CULTURAL TOURS

toursCULTURAL

Support the community by taking tours in the ancient capital Mahébourg, whose proud fi shing industry is celebrated in a colourful pirogue regatta each November

Mahébourg village food tour

Immerse yourself in communitybased experiences to delve deeper into the island’s ancestral origins. With a multi-cultural history, diverse religions and village artisans who still practice traditional crafts, Mauritius has plenty to offer the culturally curious

Learn to weave bamboo baskets at the foot of Pieter Both, try the African tradition of braiding the vacoas palm into products in Vieux Grand Port or sculpt diyas, small terracotta oil lamps for Divali, the Hindu festival of light, with cultural specialists, My Moris. Walk up UNESCO cultural landscape, Le Morne Brabant, listening to stories from their resident anthropologist. Visitors are invited to explore Port Louis to visit UNESCO-listed Aapravasi Ghat, where indentured Indian immigrants fi rst landed, and the Photography Museum with scenes of village life. Designed to help guests experience the ‘real Mauritius’, Attitude Hotels’ Otentik (authentic) experiences range from dinner at a staff member's home to learning to play a traditional musical instrument, and the Otentik Discovery app. ‘Deep Into Mauritius’ experiences at Veranda hotels include street food tours, cooking classes and meeting local artisans. Veranda Tamarin’s new Explorer Program features a street food tour with Taste Buddies, an exclusive interactive cooking class at Case Noyale and a local coffee roasting tour. Heritage Resorts guests can now meet local artisans such as Franceska Speville, who creates ecological plates from palm leaves. Shanti Moments at Shanti Maurice Resort & Spa include wood carving with local character, Pem to Creole lessons. New cultural immersive activities from adultonly eco-hotel, SALT of Palmar includes visiting food producers. Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort has new tailormade tours to Le Morne Brabant and Old Grand Port, on the UNWTO’s list of the world’s ‘Best Tourism Villages of 2021’. ‘The Route to Chocolate’ is a stroll through Mr Cangy’s cacao farm (July to December) while visiting Selva’s vanilla farm in St Julien offers an insight into the valuable ‘black gold’. Revamped LUX* Le Morne created Vik’s Place, a rustic shack named after a popular team member who invites guests on a fi shing trip by traditional pirogue, collecting sea urchins and octopus, savoured with sunset rum cocktails. An exclusive behind the scenes tour of the Patrick Mavros atelier with a Champagne high tea is a new collectable experience at the newlyopened LUX* Grand Baie Resort & Residences. Complimentary cultural tours for honeymooners at Beachcomber Resorts range from a ‘Bike tour around Mahébourg’ at Shandrani Beachcomber to ‘Exploring the Folklore of Port Louis’ by private chauffeured car at Mauricia Beachcomber.

Sailing in Maheborg A Taste Buddies tour

SPOTLIGHT ON MAHÉBOURG

A southeast islands sail by traditional pirogue with Mahébourg Eco Adventures, visits Île aux Aigrettes, with a BBQ on Île aux Phares (Lighthouse Island). A Mahébourg village food tour with Taste Buddies includes the town’s speciality, merveilles (marvels), a deep-fried cracker with sweet and sour sauce, while a circular electro-bike ride with Explore Nou Zil visits pirogue-maker pop. Book with local DMC's to tour the Lavoir, where local women washed French soldiers’ uniforms during the famous battle of Grand-Port.