Seniors Find Mauritius In The Indian Ocean

Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometers off the southeast coast of the African continent. Senior friends, grab your coffee and enjoy a visit to Mauritius.

History abounds. The first Portuguese explorers found no indigenous people living on the island in 1507. The Dutch settled on the island in 1638 and abandoned it in 1710. Five years later, the island became a French colony and was renamed Isle de France.

If you know where Madagascar is, look just off to the east and there is the island. Port Louis, the modern capital of this 38-mile by 29-mile island, is a bustling port with a revitalized waterfront and a busy market.

 Today it’s a stable democracy with regular free elections. The country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes with its 1.3 million inhabitants.

The main agricultural products are sugar, sugar derivatives, tea, tobacco, vegetables, fruits, flowers and fishing. Seniors discover Mauritius to be a paradise for deep sea fishing. Past visitors called the country “an island of emotion“.

A Great Senior Destination

Mauritius is one of Africa’s great destinations. Located in the middle of the turquoise Indian Ocean, Mauritius is inhabited by a multi-racial, peaceful people, has great golf courses, offers myriad water sports, mountain trekking, hunting, birdwatching, luxurious resorts, an old colonial capital, great food, three- and four-star hotels, one of the world’s best botanical gardens, good nightlife, beautiful beach bars, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, one of the oldest horse racing tracks in the world and wonderful  sightseeing.

 When an island is surrounded by perfect white sand beaches, themselves surrounded by the stunning blue Indian Ocean, and the center of the island contains mountains and breathtaking scenery, plus almost year-round sunshine, it’s difficult to be miserable.

Blue Bay, Baie du Tamarin, Cap Malheureux, Belle Mare and Flic-en Flac are some of the most well-known beaches in Mauritius. And for you senior gourmets, the cuisine of Mauritius is a blend of Creole, Chinese, European and Indian. It’s common for a combination of cuisines to form part of the same meal.

And for you senior birders, Casela is a bird sanctuary located in the district of Riviere Noire. Stretching for more than 25 hectares, it has as many as 140 species of birds coming from all the five continents.

And get this…The official language in Mauritius is English. Lonely Planet finds the island to be loaded with historic sights, cultural diversity, geographic variation and almost limitless activities to distract visitors from the daily grind of beach and pool.

They further note that perhaps its single biggest asset is the relaxed charm of its warm and welcoming people. And for such a small island, TripAdvisor notes 107 things to take in.  So…put the island in your “travel bucket list”. Senior travelers will find it very inviting.  jeb