Honeymoon in Port Louis

One of the prettiest capital cities in the Port Louis boasts of long stretches of pristine beaches, a tropical wildlife and a rich multi-hued culture. As the capital city of Mauritius, it has something to suit couples of every taste. So if you are thinking of a fantastic location for your honeymoon which offers a host of natural as well as cultural treasures, Port Louis could be your best bet.

How to Plan

Since the weather is reasonable throughout the year, you can plan a visit to Port Louis almost anytime you want. However, July and September is most favored time of year by honeymooners as the temperatures and humidity levels are much lower. On the other hand if you wish to make the most of sporting opportunities like diving and snorkeling, then December to March may be a better time to visit. As far as accommodation is concerned, Port Louis has a host of lodging options, ranging from luxury resorts like to more affordable hotels. You can hire taxis to move around but if you wish to be more independent, a good idea would to go for a rental car or bike. Buses and trams that crisscross the islands offer a cheaper and often more colorful way of travel. Finally Port Louis is home to two domestic airlines Air Mauritius and Catovair, even though only the former has international flights.

Historical attractions

Port Louis was founded by the French around 1735 by the noted French governor, Mahe de Labourdonnais and named after King Louis XV of France. Because of its colonial history, Port Louis has many buildings of historical and architectural splendor. The Caudan Waterfront, the Champs de Mars horse racing courses and Port Louis Theatre are some of the city’s foremost landmarks. When here, don’t miss the Stamp Museum, Mauritius Natural History Museum and especially the Blue Penny Museum. The Mauritius blue penny and penny orange from 1847 are among the rarest stamps in the world, and you can view them here along with a plethora of other rare cultural and historical artifacts from the island. For an experience of ethnic history, take a trip through China Town where you will find Chinese shops, restaurants and pharmacies with modern and traditional Chinese remedies and particularly the Aapravasi Ghat. This is now a designated World Heritage Site which marks the landing point for the indentured laborers, mainly from India, in the 19th century, following the abolition of slavery in 1834. For those of quirkier tastes, a must-visit is the Travellers' Lane, in Jardin des Compagnies, with travellers' texts ranging from Marco Polo, Duarte Barbosa to Ahmad bin Majid, as devised by Mauritian poet and semiologist Khal Torabully.

Amazing nature

If you are interested in romancing your new spouse amidst beautiful environs, head for the Botanical Garden a short distance from Port Louis which is also known as Pamplemousses Gardens and now known as Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens. It is the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere, having been built by Pierre Poivre as early as 1767. The spectacular garden covers an area of around 37 hectares and houses an incredible variety of tropical plants, many of them indigenous. Here you can wander hand in hand with your new spouse through groves of palm trees and spice gardens or admire the pond of giant Victoria Amazonica water lilies. Apart from its giant water lilies, the gardens are famous for their unique collection of 85 varieties of palms from Central America, Asia, Africa and the islands around the Indian Ocean. Though now extinct, the Dodo occupies an important place in the natural history of Mauritius and a must-see is the Dodo museum located in Port Louis. Here old sketches & skeletons of the legendary bird are showcased and the history of its extinction too is outlined.

Then again what good is a Mauritian honeymoon without spending lazy romantic days in its world famous beaches? Around twenty kilometres away is Péreybère Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Mauritius offering excellent swimming conditions including a calm lagoon and a white sandy beach consists of finely ground coral – so soft, it's almost like velvet. Although it is popular and can get crowded on weekends, Péreybère Beach is a great place to chill with your beloved under the shade of a coconut palm and what’s more, restaurants and bars are within walking distance. For an overnight stay from Port Louis you can head for the Point de Esny Beach famous for its crystal-clear blue water and fine sandy stretch bordered by takamaka trees. This small and largely residential beach neighborhood has resisted large-scale development and has no hotels on its beaches. The neighboring village of Mahébourg is a great place to experience typical island life. For history lovers, just a bit further is Pointe Cannon, marked by signs of the epic battle when French held back British warships. For couples who wish to combine their love of nature and wildlife, Volunteer Beach is a must-visit. This beach provides shelter to more than 150 breeding pairs of king penguins; it is a sanctuary to the islands’ penguin pairs who breed and is the largest on the island. A long walk from Volunteer Beach, takes you to Volunteer Point where you can observe the offshore breeding colony of southern fur seals. Another fascinating location is Volunteer Lagoon which provides glimpses of elephant seals. Walk around the settlement and experience the historical wonders of this sheep-friendly hamlet or capture the sights of the wildlife that is typical to this region.

Cultural attractions

Once you have finished with your nature and adventure tours, it is time to soak in the cultural attractions of Port Louis. Mauritius is a multi-cultural society composed of several ethnicities and their traditions. One of the best ways to explore a new destination is to taste the cuisine of that place. And taste being one of the five senses, a romantic dinner at one of Port Louis’ excellent restaurants can make for an immensely sensual experience for you and your partner. Mauritian cuisine is actually a confluence of varying culinary traditions typical to Indian, Chinese, Creole and African cultures and its signature dishes are a heavenly fusion of all these influences. And while here, you must not forget to explore seafood made from fresh catches of shrimps, prawns, oysters, fish and served with a red hot sauce known as Sauce Rouge.
Finally after the sun goes down, head to the Caudan Waterfront, one of the best one of the best shopping, dining and night life destinations in Mauritius. Live entertainment features almost every night, and some pubs in the vicinity hold their ‘Happy Hour’ from 6.00pm all the way through to 9.00pm on a Friday. Easily accessible from the capital city of Port Louis are the nightclubs of Quatre Bornes, about 15 miles away. Queens Club, Palladium and Wheel Discotheque are some of the most frequented clubs here while for Indian music and dancing, Zeenaxt and Xindix Nightclub are the best known names. By far the best way to experience the culture of Mauritius is through sega music – a foot-tapping and enchanting musical tradition brought by the African settlers. Though many nightclubs in Port Louis offer this music, a far more authentic version can be experienced in clubs and hotels in Riviere Noire, especially on Saturday nights.