Isle Be There

Look beyond Mauritius' sensational scenery to delve deep into its poignant history.

- NEETA LAL

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Mauritius this week, I reminisced about my own recent sojourn to the island nation about which Mark Twain famously said that "Mauritius was created first and then Heaven copied after it!"

Located on the east coast of Africa, 702 miles east of Madagascar, mesmerising Mauritius is much more than its storied beaches, reefs and lagoons. The world's best hotels? Check. World class gastronomy? Check. Adventure sports, museums, wildlife? Check, check.

And so in between attending an international conference, and ticking off other official engagements, I also squeezed in time to visit some of its most important sites. Mauritius and India have a strong historical and ethnic connection. And nothing showcases this better than Aapravasi Ghat, a UNESCO heritage site located on the picturesque bay of Trou Fanfaron in the capital city Port Louis. This former immigration depot — also known as 'Coolie Depot' — is where almost half a million Indian indentured labourers disembarked to work on the island's expansive sugar plantations between 1834 and 1920.