The last one sold at public auction in 2011 fetched more than £1,000,000 in London – the highest price ever paid for a stamp. Only 500 were printed of each, from a single plate. Both were issued in 1847 by the British colonial government.
The museum centers on two of the rarest stamps in the world: the red penny and the blue penny. READ: Otherworldly travel destinations here on EarthĪ museum dedicated to a single stamp may not seem like the most riveting attraction, but the Blue Penny Museum presents an engaging overview of Mauritian history. On other days, it’s a place of tranquil reflection with a microclimate cooler than the rest of Mauritius. He says it can get crowded, visited by more than half the island’s population in a few weeks during the Shivratri festival celebrated annually in honor of Lord Shiva. “Grand Bassin is a lake which is considered to be one of the most sacred places in Mauritius, especially for the Hindu community,” says Sarvesh Unuth, an English teacher visiting the lake. The waters here have taken on a similarly religious significance, with a shrine to Lord Shiva dominating the lakeside. It’s also known as Ganga Talao, a name that links the water symbolically to the Ganges River in India. When the volcanoes that created Mauritius died out, one of the craters filled with water and became a lake known as Grand Bassin. Sacred lake: Grand Bassin Jean-Marc Astesana/Flickr The colonial home has undergone a gorgeous restoration, and the restaurant prides itself on serving the best Mauritian food.Įureka, La Maison Creole, Moka, Mauritius +2 Near the base, in Moka, is The Creole House in Eureka. On the way down, walking all the way to the city center takes two or three hours. It’s not the tallest peak in Mauritius, but its location next to the capital makes it the most iconic.Īscending to the top takes about an hour. The mountain known as Le Pouce overlooks Port Louis. To figure out the best, join the longest line.Ĭentral Market, Farquhar Street, Port Louis, Mauritius It’s yellow split peas wrapped inside a roti flat bread and served up with chili to taste. Toward the center is a food hall where vendors serve up fresh juices and the definitive local street food, dhal puri. Market stalls overflow with chilies, dragon fruit, rose apples and towers of vegetables. The Central Market in Port Louis underwent a makeover a few years ago, which cleaned up the building and left intact the colors, smells and flavors that define Mauritian cuisine. Stack of snacks: Roti flat breads at Central Market Griffin Shea/CNN MORE: The photo safari that brings Mauritius into focus Photography Museum, Rue du Vieux Conseil, Port Louis +2 Among the jewels are a collection of daguerreotype images that are the first photos taken anywhere in Africa. The Photography Museum is the culmination of Tristan Bréville’s lifelong passion for cameras, and his personal collection of one million images documenting the history of Mauritius. For those feeling less active, there’s a luxury catamaran to deliver guests to a beachside gourmet dinner among the ruins of the old Dutch governor’s mansion.ĭown the only pedestrian street in Port Louis, across from the Municipal Theatre, lies one of the city’s hidden treasures. Wading in the water is enough to see everything hiding below the surface. This is where some of the best diving and snorkeling in Mauritius is located. Smaller islands a short boat ride away are uninhabited except for a little Coast Guard post. Here the waters spill out toward a protected marine sanctuary, where the island’s ever-growing hotel developments cannot reach. Rather it’s a happy in-between place, close to the restaurants and nightlife in Grand Baie, but quiet enough to feel away from it all.
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