Mauritian Ti' Punch (page 5 of 7)

We're not far from the Bois Chéri tea plantation—shall we head over there?

Ten minutes later, we arrive at the factory.

Part of the building has been turned into a museum, while the rest remains a production center.



We missed the guided tour of the factory section, so we settle for the museum and then a tasting session right in the middle of the tea plants.



Unfortunately, it's tea bags rather than loose leaves. A bit disappointing!



Afterward, we have a picnic by the sea near Souillac, on the south side of the island.

The coastline here is much wilder, jagged, and rugged.

The wind is blowing, and the waves crash loudly against the cliffs.







I love this atmosphere!

We stroll along the ridge and then go admire the stunning Gris-Gris beach.



Not ideal for swimming, but it’s a dream setting for those who prefer the tumultuous waters of a raging ocean over the calm of a translucent lagoon.

"The fish darting around in the lake are well-fed and attract a pack of hungry four-legged critters"

And that’s when I laughed, Agnès!!



It almost looks like they haven’t moved since March 2023 😄

This place is great! 😄

We’re heading back to our lodging along the coastal road toward Le Morne.

Along the way, we follow signs promising the moon—well, the Rochester Falls, anyway.

The drivable track winds through sugarcane fields; it’s actually pretty fun.



The waterfall isn’t bad either!



Just before reaching Le Morne, Maps.me points out a viewpoint called Maconde.

This roadside curiosity draws quite a crowd.



I don’t quite get the hype.

We pass Le Morne now—we’ll dedicate a whole day to it later.

All that’s left is to brave the Cascavelle traffic jam—5 kilometers of it—to get back to our pool, our terrace, and our daily sunset!



These vacations are so tough...

Even harder: choosing dinner!

We switch things up, trying a different spot to mix things up, and push open the door at Bougainville.





A bit cafeteria-style and not as good as yesterday, but still perfectly fine.

Here I am... the road that loops around the morne, Rochester Falls, but I think we took a different route because I don’t remember crossing a sugarcane field 😅



Looking through my photos, I found some bats... we saw a lot of them at Pamplemousses Park—it kept us pretty busy 😂

Yes, there is indeed another spot! !😉

How lovely it is to have breakfast on the terrace with a sea view!

We’re not exactly in a rush to face the traffic jams in Saint Louis, the island’s capital, but hey, whether it’s today, tomorrow, or next week, we’ve got to do it at some point to explore the city a bit.

No traffic at the baobab roundabout, and none on the main road either.



We’re almost there when suddenly, we’re stuck...

We finally manage to pull out of the traffic to reach the parking spot we’d spotted and feel pretty relieved when we finally park the car.

Weird—this parking lot is almost empty???

A sign catches our eye. It announces that the parking lot is closing exceptionally at eleven o’clock this Saturday and that it won’t be possible to leave after that deadline.

Uhhh, what time is it?

10:45...

We leave slightly annoyed and dive back into the always-dense traffic.

After driving around the city, we end up at the Victoria Urban Terminal parking lot, which is pretty well located for visiting Port Louis.

The icing on the cake—it’s free on Saturday afternoons and Sundays!

We’re now walking through the city amid the hustle and bustle of traffic.

The buildings aren’t exactly remarkable—this isn’t the pearl of the Indian Ocean.

We soon arrive at the entrance of the covered market, the reason we came here.

The ground floor of this building is dedicated to fruits and vegetables, and it’s pretty appetizing!









Upstairs, souvenir stalls are grouped together. Nothing particularly original.

Across the street, other stalls are waiting for customers.

But they definitely attract fewer travelers...















A venison roast, a chicken thigh, a cow’s head, a few fish—does that tempt you?

With our nostrils filled with bland smells, we head next to the old docks area, now transformed into a slightly more upscale shopping zone, Caudan.

Ugh, I didn’t endure 11 hours of flying just to wander through shops I can find a few kilometers from home!

Let’s grab lunch instead.

I spot an Indian restaurant offering a thali with naan at lunchtime.



A lassi on top of that, and we’re almost in nirvana...

I think we’ve pretty much seen all the limited charms of Port Louis—time to go for a swim! About 20 kilometers later, a good hour’s drive, we’re lounging on Trou aux Biches beach. A few hotels take up part of the sand, but beyond the line of sun loungers, the beach stays open to everyone.







The sun playing peek-a-boo with the clouds gave us a gorgeous sky by late afternoon.





We braved the traffic in the north of the island one last time and got back to our villa just about at nightfall.

How about dinner at La Marmite Mauricienne again?

Why not!

Tonight, I suggest we enjoy some sizzling shrimp and a flambéed banana...



For drinks, I’ll let you guess what we chose...

I love checking out these local markets—you learn so much through food, and I don’t need to tell *you* that!

The most beautiful ones I’ve seen were in Peru and Bolivia, in my opinion.

But that cow’s head in blood? Worth its weight in peanuts!

For the evening drink, I know: San Pellegrino! 😄

PS: Those traffic jams would’ve ruined the trip for me! Does renting a scooter make sense there? Just in case I end up visiting... …

This market is really nice! We arrived a bit late for the fish/meat section—everything was being packed up.

For scooters, I didn’t get the impression there were many around. I think the key is to optimize your trips and book multiple accommodations, like on Réunion Island.

Plus, they’re building some infrastructure that should help ease traffic a bit.

(San Pellegrino??? Never heard of it!)

Today should be a lot less hectic traffic-wise since we're heading to Chamarel, a small village in the south of the island in a sparsely populated area.

It wasn’t really the village itself that drew us here but, like most tourists who’ve chosen Mauritius for their holiday, the geo-park of the same name.

For a long time now, wandering around freely on this estate hasn’t been an option.

The visit route is strictly marked out, and once we’ve passed the toll, we follow the road that connects the various viewpoints.

First stop, the waterfall!



A trail lets you admire the beauty from different angles, but unfortunately, you can’t venture too far from the parking lot.

Final stop: the Seven Coloured Earth, the tortoise park, and the gift shop!



The geological curiosity is interesting but doesn’t look anything like the doctored photos you see online.

Ugh, this overuse of saturation is so annoying!



Without a magic wand



With one...

I have to admit that the memory I’ll keep of this day in a few years will probably be more about the tortoises than the waterfall or the Seven Coloured Earth.



What’s that noise?

Mr. Tortoise has decided to put on a very loud show of his romantic exploits for the spectators.

He chases Mrs. Tortoise, climbs onto her back, and with lots of stretching and neck craning, tries to ensure his legacy...

The travelers are in stitches, but nothing fazes him.

A real exhibitionist, for sure...

Chamarel is also known for its rum and coffee.

We won’t visit the plantation, but we can’t leave without a little bottle of fermented and distilled sugarcane juice.

Just a few kilometers separate Chamarel from the viewpoint over the Black River Gorges.

We have a picnic while admiring the panorama and the monkeys.

After that, we decide to head up to the summit of Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire, a hike of about 7 kilometers with a positive elevation gain of 380 meters.



The walk takes place 90% under tree cover.



It could be easy if it weren’t for all the climbing and descending!

The trail is full of traps between roots and muddy sections—better watch your step!

Suddenly, a clearing offers a lovely viewpoint of Le Morne.

Then, it’s back to traversing an endless green tunnel.

The GPS tells us we only have a little more effort to make.

But what an effort!

The end of the hike is, once again, steep, and we have to use ropes to reach the summit of Piton, the island’s highest point at 828 meters.

A sea of trees stretches out beneath our feet. We overlook the Black River Gorges National Park and the coast.













All in all, a really nice walk, but a bit boring during the approach phase.

We’ll recharge by the pool before trying out a new restaurant, Pakbo.







The bill will be higher, but we’ve upgraded.





For around 50 €, one shared starter, two mains, and two cocktails—it’s a great deal! !

Like you, we were disappointed with Chamarel 😞 but luckily, you had some great walks 😊

Yeah, Chamarel is nice but nothing extraordinary.

The site is too crowded. They could organize hikes to the waterfall.

Plus, there are quite a few tourists! !

The weather sites are promising sunshine today.

How about taking advantage of it to climb Le Morne Brabant?

The hike starts almost at sea level, and the departure is from a parking lot by a slightly rough track.

Before starting the walk, each hiker must sign a waiver handed directly to one of the site guardians.

They also have to fill out a logbook with their name and departure time, which must be signed again upon return.

Why so many precautions???

This hike, which is the island’s flagship trek, is far from a walk in the park!

It’s rated as difficult with its 7 kilometers round trip and a positive elevation gain of about 500 meters.

Pfft, that’s nothing at all, some might say!

But they haven’t accounted for the final section—a nearly vertical, slippery bottleneck that requires using both hands and legs.

This part has already proven fatal, and the site nearly got shut down.

I don’t know if we’ll make it all the way, but apparently, the view is already great in the classic part of the hike!

The trail first climbs through the forest.

It’s wide, resembling a 4x4 forest track, and only its steepness might challenge the sedentary.

We then reach a clearing with a few benches.

Side trails lead to a few viewpoints, but we stay focused on our goal: climbing to the summit (well, almost, since the hike ends just before it!).



The trail now narrows into a tight path, while various signs try to discourage the Sunday stroller.



Well, for now, it seems totally manageable, right?

Since we left fairly late, most hikers are already on their way back.

So we can fully enjoy the place.

Now we’re at the foot of the challenge—a rocky wall that everyone seems to descend sitting down, with extreme caution!



The few attempting the climb at this late hour aren’t any faster...

A guardian checks the age and footwear of hikers.

A couple with a baby carrier? Turned away.

Flip-flops? No way.

He lets sneakers through, but I really wouldn’t recommend them unless you’re looking to take the final leap.

We weigh the pros and cons and eventually decide to tackle the bottleneck ourselves.

My companion moves faster than me—I’m not very reassured!

I progress hand over hand, meter by meter, carefully studying the terrain with each move.

Thankfully, there aren’t many people around—it must be way more dangerous on a crowded day!

Once past the bottleneck, we think we’re in the clear.

Nope—one bottleneck replaces another, and flat moments are rare!

The advantage of this kind of terrain is that I don’t have breathing issues. Climbing is easier on my heart than walking.

Though the pace isn’t the same... Especially with all the pauses to admire the scenery...





One last narrow passage, and we’re on the final platform.



All our efforts are rewarded!

The panorama is stunning, even more so when the sun decides to enhance the lagoon’s colors.









We admire the ocean for a long time before starting the nerve-wracking descent.

A young couple and their guide seem stuck on the wall.

The man is paralyzed. Vertigo?

We’ll see them progress at the speed of a sluggish tortoise—this hike really isn’t for everyone.

Oddly, I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all and stayed standing almost the whole way down.

I was way more nervous about the descent than the climb!

Back at the benches, we start our picnic.

The rest is just a formality!

A few kilometers of tarmac and we park in a seaside lot.

A bit of relaxation, some ripples in the water, a walk with our feet in the sand...









Le Morne Beach is, I think, the most beautiful on the island!

What's next on the agenda?

Like every evening, sunset followed by dinner.

Back to La Marmite Mauricienne for tonight’s meal!

This evening, I suggest trying the "bol renversé."



Enjoy your meal! !

I just realized I completely forgot about the "hikes" in Mauritius... in my mind, it was all about relaxing and gentle exploring after the hikes in Réunion 😎. Well, to be honest, I don’t think I would’ve attempted the last one described 😏 (though 18 years ago... maybe 😎).

Did she do it??? I was really looking forward to the description of the climb up Le Morne Brabant! Congrats on making it all the way to the top—the hike is pretty demanding, but what a view! Personally, the Le Morne area, and really the whole southwest quarter of the island, is by far my favorite part of Mauritius.