After five nights in Dubai my sister and I took another six hour plane ride to Mauritius. Again our flight landed in the evening so even though we didn’t have to cope with the time difference between Dubai and Mauritius we were still shattered after a six hour flight and then an hour and a half drive to our hotel from the airport.
I was shocked when I found that that in June and July it’s winter in Mauritius. I wouldn’t have guessed because the temperatures still reached the high twenties/early thirties, we had no rain while we were there, and we spent more time than not on the beach, but after the intense heat of Dubai the winter heat of Mauritius was a nice change.
Of course like Dubai Mauritius offered a lot more to explore than just what our hotel offered. One of the days we were in Mauritius we hired a car through our travel agency and were taken all over the island. We saw the volcanic crater Mauritius is famous for and went to La Vanille Nature Park to see the giant tortoises and crocodiles. We got to stroke and feed the tortoises, and even made it time to see one of the crocodile feedings (we didn’t get to stroke the crocodiles, but after seeing them feeding I wouldn’t have wanted to get that close). We saw the Seven Coloured Earths, the Black River and Alexandra Falls. It was a long day, but we got to see so much of island in that day.
On our last day we went on a boat trip, and it ended up being my favourite part of the holiday (in Mauritius at least). We stopped off for snorkelling, had barbeque on board for lunch and ended up at Ile aux Cerfs, which is the largest lagoon in Mauritius and the image you will see pretty much on all the postcards. It was gorgeous, and basically a perfect way to end the holiday as well.
Advice (a.k.a. learn from my mistakes)
- Tailor your own excursions…While our travel agency offered a lot of excursions the best way to make the most of the day is to do what me and my sister did and rent a car. Our driver was incredible; he took us all over, showed us everything we wanted to see plus much more, and it was just me and my sister rather than a busload of other tourists along for the ride.
- Research what part of the island you want to stay in…Mauritius doesn’t look like a large island, not if you look on Google maps or if you look at the measurements, but it’s bigger than it seems. If all the attractions you want to visit are in the South then try and find somewhere on that side of Mauritius to stay.
People keep asking me which holiday I preferred; Dubai or Mauritius, but it’s impossible to choose between them. Dubai is a lot more commercial, despite the time me and my sister spent by the pool or on the beach it felt like more of a city break than anything else. Mauritius was much more relaxing, and it’s beauty was more natural. It was the perfect relaxing way to end our trip before flying home.
Such gorgeous photos Beth! And the tortoises ahhhh (I love tortoises/turtles)!
Glad you had such a lovely vacation! And two such different places to experience 😀
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Thanks so much! 🙂 Yeah they were definitely the highlight of the trip, so adorable.
Thanks, they were both amazing places just in very different ways.
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Omg Mauritius looks beautiful and so relaxing! If that is winter, I would love to go in the spring! But wow that is definitely on my radar. It’s a beautiful island and must be so relaxing to read in! Great post!
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It was incredible over there, and yeah I know what to mean but I feel like going in spring would be a little too hot for me (the weather we had in their winter was perfect).
Yep, and that’s why I managed to get a lot of reading done this holiday! Thanks so much. 😀
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I mean the twenties and thirties seem like it’s perfect (if you’re talking about Celsius idk) but I’m used to 80-90 degree weather from Miami so I feel I can handle it XD
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Yes I think I am talking Celsius. I’m used to like 15/20 degrees being from England so anything else would be way too much for me. 🙂
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Yea I understand. A lot of people can’t stand the Miami heat but I grew up here and I kinda got used to it.
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See in practise I’d love the Miami heat too, but I know it would be too much for me before too long. 🙂
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Oh I totally get you. But it is nice for a couple of days not the whole time. I recommend going in spring or fall even though the seasons don’t really matter here XD But summer is the absolute worse.
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Yeah I’d say Iearnt that lesson the hard way with some of the places I’ve been. I’m too used to the miserable English weather to be able to cope with too hot temperatures now! 😀
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I don’t know how I can cope with the England weather XD. I’m so used to the Miami heat. Then again I visited Montreal in Canada and I got used to the cold weather and actually grew fond of it.
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It’s all about what you get used to right? Like I can handle England cold but I could handle Romania cold when I visited there in January. 🙂 Then again if you’re anywhere long enough you’ll get used to it eventually.
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That’s true. I was in Montreal for two weeks so after a while I got used to it. But how long will it take? It usually depends on the person.
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I feel like for me it would be two weeks as well. I’ve never really been in a really hot place that long so I can’t say for sure though.
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These photos are stunning, Beth ❤️
I’m so happy you had a lovely time in Mauritius, the island is so beautiful! I hope you had a really good time, but it really looks like you did.
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Thanks so much Michelle! 🙂 ❤️ Yeah it’s beyond gorgeous, honestly the photos don’t fully do it justice. Also probably one of the best holidays I’ve ever had, so safe to say I had as good a time as I look like I had! 😀
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Hello Beth 🙂
These look like beautiful photos! It sounds like you’ve had an amazing time in Mauritius! I am surprised to hear that it is winter there (even though it looks so summery in the photos, but I guess it is all relative haha 🙂 ) Thank you for sharing about your vacation ❤
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Thanks so much Sophie! 🙂 Oh definitely an amazing time, and yeah you can understand why I was so surprised right?! If I hadn’t been told I would have never believed it was winter over there but you’re right it is all relative.
That’s all right, I’m glad you enjoyed this post. 🙂 ❤
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The beaches, the clean water, the bright greens… everything looks so tropically gorgeous in Mauritius, the fact that it’s winter there definitely surprised me 😊 For a second, since the picture of you petting the tortoise was next to the picture of the crocodiles, I thought you had pet the crocodiles as well… 😣 Would you have, though, if you were given the option?
Great post, Beth! I enjoyed reading about your travel to Mauritius!
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Yeah it was so beautiful, it’s one of those places where when you see photos you think they’re edited because nothing can be that gorgeous in real life but then when you’re there you realise no, it actually is that beautiful in real life. I wish we had winters like that here in England, and no I don’t think I would have pet the crocodiles, even if it was an option. We saw them feeding and after that I had no desire to get anywhere near them! 😀
Thanks so much. 🙂 ❤
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Everything looks so beautiful! I wish I will have to occasion to go there and see everything myself in the future
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It was even ore beautiful in person, and yeah if you get a chance to go jump on it. The pictures honestly don’t do it justice. 😀
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Oh your photos are gorgeous Beth! 😀 I love that phrase “winter heat” I wish we had winter heat here haha! Can you imagine 25 degree winters? Yes please! It sounds like you had a lovely time! I agree with you on the personal car, we had one when we went to Cuba earlier this year and we got to see more than what we would have seen otherwise!
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Thanks so much Meghan, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much I would love 25 degree winters. Anything is better than the winters we get here in England (and I imagine where you are too).
Yeah you get to see so much more don’t you? The driver we had took us further than we’d originally planned and we just got so much out of the day it was insane! 🙂
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You’re welcome Beth! 🙂 Haha, yes it can get very chilly here in the winter!
Yes, and you learn about how the people actually live. The guy who was giving us a tour literally brought us to his home, it was quite the tour!
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Oh wow I can imagine that was quite a tour. Granted we didn’t get to see where our driver lived but we learnt so much about the country, more than any other place I’ve been to I think. 😀
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I saw those turtles too.. I was afraid to go close to them which is utterly rediculous because half an hour later I was holding a lion’s tale! Mauritius was my honeymoon destination 10 years ago and the most amazing experience!
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Oh wow see I’d be too afraid to get too close to the lion (I loved seeing the crocodiles at the same park but you wouldn’t have been able to pay me to get any closer to them!) I think Mauritius is a popular honeymoon place, and I can see why because it’s gorgeous over there! 🙂
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Beautiful pictures – I’m so jealous!
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Thanks so much. 🙂
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Oh, it looks gorgeous! That’s definitely going on my travel list! The giant tortoise look amazing!
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It’s beautiful, honestly the pictures don’t do it justice, and the tortoises were amazing. I think seeing them was my favourite part of the trip. 🙂
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Ahh Mauritius looks gorgeous, and the colder weather must’ve been a perfect relief from Dubai’s heat 🙂
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It really was. The winter weather they have in Mauritius is pretty much what I’m used to for summer in England, so it was perfect. 😀
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