Mauritius is its own country. It actually has a close relationship to France, and was once part of France. There are many French citizens there, and it is one of the French vacation destinations. It is actually quite lovely, and was fairly pristine when I visited. The economy has recovered of late, but had suffered when I was over there. They do a lot of textiles, tourism, and sugarcane production. Their sugar industry died off, however, causing a lot of the farms to go bust. You can see many fields which were left untended, and apparently, a lot of rats took over as a result. The island is volcanic, and forms a large caldera. I was able to climb to the top of La Puce, the largest mountain. You can see almost all of the island, and clearly make out what was a massive volcanic crater. I do not think it is active anymore. The beaches were fantastic, and there are places close to the main city, or more secluded. Transportation was easy at the time, so it was not difficult to go anywhere you wanted. The roads are in good condition, and the people were very friendly. I have been to a number of tourist destinations, and found many of them to be expensive. That was not the case with Mauritius. Everything was very cheap, from beer, to food, to accommodation. Also, because they make clothes there, you can pick up shirts and such cheaply. These are the same factories which produce name brand products, so the quality is sufficient, and the price a real bargain. I have a lot of information I can share, but if you ask a few questions, it would help me put my thoughts in order. So, if there is something you want to know in particular, ask away.
Oh my! What a beautiful place. It looks like a tropical paradise. I like the part about buying clothes. My wife will go nuts if we decided to visit. It looks like a great place to take a second honeymoon.
