Mauritius is meant to be a paradise Island and looking at some of the Post cards in the shops it must be true, however staying in Port Louis, you wouldn't necessarily believe it.
No beaches here I'm afraid. Just a business district with a faint colonial charm.
The Labourdonnais Hotel is a fine place to stay with friendly staff and lovely little luxury touches, like fragrant Bath Salts, a shoe polishing service tray and an iPod station. The north facing swimming pool however is tiny, so don't even bother going there. Use the one at the Sister Hotel Le Suffren instead. A cute ferry will carry you across the marina waters in less than a minute.
If it's offered take advantage of the Boat Trip on one of their Catamarans. They will take you to a Bay where you can swim and do watersports. They set up a BBQ lunch right on the yacht and will supply you with free drinks all day long. For £20 it's definitely worth it. We even had a lovely dolphin come up and swim next to the Boat.
Next to the Hotel is an area with Boutiques, a Craft Market, Restaurants, Bars, a Casino and young Couples sitting on benches with giggling girls and young man trying to charm them into a kiss. It's the place were you would take someone on a first date it appears.
I quite like the cheaper restaurants on the opposite side of the water, where a nice selection of Indian, Chinese, Pizza and French food is served. Talking of which, Mauritius doesn't seem to have an indigenous cuisine so much. It has been influenced by all the settlers that have come to live here. Mainly they are of Indian, Asian, French and African origins and it reflects in the food that I have seen here. In that spirit I went to have some lunch and opted for a traditional Indian Vegetarian Thali.
I will continue my quest to find a great Mauritian Dish the next time I visit Port Louis. Until then, watch this space.
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