The Creole colours of Mauritius

The island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean may be tiny, but boy, is it diverse and vibrant.

Creole in Mauritius means a blend of ethnicities. And that, on this tiny Indian Ocean island, is a rich blend indeed.

Once inhabited solely by the beasts and the birds, the island was first settled by the Dutch, then the French and the English. It was the French who brought the Africans to work on their sugar plantations as slaves. The English banned slavery and solicited indentured labour from India.

The Chinese came on their own accord, to trade and set up shop.

The most widely spoken language on the island is Creole. It is French with a smattering of Hindi, English and African dialects. While Mauritian people retain important elements of their original identities — especially religious beliefs — they now view themselves as all essentially Mauritian. There is harmony among the people here that is born, they will tell you, of a proud identification with their spectacular and bountiful land.

The island is not big — 61km by 47km, to be exact. Mauritius, though, is like a continent in miniature. It may lack deserts and snowy mountain peaks, but it has seemingly everything in between — misty mountain forests with crater lakes, waterfalls and springs, broad temperate plateaux and steamy lowland plains where sugarcane is grown.

The hinterland is studded with needle-like volcanic peaks that imbue the landscape with an eerie, almost otherworldly quality. The forest parks harbour stags, deer and monkeys, plus the Mauritian kestral and the rare pink pigeon, both of which are native to the island. Of course, we all bemoan the demise of the far-too-trusting, flightless dodo, the island’s national emblem.

Alas, only stuffed ones now remain.

The Mauritian capital, Port Louis, has its own very colourful and distinctive brand of creole. With its buzzing fresh food market — spices being a specialty — the place sparkles with a vitality you would expect to find in a city maybe three times its size. It also showcases some grand old colonial homes, charming creole cottages, some fine old public buildings and an amazing array of places of worship.

In Chinatown, the decorative Jummah Mosque commands one entire block. In Ramgoolam Street, a temple minaret thrusts its lofty dome into the clouds. Then there’s the stern stone greyness of Port Louis Cathedral. As France, my guide, informed me: “The Mauritian people — Hindus, Catholics, Buddhists and Muslims — all celebrate each other’s festivals. There were so many festival holidays before that the government had to cancel some to save the economy.”

Creole in Mauritius is also reflected in dance. When they came here as slaves, the African and Malagasy people brought with them their religions and culture, and an irrepressible will to survive, not too mention a strong determination to enjoy life to the full.

The most exuberant expression of this was tribal dance. On Mauritius this evolved to become what is now a national treasure — the sega. It’s an exotic, some might say erotic, romp in which girls in billowing flouncy skirts and men in tight stripy breeches stomp on the sand to the rhythm of the tambourine, guitar, “tantom” bow and creole-style maracas.

As the music reaches a crescendo, the girls do a lean-back-as-far-as-you-can-type limbo pose enticing the men to come ever so near, but never actually to touch. Visitors get the chance to participate in the sega at the performances held regularly at most holiday resorts. Those who dare will not forget.

They will also not forget the food. Variety here is literally the spice of life. The standard fare is creole. It’s a cunning blend of the world’s three most sought-after cuisines — Indian, Chinese and French. Rougail is the essence of Mauritian creole cooking. It’s a tomato-based spicy sauce served with meat or fish. Accompanying this are rice, achar (vegetables prepared with vinegar, oil and spices) and chutneys made from tomato or coconut seasoned with garlic and ginger.

A mere perusal of a typical Mauritian creole menu is enough to get the taste-buds tingling with anticipation. Try this for starters — star fish briyani and gateau-piment (chilli cake), followed by a millionaire’s salad with freshwater prawns à la sauce rouge; then your choice of venison, wild boar or hare.

In Mauritius, you might find yourself expecting nothing else but this, unless of course your preference is Chinese. Then you’d probably opt for the canard laque (Peking Duck) or Szechuan, which is more in line with the local taste for spice.

The fruit platter, too, might have you glancing quizzically. Along with the standard papaya, pineapple and bananas, it might well conceal custard apple, guavas, carambol, longanes and jackfruit; or perhaps some mysterious delight you’ve never even seen before, let alone tasted.

Although not the capital, the town of Curepipe on the island’s central plateau is the country’s largest population centre. It achieved this status in the 19th century when people flocked here from Port Louis to escape malaria. As well as great value diamonds and the highly sought-after models of old sailing ships, Curepipe is where you find the largest concentration of old plantation homes.

Sporting elegant turrets and high black shingle roofs, these classic timber beauties sit in stately grandeur amid huge flower gardens on the outskirts of town. They exhibit an amalgam of architectural styles, and may best be described as French chateaux fitted with English verandahs, and made creole in their quest to adapt themselves to tropical climes.

In a country with such a potpourri of colourful cultures, you are not surprised to find a corresponding riot of colour in the villages and towns. The little shops and cottages are painted in vibrant blues and greens, with door and window frames picked out in yellow, white or red. The curtains — as if to say they want attention too — have their patterned side turned outwards to the street.

The Mauritian Creole cottage clearly means to catch the eye. But then most things in Mauritius, come to think of it, seem designed to do the same.

Getting there

Air Mauritius flies from Kuala Lumpur to Mauritius every Wednesday and Saturday (see: www.airmauritius.com).

STAY Packages to Mauritius in conjunction with Air Mauritius are available through travel agents. There are a wide range of self-catering apartments available in the Grand Baie area.

WHEN The wettest months are from Jan-March, and the hottest from Dec-March. April-June and Sept-November are usually the most pleasant months.

BRING Mauritius has high humidity. Bring light cottons. A jacket is required only on formal occasions, and perhaps in the highlands around June-Sept.

VISA Not required.

READ Lonely Planet has a current edition on Mauritius with excellent travel itineraries.