Known to the Arabs as early as the 10th century, but officially discovered in 1505 by Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas, Mauritius was occupied successively by the Dutch (1598-1712) and the French (1715-1810), and was ceded to Britain in 1814 through the Treaty of Paris. The British pioneers settled in, and with the help of slaves imported from Mozambique and Madagascar, developed a largely agricultural economy. The abolition of slavery under British rule, favored the arrival of indentured Indians, Pakistanis and Chinese who worked and traded the sugarcane.


Since 1968, Mauritius has been an independent island republic with a democratic government and a free market economy, buoyed up by the manufacturing, tourism, textile and sugar cane processing industries. The island has enjoyed considerable economic success following recent industrial diversification and expansion.


Our lovely friends Anne and Ian drove us around the capital and main port of Mauritius, Port Louis (por’lwee), passing the main square, the palm-lined Place D’ Armes, French colonial buildings and the Government House, built in the 18th century. We walked out into the busy Caudan waterfront, with its casino, cinema, shops, restaurants and bars, and its bustling port, with cargo and fishing vessels. Our midday stroll took us to the colorful Port Louis covered market, Chinatown’s roadside stalls and doorways near the market, scouring for postcards, wooden hand carvings, Mauritian handicraft, clothing, straw handbags & costume jewellery.