Telfair Gardens

The rock that cries is a little further east along coast from Gris Gris and resembles a crying man. In fact it looks like the profile of Robert Edward Hart. Two pictures in the Robert Edward hart museum show the comparison in case you cant’t find the actual or black magic.

The countryside that surrounds Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort is both impressive and imposing. On the one side, the foothills of the Plaine Champagne mountain descend in a sheer drop of over 500 metres, while on the other side, the sheer vastness of the Indian Ocean stretches beyond the horizon.

Away from the coast and almost directly south of Grand Baie is the Cultural Centre and Nature Park: Domaine Les Pailles - Ouest - Port Louis / Moka, also known as the Royal Botanical Gardens. Pamplemousses stretches for four hectares and features plants from all over the world - wild bananas, camphor trees, clover and nutmeg trees from Manila and huge water lilies, known locally as 'flan tins' as well as a number of palms. There is also an art gallery and a cemetery.

Named after the Vicomte de Souillac, the island's French governor from 1779 to 1787, Souillac Like Mahebourg, is of little interest in itself. It is not particularly welcoming or helpful to visitors, probably because it is not used to getting them. Souillac seems a place that Mauritius likes to visit. Gris Gris and Robert Edward Hart’s house are popular school outings.

Robert Edward hart (1891-1954) was a renowned Mauritius poet, appreciated by the French and English alike. He wrote in French and translations of his poetry are hard to find. He lived out the last 13years of his life at Le Nef, a coral beach cottage about 500m east along the shore from the Souillac Bus Park. It was taken over by public in 1967 the bedroom and kitchens have been maintained. On display are copies and originals of Hart’s letters, plays, speeches and poetry, as well as his spectacles, pith helmet and fiddle.