Mauritius Nature and Travel
Photo albums of Mauritius Nature and Travel featuring landscape and wildlife images. And highlights include photos at the Black River Gorges, La Vallee de Ferney, Pamplemousses and Curepipe Botanic Gardens. Also, kitesurfers at Le Morne peninsula and musicians at Port Louis.
Moreover, Mauritius is an Indian Ocean tropical island between three and four degrees north of the Tropic of Capricorn. It is about 2000 km from the African coast and 800 km from the coast of Madagascar. Moreover, the island has a tropical climate with warm daytime temperatures dropping by less than ten degrees Celsius at night. And the trade winds blow from the east and influence temperature and rainfall. Therefore, the east coast has more rain from May to October than the west, even in the dry season. It is rainy from November to April, and cyclones sometimes hit the island between January and March.
South and Southwest Mauritius
The album features photos from several tours along Mauritius’s south and southwest coast. Namely, at Gris-Gris, Pomponette Public Beach, La Prairie Beach and Le Morne Peninsular. Furthermore, images include landscapes, people, kitesurfers, and a Village Weaver nesting photo essay.
Black River Gorges National Park
Features images from a scenic drive through the Black River Gorges National Park. Namely, panoramas and photos at the Gorges Viewpoint, Alexandra Falls and pictures from a walk at Alexandra Falls. Furthermore, the galleries include nature, landscape, and wildlife subjects.
Trails from Black River Visitor Centre
The photo album features walking the Black River Visitor Centre trails, including the Macchabee, Parakeet and Mare aux Joncs. Moreover, the centre is a short drive along the Les Gorges Road from Grande Revere Noire village on the west coast.
Trails from Petrin Information Centre
Features flora, fauna and landscape photos taken while walking the Macchabee Trail from the Petrin Information Centre. Moreover, the centre is opposite the Grand Bassin Road junction and the north-south B102 road from Chamouny to Vacoas-Phoenix/Curepipe.
Nature Parks, Botanic Gardens and Port Louis
An eclectic collection of images photographed at Mahebourg, La Vallee de Ferney, Port Louis, Pamplemousses and Curepipe Botanic Gardens. They feature landscapes, wildlife (birds and reptiles), plants (palms and flowers), and people.
Accommodation and Touring
In May 2014, my wife and I spent three weeks at La Gaulette village in the southwest of Mauritius. We stayed at The Rusty Pelican, which we used as our base for touring by hire/rental car. Furthermore, the Black River Gorges National Park, Le Morne peninsula and the south coast were only a short drive by car. Moreover, driving to the airport, Port Louis, the southeast coast, and other attractions were only around sixty minutes.
Mauritius, an Island Paradise
Mauritius tourist sites often promote Mauritius as a tropical paradise. And quote that Mark Twain said, “Mauritius was made first and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius”. It is a quote taken out of context from Mark Twain’s Following the Equator.
Mark Twain wrote: “From one citizen you gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.” He continued to write, “Another one tells you that this is an exaggeration;” Finishing with “that Curepipe is the wettest and rainiest place in the world“.
Moreover, two hundred years of land clearance for agriculture and the introduction of alien species of flora and fauna have taken their toll. Less than 2% of the island’s native forest remains, over 20% when Mark Twain visited and over 80% before the land clearance. However, there are efforts to restore the forest and save the threatened endemic species, especially at Black River Gorges Nature Reserve and La Vallee de Ferney. However, it may be too late as Mauritius has a large number of endangered plants.
Mauritius Bibliography
Online Resources
1. Islands of Réunion and Mauritius, east of Madagascar. 2021. [Online] Available from WWF [Accessed 22-Nov-21].
2. Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. 2021. [Online] Available from https://www.mauritian-wildlife.org/ [Accessed 22-Nov-21].
3. Biodiversity (Flora and Fauna) Of Mauritius 2021. [Online] Available from Yo Nature [Accessed 22-Nov-21].
Printed (Books) and Reproduced (eBooks) Resources
1. Carillet, J-B., Ham, A. (Dec 2013). Mauritius, Reunion & Seychelles. 8th ed. Lonely Planet Global Limited.
2. Twain, M., (Clemens, S.). Following the Equator, Complete. A Journey Around the World. Hartford, Connecticut. A Public Domain Book. Amazon Kindle.