| Day 1 | TROPICAL EXCURSION: PORT LOUIS | Tour the city of Port Louis to view places of worship such as a pagoda, mosque, cathedral, and historical areas such as "Champ de Mars", a horse track, the Citadel, a British fort, the parliament, and other notable buildings and monuments. Shop in the modern "Le Caudan Waterfront" bazaar for a variety of local crafts. After lunch in a typical Mauritian guest house, proceed to Pamplemousses garden. Stroll in of of the world's oldest and finest botanical gardens with many rare species of plants and spectacular bloom. Established in 1735, this 60-acre garden boasts 500 different species of plants, of which 80 are palms. Of particular interest are the giant water lilies (Victoria Regia), a spice garden, and the Tallipot Palms said to bloom once every 60 years, after which they die. |
