A full-day tour to check out the island's main sights. First stop - after a mandatory stop at Flacq shopping centre - was Ganga Talao - Grand Bassin, one of two natural lakes of Mauritius. Lying within the crater of an extinct volcano. Ganga Talao is an important pilgrimage site for the Hindu faith. It was still chilly on this wet morning in the highlands as the we observed local and foreign tourists mingling with resident primates and deities. The sky cleared as we continued on to Black River Gorges. This national park of 6,574 hectares was created in 1994 for the protection of Mauritius’ remaining native forests. Visitors can enjoy magnificent landscapes, with endemic plants and rare bird species.

Our driver recommended a French restaurant for lunch, after which it was westward to Chamarel . First, a short hike to view the precipitous waterfall across the valley. Then the winding road leads from Case Noyale village to the coloured earths of Chamarel: an undulating landscape of different and contrasting shades of colours. The different shades of blue, green, red and yellow are apparently the result of the erosion of the volcanic ash.

Last stop today was Casela in the Rivière Noire district. A bird park of over 25 hectares, it contains more than 140 bird species from all five continents. Other attractions include fish ponds, tigers, tortoises, monkeys, deer and orchids, but most notably for the kids, a well-equipped playground.