Nestled in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometers (560 miles) east of Madagascar, is The Republic of Mauritius, an island nation of pristine natural beauty .It is part of the Mascarene Islands, with the neighbouring French island of Réunion. Bathing amidst translucent lagoons and surrounded by coral reefs,it is indeed a tropical paradise and a dream tourist destination.

Its dazzling beauty pulls tourists from remote places in the world. Thousands from Europe South Africa and the Mascarenes choose the island as their first choice, so much so that many of them have adopted it and become repeaters. New entrants from India and China are now following suit.

Endless patches of golden sand, the joyous murmur of the sea and in some places the thunder of waves crashing against cliffs and above all the invigorating marine breeze coming from the ocean eternally evoke the strange particularity of island holidaying.

A coastal belt covered with filaos and coconut trees discreetly lead to the grand beach hotels, vacation villages and cozy bungalows.

While most of the fishermen’s villages have kept their cachet, others have turned into bustling modern tourist hubs with bar café, casinos and supermarkets.

Inland Mauritius offers a lush green carpet against blue mountains, dotted here and there with villages and towns with modern buildings inhabited by a cosmopolitan population from Asia, Africa, Europe and China. The commonest feature of these hospitable bilingual islanders (who speak English and French) is the ever welcoming smile on their face, giving the impression of being into a foreign land yet among familiar people.

Mauritius offers a wide variety of tourist activities ranging from sea activities, diving, parasailing, undersea walk to inland excursions to fabulous places like the seven colored earth of volcanic origin, the Black River gorges, the Nature Park, Grand Bassin, etc. The Island is excellent for excursions, discoveries, ecotourism. It is also a shopping paradise and a choice honeymoon destination

The elegance of the hotels, the variety of mouth watering multi –ethnic cuisines: Creole, Indian Chinese and European add to the delight of millions who have visited this unique haven of peace and impart the sense of belonging to a select group of people.

The spell lingers long after the lines of the Sega, the ecstatic local folksong remains but a rhythm in the mind and calls the visitor back to the Island of Dreams.