Last updated on August 27th, 2019
34. Today the sega is known for expressing ‘joie de vivre’. While the whole body gyrates to the traditional instruments of the ravanne, the naravanne and the triangle, the feet never leave the ground.
35. Contemporary musical now influences variations on the types of sega performed. For example, when reggae is used as the background music this fusion is known as ‘seggae’.
36. Football (soccer) is the favorite national sport and the national team competes in the African Cup of Nations Tour.
37. The Franco-Mauritian is an organized, ritualized deer hunting season for sportsmen.
38. Winter horse racing is one of the most popular and highly attended sporting events of the islanders’ year.
Tourism and Travel
39. Water sports such as scuba and snorkeling, water skiing and sailing, are popular activities. Balaclava, Blue Bay, Rodrigues Island, Belle Mare, Flic en Flac, Pereybere, and Trou aux Biches are key sites for these activities.
40. Ile aux Cerfs is a tiny leisure island but it has a gorgeous beach and is a paradise for water sports. Lying off Trou d’Eau Douce in Mauritius’ largest lagoon, it has an adventure park, an 18-hole golf course and beach restaurants as well.
41. Grand Bay is the place to check out for restaurants, nightlife, discos and late night fun.
42. On Rodrigues Island the Blue Bay beach of Trou d’Argent has crystal clear water and is very quiet. It is an ideal spot for sailing and windsurfing.
43. At Pereybere public beach tourists can do everything: sunbathe, sail, go tubing, ride paddle boats, and snorkel. The white sand is very soft and the water is a beautiful turquoise. Shops and restaurants are close at hand.
44. Other popular beaches include Le Morne, Mont Choisy (with readily available water sports), and Flic en Flec Beach with its beautiful shade trees.
45. Visitors can drive or hike to Les 7 Cascades – seven different waterfalls near temples and sugar cane fields. One is a few miles from the Seven Colored Earth. Take a guide along to enhance your experience.
46. The Seven Colored Earth is a famous Mauritius attraction. This section of open land consists of sand dunes in seven different colors: brown, red, violet, purple, blue, green and yellow.
47. The LaVanille Nature Park contains the largest group of captive bred giant Aldabra tortoises in the world (more than a thousand), as well as over 2000 Nile crocodiles, monkeys, bats, geckos, and deer plus an Insectarium. A petting farm and pony ride completes the experience.
Read: interesting facts about Montenegro, another top tourist destination
48. Mauritius is home to the oldest Botanical Garden in the Southern Hemisphere. The SSR Botanic Garden dates back to the French period in the 18th century and is home to vegetables, fruits, flowers and spices from all around the world.
49. At the Frederica Nature Reserve you can take in breathtaking views, swim in a waterfall, and hike, go quad biking or take a buggy safari 4 by 4 with a guide.
50. Visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Mauritius. One is the Grand Bassin Lake, found in one of the forested areas that is peaceful and isolated generally. Hindus consider this lake sacred and bring offerings here to the God Shiva during the Mahashivratree Festival annually.
51. The other is Mont Le Morne Brabant. A popular climb for its breathtaking views, this mountain was a place of sanctuary for escaped slaves known as maroons during the 18th and early 19th centuries. It is one of the wildest and most preserved mountains in the country.
52. The Black River Gorges National Park in the southeast part of the country is filled with hiking trails for the outdoor enthusiast.
53. Visit Château de Labourdonnais and see a beautifully restored 1859 mansion. Stay and taste products made on site such as rum, fruit juice, fruit paste and jam.
Rich in scenic beauty with clear turquoise waters and white beaches, Mauritius is a tourist magnet. Visitors from all over the globe travel here to enjoy all this island has to offer.
Mauritius – country at a glance
| Independence | 12 March 1968 (from the UK) |
|---|---|
| Capital City | Port Louis (20°10′S 57°31′E) |
| Area | total: 2,040 sq km land: 2,030 sq km water: 10 sq km |
| Population | 1,308,222 (2022 est.) |
| Continent | Africa |
| Literacy rate | 91.3% |
| Demonym | Mauritian |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| National anthem | "Motherland" |
| National symbol | dodo bird, Trochetia Boutoniana flower |
| National colors | red, blue, yellow, green |
| Official Languages | English |
| Government type | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| President | Prithvirajsing Roopun |
| Prime Minister | Pravind Jugnauth |
| Borders | No land borders. |
| Currency | Mauritian rupee (MUR) |
| Religion | Hinduism, Islam and Christianity |
| Life expectancy at birth | 74.86 Years (2022) |
| Industries | food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing, mining, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism |
| Exports | $5.17 billion (2019 est.) fish products, raw sugar, clothing and apparel, diamonds, refined petroleum (2019) |
| Imports | $7.41 billion (2019 est.) refined petroleum, cars, fish products, aircraft, packaged medicines (2019) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $19,500 (2020 est.) |
| Climate | tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May) |
| Terrain | small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau |
| Lowest point | Indian Ocean 0 m |
| Highest point | Mont Piton 828 m |
| Natural resources | arable land, fish |
| Agricultural land | 43.8% |
| Birth rate | 9.86 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Death rate | 8.86 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Sex ratio | 0.95 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| Time Zone | MUT (UTC+4) |
| Internet country code | .mu |
| Calling Code | +230 |
| Drives on the | Left |
| Table last updated | August 12, 2022 |