Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A TOUR OF THE CENTRAL PLATEAU
The area southeast of, and inland from Port Louis can seem like one great connurbation, and in a sense it is.
While most travellers pass right on by en route between the coasts, there are enough sights to warrant a day or
half-day excursion by taxi - we suggest you don't drive yourself or you'll waste valuable time trying to find each
place. In addition to the following, consider adding the highlights of Moka, Pailles and Curepipe to your tour.
The town of Rose Hill (pronounced row-zeel by locals), wedged between Beau Bassin and Quatre Bornes in
the heart of the Central Plateau's urban sprawl, is virtually a suburb of Port Louis. Here, architecture buffs will
appreciate the unusual Creole structure housing the Municipality of Beau Bassin-Rose Hill OFFLINE MAP (St
Jean Rd) . The building was constructed in 1933 as a municipal theatre. The attractive Creole manse next door -
Maison Le Carne OFFLINE MAP (St Jean Rd) - houses the Mauritius Research Council.
Another satellite of Port Louis, Quatre Bornes OFFLINE MAP has little to detain you, other than on
Thursdays and Sundays when scores of locals flock to the city to rummage through stall upon stall at the bustling
produce and textile market ; there's also a popular vegie market on Saturdays.
In Phoenix , the Mauritius Glass Gallery OFFLINE MAP ( 696 3360; mgg@pbg.mu; Pont Fer, Phoenix;
admission Rs 50; 8am-5pm Mon-Sat) produces unusual souvenirs made from recycled glass. You can see
them being made using traditional methods in the workshop, which also doubles as a small museum.
The neighbouring town of Vacoas is home to the oldest golf course in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius
Gymkhana Club OFFLINE MAP ( 696 1404; www.mgc.intnet.mu ; Suffolk Close, Vacoas) . It's the fourth-
oldest fairway in the world (the three older courses are in Britain and India).
Another possibility is Floréal, the 'Beverly Hills' of Mauritius and a rather posh suburb northwest of Curepipe.
The area has become synonymous with the high-quality knitwear produced by the Floreal Knitwear company. Fill
your suitcase with clothes at Floréal Square OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (
698 8011; Swami Sivananda
Ave; 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm Sat) on the main road from Curepipe.
If you're in the neighbourhood, we highly recommend seeking out La Clef des Champs OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP ( 686 3458; www.laclefdeschamps.mu ; Queen Mary Ave; set menu per person from Rs 1200;
noon-2pm & 7-11pm Mon-Fri) , the table d'hôte - and pet project - of Jacqueline Dalais, chef to the stars.
Known for her impressive library of self-created recipes, Jacqueline has earned quite the reputation on the island
for her unparalleled cuisine - she is regularly called upon to cater government functions, especially when foreign
dignitaries are in town. Dishes served in her quaint dining room lean towards Provençal flavours; the presentation
is exquisite.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Curepipe
POP 76,304
Effectively Mauritius' second city, Curepipe is a bustling highland commercial centre
famous for its rainy weather, volcanic crater and retail shopping. Its strange name re-
putedly stems from the malaria epidemic of 1867 when people fleeing from lowland Port
Louis would 'cure' their pipes of malarial bacteria by smoking them here (although it's
more likely that the area was named after a fondly remembered town in France).
 
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