Mauritius: More than a Beach Vacay in Paradise
Filmmaker and travel-crazy creative, Kyle Judd Smith, invites us to get cast away with him on one of his (and many, many others) favourite islands; Mauritius. What brought Kyle to this sparkling picture of paradise, you ask? Friends and work are the answer. Two different trips garnering a totally unique and illuminated view of Mauritius and all that it has to offer. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to dive in. Shall we?
ABOVE: Sunset on Tamarin Beach
Why Mauritius?
I’ve visited the beautiful island nation of Mauritius twice; the first trip was to visit friends in the July of 2022, and the second was in January of this year for work. So I’d say I’ve been blessed with a pretty well-rounded view of this slice of paradise!
Last year I had planned a 5-week trip around Europe, and my friend from Japan, whose family had recently moved to Mauritius, said we should all meet up on the island for a reunion. So, after a long Eurotrip, I decided to extend my trip for 10 days on my way back to South Africa. I got to hang out with my pal from Japan and another from Dubai, both of whom I hadn’t seen since 2018. I mean, why the heck not?! Friends AND paradise? What a treat.
The second time was for some editing work. Towards the end of 2022, I was filming a Vervet monkey TV series, and my boss invited me to edit the series in Mauritius for a month. She didn’t have to ask me twice! Again, why the heck not?! I’d be crazy to say no… Right? I embarked on this work trip alone but was joined by my girlfriend who got to experience the joy of this place for 10 days with me.
M is for Memory Making in Mauritius
A core memory for me would be the sunsets on the beach. Almost every day – if the weather permits – the beaches of Mauritius become a vibrant, social gathering spot for those wanting to watch the sunset. Whether you’re alone, with friends, or with family, for me it’s one of the calmest and most beautiful things to do at the end of your day. Take a walk past a local shop, grab a Phoenix beer and a snack, and watch the surreal skies of the island turn from blood orange to pink, to purple, until finally, the sun disappears behind the ocean.
LEFT TO RIGHT: A macaque monkey on the Le Puse mountain; A hidden waterfall to freshen up after the long hike; A picture with Yassir, our friendly mountain guide.
What to do with all this clear blue?
Hands down the favourite thing I did on the island was hiking up the Le Puce mountain – the third highest mountain in Mauritius! We had an incredible guide (Facebook: Yassir Greenhike) who led us up the mountain and ensured we were having a great time. We even saw some cheeky Macaque monkeys during the climb who are not afraid to try to steal your mid-hike snacks, so keep an eye out for them! But other than that, it was incredible. From the top of the mountain, there is a beautiful view of Port Louis and the ocean on one side, and the vast landscapes of the rest of the island on the other. To top it all off, our tour guide even took us to a secret little waterfall where we could cool off (and even jump off).
Although slightly common amongst tourists, the catamaran boat rides were also a highlight for me. On the 6-hour trip, you get a unique tour that showcases the landscapes of the island from a different perspective; if you’re lucky you get to see a pod of dolphins swimming past you; you drop anchor for an hour to snorkel amongst the colourful corals, and most importantly – you get served a delicious fresh fish lunch with veg, rice, and sauce, that is braaied (cooked) on the boat by the captain himself. After lunch, we also stopped on a smaller island to walk off our meal, visit the small markets, and take some photos – all while sipping on a piña colada served in a coconut from a floating vendor. As you head back to the docks you listen to music, have a dance, and chat with the other passengers about life! It was a unique experience that I would recommend!
ABOVE: A lady selling spices and all things tasty at the Port Louis fruit and vegetable market
Sun-baked, relaxed and ready to snack
My favourite snacks were definitely the local Indian snacks from the vendors found along the beachfront. My personal favourite was the dough balls that I found in Grand Baie (but unfortunately didn’t get the name for them). They were delicious little fried dough balls with vegetable curry inside, mixed in a small plastic bag with sauce. And they were about 4 rupees too, which is cheap! I also had some Dhal Puri, which is a famous dish on the island, and I tasted an octopus with garlic sauce which was amazing. The Pani Puri was a classic too – some veg and sauce in a crispy cup – and we grabbed some while wandering the streets of Port Louis. The chilli bites were also tasty and affordable.
During our visit to Port Louis, I also visited the largest fresh fruit and veg market on the island, and this was one of my favourite places too. There are hundreds of vendors selling fruit, vegetables, and spices, and everything looks so well presented. Each vendor tries to catch your eye, and the one who caught me was a guy who cut a fresh mango for me to taste, and I was instantly sold. The Mauritian mangoes are much smaller than a regular mango, but they are much tastier and sweeter. After grabbing a couple of those and some other vegetables, I bought some fresh curry spices from a friendly lady who shared her recipe with me.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Views from the boat, a rainbow appears in a small raincloud; a floating cocktail bar on a small island; a selfie from the boat; a freshly cooked fish lunch on the catamaran
A place to rest your head… Besides the soft, white sands of paradise?
I stayed in Tamarin, which is on the South-Western side of the island, and I would highly recommend it. It doesn’t have as many tourists as Grand Baie and boasts a very welcoming community around the area. I hired a bike from Betty’s Bikes for one week, and easily cycled my way around the town from the shops to the beaches to the restaurants – all of which surround the famous Salt pans, an iconic historical landmark of the island.
I also stayed in the northern part of the island – Grand Baie – which is also the busiest and most visited area of the island. This collection of small bays and beaches is situated along the main street of the town and is filled with bustling restaurants, hotels, bars, and shops that are all looking to attract tourists. What caught me the most was the chicken and beef fried noodles from the vendors on the beach because their portion sizes can fill you up for the day! If you’re not spending all day on one of the many beaches, another great activity was visiting the Grand Baie Bazaar/market, a cool little shop to buy some clothes, cheap shoes, and other souvenirs for friends or family. During the night, a vibrant place to start is at the Banana Beach Club, a cool little bar/restaurant that boasts live music, cocktails, and a cool outdoor palm tree area to socialize or dance. If you’re feeling up to it, the Insomnia Night Club is a great place to move on to if the drinks have kicked in and you’re looking to groove!
ABOVE: The salt pans of Tamarin during sunset
Local is lekker, or whatever we’d say when in Mauritius
The locals seemed very friendly, but also seemed to go about their own business. I didn’t really notice too many foreigners (other than myself) around Tamarin except for the local restaurants where I’d hear a flurry of accents from around the world – all of who I would assume also came for the wine, pizza, or butter chicken curries. I did, of course, notice a lot of South Africans around Tamarin, and one of the ways that they stood out was the Ford rangers and big bakkies on the road – a classic South African toy.
My next trip to Mauritius?
I would like to explore the island more on my next visit as I feel I have seen a fair amount of Tamarin and Grand Baie, but in the same breath, I loved those spots because they have so much to offer.
LEFT: The Banana Beach Club at night RIGHT: Outside the Grand Bizarre market in Grand Baie
Finding home in the culture & history
One thing I found fascinating was the cultural blend of the island, and specifically the influence that the Indian people have made. During the transportation of the indentured labourers in the 1860s, many boats stopped in Mauritius before coming through to South Africa, and naturally, many Indians stayed on the island. Since then, their arrival has shaped the culture and energy of the entire country. I visited the Aapravasi Ghat Museum in Port Louis and was interested in the similarities between the Mauritian and South African cultural histories. This Indian culture, combined with Chinese and French culture, truly has made Mauritius a unique place to visit.
ABOVE: Exploring the Aapravasi Ghat museum in Port Louis
