“Isn’t it incredible to have this all to ourselves? On a Saturday!”
I’m exploring the south coast of Mauritius with Laurent Marrier d’Unienville, and we’ve paused at Jacotet Bay. Crowning its perfect (and perfectly empty) arc of sand is Îlot Sancho, a jagged coral islet topped with monkey apple trees. Two centuries ago, it was a hideout for swashbuckling French corsairs.
“My kids love it here. Each time we come, we hunt for buried treasure,” says d’Unienville, whose new tour company, Electro-Bike Discovery, shows visitors beautiful, little-known spots such as this.
During my stay here, I’ve drunk water from a freshly lopped coconut, wandered through bird-rich filao groves and chatted with kitesurfers who have fallen so profoundly in love with this part of the island that they’ve made it their home.
But while luxurious beach holidays have been this lovely Indian Ocean island’s brioche-and-butter for 40 years, far-sighted Mauritians are now beginning to broaden their approach.
Their nearish neighbours the Seychelles may be more exclusive, and the Maldives better for diving and snorkelling; but for history, culture, striking inland landscapes and sheer variety, Mauritius trumps them both.
On a visit to the animated little capital, Port Louis, I discover the 21st-century reasoning behind its gradual reinvention.
“Around a third of our visitors are British or French, but in 2015 by far our biggest growth was in tourists from China, Germany and India,” says Marcel Noé, an expert on Mauritian history, culture and tourism. “Germans love adventure and nature as much as beaches, and the Chinese and Indians are drawn here by their cultural connections – they aren’t really into ‘could-be-anywhere’ sunshine resorts at all.”
Uninhabited until 1638, this is an island of immigrants. It was still bursting with ebony trees, dodos, fruit bats and giant tortoises when the pioneers arrived – Dutch settlers, who brought in the first of many shipments of slaves from Madagascar to clear swathes of forest for timber and sugar cane. Their French successors, who founded Port Louis, were followed in 1810 by the British, who pledged to honour the island’s customs, laws and traditions, with the result that French is still widely spoken today. But the language that the whole island shares is Creole, a French-based plantation argot with an African-Asian twang.
Committed to outlawing slavery, the British created indenture, a system that, according to its critics, was slavery by another name. Between 1834 and 1910, around 462,000 plantation labourers arrived at the Aapravasi Ghat immigration centre in Port Louis, now a world heritage site. Most came by ship from Mumbai, Kolkata or Madras and two thirds ended up staying; a significant majority of today’s Mauritians are of Indian descent. As we tour the impressive Beekrumsing Ramlallah Interpretation Centre, a cultural history museum that opened at the Aapravasi Ghat in 2014, I ask Noé whether there’s resentment over what happened in the past. “We try to keep a sense of perspective,” he says. “There were good masters, as well as bad.”
Today, Mauritius manages to remain peaceful without defaulting into homogeneity. In Port Louis, we pass British and French street names, Anglican and Catholic cathedrals, Chinese-run shops, historic mosques, Tamil temples in fondant icing colours and locals swapping greetings in Creole.
Down on the waterfront at Yuzu, the capital’s top fine-dining restaurant, executive chef Nizam Peeroo serves the island on a plate.
“Whatever our individual origins, we all feel comfortable with flavours from India, China, south-east Asia, Africa and Europe,” he says. “Food brings us together. Separately, each dish has its own identity, but together, they’re all Mauritian, just like we are ourselves.”
Emma Gregg stayed on Mauritius at the five-star all-inclusive Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort, and at the Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort. See ba.com/heritageawali for more information
Fly British Airways to Mauritius
British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at the five-star Heritage Awali, from £1,309 per person, travelling on selected dates in June. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Gatwick and all-inclusive accommodation. Call 0344 493 0778 or visit ba.com/heritageawali
