We were then ushered into another enclosure that housed caracals. These knee-high felines are one of the rarest animals on earth. While we were clicking around merrily, these adorable things were snuggling up and gently brushing past us. Their point years were a fascinating sight!
Our further exploration of Casela took us to a machaan from where we fed giraffes and to an open zoo where we saw Kudus, Rhinos, Ostriches and many more exotic species of fauna.
Afternoon took us to a lovely meal and some rum tasting at Rhumerie de Chamarel. The route to this iconic estate is lined with sugarcane, coffee, pineapple and other tropical fruits. Their accomplished chefs painstakingly curated the fare served.
It included a variety of local fish like Mahi Mahi, Dorado and Salmon along with delicious Duck Confit served with an orange dip. The meal was rounded off with delicately flavoured sorbets.
After the meal and the conducted tour of the Rhumerie, we were escorted for a rum-tasting session.
A wide variety of subtle and not-sosubtle tastes followed – XO rum, VSOP rum, spice rum, vanilla rum, coffee rum and then some! This tasting session ensured that we carried some of these exotic flavours back with us for subsequent imbibing!
As soon as we stepped out of the Rhumerie, a rainbow splashed across the sky greeted us! It had been a pleasant, yet a long day. And we were glad to be driven back to our new abode – Radisson Blu, an east-coast condominium hotel. With a resolve to catch the sunrise next morning, we called it a night!
Before I sign out, I just thought I may as well flag an important observation – normally, my experience of visiting an island is all about chilling on the beach, reading a book, having a beer, or at best partying at a nightclub; but, the experience in Mauritius has been a complete departure since this island relentlessly throws you in the whirlwind of activities suited for all age groups. Just go there and your impression of an island vacation would transform forever! |SP
(To be continued in August Issue as Part-II)
