Photos of The East of Mauritius

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The East of Mauritius

South of the district of Rivière du Rempart, along the east coast of the island, is Mauritius’ largest District of Flacq. To its south is the District of Grand Port, named after the village of Old Grand Port where the first Dutch landing took place; it was the first port of the island.

Sugar cane fields, Flacq
 
Loading sugar cane, Flacq
 
Teacher and students, Flacq
 
Teacher and students, Flacq
 
Children in class, Flacq
 
Sunrise, Belle Mare
 
Early morning, Belle Mare
 
Huts, Belle Mare
 
Children, Belle Mare
 
Girls getting water, Belle Mare
 
Women carrying water, Belle Mare
 
Coast at Mahébourg
 
Wooden house, Mahébourg
 
Street in Mahébourg
 
Young boys, Mahébourg
 
Mobile market stall, Mahébourg
 
Village road, Mahébourg
 
Doing the laundry, Mahébourg
 
Tamil temple, Mahébourg
 
Sega dance, Mahébourg
 
Sega dance at Blue Bay
 
Sega dance at Blue Bay
 
Cane fields, Plaisance
 
Boys selling shell necklaces
 

The Flacq District has large sugar cane fields and on the coast is the village of Belle Mare, with a great beach and a lovely lagoon, once a rustic Indian village and now attracting a lot of locals and tourists. South of Flacq is the Grand Port district with its main town of Mahébourg, founded by the Dutch, close to their port. The French named it after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a naval officer and one of the most successful French colonial governors. Nearby is Blue Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.

The Sega is a dance that has become typical of Mauritius. Its origins are in Madagascar and Africa and initially brought by slaves in the 19th Century. The songs are usually sung in French Creole, the mother tongue of most Mauritians. It can be seen, spontaneously on the beaches and as performances in hotels; anyone may join in.

Just south of Mahébourg is Plaine Magnien, the location of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. It used to be called Plaisance Airport, but it has grown over the years. It is home to the country’s national airline, Air Mauritius, and has direct flights to several destinations in Africa, Asia, and Europe.