By Eric Gaudet, Paris Bureau Chief
Photos by Eric Gaudet & Chris Simpson

Barely noticed on the maps and barely known at all, this is a splendid destination for vacation and tourism. In the Indian Ocean, East of Madagascar, is Mauritius Island, one of the Mascarene archipelago islands.

It has a volcanic origin and was discovered around 1511 by a Portuguese sailor. Between 1598 and 1710 it was a possession of the Dutch, who named it after their prince, Maurice of Nassau. During their stay, they ruined the country, destroyed the forests, brought in slaves from Madagascar and deer. When they quit, they left behind a few slaves and a crop which was to become the core of the island’s economy, the sugar cane. The French then came in 1715 and ran it with the West Indies Company, under Mahé de La Bourdonnais. They imported new slaves from Africa and Madagascar, and really started to develop the island by building the new Port Louis harbor and public infrastructures, developing the sugar cane culture and industry. It was then a prosperous colony.

By the treaty of Paris in 1814, the island became a British property. It was allowed to keep its former traditions, rules, laws, customs, religions and culture. It was the only British territory to be run by the Napoleon Civil Code. Some people even said that it was indeed a French colony run by Englishmen. Slavery was abolished in 1835, and as a consequence, 450,000 laborers were imported from India, over 30 years to work in the cane fields.

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Mauritius became independent in 1968 and was still a member of the Commonwealth. It became a republic in 1992. Tourism was then developed and it is now the other leg of the economy.

Along the centuries a true melting pot developed and grew there, mixing the original slaves from Africa and Madagascar, the colons from France and England who stayed there, and the workers imported from India and from China. Their descendants now all live together in their communities, in a harmony where everybody is kind and gentle, especially with foreigners whom they are always ready to welcome and to help with a smile. Most of them speak both English and French.

This history has had many implications to today’s way of life in Mauritius. The culture offers a lively encycolopedia of religions: Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, ...
During the times when the colony has been prosperous, the main distractions of the high society in Mauritius were luxury receptions and gourmet food. There is now a complete mixture of spices, tastes, colors, influences, recipes and sensations from all over the world: Europe and France, India, China, Africa. Like me, you’ve heard about world food or fusion food and tried it. But in Mauritius, this is a reality and such multi-cultural influences seem so natural!

Aside from regular vacationing with sightseeing, water sports and leisure, Mauritius is a place to have a true gourmet food experience. You will find there that many chefs have had an international experience, which they naturally add to the local cosmopolitan culture.

The products used in the Mauritian gastronomy are both local and imported. The meats usually come from Australia, the venison is local, and the fish and seafood are usually caught locally, but may also come from the Seychelles islands.

While visiting, don’t hesitate to visit the whole island, which is not very big: 40 miles long by 30 wide. You’ll want to enjoy the coastal road, with its superb views on the shoreline. Don’t miss the inside of the island with its scenic drives and gorgeous views over the panorama. Don’t forget to visit Port Louis with its typical market and its new Waterfront, the Pamplemousse botanical garden, Curepipe with its colonial houses, and where shopping is usually cheaper than in Port Louis, Chamarel and its colored volcanic ashes lands.

As I did, you will find that Mauritius has many gastronomy and hotel resources. Here are some of them, which I tried and can recommend. Besides the gastronomy restaurants, which can be compared to some of the best gourmet restaurants we can think of, you can also try the smaller ones, where you will enjoy the true traditional local food, and where the Mauritians are used to going to.