Dream Year 3.0: The Land of Sun, Sea and Sugar

Mauritius. What could I tell you about Mauritius that you wouldn't already know or imagine? It is bliss. The sea so blue, the sun so nourishing, the beaches so achingly perfect. An island lost in the fierce beauty and grace of the Indian Ocean, a speck so glorious in every sense, it's euphoric. But you probably imagined that already. Maybe it was just my experience there, but when I left, I felt like I was coming out of a sweet reverie. And yet to call it a "wonderful dream" doesn't do it justice - sounds a little too bland and waaaaaaaayyyyyyy too cliché.

Mauritian Sea - The Surface from Below

My friend Maral and I planned a trip to Mauritius to visit our friend Natalie who now lives there. When we would excitedly mention that we were going for a whole 15 days, a common response from friends would be "What will you do on an island for 15 days?!? Won't you get bored?!?!?" We figured we'd just kick off our shoes for the time there, with cocktails at the beach, lazily soaking up the sun, drying off from the sea. Which, for us, was a perfect plan in itself. But even though we had a couple of those days, we actually ended up doing so much more, and would have actually loved to stay longer just because there is that much to do! I guess what made the holiday so perfect was a number of favourable ingredients that came together beautifully. I shall digress…

Maral, Natalie and I - Shots at Sunset

I realised that the people that thought we would get bored were the ones who would commonly go on those appalling (horrific, ghastly) "all-inclusive resort" kinda holidays. Bleugh. What we did was quite the opposite. We stayed with our friend Natalie and were zooming around Mauritius from North to South, East to West, doing something different every day, til late at night. We would go back "home" to shower and sleep, and be back out in the morning. That way, we really saw Mauritius, the island, the country - we lived the culture. Staying cooped up in a resort doesn't do it for me - I could be in a resort in the Maldives, Caribbean, Thailand, and wouldn't know the difference… what set it apart was really immersing ourselves into Mauritius. Now don't get me wrong, the whole resort thing can be nice too if it doesn't take over your stay. We stayed at the uber-luxurious St. Regis for a couple of days, we totally indulged and got absolutely pampered. It was thoroughly lovely. But 2 days was enough.

Oh just another postcard-perfect pic...

The rest of the time was really spent doing a million and one things. But as mentioned above, a few simple factors brought this oh-so-amazing holiday together beautifully:

1. Holidaying with friends, very good friends (I guess that's kinda obvious).

2. Knowing someone there. Making new friends. Hanging with people from there. Who can recommend places and further introduce you to the local culture. They might even invite you over for a mind-blowing seafood BBQ ;) Although, I have to mention that for me it was more than meeting a new face, having a laugh and getting some recommendations. What really touched me was the making of a new friend Ismail. This friend opened his heart and his home, offered unforgettable laughs and we just knew he was one of the good guys. *warm fuzzy feelings all round*

3. Not staying cooped up in a hotel. We stayed with our friend Natalie, but had that not been an option, I would have either gone for a small intimate B&B, or a one bedroom apartment for short-term rent. Just because that forces you out. You walk to a cafe' down the road for a mid-morning coffee and end up strolling by a local market. You head to the supermarket and find more affordable souvenirs than those commonly presented to tourists. You walk to a beach close by and randomly discover other even more breath-taking beaches.

4. Having a car. If you can't borrow one like we did, rent one. The cost is far outweighed by the benefit this provides you with: the freedom do a million things, see whatever you want, and do it when you want to.

5. Although lying lazily on the beach and thoroughly roasting yourself for the entire time is extremely enticing, force yourself to engage in activities at least a couple of times. I came back from Mauritius with a myriad of new experiences, which I would never trade in for the world.

Catamaran Cruise to Ile Gabriel

So what did we end up doing those 15 days? Island hopping - day trips to Ile Gabriel, Ile aux Cerfs and others. Swimming with dolphins. Dancing. Scuba diving. Tanning. Whale-watching. Trying Mauritian cuisine. Snorkelling. Souvenir shopping. Shopping. Horse-race watching. Horse-race betting (haha - this one amuses me). Seafood BBQs. Paragliding. Eating - sushi, Chinese, Mauritian, Ethiopian. Partying. Local goods: Rum. Vanilla. Brown sugar. And laughing. Laughing laughing laughing. We did anything that came our way, and totally embraced the whole experience, from A-Z. I'll leave you with some pics… maybe you too will fall a little in love with this place I adore.