Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Around
The main transport hub for east Mauritius is the inland town of Centre de Flacq. You'll
have to change here if you're arriving by bus from Port Louis, the Central Plateau towns
or Mahébourg in the south. There are onward connections from Centre de Flacq to vil-
lages along the east coast, although some services are pretty infrequent. You can bank on
bus transport from Centre de Flacq to Palmar and Poste Lafayette (with continuing service
to Rivière du Rempart) but there are no buses to Belle Mare. Figure on at least Rs 500 for
a taxi between the coastal towns and Centre de Flacq.
Most hotels and guesthouses have bikes for rent. Otherwise, you can rent bikes from
any of the travel agencies in Trou d'Eau Douce. Car rentals can easily be arranged
through your accommodation.
SCENIC DRIVE: THE HEART OF THE ISLAND
The divide between coastal Mauritius and the island's interior can be stark, but the small scale of everything here
means that it's easy enough to experience both on a rather short drive.
Begin anywhere in the east and make your way to the regional centre of
Riviere de Rempart
. From there,
head southwest, passing through small towns (some barely discernible) such as
Belle Vue Maurel
and
Barlow
;
the signage can be a little confusing, but until you pass Barlow, follow the signs to Port Louis along the B21.
After Barlow, the views open up with some decent views of the inland mountain where you're headed. At the
crossroads around 11km after leaving Riviere de Rempart, turn left towards 'La Nicolière'. A lovely honour
guard of trees arcs over you for around 2km, whereupon you take the right-turn, again following the signs for
La
Nicolière
.
The traffic thins as you pass through more sugar-cane fields (no Ashok Leyland buses at last!), before crossing
the dam wall. After the wall, the road climbs alternating between lovely thick forest and some fine views out over
the coastal plains to the east. After around 4.5km of climbing, the road crosses a plateau haired with agriculture.
At the T-junction (look for the 'Selazi Forest Service' sign). Around 2km further on, turn left at the T-junction,
following signs for St-Pierre. You're largely back in civilisation with all the attendant construction, sugar cane
and traffic, but it's worth it for the views away to the west from
Ripailles
and its approach -
Calebasses
(632m),
Pieter Both
,
Grand Peak
and
Le Pouce
are all stunning.
From Ripailles it's downhill all the way - literally. In St-Pierre, you could turn left (east) and return to the east
of the island via Quartier Militaire. Another alternative is to pause in Moka to visit the tranquil tropical mansion
of Eureka (
Click here
).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Trou d'Eau Douce
POP 5478
