Getting to Mauritius
Mauritius has often been referred to as the honeymooner’s paradise. This is a claim that I often wondered how credible it was. A visit to Mauritius in December 2009 convinced me that indeed Mauritius has the right to make that claim. It is an island in Africa nicely perched on the Indian Ocean with beautiful coral reefs (see first photo below). I travelled to Mauritius on 14th December 2009 to attend a UNESCO Validation Workshop on Case Studies on Education for Sustainable Development. I left Lusaka for Johannesburg using South African Airways in the morning. Later in the evening I boarded Air Mauritius at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to Mauritius. I arrived in Mauritius at 20 00 hours after a four hour flight. At the airport in Mauritius I was met by Jerome a Tourism student in Mauritius. As I entered the vehicle I was given a wet face cloth to wipe my face and a bottle of mineral water to quench my thirst. This was the first time ever that I received such warm hospitality at an airport. On the way to the Golden Nest hotel in Quatres Bornes where we were booked, Jerome gave me a very good tourist guide of Mauritius in a nutshell.
Workshop Activities
The UNESCO Workshop was on Case Studies on Education for Sustainable Development. Participants were drawn from Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland and Zambia (see photo below). The purpose of the workshop was to validate the case studies with guidance of a Consultant. The workshop was held at the Industrial Vocational Training Board headquarters in the conference room. It was an intensive two days of hard work where we started at 09 00 and ended the day at about 18 00 on both days.
Mauritian Night
On Monday night we were treated to a Mauritian night. This was organized and hosted by students at the Tourism and Hospitality School (see photo below). The night consisited of “live cooking” of Mauritian food (see last photo below), Mauritian music, some running DVD showcasing Mauritian tourism. The food was very nice. Especially the assorted vegetables and fruits and for those that love sea food it was in abundance. Later we had a tour of the school.
Shopping and sightseeing
As earlier indicated above, the workshop was so busy that we had little time to shop and sightsee. But what is a man to do who has four young children who expect something bought for them from a foreign nation? I squeezed in at least thirty minutes in the afternoon to buy some clothes and a few items for my wife and kids from the market and shops. Later after the workshop ended I went straight to the ocean to have a look at the Indian Ocean. Fortunately one of the students came along with me and so I was also able to have photos taken of me at the ocean. Later with some participants we visited some other towns including the capital city Port Louis using a taxi. It was possible to do this because Mauritius is a small nation, about 65km long and 45 km wide!
Impressions of Mauritius
Though my stay in Mauritius was brief, I had a number of lasting impressions. These are:
Firstly, the warm and natural hospitality. Right from the time I boarded Air Mauritius, to the time I landed, checked in at my hotel, participated in the workshop, went shopping and sight-seeing, the warm hospitality of the Mauritians was unmistakable. It is something that strikes you and makes you feel at home.
Secondly, the serious tourist activities. Mauritius has serious and aggressive tourism activities that need at least a week or more for anyone visiting. The tourism is high class but even for those with a low budget there is something for them. This focused tourism added with the warm hospitality makes Mauritius a top tourist destination.
Thirdly, peaceful co-existence. Mauritius has an interesting mix of Africans with European, Asian and local background. These live in peaceful co-existence. In addition, Christians, Moslems and Hindus also enjoy good relations with each other.
Fourthly, good political and economical development. Mauritius is one of the few African nations has a middle-income economy status. The level of infrastructure development is good and is supported by a stable democratic government where the Prime Minister runs the affairs of the nation. Mauritius has also a well developed information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure.
Mauritius has often been referred to as the honeymooner’s paradise. This is a claim that I often wondered how credible it was. A visit to Mauritius in December 2009 convinced me that indeed Mauritius has the right to make that claim. It is an island in Africa nicely perched on the Indian Ocean with beautiful coral reefs (see first photo below). I travelled to Mauritius on 14th December 2009 to attend a UNESCO Validation Workshop on Case Studies on Education for Sustainable Development. I left Lusaka for Johannesburg using South African Airways in the morning. Later in the evening I boarded Air Mauritius at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to Mauritius. I arrived in Mauritius at 20 00 hours after a four hour flight. At the airport in Mauritius I was met by Jerome a Tourism student in Mauritius. As I entered the vehicle I was given a wet face cloth to wipe my face and a bottle of mineral water to quench my thirst. This was the first time ever that I received such warm hospitality at an airport. On the way to the Golden Nest hotel in Quatres Bornes where we were booked, Jerome gave me a very good tourist guide of Mauritius in a nutshell.
Workshop Activities
The UNESCO Workshop was on Case Studies on Education for Sustainable Development. Participants were drawn from Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland and Zambia (see photo below). The purpose of the workshop was to validate the case studies with guidance of a Consultant. The workshop was held at the Industrial Vocational Training Board headquarters in the conference room. It was an intensive two days of hard work where we started at 09 00 and ended the day at about 18 00 on both days.
Mauritian Night
On Monday night we were treated to a Mauritian night. This was organized and hosted by students at the Tourism and Hospitality School (see photo below). The night consisited of “live cooking” of Mauritian food (see last photo below), Mauritian music, some running DVD showcasing Mauritian tourism. The food was very nice. Especially the assorted vegetables and fruits and for those that love sea food it was in abundance. Later we had a tour of the school.
Shopping and sightseeing
As earlier indicated above, the workshop was so busy that we had little time to shop and sightsee. But what is a man to do who has four young children who expect something bought for them from a foreign nation? I squeezed in at least thirty minutes in the afternoon to buy some clothes and a few items for my wife and kids from the market and shops. Later after the workshop ended I went straight to the ocean to have a look at the Indian Ocean. Fortunately one of the students came along with me and so I was also able to have photos taken of me at the ocean. Later with some participants we visited some other towns including the capital city Port Louis using a taxi. It was possible to do this because Mauritius is a small nation, about 65km long and 45 km wide!
Impressions of Mauritius
Though my stay in Mauritius was brief, I had a number of lasting impressions. These are:
Firstly, the warm and natural hospitality. Right from the time I boarded Air Mauritius, to the time I landed, checked in at my hotel, participated in the workshop, went shopping and sight-seeing, the warm hospitality of the Mauritians was unmistakable. It is something that strikes you and makes you feel at home.
Secondly, the serious tourist activities. Mauritius has serious and aggressive tourism activities that need at least a week or more for anyone visiting. The tourism is high class but even for those with a low budget there is something for them. This focused tourism added with the warm hospitality makes Mauritius a top tourist destination.
Thirdly, peaceful co-existence. Mauritius has an interesting mix of Africans with European, Asian and local background. These live in peaceful co-existence. In addition, Christians, Moslems and Hindus also enjoy good relations with each other.
Fourthly, good political and economical development. Mauritius is one of the few African nations has a middle-income economy status. The level of infrastructure development is good and is supported by a stable democratic government where the Prime Minister runs the affairs of the nation. Mauritius has also a well developed information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure.
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