Le Plate Island is also known as Île Plate and Flat Island. The island is located 11 kilometres north of Cap Malheureux, the main island’s northernmost point. It is part of the administrative area of Rivière du Rempart District. The small nature reserve of Coin de Mire lies between the two islands, Îlot Gabriel and Pigeon Rock.It covers an area of 2.53 square kilometres. The area is in danger of possible submersion due to the historical rise in the sea-level
The Catamaran
Le Plate Island is uninhabited, though there is a small army base on the island. This the largest islet of Mauritius with an extent of 253 hectares.
Historical significance of Flat Island is that it served as a quarantine station from the mid-19th century to the 1930s. It was reserved for immigrants to Mauritius, mostly indentured labourers, undergoing quarantine for cholera, although it was sometimes used during other epidemic outbreaks such as smallpox and malaria.
Infrastructure built between 1856 and 1870 consisted of stone and wooden buildings comprising living quarters and offices for medical, police, and immigration officials.Kitchens, stores, toilets, privies, two hospitals, and a distillation plant used for water supply were also constructed. Many of these structures are still preserved.
Llighthouse
A lighthouse, built in 1855, on the southwest side of the island is still operational.
Le Plate Island is a popular venue for snorkellers, and access to the island is possible via chartered yacht and catamaran. Pigeon Rock harbors an internationally famous dive site called The Shark Pit where divers can witness sharks swirling within the pit for the rich oxygen available due to the crashing waves against the cliffs of Pigeon Rock. The place is popular among tourists as well as locals.
Nearest hotels and restaurants are found only in Cap Malheureux. Breakfast and lunch is served in the catamaran.
Tamarin is a small fishing village on the south-western coast of Mauritius.Tamarin Beach surrounded by salt pans, is close to 1.5 kilometres in length. Much of the beach is lost to the incoming waves at high tide. But a gap in Tamarin Beach’s coral reef allows large waves to reach its white sands. This gives the opportunity to the surfers.
Salt production dates back to the French period and the tradition of its making is almost unchanged after nearly two centuries. Water is pumped directly from the nearby sea and allowed to evaporate in the basins.
Tamarin Beach
The beach does attract quite a lot of visitors at times and is also the starting point for the dolphin-spotting trips and angling adventures.
Tamarin Bay was discovered by a wider audience and immortalized after the release of the classic surf documentary “Forgotten Island of Santosha” by Larry and Roger Yates in 1974.
The ongoing development in Mauritius has made this village to become home to a new leisure and commercial area. The surfing area was previously known as Santosha Bay although the villages did not want to give a moniker because they didn’t want outsiders to discover their cache of surfable seas. Now the conditions have changed and the villagers are reaping the benefits of the development in tourism.
Tamarin village is located in the district of Black River and is about 50 km and one hour drive from the International Airport. The capital Port Louis, is about 30 km north of Tamarin and the drive takes around 1 hour. There are bus services between Tamarin and key locations in Mauritius. Visitors can use the public transport to save some money.
There are excellent boutique hotels and self-catering villas to aparthotels, B&Bs, holiday rentals and two to five-star hotels in Tamarin. There is accommodation to suit every budget.
Sands Suites Resort & Spa is a 4 star superior hotel offering five star luxury. From the hotel you get magnificent views of Tamarin Bay and Le Morne Mountain.
Golf Club
Tamarina Golf & Spa Boutique Hotel is a 4-star boutique hotel offers a selection of 50 garden-facing or sea-facing rooms, a choice of three different restaurants as well as bars and a wellness centre and also features an 18-hole golf course. Tamarina Golf Club is a 18-hole Championship Golf Course. This Par 72 challenging course undulates over 43 hectares of rugged savannah land framed with mature trees and crossed by the Rempart River. The holes have been designed to give great views.
Veranda-Tamarin-Hotel-and-Spa
Veranda Tamarin Hotel and Spa is located in the mythical retro surf spot of Tamarin Bay.
There are many more hotels in the area.
Tamarin Bay is also known for the water sports such as surfing, bodyboarding, paddleboarding, kitesurfing, snorkeling and scuba diving, high sea fishing,catamaran cruise and dolphin or whale watching etc.
Cascavelle Shopping Village located in Flic-en Flac is a great destination for shopping.
The Domaine Les Pailles is nestled in the heart of the valleys of the “Moka Range”. This is a place where you can experience the past history of Mauritius and also the cultural diversity and art. You can visit this place by train or a horse drawn carriage. The mini train, Lady Alice, has a capacity of 120 passengers and winds through the sugar cane plantations. The train ride takes about 15 minutes. The horse carriage takes a detour through the spice garden before setting off to discover the traditional architecture of the former Isle de France.
Among other things, Domaine les Pailles, boasts an old sugar mill dating from the 18th century, a traditional distillery, and even some old horse-drawn carriages. There are beach clubs with super cool bars, five fine restaurants and popular night clubs in Domaine les Pailles. Nightclubs are open mainly on Friday and Saturday nights with a few open on Wednesday nights as well for jam sessions. The restaurants offer authentic Indian, Mauritian, Chinese and Italian cuisine.
City Hall
The resort hotels offer cool beach parties organised with international DJs spinning the decks, live music shows and spots for night lovers. These events are open to both the hotel residents and non-residents.
Le Grand Casino De Domaine Les Pailles has a VIP salon and several restaurants too. The minimum age required to enter the casinos is 18. Many casinos also offer complimentary alcohol too. There are 48 Jackpot slots, video machines with progressive games and many other live table games such as American Roulette, Blackjack, Oasis Stud Poker and a lot more.
The Domaine Les Pailles is nestled in the heart of the valleys of the “Moka Range”. This is a place where you can experience the past history of Mauritius and also the cultural diversity and art. You can visit this place by train or a horse drawn carriage. The mini train, Lady Alice, has a capacity of 120 passengers and winds through the sugar cane plantations. The train ride takes about 15 minutes. The horse carriage takes a detour through the spice garden before setting off to discover the traditional architecture of the former Isle de France.
Among other things, Domaine les Pailles, boasts an old sugar mill dating from the 18th century, a traditional distillery, and even some old horse-drawn carriages. There are beach clubs with super cool bars, five fine restaurants and popular night clubs in Domaine les Pailles. Nightclubs are open mainly on Friday and Saturday nights with a few open on Wednesday nights as well for jam sessions. The restaurants offer authentic Indian, Mauritian, Chinese and Italian cuisine.
The resort hotels offer cool beach parties organised with international DJs spinning the decks, live music shows and spots for night lovers. These events are open to both the hotel residents and non-residents.
The Casinio
Chinese developer, Yihai, has taken over the stable and the club house. More than 25 horses, including five from the Mauritius Turf Club, are sheltered in the stable. The club house, located on the first floor of the stables, has also reopened since the Chinese group took over. Birthdays and theme parties are organized there. Equestrian centre provides lessons in dressage and show jumping, equestrian training and improvement. Children from 07 years old can take lessons or enjoy pony rides. Mountain rides with specialized horses are available, accompanied by qualified instructors.
The Craft Market is located in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. The market is a two-storey building within the Caudan Waterfront complex. There are 36 stalls selling a wide variety of products ranging from exquisite woodwork to detailed baskets without forgetting beautiful glass souvenirs. There are also items made from seashells, boxes of ground spics, embroidered linen, handmade jewellery and the very famous African rag doll dressed with a typical sega outfit. You can pick any of these as a souvenir of your visit to Mauritius.
Le craft market
Many of the handicrafts are made by the stalls owners and their families. You will get the chance to meet the artists behind the paintings on sale or even witness your name being engraved on a wooden key chain.
The location of The Craft Market is definitely one of the best as well. Because of this you may find the goods sold a little pricey. You can bargain to get a little better price. While this is a convenient location, this is by no means the only place to get these items. There will be one or two handicraft shops in the normal markets also. These shops may not have a wide variety of the items.
You can also grab a quick lunch at the food court of Caudan Waterfront.
The Champ de Mars Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse race track in Port Louis, Mauritius. The Racecourse was inaugurated on 25 June 1812, by The Mauritius Turf Club (MTC). Turf Club is the second oldest horse-racing club in the world. The racing season is from late March to early December. The Champ de Mars attracts tens of thousands of people on each racing day.
Within the premises of the racecourse stands a statue of King Edward VII, and the Malartic Tomb, an obelisk to a French governor.
On a racing day.
When Mauritius gained independence on 12 March 1968, the event including the flag hoisting ceremony was held here. Since then and for many years, the racecourse has seen the annual celebration of the accession to independence.
When he came to Mauritius, Colonel Edward Draper enthusiastically promoted horse racing at the Champ de Mars for some twenty years, racing his own thoroughbreds, often riding them in competition, to the point that he became known as the “Father” of the Mauritius Turf Club.
Race Horses
Mauritius’ big horse races include the Duchess of York Cup, Barbé Cup, Maiden Cup, and the Duke of York Cup. The horses and jockeys come mostly from South Africa and Australia. The races are held on weekends.
Notable royal visits include those of Queen Elizabeth II; Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon; and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.
Mauritius is home to many markets where buyers get a wide variety of handicrafts and local goods. Located in the heart of Grand Baie, the Grand Baie Bazaar is where you will get a variety of stalls with souvenirs such as colorful bags, fabrics, handicrafts and gift items on offer. Stones, silver or gold jewelry can also be bought in several shops.
While you are at the Grand Baie Bazaar, check around the market to see if you can get a cheaper deal at another store. The quality of the mock-designer clothing is average, so do not be disappointed if your dress looks worn out after a couple of washes. The market is usually crowded on weekends and therefore beware of pickpockets.
Grand Baie Bazaar
Grand Baie Bazaar is located away from the Royal Road in what may look like a hidden inland street. The street at the Grand Baie has shops lined at both sides of the alley.
Grand Baie Bazaar is the right place to buy Malagasy and Mauritian Crafts.
A wide variety of street food and snacks are also available in the food stalls in the market.
In Super U Hypermarket, which is located in Grand Baie, a self-caterer gets almost everything he can imagine. Baguette, jam, chocolate, mixed pickles, Indian masala – there is nothing you can not find here. Super U also has a wide choice of fresh foods like cheese, meat and fish, vegetables and fruits. Not only ingredients for a decent meal can be bought in the big supermarket, but also things like souvenirs, snorkeling equipment, clothes, shoes, books, magazines and newspapers.
‘Bluesteel‘, ‘Roxy‘, ‘IV Play‘, ‘Red Snapper‘ are clothing stores for the younger people. ‘Une histoire d´amour‘ provides lovely lingerie. Beachwear can be found at the same-named shop. ‘Lemon Yellow‘ has a wide choice of man´s shirts. If you are looking for jewelry, ‘Mikado‘ is the right spot. For evening dresses you go to the store ‘Tendances’. Even a pharmacy is also to be found.
Shopping in Grand Baie
If you go outside this area you will find even more shops on two floors. ‘Island Haze‘, ‘Fashion House‘, ‘Mr. Price‘, ‘Peace Angels‘ and ‘O`Neill‘ provide you with the latest fashion. Shops like Courts Home2Office and Happy World offer housewares, electrical and electronic devices. Of course you will also find jewelers, perfumeries like Mado or shops with accessories like Gurlz. Also a craft market is to be found which is decorated in an Asian style, where you can bargain not like in other shops. There are shoe shops, a wellness centre, a florist and also an optician.
The Domaine de Labourdonnais is a historic destination in Mauritius. It has multiple activities revolving around its exceptional natural and cultural heritage. It has become a diversified business comprising four core activities: Leisure, Sports & Wellness, Agriculture & Processing and Real Estate.
Domaine de Labourdonnais is famous for its Château, a real jewel of the Mauritian heritage. Built in 1856, the Château de Labourdonnais was inhabited by a Mauritian family for over 150 years. In 2006 Château de Labourdonnais underwent major restoration works to be restored to its former glory. Today, Domaine de Labourdonnais has become one of the most attractive cultural places to visit in Mauritius. The whole estate, especially the Château, reflects the 19th-century art of living in Mauritius.
Château de Labourdonnais
The path leading up to the Château is lined on both sides by Intendance trees (Ficus Retusa). Not only is the Domaine de Labourdonnais more than a simple tourist attraction but it has become a highly coveted place to live and work in the North of Mauritius.
The visit to the Château ends at the tasting bar, where visitors can taste the 100% Mauritian products manufactured at Les Vergers de Labourdonnais and La Distillerie de Labourdonnais. After tasting the in-house rum, the visitors can then bring home in a souvenir bottle. Visitors can also enjoy the experience aboard the Labourdonnais Express, a little train that travels through the estate.
Labourdonnais Express
The visitors can have breakfast and lunch at La Terrasse, a café offering both Mauritian and European dishes. Alternatively, taste the gastronomic cuisine prepared by Italian chef at La Table du Château. This restaurant also offers catering services comprising refined and personalized menus for all types of receptions, including a wide selection of appetizers and more gastronomic dishes.
Visitors can also stock up on Domaine de Labourdonnais products, available at La Corbeille, a delicatessen offering a large selection of local, artisanal and organic products.
Domaine de Labourdonnais also offers Château’s gardens or restaurant for weddings, corporate events and other receptions. The Ernest Wiehe conference room is ideal for professional events like conventions, exhibitions, seminars or training courses. Old houses have also been renovated into offices, available for rent to all kinds of businesses.
