 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
MAURITIUS - Island Cruises
|
Home
Origins of the island
General Information
Facts
Entry Formalities
Flaura
Marine Life
Beaches
Places of interest
Museums
Island Cruises
Deep Sea Fishing
Scuba Diving
Golf in Mauritius
Health & Spas
Mauritius Festivals
Night Life
Weddings & Honeymoons
Map of Mauritius
Mauritus travel guide
|
|
Sailing leisurely through the lagoon on the one and a half hour
voyage along the east coast of Mauritius is a delightful
experience.
|
| |
The 42 foot long catamaran operated by a variety of cruise
companies leaves the jetty at Pointe d'Esny at Mahebourg at
9.30am daily with up to 30 passengers making use of the
expansive deck space for sunbathing.
You enjoy the tranquil scenery where villages nestle under
towering peaks and small fishing boats cross your route through
the translucent sea. Your destination is L'ile aux Cerfs, the
largest of a group of islands half way down the east coast which,
for many years, was a haven for seabirds, deer and turtles.
You wade ashore and select either your own secluded spot in one
of the bays for a swim or take one of the woodland paths to
explore some of the 700 acres of natural forest. |
|
|
| |
|
|
Lunch is served aboard the catamaran at 1pm. It is a splendid
feast of salads, venison, fish, cheeses and fruit complemented
with wine and an unlimited supply of cold beer and fruit
drinks.
When it is time to leave the catamaran noses its way through the
mangrove waterway towards the blue water of the lagoon. Sails
are raised and the return journey is completed by 5pm.
Some of the larger hotels have their own catamarans and will
arrange excursions at the hotel. These also tour the east coast
and make L'ile aux Cerfs their destination. Other cruises start
at Grand Baie and tour the islands off the northern coast
including L'ile Gabriel. All cruises follow the same pattern
with opportunities to swim and snorkel, and enjoy a delicious
buffet lunch or barbecue. |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
VACATION RENTALS
|
CAR RENTALS
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Mauritius Island,Mauritius Holiday,Mauritius Island Holiday,Holidays in
Mauritius,Island of Mauritius,Mauritius Tours,Mauritius Island Tour
Mauritius Island Holiday - Island of Mauritius inviting for holidays in
mauritius, mauritius island holiday, mauritius tours, mauritius island tour,
mauritius tourism, travel to mauritius, mauritius holidays, air holiday
mauritius, etc.
mauritius island, mauritius holiday, mauritius island holiday, holidays in
mauritius, island of mauritius, mauritius tours, mauritius island tour,
mauritius tourism, travel to mauritius, mauritius island travel, mauritius
holidays, air holiday mauritius, mauritius holiday package, holiday island
mauritius, package holiday, cheap holiday mauritius, mauritius tour, mauritius
travel, resorts in mauritius, adventure holidays, beach holidays in mauritius,
beaches of mauritius, honeymoon package, tailor made tours, group travel,
international air travel, group travel package, package holidays, international
tours, group tours, international tours travel, international travel agency,
international travel agent, holiday travel package, hotel booking, mauritius
travel tours
"You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and that
heaven was copied after Mauritius." Mark Twain, "Following the equator" 1897.
Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean more than 500 miles east of
a much larger island, Madagascar, which is located off the southeast coast of
the African continent
Mauritius has a surface of about 1865 km2 (720 square miles), is 65 km long
and 48 km wide with a total shore length of 330 km. The highest point is at
828 meters
.
The music of Mauritius is the Sega Dance
you will surely listen to a Mauritian Sega during your stay in vacation
rentals in mauritius.
The Sega is a dance which originated from the ritual music of Madagascar and
the mainland of Africa, and it is the Musical Expression of the Mauritian Way
of Life: Joy, Carefree and Lively. Originally sung by men and women who had
been sold as slaves but whose souls had remained sensitive to music, the Sega
is nowadays a folksong which has integrated itself within the framework of our
folklore. It is a cry from the soul trying to transcend the miseries and heartaches
of life, while at the same time expressing the universal human desire for joy
and happiness. It tells the joys and sorrows of the peasants and the fishing
folks. It is a nostalgic heritage of the villagers. Its beats, gripping in intensity,
now provide entertainment to Mauritians of all walks of life in towns and villages.
Today the Sega and its beat are a part of every Mauritian's life
The "Blue Mauritius" - Perhaps the World's Most Famous Stamp
The
Island of Mauritius is famous for 2 of the rarest stamps in the World, the
1847 "Post Office" Penny Orange and Twopence Blue.
In 1847, seven years after the first stamp was issued by Great Britain, Lady
Gomn, the Governor's wife had the first Mauritian postage stamps printed, and
entrusted Joseph Osmond Barnard, a local miniature painter and engraver, with
the engraving of two stamps, one with the value of one penny and another with
the value of two pence.
When working at the engraving of the stamps he suddenly realized that he had
forgotten what was to be printed on them, so he went to the post office to get
information. As he came closer to the building he saw the inscription "Post
Office", which seemed to ring a bell for him. So he returned to work and engraved
those two words, thus creating involuntarily the most famous stamps of Philatelic
History, the "Post Office"-stamps.
When he realized that the correct wording should have been "Post Paid" it was
too late. Already 240 pieces of both stamps were printed and sold. Lady Gomm,
wife of Governor Gomm used the first issue of the "Post Office" stamps to frank
her invitations for the fancy dress ball of September 30, 1847.
O f this print only 26 pieces survived, 12 of One Penny cancelled and 2 mint,
and 6 of Two Pence cancelled and 6 mint. The estimated value of these stamps
are over 1 million US Dollar, and will therefore hardly find their way into
an ordinary stamp collection, but at least we can enjoy the sight of them.
By the early 1970's reduced to the mountainous Black River Gorges in southwestern
Mauritius. With re-introduction program kestrels now recovering in western and
eastern Mauritius
Mauritius Kesterel Links
The Mauritius Wildlife Foundation
Wildlife Preservation Trust Canada
The Wild Ones Animal Index
The Peregrine Fund
The Mauritius Pink Pigeon (Pigeon des Mares - Nesoenas mayeri)
Found in four sub-populations in remote, forested or mountainous regions of
south-western Mauritius. Estimated population down to 20 known wild birds in
the early 1970s, the wild population now estimated at over 360 individuals.
The Pink Pigeon (Nesoerias mayeri) is a native of the island of Mauritius in
the Indian Ocean. It is one of the rarest birds in the world with a population
of only 15 in the wild. Without help from the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust
(JWPT) it would soon have been totally extinct. The JWPT was established in
1963 by the eminent zoologist and author Gerald Durrell. It is devoted to the
concept of captive breeding of endangered species as an aid to their survival
in the wild. In 1984 Gerald Durrell released the first 11 of 150 captive bred
Pink Pigeons into the Pamplemousse Botanical Gardens in Mauritius as the first
step of a major re-introduction programme to save the species.
The success to date of the recovery project for the Mauritius pink pigeon is
a good example of how intensive management techniques can bring a species back
from the brink of extinction.
The Mauritius Turf Club
The second oldest race club in the world
after the English Jockey Club
In 1812, Colonel Draper founded the Mauritius Turf Club, which opened the first
racecourse in the southern hemisphere and the second in the world. Today, the
Champ de Mars is world renowned for its magnificent race track which is almost
circular in shape, allowing punters wherever they are situated within the centre
area or in the stands to watch every moment of the racing action. Every year,
horses are imported from all parts of the world, namely from South Africa, England
and Australia, and allocated to the various stables. Jockeys come from all parts
of the world. Many of the well known Australian jockeys have had a stint in
Mauritius. Betting is now based on the Australian betting systems, with a flourishing
bookmakers' industry.
Every year, the Draper's Mile is run to commemorate the founder of the Mauritius
Turf Club. The racing season starts from May until December. Currently, works
are being undertaken on a state-of-the-art racecourse at Les Pailles. Punters
will really enjoy the atmosphere of the Champ de Mars, with its unique blend
of catering facilities reflecting the diversity of the Mauritian Community.
The Dodo bird
The dodo or dronte (scientific name Raphus cucullatus) was a flightless bird
native only to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The dodo was a flightless
member of the pigeon family. Fully grown dodos weighted about 23 kg (50 pounds).
Around 1505 the Portuguese became the first Europeans to discover the dodo.
By 1681 it had been driven to extinction by humans and the feral dogs, pigs,
rats, and monkeys introduced by Europeans to Mauritius. The dodo was not the
only Mauritian bird driven to extinction in recent centuries. Of the 45 bird
species originally found, only 21 still survive. Two bird species closely related
to the dodo also became extinct: the Reunion solitaire by 1746, and the Rodrigues
solitaire by 1790. Reports of sightings of living dodos in the 1990s on Mauritius
prompted William J. Gibbons to mount expeditions to search for them. None were
found.
