The immigration officer at Mumbai airport threw a quizzical look at the young man before me. “You are going alone?” he asked. “Yes”' said the young man. “Why?” The officer pointed at the long queue of newly-weds and smiled. “Rarely does a person go alone to Mauritius. It is a honeymoon destination.” That set the tone of my trip. I was going solo, too. The intention was to de-stress, relax and rejuvenate. Here you can take in fresh air, smell the flowers, roll on the beach and indulge in day-dreaming by the lapping waves. Luxury here is surprisingly affordable, which makes the island doubly attractive.
It is one of the few islands where time has stood still since the early 19th century when the first batch of porters were brought as indentured labourers from India; most of them from Bihar. They landed at the Coolie Ghat, now called Aapravasi Ghat, which is also a Unesco World Heritage site. A confluence of cultures, cuisine and religion, the island boasts of the cleanest air in the region. A plethora of water-sports, lush golf courses, blue lagoons, coral reefs, luxurious spas, gourmet cuisine and French colonial houses make Mauritius an irresistible destination. It is also the island the Dodo inhabited.
A smattering of French, Creole, Hindi, Bhojpuri and Tamil reached my ears as I landed at the island making me feel at home, instantly. I felt most welcome when my passport was stamped by the immigration authorities with visa, without any fee. Not many countries oblige the Indian travellers with such courtesy. Driving on the snaking road flanked by verdant sugar-cane plantations, I let my mind wander aimlessly.
On my itinerary were several unusual activities like interacting with the lions, diving 35 metres under the sea-surface to say ‘hello’ to the corals, indulge in a bit of high octane adventure in a seakart and pump up the adrenaline level with some parasailing. My leisure vacation was likely to be interspersed by bursts of adventure activities — sailing with the dolphins, driving a sea-scooter three metres under the water surface, exercising the arm muscles in a kayaking expedition or the calf muscles in a trekking expedition and dizzying ziplines.
The dive into the sea was a thrilling experience. The wreckage of a huge boat and the rusted anchor added the necessary mystery to the adventure. As the submarine sailed into the narrow canyon in the coral reef, we sat goggle-eyed by the porthole as schools of captain fish swam past us lazily. For 45 minutes we sat surrounded by the denizens of the sea, colourful, amusing and fascinating. It was an unreal world. Since it is not possible to remain enraptured by the surreal world, we went back to the shore where certificates, that we had dived 35 metres underwater, were awaiting.
Seakarting, though daunting at first look, proved to be far simpler. With just a few buttons to flip and a wheel to control, we bumped and splashed over the outraged waves, taking a note of the picture perfect background. An hour later, wet and excited, I raced back with a satisfied smile on the lips even as Maurice, the exuberant leader, stuck his thumbs up stamping approval on our performance.
At the Casela Nature Park, an interaction with the lion cubs proved equally thrilling. Armed with just a stick, we ventured into the open space where the lions relaxed with two of them occupying vantage positions on a tree. Matata, the fawn coloured lioness threw us bored looks and refused to face the camera. The hefty fee paid at the park for the privilege of patting Matata’s rump was finally recovered when prodded by the keeper, she finally obliged me with a frontal
shot.
It was a poignant moment as we drove through the beautiful landscape around the le Morne when the driver narrated the story of the mountain. It was from the top of Le Morne Brabant that scores of slaves jumped to death rather than go back to their masters. Little wonder that the place has been classified as World Heritage site by Unesco.
The Reserve Des Mascareignes, with its collection of more than 500 giant Aldabran tortoises, some of them quite ancient, is a big draw with the tourists. One last stop at the Chateau de Labourdonnais proved to be worth the effort. It was time to get back to reality. I did so with scores of Dodo, the Mauritian mascot, imprinted on several T-shirts and souvenirs. There were hundreds of exciting moments on my camera, but many more in my memory.
— The writer is a travel blogger
