Africa & Middle East

9 things you probably didn’t know about Mauritius

There’s maur to Mauritius.

White beaches, crystal-clear lagoons, year-round sunshine… to be honest, you had us at beaches. Still, there’s so much more to Mauritius than just spectacular snorkelling and sunbathing. One of the more active Indian Ocean destinations, Mauritius also has incredible national parks, trekking, waterfalls, diving, ziplining and kite surfing. Plus, ticking off both major liquid food groups, tea plantations and rum distilleries.

Plus, all of this interesting stuff that you might not have known about.

1. Mostly known for its beaches, Mauritius is actually really green. 90% of the fields grow sugar cane, and we all know what happens to sugar cane…

2. Exactly, it gets turned into rum. Mauritius has a number of working rhumeries, with local specialties including ginger, passionfruit, vanilla, coffee, coconut and chili flavours.

3. This national passion is then combined with another thing Mauritius is famous for, its sunsets. Sundowners (essentially just drinking at sunset) is an island tradition, and as a company, we’re all about observing these important local traditions.

4. The Dodo – that flightless, extinct and all-around unlucky bird – came from Mauritius and features on its coat of arms.

5. The Mauritian national anthem was composed by Phillippe Gentil, a saxophonist for The Police.

6. Speaking of records, Mauritius holds a Guinness one, for holding the world’s biggest shower.

7. Although the official language of Mauritius is English, most people speak French and Creole.

8. A rich mix of French, Dutch, Creole, African and Indian influences; Mauritius has some amazing street food. Dholl Puri, a yellow split pea wrap, is a national staple.

9. The island paradise of Ile aux Cerfs, or ‘Deer Island’, doesn’t actually have any deer on it. However, it does have pristine white beaches, coral-filled waters and amazing snorkelling, so no one bothers to mention it.