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Mauritius - where the dodo lives on

July 18, 2012 13:21
Mauritius has fine, soft-sand beaches and a surprisingly lush and verdant landscape

By

Jennifer Lipman,

Jennifer Lipman

3 min read

‘But Mauritius is a honeymoon destination,” complained my fiancé. “You can’t go there without me.” He wasn’t wrong. Located in the Indian Ocean, 1242 miles off the southern tip of Africa, flying to Mauritius felt like a journey to the edge of the world. As a holiday choice, it is often uttered in the same breath as the Maldives or the Seychelles — paradise islands in the southern hemisphere that do a great line in romance, rest and relaxation.

It’s the sort of remote, peaceful place that belongs on a smug postcard home; an idyll that was made for walks along the beach at sunset, or for gazing into the sparkling, clear waters arm in arm with a loved one.
Tourism on the island deals in opulence and comfort; hotels with every amenity laid on, plush restaurants and palm tree-lined walkways, or colourful rum cocktails brought to your
deckchair.

After a 12-hour flight during which I watched an entire continent pass by, I was eagerly awaiting these things; dusting my toes with the golden sand, luxuriating in the spa or simply enjoying the warm weather.
But rather than sun, sea and sand — which I can reassure you are there in spades — my first impression of this former British colony was of a green, verdant place, as beautiful as the English countryside, but far more lush and diverse.

Tree-lined mountain slopes cover much of the volcano-formed island, concealing a wide array of flora and fauna, plenty of it unique to Mauritius.