42 miles long, 29 miles wide, the island has fantastic topography - mountains and deep valleys, jungles and of course beaches.

Mauritius has a varied history an early stop for the Arabian trade route in the 10th century, it has also been occupied by the Dutch, Portugese, French and English. Traders from India and later the Far East have added to the melting pot of culture, religion and of course food. Over the years we were left with the best combinations you could wish for - English as the main language, fantastically varied cuisine & driving on the left!

The capital, Port Louis, is a bustling harbour fronted city with markets, a waterfront shopping centre, casino, and of course the usual administrative offices. The second largest town is Curépipe (pictured), which is perched on a hillside and is therefore slightly cooler. The social capital is Grand Baie in the North West, where the sun shines longer and brighter – this is where you will find the nightlife and the jumping off point for excursions on and under the water. The rest of the island is given over to sugar cane plantations (some still working) and large tracts of natural landscape are protected as national or nature parks. Off the coast, the majority of the island is protected by reefs creating magnificent lagoons for safe swimming and the waters support a colourful and varied marine life, in both the shallows and the depths.

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