Honeymoon haven and ‘royal magnet’ – Prince Harry likes to visit – though Mauritius is, this nice piece over on Hello! Online expounds how ‘there is so much more to this Indian Ocean island nation than sunbathing!’

And ‘there’s never been a better time to discover the beating heart of this beautiful country’, it suggests, than this – the year the island celebrates fifty years of independence.

Just start with the food: try a ‘My Moris food tour of capital Port Louis’, and ‘see how the locals live’ into the bargain.

‘Sample food including Gato Zinzli,’ says Hello!, ‘sweet Chinese-style sesame cakes that are best bought from a tiny store that doesn’t have a name…’. Or ‘boulettes’, Creole for Dim Sum, we’re told.

Visit the tea plantation at Bois Chéri – or ‘charter a catamaran for a sunset cruise with spectacular views of Le Morne’, says Hello!. Or visit the Maison Eureka for a glimpse of colonial history – the house of ‘109 doors and windows’.

It recommends the Hindu festival site of lake Ganga Talao, or Grand Bassin which ‘sits in the isolated mountains of the Savanne district’.

As for where to stay, two options Hello! Online explores are the Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa, near Flic-en-Flac; and, on the east coast, the Shangri-La’s Le Touessrok Resort & Spa – both come highly recommended.

Check out the piece in full.

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