Slow travel is all about swapping rushed, checklist-style sightseeing for a more mindful way of exploring, where you linger longer and connect more deeply with local culture, people and yourself. Mauritius is the perfect destination for such an experience, and here’s a glimpse of what awaits.
Share a Meal and a Story with a Local
Choose a resort that arranges a curated culinary experience with a local host, one of the best things to do in Mauritius. Your journey might begin at a bustling market, where you can help to select fresh ingredients while soaking up the sights, sounds and aromas of island life. Later, head to your host’s home and enjoy a delicious, home-cooked traditional dinner, enjoying new flavours and stories as well.
Image via The Residence Mauritius
Slow Down with Traditional Wellness
Traditional spa rituals fit beautifully into the slow travel philosophy, encouraging mindfulness and personal wellbeing. At ideal resorts like The Residence Mauritius, you will find a spa offering locally inspired therapies; this can include a treatment with body brushing using coconut husk, a nourishing coconut exfoliation, a deep-tissue massage and aromatic scents, leaving both body and mind wonderfully relaxed.
Discover a Rich Natural and Cultural Heritage
Take your time exploring the island’s wilder south, beginning at Grand Bassin, a sacred lake for Hindu devotees in Mauritius. Continue through Black River Gorges National Park, home to rare plants and wildlife, before travelling through sugarcane fields to scenic Rochester Falls. Finally, admire the surreal Seven Coloured Earth of Chamarel, where naturally formed dunes display seven distinct hues.
Explore Poste de Flacq and the ‘Floating Temple’
The east coast beautifully reflects the multicultural heritage of Mauritius, with temples, mosques and churches scattered across the landscape. Visit Poste de Flacq, exploring its beach, shops and market before heading to the striking Sagar Shiv Mandir. Known as the ‘floating temple’, this Hindu place of worship sits on Goyave de Chine island, surrounded by water and watched over by a towering bronze statue of Shiva.
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