Let me start at the beginning. The idyllic picture of crystal clear water softly lapping a pure white beach with soft, soft sand. Palms swaying in a very light breeze and the sweet smell of bougainvillea, hibiscus and other tropical flowers abundantly growing everywhere. That was Mauritius. With the friendliest, happiest locals called Creoles - which is a mix of Chinese, French, Dutch, Indian and heaven knows what else. You couldn't help but feel welcome.

We stayed at Hotel La Pirogue (a pirogue is the local fisher's boats). The roof was shaped like a pirogue's sail full blown. Beautiful. And despite the island setting, the hotel was very elegant with superb seafood and fresh fruits. Most of the other food supplies were imported mainly from South Africa at the time. The displays of food with every meal was breathtaking and one felt sorry to eat it - although it was sooo good!

For the travelers so inclined, there was a very active night life which didn't interfere with the peacefulness - all done very discreetly not to disturb other guests. The weather was perfect and even though it drizzled every now and then, nobody actually packed up and left the beach when it did (except us who didn't know better the first day!) because the sun would shine again in a few minutes. All along the beaches are thatched "umbrellas" to hide from the sun and rain if necessary. A lot of "business" takes place right there on the beach when the local people offer their merchandise without being a nuisance. The area is prone to seasonal hurricanes that can cause a lot of damage but just make sure to check the seasons before you go to avoid big disappointment or even cancellation.

The capital Port Louis was an experience of colors, sounds and smells. You would not believe the contrast when walking through the general merchandise market to the fresh market. The general market smell was a mix of dried fish, bamboo, curry and coconut and everything in between but crossing the walkway into the fresh market….you could smell the earth on the fresh veges and fruit that was harvested that very morning from all the surrounding gardens since this is the way many locals create an extra income. We were told that burglar bars on the windows of some homes at the time was "for decoration only". A peaceful and serene setting for peaceful and serene inhabitants.