Mauritius is a petit Indian Ocean island that is one of the world’s finest sun, sand and sea destinations. The American writer Mark Twain was so enchanted by the islands exceptional beauty that he wrote: "You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius".

Just like your image of heaven, Mauritius is far away, serene, and most fair. The small island country lies 1,800 km east of the African continent, beyond the eastern shores of Madagascar, and in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It covers an area of 1860 sq km, and has 330 km of coastline. It includes the 100 sq km island of Rodrigues, which is 600 km to the North East.

Hassan ibn Ali –an Arab trader, was probably the first explorer to berth his ship on the island in 975 AD. Finding the island uninhabited, he had little cause to linger, as he had nobody to trade with or convert to Islam. The island was then only home to luxuriant tropical vegetation, few reptile species and birds – including the legendary dodo. The dodo was a flightless member of the pigeon family native only to the island. Hunted to extinction by the Dutch in the early 17th century, it is today Mauritius national symbol.

Pedro Mascarenhas – a Portuguese navigator, is credited with officially discovering the island in 1505. Like the Arabs before, the Portuguese were discouraged by the dearth of opportunities for trade and spreading the Catholic doctrine, and they did not settle as well. But as a major sea faring nation, with growing interest in the Far East, they realised that the island could be useful as a stop between the Cape and India. This was especially if food and livestock was available; they were thus the first introduce livestock to the island.

The Dutch were the first to make permanent settlement on the island, staying over between 1598 and 1712. They eventually lost their nerve after facing many trials brought by the forces of nature - cyclones, droughts floods. The French filled the void in the period 1715-1810,but lost out to Great Britain in the 1814 Treaty of Paris that followed the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The British remained in charge until independence in 1968.

Following the first human settlement, Mauritius was soon traversed by peoples from three continents: Chinese and Indian Asians who came in as merchants and immigrant labourers, black Africans who worked as slaves for in the plantations, and Europeans who at one time or another were masters of the island.

Today, Mauritius is a melting pot with four prominent ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritians –whose origins are in India; Creoles- of mixed African and European ancestry; Franco-Mauritians, the descendents of the original French settlers; and Sino-Mauritians, whose forbearers can be traced back to China. All these people have multiplied with time, and had reached a count of 1.2 million by 2005.

The national life of Mauritius today reflects a diversity of cultures and religion. Hindu, Chinese, Christian, and Muslim festivals are recognised as public holidays. The people are bound by some distinct strands that cut across their diversity- a hospitable outlook, enchanting music,and spoken Creole- the Lingua Franca.

The islands have enriched the world with a unique style of music beat known as Sega. Sega music and dance is conspicuously African in rhythm and beat, and goes with Creole lyrics. It is accompanied by drumbeats and other rhythmic instruments, and by the swinging of hips and chafing of feet. The erotic Sega dance has its origins in the days when African slaves worked the sugar fields. You will not fail to experience Sega anywhere on the island, and is showcased as nightly entertainment in Mauritius tourist resorts.

Being such a small place, Mauritius has unexpected geographical diversity. Ranging from a coastline almost entirely surrounded by coral reef, the rest of the island is taken up by tropical savannah, mountainous ranges, flat plains, and a central plateau. The central plateau reaches its highest point of 828 metres at Piton de la Rivière Noire.

The island is part of the Mascarene group of islands, which also include: Réunion, Rodrigues, Cargados Carajos, and Agalega islands. All but Réunion are considered as part of Mauritius. These peaceful islands had violent and turbulent beginnings as they were formed as a result volcanic action from about 8 million years ago.

For the visitor, the most rewarding holiday activities during a Mauritius vacation are anchored on sun, sand and sea. The island's maritime zone boasts more than 1,000 species of marine life- fishes, shells and molluscs, in numbers beyond count. Scuba divers will have an excellent time, and the island has over forty dive centres operated by experienced dive masters. Outstanding dive sites can be found at Grand Baie, Blue Bay, and offshore from Flic-en-Flac.

The spectacular way to explore the spectacular underwater world is onboard a submarine. The sub also allows you to see some ship wrecks dating back to the Dutch Mauritius is a leading destination for deep-sea fishing, and indeed holds several big game world records.

You can swim at various places at beaches, lagoons and inlets. Swimming beaches are best to the north, though there are other good sites to the southwest and to the west near Flic en Flac. The west coast offers good sites for surfing at Tamarin, and diving at Flic en Flac. Golfers have a chance to play in heaven, as Mauritius offers six magnificent international standard 18-hole courses, and a number of good 9–hole courses.

Port Louis, the country’s bustling capital and main harbour nestles on the northwest of the island. The city has its feet on the ocean shores, and its back to the hills and mountains. Founded in 1735 by the French Governor, François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, it was named after King Louis XV. It started out as a French military base, and from here attacks against the British army in India were prosecuted. Over the years, the port adapted to peaceful enterprise, despite numerous catastrophic setbacks.

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