Mauritius overview
Mauritius, known for its exceptional service and accommodation lies in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean beneath the Tropic of Capricorn, about 3,000km off the east coast of Africa. Discovered in 1505 by a Portuguese navigator,
the island was occupied successively by the Dutch and the French, then ceded to Great Britain in 1814 before gaining independence in 1969.
Today the one million plus population consists of Hindus, Muslims, Chinese, Creoles and Europeans and it is this integrated, exotic pot-pourri of languages, customs, cultures and cuisine which makes Mauritius so vibrant and appealing. The 330km of coastline is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs, while its white sand beaches are lapped by amazingly crystal-clear blue waters.