MAURITIUS
“
It
’ ll take you a day to drive around Mauritius along the coastal roads,” says our driver Vishal Beekun on our hour-long drive from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in the south east of the island to
Sun Resorts’ Sugar Beach Golf and Spa Resort in the west. Since the sun has already submerged itself into the Indian Ocean, the mountains outline the jagged landscape that’ s so characteristic of this volcanic island. Soon after arriving, I realise that Mauritians have a laid back sense of humour that island life is known for; they have nicknamed some of the most prominent mountains according to their size or shape: God greets us, Lion enthralls us, we leave Sleeping Lady to be, and King Kong’ s profile is unmistakeably similar to the film poster.
It’ s over Green Island rum-based cocktails on the wooden beach deck that Viren Govinda Chetty – a former
lecturer of economics at the University of Mauritius and now resort manager at Sugar Beach – narrates the story of the island’ s most famous mountain, Le Morne Brabant. This UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site is written into the country’ s timeline.
The oral history goes something like this: Escaped slaves( mostly from India, Madagascar, Africa and southeast Asia) used the rugged mountain as a shelter in the 18th and 19th centuries. They settled in caves and on the summit, which were protected by wooded cliffs and hard to access. Today, it remains a symbol of their plight for freedom.
Over a buffet breakfast the following morning, overlooking the pool and with views of the waves beyond, Sugar Beach GM Nicolas de Chalain, whose family has for generations owned the land where Le Morne dives into the
Travel Update | issue 9
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