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Mauritius, An Island of Emotion @ Catamaran Cruise

What could be better than hopping onto a catamaran and leisurely set sail in the turquoise crystal clear water of the Indian Ocean. That's our itinerary for Day 3 @ the beautiful island of Mauritius.
 
A catamaran is a multihulled vessel consisting of two parallel hulls of equal size. It has a flat broad deck for guests to sit or lay on the top to admire the clear blue sky and crystal clear sea.
 
My Diva friend and I felt extremely excited because it was our first time boarding the catamaran, our very first catamaran cruise in this beautiful island.  
It was a little cloudy in the morning when we sailed off from the Black River @ Tamarin Bay. The cruise will take us 6 hours where we will first sail off to see the dolphins, followed by a visit to the Crytsal Rock which stands in the middle of the lagoon, a short visit to Benitier Island for some relaxation as well as snorkeling @ some key locations with coral reefs.  

The cloudy weather soon cleared up and the sun was shinning brightly above us. It was a bright and beautiful day, perfect for the cruise. Shortly, we were served some sandwiches, coffee or tea that were prepared by the crews.  



Tamarin Bay, a little cloudy when we arrived but the sun soon appear shinning brightly



Taking a small boat to board the catamaran


Our catamaran




Simple breakfast prepared on board






relaxing on catamaran

The upper deck of the catamaran was spacious. It was great for scenic viewing, watching the dolphins, and of course perfect for camwhoring! We reached the lagoon where the dolphins were sighted. There were many catamarans and speedboats around to bring their passengers to view the dolphins. I would say it was a little crowded and hence our captain was not able to sail the catamaran closer to the dolphins. We could only catch a glimpse of the dolphins from a distance. Nonetheless, I enjoyed soaking up the sun at the upper deck!




Dolphins  sighted

1


Free beers on board


A beautiful blue beneath us



Enjoy some cocktail too







BBQ onboard




Was cold
With the beautiful backdrop of the Le Morne Mountain and the blue turquoise sea, the view before us were spectacular. We were served free bottles of beers and glasses of cocktail on board the catamaran cruise. It was a luxury! The crews even barbequed some chicken wings for us to go with our beer. Awesome! Great drink, great food and amazing scenery, what more could I ask!

At some point in time, the catamaran stop along the coral reef for us to snorkel. You may stay on board if you do not wish to get yourself wet. The water was cold because it was winter. Bravo us jumped into the Indian Ocean without hesitation but immediately regretted due to the near freezing coldness of the water. In the water, I managed to see some small fishes. However, as the coldness was too unbearable for me, I decided to get back  to the catamaran.


A boat to take us to Benitier Island


@benitier island


On our way to Benitier Island


Le Morne Mountain as backdrop








The catamaran stopped at an area near the Benitier Island and we were given 1 hour plus to leisurely explore the island at our own pace. Benitier is a beautiful island with its long stretch of pristine white beach and crystal clear water. From the island, we can get to see the spectacular Le Morne Mountain.

The beach at Benitier Island is safe for swimming because the sea water was shallow and pleasant to sit or lie into for relaxation. We had a wonderful time soaking ourselves in the shallow water, though it was really a little cold for us.
 
On our way back, we passed by the crystal rock which was kind of miniature from afar. Some cruises allow the passengers to swim to the rock and climb up the rock to have a 360 degree view of the entire lagoon.
 
 
Overall, the catamaran cruise was an enjoyable ride and I would love to go for it again. Time seemed to pass by and unknowingly, we reached the end of the cruise!
 
After the cruise, we were honored to be invited to my friend's parents in law house for dinner. It was kind of them to extend their warm hospitality to us. My friend's parents in laws live near Port Louis which is the capital of Mauritius.
 
They live in a 3 level huge property. The dinner was splendid and I would say, I had the best biryani, cooked by her mom-in-law. Through the dinner conversation, we gained some understanding of the Mauritian's lifestyle. While the lifestyle appeared to be quite lain-back, the Mauritians however emphasized on the children's education. In fact, the kids have to go through the Cambridge 'O' level as us in Singapore.

Where my friend's relatives live
 
The parents in law were kind enough to bring us to the Citadel fort after dinner for a sun-set stroll. It was here that we were greeted with a spectacular view of the entire Port Louis.





 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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