A voyage of discovery – India Today

The word 'aqua' seems to take on a new meaning as I walk down one of the many broad avenues of Mauritius enjoying splendid views of the placid Indian Ocean. Synonymous with pictureperfect powdery beaches, lagoons, rugged reefs and tropical greenery, this archipelago has for long been looked at mainly as a great destination for a romantic sojourn. And rightly so! But it packs in quite a few other punches as I discovered during my sojourn to this beautiful island nation.

While theres a lot more that the guide promises, I want to tick off an experience thats for long been on my bucket list - a view of the world under water. Soon I am at the Blue Safari office where, after signing the necessary documents, I am led towards a ferry that takes our group of travellers a few kilometers towards the deep sea.

What appears to be a small raft is really the roof of the submarine, and soon I climb down a manhole-like opening and take my seat. And within minutes, we take off, 35 metres beneath to experience some of the mysterious depths of the Indian Ocean. It's fascinating to watch more than 50 shades of blue opening up. "The change of colour is often dictated by the hues of the sky and clouds above," says the submarine pilotcum-commentator. As several schools of fish glide by, he adds that the size of everything outside is actually about 30 per cent more than what it appears due to the thickness of the window glass.

Theres a real shipwreck too - of the Star Hope that sank in 1988. "It split into two after a cyclone hit the area," he adds as I watch colourful corals adding a picturesque touch to the ocean depths. "Youll always find fish hovering around corals because these are not just food but also a good hide-out for them."

ADVENTURE, AHOY!

Back on surface, Im ready for "a Superman-like flight", at the La Valle des Couleurs Nature Park famous not just for its stunning nature reserves but also for its zipline activities. Having opted for the 1.5 km long zipline the third longest in the world I am soon gliding over valleys, thick forests, winding roads and waterfalls. That the exhilarating ride lasted just 52 seconds, is my only regret as I take off my harness. But the memory of this experience, I'm certain, will remain etched in my mind for a long time to come.

But the adrenaline junkie in me isnt done yet - as I decide on a quad-bike experience that also promises an on-ground discovery of nature as one drives through muddy banks, crossing rivulets, rocky terrain, driving up and down thrilling steep trails.

But, of course, all this is not before the instructors here explain the functioning of the bike and ensure that you do a trial run to get the required confidence to manoeuvre and run it. Setting off, I sure take my time, stopping on the way to appreciate and applaud the beautiful rugged landscape and yes, the 23-hues of Mother Earth all a result of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.

ON THE WILD SIDE

Mauritius has an enviable mix of wildlife too but what sounds like music to my ears no snakes! "Theres not a single one here for whatever reason," says our friend Ankit. "So, one can walk around even in the dark here without a fear in the world." Visibly happy with this piece of information, I am ready for an encounter with the other species that the island opens up at the Casela World of Adventures.

With a big stick in hand, I stand facing Mambo when suddenly his handler Jean-Bruno asks whether Id like to sit next to him. Who wouldnt? Quiet as a mouse ("hes had a full meal so is content with the world), the beast sat as I petted him -- no, not the way you'd pet a dog but doing so with a firm hand (after all, I was being up close and personal with a lion. no less).

And it's not just a world of lions, cheetahs and caracals that this 250-acre park that seems straight out of the Jurassic Age offers. Casela is also home to over 1,050 species of birds and more than 200 animals "with most of them from South Africa," informs Jennifer Berthelot, a representative of the park, pointing towards a herd of big antelopes as we drive along its winding unmetalled roads.

Up ahead are the two white rhinos Ella and Benji oblivious to our presence quietly grazing on the long grass, a dazzle of zebras and even some ostrich eggs lying in the open. "The mom migh tbe around, keeping watch from a distance," says Berthelot as she takes us towards a tall wooden machaan-like platform for an eyeball-to-eyeball contact with giraffes who seem to be eagerly awaiting the goodies oats cereal pellets were carrying for them. And as they greedily eat ("after all, they have four stomachs and hence are forever hungry") straight out of my hand, I can't help but smile admiring their graceful spotted coats and lovely long lashes.

WORLD OF CROCS

Next we set out for a date with some aquatic predators at the La Vanille Crocodile Park where you even get the opportunity to hold a live one-year-old baby crocodile called Mika with its mouth tied up of course -- "just for safetys sake", its handlers tells me.

Created more than 30 years ago, La Vanille has been designed to look the way Mauritius must have been hundreds of years ago. As I stop to take in the rugged beauty of the Park, our guide says, "It's feeding time for the crocodiles." A spectacle worth watching for thats when the Nile crocodiles spring into action keenly watching the pieces of meat that, hung to the end of a rope, are dangled over their heads. While the smarter ones seem to make a grab for it, caregivers ensure that each one of the crocs is reasonably fed. Of course, while no ones allowed to venture anywhere close to these predators, whats allowed is feeding the resident Aldabra and Radiata giant tortoises. The words 'slow and steady' could hardly be used for these shelled creatures who, with their necks outstretched, take no time in gobbling up the leaves offered to them.

Innumerable pictures later, with the 100-year-old Domino who weighs 275 kg I also check out the insectarium set up by the Frenchman Jacques Siedlecki. It houses one of the largest collections of insects in the world.

A SLICE OF HISTORY

Your Mauritian vacation isnt complete without a visit to the Apravasi Ghat. Having been witness to an integral slice of the islands history, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 16 steps at the entrance hark back to the years between 1834 and 1910 when half a million indentured labourers from India, East Africa and Mozambique were brought in to work in sugar plantations after the abolition of slavery.

A hushed silence prevails recalling the anguish of the people who came here with dreams of a better life but were forced to live as labourers, all for a salary of Rs 5 for men and Rs 4 for women.

Their story continues at LAventure du Sucre museum earlier a sugar factory. It highlights the conditions of immigrants many of whom spent all their lives here. The final stop at this museum offers a taste of the local rum made of molasses and yes, the different kinds of unrefined sugar.

We raise a toast to the memory of those intrepid souls who went on to make Mauritius their home!

MUST VISIT IN MAURITIUS

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A voyage of discovery - India Today