The Dodo Island

Over the past two years, I’ve become a fan of discovering island destinations that don’t only offer a beach getaway but also have fascinating natural landscapes and interesting cultures and stories to tell. Located on the African continent's southeast coast, Mauritius was next on my island travel bucket list for 2023. Known for its beaches, lagoons and reefs, the island is also home to lush mountainous interior rich with national parks, rainforests, waterfalls, hiking trails and wildlife experiences. Mauritius’s discovery began with Arabs and Malays and it was successively colonized by the Netherlands, France and Great Britain, and became independent in March 1968. This historical background explains the diverse spoken languages and population mix living on the island.

Also, Mauritius was the one and only home to the famous flightless huge bird, the Dodo, which became extinct in the late 1600’s. Weighing up to 50 pounds, the Dodo was a welcome source of fresh meat for the sailors. Within 100 years of the arrival of humans on Mauritius, the once abundant Dodo became a rare bird. When you visit Mauritius, you’ll see the word and figure of the ‘Dodo’ popping up everywhere, from local brands to shops, clothes and souvenirs. It’s the national symbol of the country that doesn’t exist anymore, but it’s powerful enough to make you build memories around it.

Village Beats

First timers to Mauritius are recommended to stay in Grand Baie, a village in the northern part of the island. It has plenty of sandy public beaches, hotels, beach villas, restaurants, and lively bars. I chose to stay at the calmer side of the village, Péreybère, one of the smallest yet most beautiful swimmable beaches in Mauritius. Arriving on the island on January 02, I had to adjust my fast-paced city lifestyle to the village’s slow and laid-back beat. Most of the island was closed given the new year’s public holiday that lasted till January 08. Initially, this made me a bit anxious, but after a few days, I started enjoying the calm pace and going with the flow.

I was warmly welcomed at the Dodola Lodge, a relaxed boutique hotel, which is a minute's walk from Péreybère Public Beach. The hotel was surrounded by few nice spots to grab a meal, have a drink, and sip a morning coffee with a chilled turquoise water view. Every morning, I took a peaceful walk in the village and discovered a new breakfast place. I got used to leaving my phone behind, taking a beach towel and some fresh tropical island fruits, and spending quality time swimming, laying on the sand, and observing Mauritian people enjoying their public beach picnic. Each day, I had a meaningful conversation with a local, a tour guide, a wanderer and a traveler alike, and sampled the delicious food combining Creole flavors with Indian, Chinese, European, and African influences to create a truly unique cuisine.

Discovering the North Coast

If you’re up for being active, you can find plenty of exciting things to do in Mauritius while enjoying the chilled island vibes. My island discovery began with exploring the North Coast surrounding areas. I spent a very informative full day with a local guide who took me to some of the key landmarks in Grand Baie and the central part of Mauritius, and shared beautiful stories, facts, and insights about the island. Our day started at the central market of Port Louis, which is the ideal place to buy and try local food. The market has multiple sections that sell fruits and vegetables, meat products and seafood, souvenirs and clothing. We then continued to Port Louis, the capital and economic hub of Mauritius. It’s one of the island's most vibrant and lively districts, with its French-influenced architecture, shopping centers and colorful streets.

One of the most fascinating landmarks to see in Port Louis is the Kaylasson, an architectural wonder and the oldest Tamil temple in Mauritius, with six stations symbolizing the organs of the human body. If you’re curious to learn more about Mauritius specialty tea, you can stop by Kuanfu Ripe Black Tea, a company that prides itself in enhancing the local tea plantation landscape, tea art and cultural experience. Millions of years ago, a volcano erupted from the bottom of the Indian Ocean to form the island of Mauritius, which makes its tea plants full of nutrients.

Another beautiful destination to visit nearby Port Louis is the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden. It has more than 650 varieties of plants, such as the famous Baobabs, the Palmier Bouteille, the ineluctable Giant Water Lilies, dozens of medicinal plants, a large spice garden and many more. The North Coast adventure ended at the Cap Malheureux fishing village, famous for its most renowned church in Mauritius - the Notre Dame Auxiliatrice Chapel. This picturesque church will grab your attention with its vivid red roof against the bright turquoise sea and azure sky.

The Wild Southwest

Another fascinating region that will give you a completely different flavor of Mauritius is the Southwest. This place is a wonderland for nature lovers with its green parks landscape, waterfalls and volcanic colored earth. The journey started with a scenic drive on a wide-open road embraced by the sunshine, blue sky and green sugar cane fields spread over the Savanne district. My first stop was at Ganga Talao (known locally as Grand Bassin), a crater lake about 550 meters above sea level in the mountainous Southwest district of Savanne. Grand Bassin is also considered by many as the most sacred Hindu place in Mauritius, with its several colorful temples and idols of gods and goddesses.

My next stop was at the Black River Gorges National Park, which is the largest protected forest in Mauritius. This thick forest will fill you with a sense of serenity and peace with its 50 km of hiking trails, greenery, diverse flowering plants, wild animals and birds. Inside the park, you can also get a beautiful view of the Alexandra Falls, standing 700 meters above sea level and surrounded by nature’s lush green and rare flora. The pinnacle of the day was visiting Chamarel’s Seven Coloured Earth Geopark.

This one-of-a-kind destination is a natural phenomenon, which was formed by volcanic activity and has dunes of seven distinct colors evolving through the conversion of basaltic lava to clay minerals. The park also offers an authentic experience of Chamarel Coffee, the only coffee grown and processed in Mauritius made from pure Arabica seeds. The tropical climate, plenty of moisture and minerals from the volcanic soil add a unique taste to this aromatic local coffee.

When you pick Mauritius as a travel destination, the first thing that will come to mind is sandy beaches and turquoise waters. However, the Dodo Island has so much more to offer, from its breathtaking natural landscape to religious landmarks, intriguing cultural fusion, delicious local cuisine, tea and coffee plantation industry blessed with rich volcanic soil. It’s a place that will leave you with so many unexpected stories, details and beautiful memories.