The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority has put forth the initiative of a visit of some exotic sites of Mauritius from the 27th of November to the 1st of December last in a unique way: in vintage or collector cars! Some twenty French collectors could not resist this invitation and easily accepted to fly to Mauritius with their cars. Some Mauritian collectors also joined them for this trip.
Of course, Mauritius cannot be explored in three days only; there are so many amazing places to discover! However, some extraordinary sites have been targeted so as to give examples of the outstanding landscapes the island has to offer.
The French participants stayed at the Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa 5*, in the charming setting of Wolmar, Flic en Flac, in the West of the country.
The objectives of the Mauritius Classic Tour
Combining the pleasure of driving a vintage or collector car with the exploration of unmatched sites, the history and culture of Mauritius was the major aim of the Mauritius Classic Tour.
This initiative of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority was to organise a tourist road trip that would allow the visitors to take their time to behold the Mauritian landscapes. The idea was to enjoy the beautiful roads of the island while meeting those who share the passion of vintage and/or collector cars.
Unparalleled cars and drivers
Airlines usually are hesitant to carry cars. The Air Mauritius company has accepted the challenge, and so were some twenty drivers able to gaze at the sites of the tour, each one as scenic as the next.
Amongst the cars to behold, there was a Chevrolet Camaro, a Jaguar Type E, a Porsche 356 Spider 1959, a superb convertible black Riley 1936 – which has participated in some prestigious races before - a Ford Mustang Cabriolet, a Citroën Traction Avant and even a Maserati Ghibli Spider.
The ex-race pilot Stéphane de Grodt and the actor Raphaël Personnaz added to the prestige of the road trip with their presence. They were driving a Berlinette Alpine 1300 S and an Alpine A110 respectively.
Onto the discovery of some particularly well-known sites in Mauritius
Destinations in different parts of the island have been chosen for this trip, thus allowing French collectors to go through some of the most beautiful roads of the island.
Driving to the North, they were able to contemplate the magnificence of one of the most beautiful and oldest botanical gardens in the world, the SSR Botanic Garden, in Pamplemousses. They had the opportunity to visit the Château de Labourdonnais, a renowned historical feature in Mapou. They also spent some time in Cap Malheureux, thus named because of the several shipwrecks that occurred in its waters. Its red-roofed church radiate tranquility.
The tour also included a stop at the Chamarel waterfall, in the West of the island. A breathtaking landscape, adorned with green trees, but where the rock is also much visible. They will surely remember for long the geological wonder that the Seven Coloured Earth represents, farther from the waterfall.
Reaching the central plateau, the drivers went to Trou aux Cerfs, a crater 350 metres wide, which is inactive since 700,000 years. From the top of the site, one can have a panoramic view of the island. Lastly, in the South, going through Chamouny, the participants went to Grand Bassin, where one of the biggest Hindu temples on the island is found.
We sincerely hope that there will be another session following this very first one, as is being suggested by the road trip organisers. This will make the drivers of vintage cars and unique road trip lovers rejoice.