The Republic of Mauritius, the only known home of the dodo (an extinct bird), is an island nation off the coast of Africa. St. Brandon, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands are the main islands that comprise Mauritius, which is located in the southwest Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar.
With white sandy beaches like Pereybere and lush vegetation at the Labourdonnais Orchards, Mauritius is nothing short of a tropical paradise. Inhabitants of Mauritius, which is part of the Mascarene Islands, take pride in their abundance of sports offered on and off the clear warm waters. Grand Baie, La Cuvette and Cap Malheureux are among the popular neighborhoods where tourists can go parasailing, windsurfing and waterskiing, or explore the tropical marine life in a submarine. Or test your backswing at major golf courses in towns like Vacoas, which houses the Mauritius Gymkhana Golf Club, the oldest golf club in the Southern Hemisphere.
To explore the island’s landmarks by foot, tourists can hike through the villages like Triolet Shivala to historic destinations like the Balaclava Ruins or the natural sites like the Moka mountains which are home to much of the island’s diverse flora.