TIME OUT
Water world
GUSTASP AND JEROO IRANI
|
In Mauritius, water is everywhere and the deep holds more beauty than one can imagine.
|
Photos: Gustasp and Jeroo Irani
Sand and surf everywhere: At the beach and getting ready to go underwater in the sub-scooter (below).
When we landed at Mauritius, we thought that we had gate-crashed a honeymooners’ convention! We seemed to be the only ones who were not whispering sweet nothings to each other. Romance comes easy in this tropical isle of achingly beautiful beac
hes lapped by sapphire swells and gentle green hills, wafted occasionally by soft gentle mist.
As our car cut through swathes of rippling green sugar-cane fields, we decided that we would have a more off-beat sojourn, explore some of Mauritius’ underwater beauty rather than the entrancing vistas that lie above. Indeed Mauritius is not just another romantic getaway. Though only 40 km long and 35 km wide, the island offers the visitor multiple options, from lolling on milk-white sands, exploring some of its green-gold facets to embarking on some aqua-based adventure.
Though only one of us is a scuba diver and the other prefers to keep the wonders of the deep at arm’s length, we drove the next morning from our hotel Le Telfair Golf and Spa Resort in the south to the Blue Safari kiosk at Mont Choisy in the north where we were briefed about what lay in store. Blue Safari offers rides in an archetypal submarine, and in the course of a 40-minute dive, one can view coral reefs, the Star Hope wreck, a 17th century sheet anchor and myriads of colourful fish. Underwater beauty has lured many, for here the reefs are ranked as among the finest in the world. So much so, some adventurous souls have even exchanged wedding vows under water, chosen to celebrate a special occasion with a gastronomic lunch or quaff champagne and down canapés while skimming the deep.
Underwater ride
We did not avail of any of the more extravagant options and opted instead for the sub-scooter, a mini scooter like submarine, with one person at the helm and the other riding pillion. Tanned and weather-beaten Luc Billard, the director, who had competed in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1976-77, has patented the unique contraption and was at hand to brief us. With a steering wheel and two accelerator pedals, the sub-scooter is easy to manoeuvre and a diver accompanies a pair of sub-scooters leading them to the more inviting sites, he told us. We were then educated in the nuances of underwater sign language by which we could indicate to the diver that we wanted to go to the surface, all was well etc.
Soon we were riding the heaving waves in a motor boat to a hydraulic platform where we were given a wet suit and flippers. Though not too far out to sea, everything around us seemed rugged, windy and wild. As we sat on the scooter, a transparent dome-like hood was lowered over our heads. We could breathe normally as air was being pumped into it constantly. An Indian couple on their honeymoon sat astride another sub-scooter and with insouciant waves of the hand, the staff lowered the two contraptions into the sea. As the scooter sank slowly, we took a last longing look around us — and it was respite for the jaded eye — a still life of talcum sand, blue sky and a limitless ocean.
The water slowly rose to our waists and we tried not to wonder if we should have drawn up our wills and whether the astrologer back home who had divined a watery grave for one of us was likely to be proved right. But the immersion down to three metres was gradual and pangs of panic were stilled, to be replaced by a sense of womb-like serenity. Soon we seemed to be cruising just above the ocean bed, surrounded by tiny fish that tickled our toes, our thighs, our arms, and locked their beady eyes with ours…
The sun splintered into shards of glass as it shone down into the oceanic depths which were a conflagration of colour, shades of blue, azure and turquoise, and fish in the most outlandish colours. The corn-coloured locks of our diver added to the underwater mosaic of hues even as he guided us in the uncharted ocean, resembling at times a surreally large fish. He constantly sought our reassurance that all was well.
An octopus swam past, its arms moving in perfect synchrony; it then splashed into the transparent hood over our heads and sprayed it with a black ink-like substance in panic. The scooter drifted along canyon walls, over coral, and underwater gardens while we gazed at curious fish with pouted lips and puckered old-women type smiles; some flaunted their striped colourful bodies, others surrounded us, gazing at the interlopers in their domain with a world-weary air!
The diver indicated that we had to go up and heave ho! We found ourselves being jolted onto the hydraulic platform and breaking free of the deep to emerge to a round of applause.
Immensity of the ocean
Later, after a shower and some hot tea, we were ready for more adventure, the Undersea Walk on the bed of the ocean where we strode around with Jules Verne-like helmets on our heads.
Ultimately, Mauritius is about water — it’s everywhere, shimmering in the distance, wrapping itself around you in a warm comforting embrace; one feels adrift in it, and swallowed up by the sheer immensity of it…
And the water of course is at the heart of a lot of fun. That evening as we sat at the poolside bar of our hotel Le Telfair, we saw guests windsurfing, parasailing, scuba diving, and snorkelling, forming colourful arabesques above and below the ocean.
We even tried to convince some of the more reluctant ones to briefly forsake their beachside chaise lounge for some fine grain aquatic adventure. The ocean seemed to beckon once again but we resisted its siren call and marvelled at how time had polished it all to tropical perfection — the gold scimitar of the beach glowing under a sinking sun, the elusive fragrance of a rain-washed breeze. This is truly a paradise without the proverbial serpent.
Fact file
Mauritius lies to the south of the equator and off the east coast of Africa. It is a year-round playground but the peak tourist season extends from October to March.
Air Mauritius and Air India operate regular flights between India (Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai) and Mauritius on a code share basis.
The island has a range of hotels from five-star deluxe to more affordable options which are located in the more developed north, east and west of the island. However, if you seek unspoilt tranquillity, the south offers glimpses of Mauritius as it used to be and this is where Le Telfair Golf and Spa Resort is located. Email: salesindia@indigohotels.com
For more information, contact Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority Tel: (011) 23319804 Email: mtpaindia@tracrep.com
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
