Mahebourg

Located on the southern shores of Vieux Grand Port Bay is the somewhat forgotten town of Mahébourg.

Under French rule this place was a flourishing port town, and British involvement even saw the construction of a railway connecting Mahébourg to Port Louis.

Nowadays, the place is run down. The streets are dusty, and the railway is long abandoned. Life goes on for the local people though, and there is a charming laid-back atmosphere that tries its best to swallow up the air of neglect. As with most tropical coastal towns, walk the backstreets and you will find local life, with its simple poverty and slow sense of purpose.

The town is one of the only two remaining areas where craftsmen practicing the art of pirogue building can still be found. These wooden boats bob around 'red hanky island', dotting the clear waters with colour and charm.

There is a busy market in town, ripe with exotic fruits and spices. There is also a naval museum on the southern outskirts of town for those wanting to take in some maritime history, with its sunken ships and salvaged trinkets.

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