Shalini Tewari

An Adventure in Mauritius

05/06/2012

by Shalini Tewari

A world where pineapples are first dipped into the sea and then eaten, mangoes fall at your doorstep for breakfast, and a flightless bird (having lost the ability because food was abundant and predators absent) standing one meter tall and weighing 40 lbs, once existed. Mauritius has much more to offer than the typical packaged vacation.

Gunner's Coin in the north Le Morne in the south

The call came one afternoon in November. I had just started working at the Divesite magazine, so when I was asked if I could fly off to Mauritius for a month to dive and explore first the remote islands of the Saint Brandon Archipelago on a 50-foot yacht, and then the culturally rich mainland, I was beside myself. Every step of the way, I felt as though I would wake up from an incredible dream.

Road side food stall Delicious roti

I love travelling alone. I travel alone because it forces me to genuinely discover a place. Without the security of knowing anyone, you must speak to the locals. And this has inevitably and unequivocally led to experiences that induce la joie-de-vivre.

I was handed locals on a platter for this trip, as I was hosted by a young couple on a mission to show tourists that Mauritius offers more than the ‘all-inclusive packaged deals’. They invited a journalist from the magazine for the experience.

Yes, I also got a taste of the resort life and lapped up its luxury, but this was just for perspective. In the end, I would exchange it all for the richness of that hillside guesthouse tucked within sugarcane fields, the roadside stalls dishing out fried peppers, and the fruit-infused rum served as we sailed on a traditional boat watching the sun set.

Ganesh at a Hindu temple Local market in Port Louis

I was thrilled to learn about the local culture which infused a mix of my own roots. I met a treasure hunter, a shell collector, drank the local brew in sugarcane fields, learned to speak Creole, ate octopus wrapped with chilies and curry from local joints, got lost in the city and stumbled upon beautiful poems written on lampposts by Malcolm de Chazal. One of my favourites translates as 'the eye is the most beautiful place of meeting' - 'L'oeil est la plus belle salle de rendez-vouz.'

Underwater, I explored caves and caverns, soared through currents as big animals flew past in the south, was humbled by the underwater temples in the east, and as an underwater photographer, overjoyed by the wrecks and secret sites that were underwater havens and marine life sanctuaries.

Sure, the packaged tour can be a relaxing experience, but if 'showering in a sugarcane field' and the like aren't on the itinerary, I'm not going.

Subscribe to the latest issue of Divesite and read all about my adventure.

To book such a trip, let DiveSailTravel show you around.

The Secret of Saint Brandon

16/02/2012

by Shalini Tewari

We lead our respective lives. Some work at desks, stand and teach, raise families; others save lives, put their lives at risk, etc.

But we‘ve all shared that feeling when the background noise is silenced as we descend into the depths. The sound of our breathing replaces all thoughts and we just exist.
Diving is a meditative sport; whether you want to admit it or not. You breathe deeper and become fully present and aware. If not for the safety of being so, then due to the tranquility of being suspended in water examining some of life’s most fascinating species.

Imagine experiencing this in unchartered and barely discovered territory. A place so untouched by man that the birds drop their eggs where they please, the fish are plentiful and as big as small cars, and sharks make up 40% of the traffic.

Divesite was recently invited on a trip to Mauritius hosted by DiveSailTravel. DiveSailTravel is a Mauritian-based tour operator that charters dive trips in and around Mauritius as well as other African destinations. They asked us to join them on a pioneer dive expedition and share our story.

I am a Canadian-born Indian photojournalist living in South Africa and recently hired as a full-time journalist for Divesite. Not to mention, extremely lucky to have been chosen to represent the magazine on this trip!

Saint Brandon is a diver’s ultimate paradise. It is a group of more than thirty islands approximately 300 kilometers north of Mauritius. They are atolls completely isolated and surrounded by the warm Indian Ocean. Seychelles lies far north and Madagascar to the west.

We sailed from Mauritius on a 50-foot luxury catamaran sponsored by Harmony Travel; a journey that took more than thirty hours. We were blessed with calm seas and a full moon. We fished when we were hungry, swam when we were hot. We uncovered shells as if we were important archeologists, and dived when our tanks were filled. Each day was governed by the elements and we had no choice but to respect them. Nature thrived here and we tiptoed around it, careful not to cause any disturbance.

It was such a thrill to see that such unspoiled beauty still exists, and we all left wholesomely nourished by it all; it was indeed, a trip of a lifetime.

Join me on the adventure as I describe it in this summer's issue of Divesite magazine.

For trips with DiveSailTravel:
Stephane De Senneville: +230 254 0102 or Coraline Cadet: +230 254 4017
email: divesail@intnet.mu, web: www.divesailtravel.com

For trips with Harmony Travel:
Yulia Piskun: +2309429605, +2309429607
email: yulia@harmonytravel.mu