Mauritius is an ideal place to enjoy a relaxing holiday. The tropical island is famous for its unique sun, sand, sea and, without forgetting, for the heart-touching Mauritian hospitality. Situated in the Indian Ocean, in the east of Madagascar, with a surface area of 720 square miles, the pear shaped island offers visitors the magnificent landscapes of the countryside and sea views within a few miles of travel. The natural beauties of the paradise island include its sea, waterfalls, rivers, craters, natural forests and its odd shaped mountains. Due to the latter, some have baptised Mauritius as the Mystical Island affirming that the mountains of Mauritius conceal truths about the future of the world that will be exposed in the near future- let’s wait and see!Anyway whether you are here to enjoy sun baths, float the ocean’s bed, trek forests or touch the heights of the mountains, the multi-faceted beauty of the island will surely marvel your mind and heart. So whether you are visiting the paradise island as a spiritual tourist, for the wedding of your dream, for honeymoon, for business or you are on family vacation, Mauritius always opens its arms large saying “Welcome Home!”.
Welcoming visitors in itself is a culture in the country. The warm legendary welcome and friendliness of Mauritians makes Mauritius the second home for visitors. The island offers a whole range of facilities ranging from bungalows to five star hotels for accommodation, tourist info centres, spas, guided tours, 24-hour taxi services, and tourism police.
Throughout the year Mauritius welcomes tourists from around the world and every year the numbers are increasing. In Mauritius you are sure to enjoy a fulfilled holiday that will surely pull you back for another memorable holiday!
Mauritius was known to the early Arab traders, being marked on their maps, but the first visitors from Europe were the Portuguese, who landed in 1510. They used the island as a victualling stop on their way to Goa and Malacca but did not settle. The first attempt at colonization was made by the Dutch who arrived in 1598 and named the island Mauritius after Prince Maurice de Nassau. Later they introduced sugar, Malagasy slaves and Javanese deer in the island. They abandoned the country in 1710. After being left in its native state for five years, the French occupied the island between 1715 and 1810.
The first sugar mill was opened during the French period. This was a turning point for the economy of the country as sugar became the pillar of the Mauritian economy later. In 1810 the British took over the island after a naval war against the French. Year 1835 marked the abolition of slavery. This was followed by the importation of Chinese and Indian indentured labourers, which contributed to the ethnic diversity of the country. Mauritius became independent from Britain on 12 March 1968 and is an independent sovereign nation within the British Commonwealth. The Constitution is based on the West-Minster model. On 12 March 1992 Mauritius be came a Republic.
See below ceremony of Independence for Mauritius as it happened in Champ de Mars, Port-Louis on 12th March 1968.
