The beautiful island of Mauritius is home to some of the best beaches in the world, so it’s only natural that you will spend a significant part of your holiday with the warm sand between your toes and the gentle lapping of waves in the background.
However there may come an afternoon when you fancy something a little more stimulating than sunbathing, particularly if you are on holiday with excitable children. Thankfully, Mauritius has some great activities on offer; there are a whole host of interesting places to visit on the island. Here are my top 3:
1) Swim with dolphins at Black River
Its the stuff dreams are made of: you, the warm ocean and natures friendliest marine animal. Swimming with dolphins regularly features at the top of Things to do before you die lists and friends that have been lucky enough to experience it will tell you theres nothing quite like it. At Black River you can take a boat out with an experienced skipper and swim with the wild dolphins, or just watch them from the boat if you prefer. The dolphins are highly intelligent, playful and sociable they respond to human contact with immense warmth.
Black River is a district located on the west of Mauritius and is an area of natural beauty; in addition to swimming with dolphins you can snorkel amongst the coral reefs, visit the stunning Tamarin Falls and discover the awe-inspiring Seven Coloured Earths sand dunes at Chamarel.
2) Go wild at Casela Nature & Leisure Park
This delightful 35-acre park is brimming with fun and inexpensive activities for all the family to enjoy. Home to the longest zipline in the Indian Ocean, Casela invites holidaymakers of aged 8 and above to try out its impressive zipline circuit, during which you will glide over Nepalese bridges, swim through a canyon and zipline into a freshwater pond before tucking into a tasty BBQ. Its a fantastic way to spend the day and it will certainly liven up your holiday album!
Undoubtedly Caselas main attraction are its Big Cats and, if youre brave enough, you can take a walk with the parks resident lions, cheetahs and tigers! You may even get close enough to stroke one a truly unforgettable experience. The parks expert guides will be with you at all times so you will be in safe hands and all the wildlife at Casela are very healthy, happy and well cared for.
If you are holidaying with young children in Mauritius, Casela Nature & Leisure Park has a great range of options for under-10s including the Petting Farm, fishing ponds and adventure playground complete with its own bouncy castle your kids will be in seventh heaven!
3) Tour the holy lake of Grand Bassin
Ideal for: Age 12+
A breathtakingly beautiful place to visit, Grand Bassin is a holy lake resting on a volcanic crater and is believed to be connected with the river Ganges in India. In February or March, when the annual 3-day celebration of Maha Sivaratri takes place, thousands of Hindus make the pilgrimage to Grand Bassin for the largest festival to take place outside of India.
Grand Bassin is an enchanting place to visit all year round with its stunning mountain scenery, luscious greenery and ornate temples and statues. There are usually a number of monkeys going about their business by the water and there is supposedly a giant eel sleeping in the lake. In spite of this, Grand Bassin is a truly peaceful place to wander round or sit with a book the silence adds to the calmness and serenity of the area. If all of these activities and sight seeing has tired you out, theres only one place for it: back to the beach!
