I spent the week leading up to 11.11.11 in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius and Madagascar.

That was my second time in Mauritius, the more fun of the two visits. The first trip I stayed only a few days downtown in Port Louis. It was the “wrong” season to go and the weather was grey and heavy with threats of torrential downpours.

This time I booked extra days to catch the flight out to Madagascar. A few more days of relaxation. Far from Port Louis.

(Unfortunately, the photos from Madagascar have been lost, including my favourite one of a tiny frog peering from a leaf.)

I first heard of Mauritius when I met a French-speaking Chinese young woman while articling for my Chartered Accountant designation in my “previous” life. I was still a little unclear about what this little island in the Indian Ocean was about, so mysterious and far away. It was apparently rejected by a few peoples as an undesirable settlement, until the Dutch, then the French, then the British.

Mauritius only became an independent commonwealth in the late 1960s.  With English the official language, other languages include Mauritian Creole, French, Hini, Urdu, Hakka, and Bhojpuri. An island of settlers, fortune-seekers, and survivalists. It was a real hodgepodge. 

The first trip was confined primarily to Port Louis, with a day sight-seeing trip to visit the volcano, the waterfalls, and the 7-colour earth of Chamarel or Terres de 7 Couleurs.

The dunes of the seven-coloured earth have been an attraction in Mauritius since the 1960s. The sandy strips, made of iron and aluminium that repel each other, have different colours. This is an illustration of uneven cooling of molten rock dating back million of years. I read that it’s best to visit in the morning as the sun lights up the seven colours in their different hues. Reds, browns, violets, yellows, blues, greens, and purples.

A cursory look around the more touristy areas of the island. I can see from its beautiful turquoise waters and beaches with sand that’s white to golden why it’s such a treasured getaway destination.

This time, I stayed at Maritim Hotel, situated on a 25-hectacre private estate along Turtle Bay in what is known as the sunniest region of Mauritius. The Dutch once called this Ebony Bay, because of the abundant ebony forests there. On the hotel and resort property is the Balaclava Estate which dates back to the 18th century. Now, a national monument, it’s known as Ruins of Balaclava, it remains an important part of the island’s colonial heritage. As a guest at Maritim, I was free to visit the area.

Sometimes staying cocooned in a resort is just what you need. The spacious suite overlooked the water and the sun was starting to set by the time I got settled in and the air was filled with a breeze, carrying songbirds’ melodies. It felt like paradise.

At my stay, the day started with a generous and delicious buffet spread, overlooking the hotel pool.  Lots of fruits and yes, mimosas and on some days, straight champagne. The rest of the day was relaxing, relaxing, and more relaxing.  I visited the spa, swam in the pool and spent time at the beach, napping, snacking… I also tried some of the complimentary hotel activities that included mini golf, tennis, water sports, horseback riding, and archery.

The first and last time I picked up a bow and arrow was back in high school. Remembering how fun it was, I was quite keen to give it a go. The hotel equipment was more high-tech than what we had in school. The bow was also much heavier. Hitting the board and near the bull’s eye seemed easier before. Ah, glorified memories. It was a lot of fun at any rate.

I also did some horseback riding, if you could call it that. I sat on a horse and was led down the path from the stables, past the Balaclava ruins, through the trees, to the beach. Still, nothing to complain about. So blessed to spend some time with such a wonderful animal.

All in all, it was a good mix of relaxation and activity.  And hanging out at the beach bar, trying some local liquors, was great fun. No sight-seeing this time and no photography, except those taken on my iPhone, playing with a new app, whizzing from the resort to the airport. I was trying a new app and different lenses as you can see below.