Mauritius: The Island of Incredible Colors

The first color you will never forget again is the blue!

We arrived early in the morning with Air Mauritius, landing at the new and stylish Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. Just before touching down, you see a big lagoon on your right, shining in turquise blue.

Make sure you get a window seat on the right side and do not sleep in!

Be awake, as it’s simply stunning to see the island from above. If for some reason you should not have a view, go for an ultra light flight, helicopter ride or even better… go skydiving during your stay on Mauritius.

Mauritius is more than just its high class luxury resorts and you can see that best with its colors:

Red = the People, Culture & History
Blue = the Sky
Yellow = the Sun
Green = the Vegetation & Nature

You simply have to see this island from the air!

It’s not just the “blue” lagoons and the reef, which you’ll find around the whole island, which makes that island so special.

It’s also the “green”!

All over the island you have green stunning mountains due to its tropical climate. Go and explore those! If it’s hiking, canoeing, a quad bike tour or by horse, it’s a beautiful landscape you should not miss.

Just driving along the East coast is a pleasure. You’ll see green sugar cane fields, mountains and many little blue bays, all inviting you to take lots of photos.

Then there is another color you will see most of the time, which is yellow, paired with the blue. The sun shines most of the time and if there should be clouds coming along, you can rest easy, as the island climate usually changes quickly.

The weather is good all the time on Mauritius. The winters (June – September) are mild with temperatures around 20-21°Celsius and can rise up to around 30°Celsius in the summer. The summer also brings the most rain, but the chances that a tropical cyclone will last for more than a few days are very low. That makes Mauritius a great destination for off-season travel.

All these colors represent Mauritius and can also be found on their national flag.

The only color missing is red, which stands for their past. The Dutch, French and British occupied Mauritius and held it as one of their colonies. That was also the time of slavery (till 1835) and the red in the Mauritian flag represents their blood.

 Mauritius has only been independent since 1968. Nowadays you can still see the first settlements and forts, like Citadel Hill in the center of Port Louis. From there you can also enjoy a nice view of the city. All over the island you can find signs of the past, whether it’s going back to the colonies or to WWII.

Luckily, today Mauritius is more known for its other colors and if we try to incorporate the red as well, for me it stands for the friendly people with their smiles, who you can meet all over the island.

So why not stroll through the “green” botanical garden, relax and enjoy the fauna, while learning a bit of the history and culture of the island, as you’ll find a few memorials on the grounds as well, in addition to the botanical museum, which is found in an old colonial building.

Or why don’t you go and taste Mauritius?

I visited L’Aventure du Sucre, the sugar cane museum. That’s where you can find out how tough it was in the past to cut tons of green sugar canes, using only your hands and a knife. You can also see how rum is made out of the sugar cane and even better… you can taste it!

There is a rum tasting and I’m sure you’ll quickly find a favorite. If rum’s not your taste, see what else sugar cane is good for. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the sweets…

Enoy the colors of Mauritius!

Travel tip shared by Melvin for Travel Dudes.

Author

  • Melvin

    Melvin is the founder and CEO of Travel Dudes, co-founder of the Social Travel Summit and the former COO of iambassador.