Mauritius

rejuvenated waterfront. Visit the Natural History Museum for the unique opportunity to witness a skeleton of the extinct Dodo bird. Stroll through the lively Craft Market with its charming ambiance and the Port Louis Central Market, where you can sample local fruit, buy some souvenirs and delight in the exotic fragrances of Mauritian spices.

Hike through the magnificent Black River Gorges, the largest national park in Mauritius covering approximately 2 of the island. It s home to some of Mauritius endangered species and Alexandra Falls, a spectacular waterfall situated 700 metres above sea level which offers breathtaking panoramas from its viewpoint. Visit the oldest botanical garden in the southern hemisphere the National Botanical Garden of Mauritius. Founded in 1770, it s populated with over 650 varieties of plants including Giant Water Lilies and Baobabs.

For a magical underwater experience, you can snorkel or take a glass-bottom boat ride in the Blue Bay Marine Park. With colourful flora and fauna, the area is home to mangroves, a wide variety of fish species and more than 50 different coral species. Visit Ile aux Aigrettes Island, a tiny coral island off the coast of Mahebourg that is a protected nature conservation site and animal sanctuary.

One of Mauritius most popular tourist attractions is the Seven Coloured Earth of Chamarel. A small area of strikingly bare landscape that s located in the middle of a large, dense forest, it s a place of great geological curiosity. Appearing as large ripples across the earth, the carved hills are covered in pulverised rocks in varying shades of purple, red, brown, grey and orange. The village of Chamarel is also home to the Chamarel Waterfall, the highest waterfall on Mauritius cascading nearly 83 metres against a scenic backdrop of forest and mountains.