Nature Lovers

[Jane&Julian]

Hello everybody,

We just discovered this forum and hope to find some helpful advice for our trip to Mauritius which we are planning at the moment.
We are great fans of nature and want to get the know the endemic flora and fauna of the island. As we read, there is a lot to do and see: the National Park, the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, swimming with dolphins and canyoning excursions.
Can you tell us a bit more about it than we can get out of the guidebooks ? Are there organized tours or can you travel individually? Do you have any other advices and insider tips?

We are grateful for any reply. Thank you very much!
Jane & Julian

[Richard]

Hello Jane and Julian,

If you are great fans of nature, Mauritius is the place to be

The Botanical Garden of Pamplemousses is great! It is one of the most famous botanical gardens of the planet! You can spend a whole day there, admiring plants from all over the world and still you haven't seen everything...

You also have to visit the Black River Gorges National Park! You can do excellent hiking trips there, which will lead you through a wild "jungle" with waterfalls and rivers. And if you are lucky you might even meet some monkeys!

There are several other places worth a visit: Domaine du Chasseur, Ile aux Aigrettes, Chamarel and loads more.

You can do your trips individually: some places are easily to be reached by bus, for others a rented car might be more suitable. But of course there are also tour operators which offer organized tours...

Hope this helps.
Richard

[Jane&Julian]

Hello Richard!

Thank you very much for your reponse to our tread.
We feel like we have chosen the right destination and we are very much looking forward to our trip to Mauritius!

Have you ever been to Ile aux Aigrettes? We couldn't find a lot of information about it in our guide book.

Do you know something about the canyoning excursions? We would like to have some fun and action one day

Bye
Jane & Julian

[Richard]

Hello!

Have you ever been to Ile aux Aigrettes?

Well, I have never been there myself, but I heard some stuff about it. It is a nature reserve on a small island offshore. Conservationists have built up a reserve with the fauna and flora how it used to be like in Mauritius before human exploitation. For example you will find there the pink pigeon, a bird that was in danger of extinction for many years. The Mauritius Wildlife Foundation organizes tours on the island for visitors.
Should be the perfect spot for you

Do you know something about the canyoning excursions?

Canyoning excursions are gaining popularity on Mauritius. Many instructors have been formed in the US or in Europe and conditions are safe.
Main spots for trips are the Tamarin Falls, Black River Falls and Alexandra Falls.

What else are you planning to do? Have you got some time left for the beach ?

If you have any further questions I will be happy to help you
Richard

[Jane&Julian]

Hello Richard!
Thank you once again for all the useful information !

Well, we will have to go to Ile aux Aigrettes, that is exactly the spot, which we were searching for our tours around the island! Great!

What else are you planning to do? Have you got some time left for the beach ?

Oh, we are not the typical "beach tourists" Of course, we will also spend some time there. Snorkeling... (By the way, can you tell us anything about this in Mauritius?) But most of the time we will be on trips. We want to get to know the country, its nature and its people. We know that Mauritius is mainly known as a beach destination, but as we see there are also a lot of spots for nature lovers such as us

So, if you have any other ideas or suggestions, let us know!
Thank you!
Jane and Julian

[Richard]

Hello!

Yes, you are right. Mauritius offers a lot of other beautiful spots, besides its wonderful beaches!

Concerning your question:

Snorkeling... (By the way, can you tell us anything about this in Mauritius?)

I love to do snorkeling in Mauritius. You can do it on most beaches. You only have to swim several meters and find yourself amidst colourful fish and beautiful corals. There is no danger from sharks, as the reef keeps them outside the lagoons Only take care of the motorboats, which are sometimes crossing the sea in high speed... And if you get sunburned easily wear a t-shirt, as the water only intensifies the sunlight. And then have a wonderful time discovering the magnificent underwater world of Mauritius

Hope this helps!
Richard