Saturday, March 1, 2025 - Port Louis, Mauritius

We have had an interesting couple of days on our way to this lovely island.  There has been a powerful Garance Cyclone barreling through the Indian Ocean and our Captain has been following it carefully to make sure we stayed clear of it.  Unfortunately, it made a direct hit on one of our nearby ports, Reunion, and at least four people were killed and islanders are without power.  Roofs were blown off and debris is covering many parts of the island.  We were scheduled to land on the nearby island of Mauritius yesterday, however, we weren't sure which direction the storm would take and how long it would remain over the islands.  So, we changed direction and went back the way we had come until the sea settled down.  Still, we have had large, rolling waves for the last 24 hours.  Bob and I have experienced worse waves on previous cruises but we had to be careful when moving around the ship. 

Once the weather service concluded that it was safe for us to return to our scheduled course, the Captain turned around again and we headed for Mauritius.  We weren't sure we would be allowed to enter the port but both our Captain and the Mauritian port authorities felt we had a good chance of docking the following morning.  Thankfully, they were correct and we are now safely docked in this lovely tropical paradise.  We are just one day late for our arrival and the excursion desk has announced that there will be no tours today.  We will remain on Mauritius overnight and all day tomorrow to give the cyclone plenty of time to leave the area, then we will continue our cruise.  Unfortunately, with the conditions on Reunion we will have to skip that island.  

Although I'm sure the islanders would appreciate the influx of money a cruise ship brings to them, they need time to gather themselves and loved ones, homes and belongings, and evaluate the damage caused by cyclone Garance. It is very understandable that tourists right now would just be a stumbling block for authorities to travel the island and determine the damage.  Consequently, once we leave Mauritius tomorrow might we will sail directly to South Africa and make our first port Durban instead of Richard's Bay, which we will also need to skip to get back on schedule. After evaluating the sea conditions, port authorities decided it was safe for us to enter the port on Mauritius so we have now docked and will be able to visit this lovely island for the next couple of days.

Mauritius is located just off the east coast of Madagascar and is becoming known as the tropical paradise of the Indian Ocean.  It is a volcanic island approximately 10 million years old and is thought to be the peak of an enormous sunken volcanic chain stretching from the Seychelles to Reunion.  In fact, volcanic lakes and inactive craters are scattered throughout the island.

Mauritius has a unique marine environment.  Their coastline is surrounded by one of the largest unbroken coral reefs on the planet. Many marine conservationists are campaigning to protect the fragile coral reefs and ecosystem.  In so many parts of the world, coral is completely bleached and fish are quite depleted because they have no food.  Conservationists are trying to avoid this situation in Mauritius.

Although Mauritius was on the maps of early Arab mariners, it remained uninhabited until the end of the 16th century.  Portuguese became the first European visitors in 1510, however they did not claim the island.  In 1598, Dutch colonists settled on the island.  The Dutch colonial period saw the development of thriving sugar cane plantations as well as the ruination of the spectacular ebony forests and the extinction of the dodo bird and other indigenous wildlife.  The Dutch eventually abandoned their settlement in 1710 and Mauritius was unclaimed until the arrival of the French.  The French continued the cultivation of sugar as well as indigo, cloves, nutmeg and other spices.  They retained possession of the island until 1810 when they ceded it to Britain.  It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1968.  Mauritius is now a vibrant cultural mix with impressive mountains, boundless sugar cane plantations and some extraordinary beaches and aquamarine lagoons.

As a result of its geographic location and colonial past, the people of Mauritius are diverse in ethnicity, culture, language and faith.  Hinduism is the most practiced religion in Mauritius, followed by a sizeable population of Christians and Muslims. Although quite diverse, all faiths live in harmony on the island.  The bulk of the population can trace its ancestry back to India, France, Africa, and China.  They are very proud of their democracy, as they are among the most competitive and developed economies in the African region.  The government provides free universal health care, education and public transportation for students, senior citizens and people with disabilities.  It is often ranked as the most peaceful country in Africa. It was the only known home of the dodo bird, which, along with several other bird species, became extinct soon after human settlement.   

Mauritius - Day 1:

Once we were docked and cleared by local port authorities to disembark the ship, our passengers quickly headed for land, since we have been at sea for two days.  Although our ship wasn't able to offer tours today since the island wasn't ready until they checked on staff and equipment after the cyclone, they were able to offer a shuttle to the town's shopping mall.  Bob and I waited a little while for the stores to open and the bulk of our passengers to leave, then we went downstairs to exit the ship and board the shuttle.  The ride took about 15 minutes as the mini van weaved its way around the waterfront.  It dropped us off so we had an opportunity to explore the Le Caudan Waterfront shopping mall. 

Le Caudan is an open-air space by the port, and elegant pleasure yachts are anchored at its marina.  There are a variety of restaurants, craft markets, international boutiques, and restaurants serving international cuisines, and games/activities for the family. It's a lovely place to spend a few hours and we strolled along the indoor/outdoor pathways, which were covered with small bricks laid in a cobblestone pattern which gave it a very charming atmosphere. Archways led from one section to the next section and umbrellas suspended overhead gave the area a sense of grace and elegance.

We managed to contribute to the local economy, both with some gifts and some items for ME!! Yay! Once we had explored the mall and finished our shopping we boarded the shuttle and returned to the ship.  It was nice to go outside for awhile but it was even NICER to return to our suite on the ship and enjoy the fabulous air conditioning!!!  It is very hot outside and extremely humid after the hurricane.  Tomorrow we will take a tour, so we will be exploring a bit of the countryside.  Now, I can sit back, relax and read a book.  Life continues to be good!!

Mauritius - Day 2:

We had a very surprising, interesting and fun day.  Our tour today was a visit to the Le Caudan mall (which we did yesterday), an antique house, an old fort to take in a view of the city, and the botanical gardens.  I wasn't looking forward to the mall and Bob wasn't looking forward to the gardens!  Still, we wanted to get off the ship so we decided to go on tour.  

We boarded the bus and headed for the Eureka Colonial House.  This antique home was built in the 19th century and is one of the oldest colonial homes on the island.  It was built in 1830 and was originally owned by the British and French aristocrats in the 19th century.  It is reported to be one of the largest houses on the island, and boasts 109 doors and windows.  We were fortunate to get a guided tour of the house and see the authentic antique furniture and photos of the period which provided an interesting glimpse into colonial living.  

 

The museum has separate areas which are dedicated to music, art and antique maps.  Thee are also Chinese and Indian house wares and quirky contraptions like a colonial-era shower.  It also had a magnificent garden surrounded by the waterfalls of the Moka River.  After we explored the house and walked through the peaceful garden, we were treated to a relaxing time on the terrace with refreshments and local snacks prepared by the local staff in the antique colonial kitchen.  

After a lovely time at this stunning home we boarded our mini-van and drove to the Le Caudan shopping mall.  We were not excited about this stop since we spent the afternoon yesterday shopping there yesterday.  It seemed that our entire tour group was not very excited about more mall time so everyone voted to limit our time there to 20 minutes!!!  Not too bad, so off the group went to take a last opportunity to buy gifts from this magnificent island.

Once our shopping time was over we made a visit to the Citadel Fort built in the 19th century by Colonel Cunningham.  The fort was built with the aim of protecting the port from a possible invasion but also to tame any possible revolt of the local population.  The fort is perched at 240 feet above sea level, and is famous for its 360-degree view of the capital city and the Indian Ocean.  We had time to enjoy the magnificent view, take photos and soak in the beauty of this island. After our brief stop here, it was time to board our van and continue our tour

Our last stop of the day was at the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden. Now, although I thoroughly enjoy flowers and gardens, Bob is extremely bored in this type of environment!  I was hesitant to take this tour because of the high heat and humidity we are experiencing today and Bob was dreading the hour of "tip toeing through the tulips" (well, actually, flowers, trees, and bushes)." However, we finally decided to go ahead and take the tour.  

After a short drive out of the city we arrived at the gardens.  We were waiting at the entrance while our guide bought our admission tickets. All of a sudden a nice, comfortable cart drove up and our Silversea escort asked Bob and I if we would like to tour the gardens on the cart for an extra charge!!!  My pride quickly went into high gear and I told her that I could probably make the walk!  What a joke! Who was I kidding!!!  My little walker and I couldn't make it more than a half-mile in this weather!  Bob was much more realistic and quickly said that it was a good idea and we would love to take the cart.  So, while the rest of the group walked independently through the gardens, Bob and I toured the entire 37 acre park with a driver who supplied us with a full narration while we remained very comfortable, as we rode.

The grounds were initially opened as a private garden by the French governor nearly 300 years ago.  Later, the site became the National Botanic Gardens of Mauritius.  The gardens were created by French naturalist Pierre Poivre in 1767, and now houses more than 650 varieties of plants.  One of my very favorite displays was the famous Victoria era giant water lilies.  There were dozens of medicinal plants and a very large  spice garden and as we meandered through the garden our driver would stop and collect leaves for us to examine and smell so we could attempt to identify them.  If we couldn't guess their name, she would then tell us.  It was quite fun.  

As we made our way through the gardens we saw 85 different varieties of palm trees brought from all corners of the world.  The garden is also home to many other indigenous species of plants.  The combination of the spectacular natural landscape and carefully arranged displays created a magnificent landscape and we were quite happy that we decided to visit the gardens.  

When our tour was over and we arrived back at the entrance, we found the rest of our group who had spent the last hour walking through part of the gardens.  They were totally exhausted, overheated and sweating profusely.  They looked at us with envious expressions that appeared to say that they wish they would have joined us on the cart!!  I'm so glad that Bob convinced me not to let my pride stop me from using the cart!  

Once everyone was back at the entrance again we walked to the bus and returned to the ship.  Our tour today turned out to the a delightful, and surprising, adventure.  Both of us thoroughly enjoyed the sites we visited.  Now, our Captain will be adjusting our course, once again, to avoid the next cyclone, Honde, which is also in the Indian Ocean.  We will be sailing to South Africa, but will need to miss our stop in Richard's Bay and head straight to Durban.  The two cyclones have played with our planned ports a bit but our Captain has successfully adjusted our course and kept us safe and out of dangerous waters.  Bob and I are fortunate that we have previously visited the ports we had to avoid on this cruise. 

Now, we will proceed to Durban, South Africa, which will take us approximately 3-1/2 days to reach.  Thankfully, the weather is good outside so we can spend lots of time on the outside decks and enjoy the various activities on our beautiful ship.  We will check in again when we reach Durban.