Mauritius

1. ~8:30a●A Mauritian breakfast

   Tropical fruit, fresh bread, and a dholl puri (the island's beloved split-pea flatbread) with a coffee, the lagoon shimmering outside.

2. ~10:00a✦The lagoon & its reef

   Mauritius is ringed by a barrier reef enclosing a calm, clear lagoon — snorkel the coral, or glide over it by glass-bottom boat or paddleboard.

3. ~12:30p●A Creole seafood lunch

   Octopus curry, grilled fish, and a 'rougaille' tomato sauce with rice — Mauritian Creole cooking, a fragrant blend of Indian, African, French, and Chinese.

4. ~3:00p✦Watersports or a catamaran

   The lagoon by kite, kayak, or sail — or a catamaran cruise along the coast with a swim and snorkel stop.

5. ~5:30p✦A beach sunset

   A west-facing beach or the resort deck for the Indian Ocean sunset, a rum cocktail in hand.

6. 8:00p✦A resort fine-dining tastingAnchor table

   Mauritius's top resorts have superb kitchens — a seafood-and-Creole tasting menu by a celebrated chef, lagoon-side. The marquee meal; book ahead.

Mauritius's reef-ringed lagoons make for calm, easy swimming and snorkelling. Creole cuisine is the island's delicious melting-pot signature — seek out a genuine local table, not just the resort buffet.

1. ~9:00a◆Le Morne Brabant

   The dramatic UNESCO basalt monolith on the southwest peninsula — a symbol of the island's slave history, and a stunning hike (or photo stop) over the turquoise lagoon.

2. ~11:00a◆Chamarel — earths & waterfall

   The Seven Coloured Earths (dunes of naturally red, brown, and violet volcanic soil) and the island's highest waterfall, in the lush southwest.

3. ~1:00p●A rum-estate lunch

   Mauritius makes excellent agricultural rum — a distillery-estate lunch (Rhumerie de Chamarel) with a tasting and Creole food among the cane fields.

4. ~3:00p✦Black River Gorges

   The island's national park of rainforest, endemic birds, and viewpoints — a short hike or a drive to the Alexandra Falls lookout.

5. ~7:30p●Dinner on the coast

   A west-coast restaurant for fresh fish and a rum punch, the sun gone down over the ocean.

The southwest is Mauritius at its most dramatic — Le Morne, Chamarel, and the gorges in one rich day. The island's estate rums are a real specialty; a distillery visit is well worth it.

1. ~9:00a✦Port Louis & the central market

   The lively capital — the bustling central market (spices, fruit, crafts), the waterfront Caudan, and the colonial and Chinatown streets.

2. ~11:00a◆Temples & the island's faiths

   Mauritius's remarkable religious mix — a vivid Tamil temple, the sacred Hindu lake of Grand Bassin with its giant statues, and colonial churches, all within a small island.

3. ~1:00p●A street-food lunch

   The island's beloved street snacks — gâteaux piments (chilli cakes), boulettes (dumplings), and a dholl puri wrap from a market stall.

4. ~3:00p◆Pamplemousses Botanical Garden

   One of the world's great tropical gardens — giant Victoria water lilies, the talipot palms, and avenues of spice and ebony trees.

5. ~7:30p●An Indo-Mauritian dinner

   A curry feast — the island's superb Indian-Mauritian cooking, with biryani, farata, and an array of chutneys.

Mauritius's cultural blend is its quiet wonder — Hindu temples, a Creole market, and colonial streets in a single day. The Pamplemousses garden and the street food are highlights well beyond the beach.