After 24 days in Madagascar, Mauritius was our recovery stop! We share tips on navigating the island (driving on the left!), finding public beaches, the strange Seven Coloured Earth, and why we needed a break from needing a break. Oh, and watch out for the territorial fish jerks!
After an incredible 24 days in Madagascar, we flew back to Mauritius for a quick five-day stopover on our way to Southeast Asia. To be honest, this post won’t be a long one because Mauritius was less about adventure and more about recovery. After weeks of bumpy roads, early mornings, and lemur spotting, we desperately needed a break from needing a break.
Arriving in Mauritius
Our flight landed around 9 am, but we had been up since 3 am, so our brains weren’t exactly operating at full power. We picked up a rental car at the airport, which turned out to be a slightly sketchy process—think guy with a clipboard who eventually appears and walks you to a parking lot where cars are being handed out from the trunk of another car. Totally legit… I’m sure.
Driving in Mauritius reminded us that it used to be a British colony—hello left side of the road! Thankfully, Nic took the wheel while I tried not to panic on her behalf every time we approached a roundabout. The island is surprisingly easy to navigate, especially with offline maps, and it didn’t take long to feel comfortable—apart from the occasional local driving like Lewis Hamilton in a tiny hatchback.
Blue Bay and Beach Time
Since we couldn’t check into our hotel until the afternoon, we drove straight from the airport to Blue Bay in the southwest. It took us longer than it should have because someone—me—entered a closed nature reserve instead of the public beach into our maps app. Classic travel day user error. But once we found it, Blue Bay turned out to be a great place to ease into island life.
One thing to know about Mauritius: all beaches are public. Even the fancy resort beaches. You can walk onto them like you own the place—just don’t touch the sun loungers or you may attract the wrath of resort security. We threw on our snorkel masks and went straight in. Visibility was decent and there were lots of fish, but one particular little jerkfish kept aggressively defending his territory. He looked like he wanted to pick a fight. Not exactly Finding Nemo vibes.
Life in the North — Grand Baie
We based ourselves in Grand Baie in the north, about an hour’s drive from the airport. The plan was simple: stay somewhere comfortable, find food that didn’t come with rice and zebu (looking at you, Madagascar), and catch up on sleep. Mission accomplished. Grand Baie had lots of restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores. The fresh baguettes were a highlight—2 for a dollar and still warm. We basically lived on bread, cheese, cheap fruit, and the occasional McDonald’s run when I was feeling sorry for myself.
Exploring the Island
One day we hit the road to visit the south of the island. Black River Gorges National Park was a scenic stop with sweeping views over a lush green valley. There were monkeys hanging around the lookout point. Unlike the cute lemurs of Madagascar, these guys were professional food thieves with attitude. They bared their teeth more than once, which I took as my cue to admire them from a distance.
We also visited Chamarel’s Seven Coloured Earth—a patch of sand dunes naturally striped in shades of red, purple, brown, and blue thanks to volcanic minerals. It’s one of those unique geological oddities that you can stare at for a few minutes, take a photo, and then wonder what else is on the agenda.
Snorkelling Around the Island
We checked out a few more beaches: Trou aux Biches, Flic en Flac, and Pointe aux Piments. All were beautiful in their own way, but the snorkelling from shore wasn’t as amazing as we had hoped. There’s a natural reef that circles much of the island, so unless you join a boat tour to get out past it, you’re limited to smaller fish near shore—or more standoffs with territorial fish jerks.
Island Life and Roadside Snacks
One of the best things about having a car in Mauritius was being able to stop wherever we wanted. Roadside fruit stands are everywhere—pineapples, lychees, mangoes, coconuts, you name it. Some were cheap, some definitely “tourist priced.” I’ll let you guess which ones Nic gravitated toward. Let’s just say $6 worth of lychees made her very happy.
Final Thoughts
Mauritius wasn’t about pushing ourselves. It wasn’t a place where we hiked mountains, chased sunrise views, or filled our days with activity. And that was exactly what we needed—five days to slow down, swim, snack on fresh baguettes, and reconnect with simple travel pleasures. Mauritius is beautiful, safe, easy to explore, and full of little surprises. We didn’t experience everything it offers, but sometimes travel isn’t about doing it all. Sometimes it’s about giving yourself permission to breathe.
Would we go back? Absolutely—but next time with a better snorkel strategy and maybe a helicopter ride to see that underwater waterfall illusion. Or maybe we’ll just watch it on YouTube again and spend that money on more bread and cheese. Life is about priorities.
