We had always dreamed of visiting Mauritius, the island paradise in the Indian Ocean. We had seen pictures of its white sand beaches, turquoise blue water, coral reefs, mountains, peaks, and rich flora and fauna. We decided to make our dream come true and booked a flight to this amazing destination.
We arrived in Mauritius after a long 12h flight and checked into our hotel. We were amazed by the view from our room. We could see the ocean sparkling in the sun, the palm trees swaying in the breeze, and the colorful flowers blooming in the garden. We felt like we were in heaven!
We wanted to explore the island as much as possible, so we rented a car and drove around. We were impressed by the diversity of the landscape and the culture. We saw sugar cane fields, tea plantations, Hindu temples, French colonial buildings, and Creole villages. We also tasted some of the local delicacies, such as dholl puri, gateau piment, and rum.
One of the highlights of our trip was diving to see a shipwreck. We joined a diving tour to see a ship which was lying on the seabed at a depth of about 25 meters. We also saw many fish and corals around it. It was an amazing experience.
Another highlight was flying a plane to see the underwater waterfalls. We had heard about this phenomenon, which is actually an optical illusion caused by the movement of sand and silt deposits. We booked a scenic flight and took off from the airport. The pilot flew us over the southwest coast of the island, where we could see the stunning sight of the waterfalls. They looked like giant streams of water plunging into the depths of the ocean. We were mesmerized by the beauty of nature.
We also wanted to visit some of the smaller islands around Mauritius, so we took a boat trip to the Five Islands. These are five uninhabited islets that are part of a nature reserve. They are named after birds that live there: Ile aux Aigrettes, Ile aux Flamants, Ile aux Oiseaux, Ile aux Fouquets, and Ile aux Phare. We enjoyed snorkeling in the clear water and seeing the marine life. We also saw some rare plants and animals on land, such as ebony trees, pink pigeons, and giant tortoises.
We had a wonderful time in Mauritius. It was one of the best trips we ever had. We felt relaxed, refreshed, and happy. We will never forget this island paradise!!