Travel: Cooking to hiking, explore Mauritius beyond its beaches

I walk away from the immigration counter, staring at the stamp on my passport—the teensiest dodo stares at me, seeming to welcome me to Mauritius. The island country in the Indian Ocean, about 2,000km off the south-eastern coast of Africa, is known for its serene beaches and tranquil lagoons, but I’m looking for a beyond-the-beach experience.

“The Dutch claimed the island in 1598 and named it for the stadhouder (governor), Maurice of Nassau. They had their eye on the rich ebony forests and aimed to develop sugar and arrack production using cane plant cuttings imported from Java,” the driver Ravi says, on the way to the resort. By 1710, the Dutch, who “ate all the dodos into extinction”, abandoned the island. France took control of “Isle de France” in 1715, bringing in African slaves for sugarcane production. Almost 100 years later, France ceded Mauritius and its dependencies to the UK. The island became the British empire’s main sugar-producing colony, and it remained that until independence in 1968.

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Today, the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, along with nearby Réunion, comprise the Mascarene Islands. The shared history has led to a mix of ethnicities: Indian, African, French, Creole and Chinese. The ethnic diversity of Mauritius finds expression in its food and drink: it is typical to have croissants for breakfast, Indian dholl puri (a flatbread stuffed with lightly spiced yellow split peas) for lunch, and Chinese-inspired bol renversé (an “upside down bowl” with rice, chicken, and vegetables, topped with a fried egg) for dinner. “The location means seafood is an integral part of every Mauritian menu. That translates into grilled smoked octopus salad, fish ceviche and vindaye, a deep-fried fish flavoured with ginger, chillies, turmeric and mustard seeds. Rice is the carb of choice, and is served with curries, many of which use Indian spices and techniques,” says Olivier Barré, executive chef at Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita.

At Chamarel, a village in the Rivière Noire district, is La Rhumerie de Chamarel, one of the few distilleries that cultivates its own sugarcane. “Unlike traditional rum produced from molasses, we make agricultural rum by distilling pure cane juice, with a unique aroma and a rich colour. The harvest, between July and December, is done by hand, after which the cane goes through processes like crushing, fermentation and distillation,” says the guide, as he showcases their wide range: white, golden, spiced, and aged rums along with liqueurs.

The high-quality sugarcane grown in Mauritius is the foundation of its incomparable rums. “Mauritian rum is crafted using both molasses and fresh sugarcane juice. Molasses-based rums, typically aged in oak barrels, have a fuller, more robust flavour profile. Fresh sugarcane juice rums, known as rhum agricole, have bright, grassy notes and a vibrant, fruity character,” says David Iyapah, head mixologist at the Four Seasons.

Not far away is Chamarel 7-Coloured Earth Geopark, one of the most popular attractions in Mauritius. A small area of strikingly bare landscape, the geological wonder showcases small dunes and rills in seven colours: red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow. The range of colours in the volcanic bedrock (basalt) are “due to weathering and formation of secondary iron oxides and hydroxides while the riling is a result of deforestation and sheet erosion,” according to a 2010 paper in Journal of African Earth Sciences. The park is a reminder of the fact that coral reef-ringed Mauritius is a volcanic island, formed by the eruption of volcanoes about nine million years ago.

IN THE CAPITAL

The next day is reserved for Port Louis, the bustling capital of Mauritius. The city was founded by the French in 1736 as a port for ships travelling around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, on the passage between Europe and Asia. Dominated by an old fortress, the Citadel, it has much to offer: the Le Caudan Waterfront; Kaylasson Temple, a rainbow of bright hues and intricate carvings; and the Natural History Museum, which features an exhibit on the dodo.

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At the Apravasi Ghat, I learn more about Mauritius’ strong Indian connection. Located on the bay of Trou Fanfaron, the immigration depot was built in 1849 as part of Britain’s “Great Experiment”. After the abolition of slavery in 1834, the colonial power wanted to showcase the superiority of free over slave labour in its plantation colonies. Indentured labourers from India, Eastern Africa, Madagascar, China and South-East Asia were brought in to work the island’s sugar estates. By the 1920s, almost half-a-million indentured labourers from India arrived at the Apravasi Ghat. “The place where indentured immigrants first arrived in Mauritius showcases our past. It’s the only kind of its monument in the world,” says Lakhan Sarma, the guide at the Unesco World Heritage site. The Great Experiment has given way to a present where “approximately two-thirds of the population is of Indo-Pakistani origin, all descendants of indentured immigrants” and “most speaking a version of Bhojpuri,” Sarma adds.

Nearby is Le Morne Cultural Landscape, a mountain and World Heritage Site that juts into the Indian Ocean and symbolises the slaves’ fight for freedom and their sacrifice. Runaway slaves sought sanctuary on the peninsula through the 18th and early 19th century in settlements protected by the wooded and inaccessible cliffs. 

FOOD FOR THE SOUL 

The next morning, I head to the Cotomili herb garden for a Creole cooking class. Under the chef’s watchful eye, I slice onions, tomatoes and chillies to make rougaille, a spicy Creole sauce. The chef tells me that Mauritians typically eat the sauce many ways: as a dip, to make wraps, or as a curry base (for prawns, chicken, sausages, eggs, or vegetables). Half-an-hour later, he serves a perfectly plated lunch: steamed rice topped with chicken-and-prawn curry, pickled chillies, and heart-of-palm salad. For dessert, there’s a variety of options, all starring the pineapple.

The day I am scheduled to leave, I enjoy a languid breakfast at Four Seasons Mauritius at Anahita. From my spot on the lounge chair, I see what everybody flies into Mauritius for: azure waters, golden sands, billowing clouds and blue skies. But there’s so much more to Mauritius, a melting pot of history, culture, nature and gastronomy. The dodo figurine on the coffee table seems to agree.

Teja Lele writes on travel and lifestyle.

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