Think of endless white sand beaches and about a hundred shades of blue in the ocean. Add miles of lush sugarcane plantations, abundant birdlife and scenic mountains. Garnish with a fascinating potpourri of cultures, colourful traditions and festivals, and you have Mauritius. Long ignored in favour of Maui or Martinique, Mauritius has come into its own as a tropical island paradise in the popular imagination, a reputation it thoroughly deserves.

Less African than Indian, French or British, Mauritius has an interesting history of ethnic immigration that offers to the traveler a microcosm of world cultures in addition to its amazing natural beauty.