Mauritius after the Maldives - Indian luxury.
At the end of September 2018, I was lucky enough to see this distant island, located at a distance of a thousand kilometers east of Madagascar. There are no direct flights from Russia. I flew there via Dubai on an Emirates plane from Domodedovo. Thus, 5 hours from Moscow to Dubai, there is a connection of 3-4 hours and from Dubai to Mauritius 6 and a half hours. In total, the flight, taking into account the transfer, takes 14-16 hours. Such a flight + transfer to the hotel is exhausting to say - to say nothing. In total, from the threshold of the house to the threshold of the hotel, it took me more than 20 hours. The legendary Emirates were good in their time, but now only the name that once proved itself remains, and the level of service has fallen to the level of the plinth - mediocre service, disgusting food (even in business class - it flew back like that). At Mauritius airport, you must provide a completed (preferably on the plane) migration card indicating the number of days of stay, hotel, purpose of visit and countries that you visited six months before arriving here, etc. They do this in order to try to protect their small island from all sorts of epidemics and fevers that have happened there repeatedly.
I will immediately note that this trip took place as part of an organized group in the format of an info tour. This format of recreation became available to me not so long ago and it is just great for me! A family vacation in Mauritius for 90% of the citizens of our prosperous state will be simply unaffordable due to the cost of several hundred thousand Russian rubles. To facilitate both presentation and perception of the material, I further break my story into several semantic blocks.
About climate and nature.
I'll start with the two main features that got me hooked.
First. Given my travel experience, I would never have thought that I would pay attention to the air. The air in Mauritius seemed completely unique to me: in the south - the breath of the Arctic, in the north - the warmth of the Indian Ocean, in the east - stunning piercing winds. I, an adult bearded man, a CNC machine operator in the 2nd generation, to describe this air, I use such tender epithets as fresh, light, fragrant. It's amazing, but I didn't pay attention to the air anywhere, and here he immediately announced himself as soon as he got off the plane.
Second. Sounds made by birds. They squeak there constantly, especially skittishly in the evening and morning hours. Moreover, these sounds, piercing the peaceful island silence, do not annoy at all and do not infuriate. Such bird singing is superimposed on the sun-drenched tops of rocks and flowering trees with a pleasant and melodic background. I was in the autumn and asked the locals if the birds sing like this throughout the year or only in certain seasons? The birds were said to sing throughout the year. I also never encountered such a feature before Mauritius.
In general, the climate there is very favorable for the average Russian living in the middle zone of the temperate climate zone. At least in autumn, the humidity is close to ideal and there is no suffocating heat. It is cool in the evening - 19-22C (taking into account the wind). Daytime up to 30C. Winds on the north and east coasts.
The trees along the roads are strewn with flowers all year round. All over the island you can see the tops of rocks of a bizarre shape, the sculptor of which is the wind. Each peak has its own name: the head of a gorilla, three nipples, Peter Boat, etc. The most famous peak, of course, is Mount Le Morne, on which black-skinned African slaves hid from their masters.
Most of the island is planted with reeds, which is the main source of income for the state. But, as it was said by the guide, reeds are increasingly being abandoned (because it requires abundant watering) and the territories are being planted with palm trees. The stems of these palms are edible and are considered a culinary delicacy. So the coconut palm must grow for several (if I'm not mistaken, 4) years before it is cut down and allowed to be processed. I really liked the Palm Heart Salad. In view of the long-awaitedness of such a delicacy, the price of these palm fibers is appropriate. This salad is also called “millionaire’s salad” by the locals. Well, the famous Mauritian rum Chamarel is made from different varieties of cane on the island.
The beaches are clean, sandy, the water in the ocean is warm. Snorkeling is very boring The whole island is surrounded by a coral reef, which prevents the penetration of sharks into the bathing near the beach waters, so swimmers in Mauritius are not eaten, but divers near the nearby islands are steadily several people a year.
There are no predatory animals and poisonous snakes. Macaques, hares, deer, bats and polar bears live. Monkeys were brought here by Europeans to see if they would survive or not (it was necessary to find out if the island was suitable for human life). The monkeys not only survived, but also devoured all the down to the last eggs. Therefore, the myth that people devoured everyone before, is a common misconception. It is known from surviving sources that the meat of dodos was tough and unsuitable for food. If someone has not heard of do-do (dodo), I recommend google to broaden their horizons, because this is, in principle, the visiting card of Mauritius.
Also on the island, using the services of a helicopter, you can get acquainted with a unique phenomenon - an underwater waterfall. You can only see this beauty from a bird's eye view. The illusion of a waterfall is created by the relief of the ocean floor near the coast of the island.
About excursions.
A metal cable 2 cm thick is stretched between two mountains. The distance from start to finish is approximately 1 km. The height above the ground is several tens of meters. It looks scary, in fact it is. You can fly in a sitting position, you can lie head first. I would recommend lying down, because. it's faster and more interesting. The Chinese who was imprisoned got stuck there somewhere in the middle. The whole journey takes about 1 min. They are driven uphill to the start in such a powerful open SUV. Such entertainment costs 50 bucks, it seems. It’s just that it’s already March, and I flew in September, a lot has already been forgotten. They also offer a flash drive for $20 with photos of you hanging from a cable. There are literally 5 frames with you and another folder with acid-bright pictures of island nature and animals from the zoo, most likely downloaded from the Internet.
The colored sands of Chamarel are perhaps the most famous attraction in Mauritius. It is not sands at all, but soils of different composition, the peculiarity of which is a different color. Moreover, these soils do not mix with each other even under the influence of rain and wind and are not suitable for any kind of vegetation.
Thus, in the landscape of the island there is this unusual bald spot, which you can just as much enjoy watching in the picture on the net than flying thousands of kilometers for this.
By the way, the picture on the web will be much more beautiful than the picture in reality, because in the photo the saturation of these “sands” is always twisted in order to increase the attractiveness of the image.
On the way to the "sands" I visited a couple of different viewing platforms. One is a waterfall, the second is just a beautiful view from a height to the valleys. Monkeys beg there, they sell Made in China souvenirs (magnets, up to all kinds of sizes and shapes, plates, paintings, ship figurines and other rubbish). You can take several shots like “and here I am in the pose of a swallow over an abyss” or “and here I have a waterfall on my palm. ” In general, I love viewing platforms - beauty has a place to be. So they are definitely always a plus, it's good that it's free for now.
The capital is Port Louis. Nuuuu... what can I say. Nothing in particular. Did not impress. There, the center was dug up - the subway, it seems, is being built. In general, in the tourist area (near the port) there are several interesting art installations. Well, here are multi-colored umbrellas, for example. And they protect from the sun and look beautiful.
And, of course, Chinese consumer goods for tourists: spoons, cups, T-shirts, magnets, etc. Yes! And it's hot there! Since everywhere is asphalt, which is heated by the sun.
Chamarel rum factory. They show technological equipment for the production of rum directly in operation. They tell about the stages of processing and types of reeds. Give a taste of a variety of (about 8) varieties of rum. There is also a restaurant where you can eat and a shop where you can buy products. By the way, the same bottles of rum in the tourist area of Port Louis are 2 times more expensive. This excursion, I think, is worthy of attention.
Buddhist temple with the world's tallest statue of Shiva and his wife Parvati. What's there? There are these two healthy statues at the entrance, on the territory of the temple there are several small statues of their different gods, again macaques and a sacred lake with endemic eels of incredible size, as they say. The meaning is this: you throw bread into the lake, numerous fish begin to eat it, creating a wave of water that attracts these same eels and they begin to appear on the surface. The temple itself is small, there is a monk in it who opens the third eye. Unfortunately, the monk himself was not there, there was a trainee who drew two red stripes on my forehead and tied a rope around my wrist, which spontaneously untied after half an hour. They say that Buddhist monk has a very strong energy and when he opens his third eye, some even shake. But, unfortunately, he didn't. An interesting place, also worthy of attention.
And of course Kozel. Goat Park is located on a large territory and combines a variety of entertainment: safaris, rides, walks with predators. Everything is designed for the global permeability of the tourist-organic yellow-brown mass, because of this, the impressions of this place are rather dull than positive. Attractions (such as rolling crusts) will appeal to children under 16 years old, adults are bored on such. By the way, the attraction, when you are spit out of the pipe on a soft pillow, did not work because of the rain. Open type (a la safari) double-decker buses run around the territory, which are densely packed with tourists. This bus rides in a circle, allowing you to "enjoy" the "breathtaking" views of the African savannah with rhinos, zebras and ostriches (NO! ). Well, this, I want to say, is so unimpressive that it’s straight at all! Especially if you do not have time to take a seat near the side of the bus (there are no windows), and not near the central aisle. There are also available so-called walks with predators: cheetahs and lions. Sad semi-tame cats born in captivity stare blankly into the void when you stand next to them in a cage. The park is large, so you should safely plan a whole day for a visit.
Pro-hotels, food.
Here I have no desire to spray much. Lived in mostly hotels, like, ultraduper biturbo exclusive plus: when you have a personal chef who prepares breakfast for you, when you have a personal servant who fulfills your requests, when a buggy comes for you to take you within the hotel zone there wherever you wish. The rooms themselves are separate private villas, sometimes two-story, with a private courtyard, with a private pool. The interior, as a rule, in all fives is renovated, designed. Everywhere chic huge beds, excellent mattresses, comfortable pillows. Everywhere hot tubs, two sinks in the bathrooms. There are hotels with a personal wine cellar and a set of collection wines. There were three or four such luxurious hotels. Other hotels did not have personal attendants, and a private courtyard with a pool, the rest of the benefits were all the same. Well, the hotels, of course, are the most luxurious, there is nothing more to say here! Panoramic windows, balconies overlooking the ocean, always a fruit basket, a bottle of rum, a bottle of champagne upon arrival. One night in these will cost about $700.
I also saw the so-called "fours". Pretty unpretentious, without frills and fancy fountains, gray two- and three-story buildings with tired rooms and shabby furniture. A la Turkey economy. All of them were filled with vacationers by 90-100%, for the price! This is when you want to show off, you fly with a transfer of 20 hours to another hemisphere and get an average Turkish four with mediocre food, powdered juices, a shabby pool table and gold neighbors for crazy money. But, on the other hand, upon returning to your hometown of Vybrodsk, with a proud and serious expression on your face, you solemnly declare to your colleagues and friends: “And I took mine to Mauritius this year! Well, this, of course, is a land that looks like paradise…” In short, Turkey rules! Although now it is no longer as affordable as it used to be.
I also remember the colonial house at one of the hotels. This is a two-storey two-hundred-year-old building with a total area of about 1000 square meters. m. with fully preserved furniture and utensils of those times. It all looks sooo authentic. This house is built on a hill with a beautiful view. Fountains, lawns - it goes without saying. This cabin is available for rent for as little as $1.000 per night. The servants take buggies to the ocean. They said that it is usually taken by newlyweds for a wedding celebration.
The only dishes missing were lobster/lobster, foie gras, borscht and vinaigrette. The rest is whatever your heart desires. Any alcohol, sea food, fruits are different. He recovered by 5 kg upon his return to his native Mariupol. There was breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snacks throughout the day with all sorts of things, such as canapes and sandwiches, which the waiters brought on trays. There are usually several restaurants on the territory of hotels. The choice of food is big. But the assortment does not change from day to day. I didn’t like the local coffee, and they don’t know how to cook it.
Conclusion.
Mauritius? Hmm… Is it worth it!?... No!
Well, it's over, if you have already visited the Maldives, Seychelles, Bali, Canary Islands, Sri Lanka and the Dominican Republic, then probably yes. And so no! Why? Expensive, far and stupid. Why is Turkey worse? In Turkey, there is no Indian Ocean (stupid name, the Mediterranean Sea is better for swimming) and the second - Turkey is not Mauritius. In my opinion, the advantages of Mauritius ended there. Now for the advantages of Turkey. The price is an order of magnitude, the flight takes 15 minutes, the service is at the level, the sea is not worse (if not better), the climate is at the level, the food is at the level (depending on the hotels), the excursion is at the level. So draw your own conclusions.
Yes, it is considered a luxury resort, yes, there are a lot of luxury hotels, and there are people whose income level is much higher than the average. Therefore, if you are ready to leave at least half a million rubles for rest (for a family of 3), then you can take a closer look at this island. And the alternative in monetary terms to the above - "modest Mauritian four" - it's like a BMW X8 with an interior from VAZ 2106, i. e. nonsense.
Now let's get back to the title of the story. Maldives or Mauritius? Of course the Maldives! Yes, there is nowhere to go in the Maldives, only water excursions, but I liked the beaches and nature in general there more. Yes, and the underwater world near the coastline, unlike Mauritius, there is at least some. Many in our hectic time lack privacy, which cannot be found in the country, where a nearby neighbor fights weeds with a trimmer.
I predict the question: “Eh! Well, how much, yes! ? Well, it's not cheap, yes! For the money that I paid for the cost of the tour, I could travel by train to rest on the KKK (resorts of the Krasnodar Territory, if anyone does not know) for several years. And this is taking into account the fact that there I spent money only on souvenirs.
