Tropical Spices

This half-day tour highlights some of the most notable sites in and around Port Luis and gives you ample time to explore on your own.

Boarding your coach, it's a short transfer to Pamplemousses Village, considered a must-see for visitors. Here, you will have a brief stop at the historical church St François d'Assise, which was built in 1756. Following this, you will enjoy a delightful guided visit of the Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens, which were created by French naturalist Pierre Poivre in 1767. The Chateau de Mon Plaisir, built in 1735, can still be seen here. Often called the ""Jewel in the Crown"", the garden is renowned by world botanists for its 500 rare plant species that come from all over the world. The most famous are the giant Victoria Regina water lilies and the 80 varieties of palm trees, including the talipot, said to flower once every 60 years and then die. Today, the garden also houses the ""samadhi"" (funeral shrine) of the Father of the Nation, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam.

From Pamplemousses, you will head for a tour of the capital, Port-Louis, which was founded in 1735 by Mahé de Labourdonnais. A photo stop at La Citadelle, an old fortress built in 1834, will give you a wonderful panoramic view of the Champ de Mars, the second oldest race-course in the world, as well as allowing you to fully appreciate the blend of modern and ancient buildings that are all squeezed between the harbor and the mountain range. Off the main square, palm-lined Place d'Armes, showcases some particularly fine colonial buildings, like the Government House (1735) and the Municipal Theater (1822), as well as two Cathedrals, Catholic and Anglican, a Mosque, the Supreme Court and the Natural History Museum.

Your tour also includes a visit to Le Caudan Waterfront, a modern precinct not only known for its designer shops and duty free jewelry, but also for its cosmopolitan craft market, covering two floors of spices, souvenirs, basketry and craftsmen at work. You will have approximately 2 hours of free time here to explore this area at your leisure. From here, it is also possible to visit the ""l'Astrolab"" with its shops and restaurants. To enjoy a fascinating cross-section of Mauritian life, you may also want to visit the covered market of Port-Louis.

Re-joining your coach, you will make the short transfer back to the pier where your tour concludes.