Magical Mysterious Mauritius

Walking the waterfalls

So we spent near on four weeks in Mauritius, alright for some we hear you cry, well actually we won't lie it was alright for us, it was great to be able to explore a place rather than filling our time with prep, planning and training!

We stayed with a local family, some friends of Cho and Deborah from Toamasina, Madagascar, who made us feel so welcome at their stunning home on the west coast of the island in a little resort called Albion (quite apt for an English couple to being staying in Albion, the old roman name for England). They hosted us in a room on the ground floor which came complete with bathroom, bed (obviously) mosquito net (not that we saw any or had the worry of Malaria which is rife in Madagascar) and fan (much needed to keep the room cooler during the hot and humid nights).

Staying with our local friends

Our days were mainly made up of chilling at the beach, swimming and snorkeling in the lagoons which surround much of the island, protected from the Indian Ocean by the coral reefs which make for some amazing sightings of marine life, exploring either on the local public transport, taking trips out on boats or joining walking groups to enjoy the stunning interior of this volcanic formed idile.

Leadership for Life training

We did share the Leadership for Life programme with around 40 people from a local church which we ran in the evenings after people had finished work, these sessions went well and we are looking forward to hearing of the changed lives that we know will come as they start to implement the leadership principles that we shared with them. 

Maz snorkeling 

We had two amazing interpreters, Mauritius being an ex English and before that French colony has a Creole language, who were able to convey the essence of the training, it being based on repetition, activities and actions which help those attending remember the key principles in a fun and interactive way.

The Crystal Rock

I (Tim) shared a word at three different services on the three Sundays that we were there, starting at the main service then the English service and finally the youth service, I'm not sure if that was all a demotion or a promotion! We also went out with the youth team into one of the more challenging government housing estates, something like but then again nothing like the RDP housing projects that we are familiar with in South Africa.

The island really does live up to its billing of the Paradise Island, not only are the hotels and resorts set out amongst some of the most beautiful coastline in the world but the people are so friendly, multicultural and multifaith, there is very little crime, a stable government that looks out for it's people and a sense of optimism and well being that we haven't experienced in any other African (yes Mauritius is part of Africa even though it sits around 2000Kms off of the South East of the continent).

Some of our highlights were as follows:-

Sundrenched beaches

- Taking a catamaran trip out to a couple of the islands, one off the west coast called Ile aux Benitiers where we were able to visit the stunning Crystal Rock and one off the east coast called Ile aux Cerfs (Island of the deer) where we snorkeled in the clear aqua blue waters and saw hundreds of brightly coloured fish.

The view from Le Morne mountain before the rains came.

- Hiking up the remote Le Morne mountain which provided us with magnificent views over the southern part of the island.


- Visiting the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage site and learning about the Great Experiment which followed the abolition of slavery but which led to a new form of labour where half a million Indian indentured labourers passed through the Immigration Depot going onto work on the sugar plantations which still cover a large section of the island.

The remains of the first Dutch settlement

- Seeing the historic landing places of the Dutch, French and British as they each took control of what was originally an uninhabited island.

- Understanding man's negative impact on the wildlife of the island, especially the extinction of the Dodo.

Maz swimming in the fourth waterfall

- Joining a local walking group to take a half day hike into the valley of seven waterfalls, where we swam in the fourth one which was so refreshing.

Sunsets abound

- Taking the local public bus transport which allowed us to join the throngs as they made their way to and from work, or the market. We broke down twice!

- Watching the sunset over the Indian ocean knowing that Madagascar lay far beyond the horizon. 

Buying Ylang Ylang

- Buying Ylang Ylang from a local lady who produces her own essential oils which Maz was very excited with.

There is so much more to say but maybe we've said enough, other than the fact that we can't wait to hear the stories of lives transformed from our training and following up on further invites which should see us return to the island sometime in 2020.