Hunting

Your best chance of exploring these beautiful hills, some of which are crossed by inviting trails but almost free of roads, is to visit Domaine du Chasseur.

This private estate has rough 4WD tracks which double as walking tracks open to visitors. They offer magnificent views across forest and down to the coast.

This bird park, between Tamarin and the turn off down to Flic en Flac, is well landscaped and has good views across the Riviere du Rempart valley. As well as parrot, pheasant and rare pink pigeon, there are leopard, tiger, lemur, monkey and deer. One of the giant tortoises is 150 years old. The park is open every day from 9am to 5pm.

The best known representative of Mauritius birdlife was the dodo - a large, plump, flightless dove which found its docility rewarded with extinction in the late 17th century. Although the dodo has since become a stereotype for extinction, few people realise that Mauritius still posesses several incredibly rare bird species in minute numbers which are as doomed as the dodo if the present efforts at conservation cannot be sustained.

The road into Le Val is at Union Park Village, about halfway on the Mahebourg Curepipe road, Cluny village, the gateway to Le Val Nature Park in the valley of the Riviere des Creole, is about 7km down the road. Many of the amazing anthurium flowers are grown at Le Val in shade houses. There are also water fields full watercress, which, complements many Creole meals, and attemps at prawn farming. Other facilities include a small aquarium and a deer park. Le Val is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.There is a bus service from Curepipe to Rose Belle, via Cluny.

The Gymkhana Club at Vacoas has an 18-hole golf course (a legacy of colonial days), to which visitors are welcome by temporary membership. Clubs can be hired by arrangement with the caddy master and golf lessons are available. There is a nine-hole course designed by Gary Player alongside the lagoon at the St Geran Sun Hotel.

The Beachcomber hotels of Paradis, Shandrani and Trou aux Biches Village also have nine-hole courses. Use of the golf courses, and clubs, is free for holders of the hotels' privilege cards.