Mauritius

Thought to be the last resting place of the dodo, this tiny coral outcrop, surrounded by a limpid sea, has giant Aldabra tortoises lumbering under an ebony canopy and pink pigeons living in the semi-wild. — The Telegraph

It's easy enough to get lost in the scenic beauty of Black River Gorges. — Afar Magazine

Make sure to stop at Bois Cheri, a working plantation and museum, to celebrate tea's history and to take in the gorgeous, fragrant scenery. — Afar Magazine

In an effort to protect the area's rich underwater forest of rare corals from encroaching development, the government has given Blue Bay 'marine park' status. — Lonely Planet

The National History Museum contains various objects, furniture and maps illustrating the colonial history of the island under successive Dutch, French and English rule. — Michelin Guide

Aapravasi Ghat (Immigration Depot), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is embedded deep in the collective memory of Mauritians. — Michelin Guide

An educational initiation into a natural environment in the process of reasserting itself. — Michelin Guide

Trou aux Cerfs, the crater of an extinct volcano overrun with thick shrubs and undergrowth, 180m wide at the base and 80m deep, evokes the stag hunts. — Michelin Guide

Pamplemousse botanical garden -as it is commonly known- is truly extraordinary. — Michelin Guide

Eurêka House, at the foot of Ory Mountain, is a superb example of 19C colonial architecture. — Michelin Guide

We can't recommend highly enough a visit to the Blue Penny Museum for its wonderful collections illustrating the history of Mauritius. — Michelin Guide

The “Thumb” of Mauritius provides a 360 degree view of the entire country.  — Atlas Obscura

Gaps in the coral reef expose the coastline to the ocean's fury as it pounds against the cliffs in a deafening roar. — Michelin Guide

Hidden from the road by a field of ancient mango treets, the Château de Labourdonnais stands at the end of a majestic driveway of Chinese Banyans (tropical trees in the Ficus microcarpa family). — Michelin Guide

Parasaling is now something I'd do again and again without a second thought and I'd recommend Ile aux Cerfs as the ideal location to anyone. — Afar Magazine

Past the visitor's centre, with some rare Rodriguan plants on display, you enter this vast park (30ha, part of it designated a nature reserve) that is striving to promote the growth of primary forest. — Michelin Guide

Robert Edward Hart (1891–1954) was a renowned Mauritian poet, apparently appreciated by both the French and the English, although we've yet to meet anyone who's heard of him. — Lonely Planet

The Réserve des Mascareignes is a 6ha tropical park where you stroll among bamboo, palm trees and orchids while exploring the fauna of the Mascareignes and Africa. — Michelin Guide

Nowhere in the world can one find sand of the sort that appears as if by magic, seeping out of the earth and turning the topography into rainbow waves, like at Chamarel in Mauritius. — Afar Magazine