Positioned off the east coast of Africa, Mauritius is a small island nation that’s identified for its pristine seashores and luxurious 5-star resorts.
It’s not all concerning the sand and sunbeds although. Mauritius additionally gives a wealthy cultural heritage and unbelievable meals scene – partly to do with its various mixture of Indian, Creole, Chinese language and French ethnic teams.
What’s extra, the island’s pristine landscapes have made it a bucket listing vacation spot for nature lovers. So, if you wish to expertise the island in a extra aware approach, right here’s your information to ecotourism in Mauritius.
See additionally: Mauritius Lodging: The place to Keep on the Island
Ecotourism in Mauritius: Why it’s essential
Mauritius’ place as a small island makes it maybe extra weak than most to the results of local weather change.
Rising sea ranges have already impacted the island and the pristine seashores it’s identified for are below menace. The truth is, some seashores have shrunk by greater than 10 metres over the past decade!
The island’s location within the Indian Ocean places it within the cyclone belt. Due to local weather change, flash floods and tropical storms have gotten more and more lethal.
Regardless of these threats, tourism is an important a part of the island nation’s financial system because it helps fund a lot of its financial and sustainable developments.
Identical to many African small states, the arrival of the pandemic induced conservation and sustainability efforts to undergo.
Many nature reserves and wildlife parks had extended closures and the decreased revenue resulted in shrinking budgets for conservation, in line with a Commonwealth report.
As a sustainable traveller, searching for out actions and lodging that profit the atmosphere and native folks is a approach to help and strengthen conservation efforts for generations to come back.
See additionally: Mauritius: The Island of Unimaginable Colours
The very best ecotourism actions in Mauritius
Right here’s a fast information to the perfect ecotourism actions that can assist you get pleasure from Mauritius responsibly.
See additionally: High Issues to Do and Highlights of Mauritius
Meet big tortoises
Do you know Mauritius is residence to massive tortoises? Sadly the native species suffered the identical destiny because the dodo and went extinct someday within the 1700s.
In an effort to revive the island’s pure ecosystem, the Mauritian Wildlife Basis launched the Aldabra Large Tortoise from the Seychelles in 2000. The very best place to see them is on a tiny islet referred to as Ile aux Aigrettes which is a protected nature reserve.
Right here you possibly can see infants and full-grown tortoises consuming and dozing throughout the land. It’s a incredible spot for seeing uncommon birds and crops too. What’s extra, your cash goes on to supporting big tortoise conservation.
Go mountain climbing in Chamarel
See a distinct aspect to Mauritius past the seashores and lagoons. Head inland to Chamarel’s Ebony Forest Reserve the place you possibly can go mountain climbing and help rewilding tasks.
Be a part of guided or self-guided excursions up the 300m raised walkway by way of native bush to Elegant Level Lookout. Right here you may get phenomenal views throughout the island to the coast.
Cease for refreshments on the tiny cafe or proceed up for one more hour or so to the summit of Piton Canot for much more views.
Chamarel additionally has a small variety of big tortoises and a shocking pure spectacle referred to as the Seven Colored Earth. The small space of sand dunes is streaked with completely different colors identical to Rainbow Mountain in Peru!
See additionally: Nice Mountain climbing Spots in Mauritius
Go to a nature reserve
Head to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Bel-Hombre to expertise one of many final strongholds of the island’s endemic wildlife.
That includes 3,500 hectares of protected land, the reserve is important to the survival of uncommon endemic birds such because the Pink Pigeon and Mauritian Fody.
Look out for large fruit bats too (don’t fear, regardless of having a wingspan of as much as 5ft lengthy, they’re fruitarians and utterly innocent)!
You’ll be able to help the conservation work by doing excursions of the reserve. Do a 5-hour trek with a ranger which takes you deep into the island’s unspoilt nature.
Alternatively, go for the 2-hour 4×4 drive or quad bike tour with an skilled information from the Mauritian Wildlife Basis.
Go snorkeling in a protected reserve
Meet the native marine life the eco-friendly approach by snorkelling in a protected marine reserve.
Anse la Raie lagoon within the north of Mauritius is residence to a Voluntary Marine Conservation Space (VMCA) which implies no fishing or different damaging actions are permitted.
The very best snorkelling tour you are able to do right here is thru Lagoon Attitude resort on the shores of the lagoon, a key supporter of the VMCA mission.
The guided tour takes you on a glass-bottomed boat to the marine reserve the place you possibly can spend a number of hours having fun with the native marine life.
See additionally: Canoeing in Mauritius: Scenic and Adventurous
Do an eco tour
One of many best methods to help ecotourism in Mauritius is to plan your journey with a tour operator that’s completed all of the analysis for you.
Pure Breaks gives tailored accountable holidays which are personalised to your pursuits.
The self-guided tour operator has partnered with licensed eco-resorts and actions that assist you discover the island in an genuine and eco-friendly approach.
Eco-friendly locations to remain in Mauritius
These eco-friendly resorts and lodges provide locations to remain that harmonise with nature. There’s sufficient to go well with a spread of budgets too! Try these high three eco resorts:
Otentic Eco Tents
For these on a finances, Otentic Eco Tents gives an eco-friendly escape within the arms of nature. Lodging is within the type of safari tents, full with cosy beds and a bathe on the again. Furnishings are rustic and cleverly normal from upcycled supplies. No plastic right here.
There are two Otentic glamping websites to select from: one by the Grand River and the opposite on the foot of Bambous Mountain. Each websites are small and intimate, which places them in excessive demand for vacationers.
They’ve gardens the place they develop their very own meals. Dwelling cooking is a speciality right here with native folks from the village cooking coming on daily basis to cook dinner among the greatest meals round!
Lagoon Angle
Lagoon Attitude is a sequence resort that’s dedicated to creating a distinction. An excellent mid-range choice, the resort has taken large steps to mitigate its environmental footprint.
All rooms are freed from single-use plastic they usually have protected water refill stations everywhere in the grounds.
There’s a marine on-site discovery centre the place scientists, faculties and native tour operators can work and find out about marine conservation. It even sells its personal reef-safe sunscreen too.
Maybe essentially the most spectacular of all is the free on-site zero-waste refill station for tea and occasional. Merely refill glass pots of what you want and take them again to your room!
Heritage Le Telfair
Heritage Le Telfair is a luxurious 5-star resort that’s a part of the Heritage Resorts chain. It’s Inexperienced Key licensed and repeatedly trains workers on sustainable improvement initiatives.
The resort works with native NGOs to donate surplus meals to these in want. It additionally has its personal recycling plant for paper, glass and plastic packaging. Even extra oil is was biofuel.
It additionally owns a 1300-hectare nature reserve which is a protected space of conservation. Anybody can go to and actions right here have a powerful concentrate on training and defending the atmosphere.
Mauritius eco-friendly journey suggestions
Try these eco-friendly suggestions that can assist you journey higher and help ecotourism in Mauritius.
See additionally: Sustainable Journey Recommendations on a Funds
Offset your carbon footprint
Mauritius is just not a straightforward place to get to because it’s a small island within the Indian Ocean. This implies you’ll seemingly must fly which isn’t essentially the most eco-friendly approach to journey.
Nevertheless, tourism is an important a part of the nation’s financial system. So, offset the carbon footprint of your travels by supporting moral and sustainable companies whilst you’re there.
It’s also possible to donate to carbon offsetting tasks, however make sure that they’re Gold Commonplace licensed because it’s the easiest way to ensure that they’re legit.
Have a plastic-free packing listing
In the event you’re travelling sustainably, it’s good follow to maintain single-use plastic out of your backing listing. This helps you keep away from bringing extra waste for this small island to cope with.
Eradicating plastic is as simple as doing a number of eco-friendly swaps. For instance, swap out plastic bottles for a reusable water filter bottle.
Take zero waste strong toiletries as an alternative of mini journey toiletries. In the event you can, attempt to take any plastic waste residence with you on the finish of your journey.
See additionally: Eco-Pleasant Items Concepts for Eco-Acutely aware Vacationers
Put on reef-safe sunscreen
Preserve your self and the atmosphere protected by sporting eco-friendly sunscreen.
Chemical-based sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate have been discovered to kill or bleach coral at a really low focus.
Select a reef-safe mineral-based sunscreen with non-nano titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It’s simply as efficient and higher for marine life and your well being!
Go away your resort
Resorts are well-known for having every thing you want multi functional place. You don’t ever have to go away, proper? However if you happen to do go away your resort, you’ll have a a lot richer and extra genuine expertise.
For one factor, you’ll see the actual Mauritius past the seashores and sunbeds!
And another excuse? You’re supporting native companies and giving again to the financial system slightly than permitting huge chain resorts to horde all of your vacationer cash for themselves.
So, go away your resort even when it’s for a day or as a part of a tour.
Do moral, eco-friendly actions
As you begin to plan your Mauritius itinerary, take into consideration the kind of actions you need to do.
Many resorts and resorts provide experiences you possibly can ebook straight by way of them. A few of the most typical ones are marine and wildlife actions – notably if the resorts are on the seashore.
Earlier than reserving something, interrogate how these actions are operated and who runs them. Have a look at what number of vacationers they tackle the expertise, how they painting and work together with the wildlife and whether or not or not they make an effort to scale back their affect.
If it’s whale or dolphin watching, have they got boats that minimise noise air pollution? In the event you’re snorkelling, do they let you know to not contact or step on coral reefs?
Keep away from actions that invite you to the touch or maintain animals. Regardless that the tour operator may deny it, there’s no assure that the animal isn’t harassed or struggling.
If none of those points above are overtly addressed, don’t be afraid to ask questions straight and allow them to realize it’s essential to you.
Help native companies
The place attainable, help native companies. It is a assured approach to ensure that your cash goes straight into the native financial system and strengthening the area people.
This might be staying in homestays or small, family-run lodging. You may additionally try the native markets, eat at native eating places or ebook with small tour operators.
Last ideas on ecotourism in Mauritius
The island nation of Mauritius is aware of maybe greater than most the worth of ecotourism in preserving its fragile ecosystem. Travellers that make sure that to help it are assured an genuine and enriching expertise.
The small island within the Indian Ocean is quick changing into a bucket listing ecotourism vacation spot for nature lovers, adventurers, foodies and luxurious travellers who’re aware of their footprint.
So, if you happen to’re planning a visit to Mauritius, put your cash into initiatives which have a constructive affect on the atmosphere and group.
