Things to do in Mahébourg
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Jean-Claude Farla
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Kong
Try Kong in the city centre.
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L'Ajoupa
L'Ajoupa is worth an honourable mention for its homey tree-lined garden hidden behind a scratched picket fence – the perfect place to catch up with friends for a drink and some poisson frit (fried fish).
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London Way
The modern London Way is on the main road heading towards Pointe d'Esny.
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Monday Market
Don't miss the 'foire de Mahébourg' held every Monday in central Mahébourg near the waterfront. The initial focus was silks and other textiles, but these days you'll find a roaring produce section, rows of tacky bric-a-brac and steaming food stalls. It's the perfect place to try some of the local snacks – gâteaux piments, dhal puris, samousa and chilli bites – usually dispensed from boxes on the backs of motorcycles. It doesn't take long to navigate the snaking rows of vendors, but it's well worth visiting if you found the market in Port Louis far too touristy.
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Pyramide
This hero of the street-food scene is located beside the Caltex petrol station at the market grounds. Delicious briani (a rice dish cooked in a steel pot with various eastern spices and meat or fish) and 'kebabs' (salad, meat and sauce on a toasted baguette) seem to emerge from the kitchen in factory proportions as fishermen and hawkers queue for a midday nibble.
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Saveurs de Shin
Locals are very excited about this recent addition to Mahébourg's dining line-up, namely due to the low prices and sizeable portions. Go for the chef's faves, like the canard laqué (duck), ke fan (roasted chicken with rice) or lap mee fan (smorgasbord of duck, chicken and prawns).
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Shyam
For the best dhal puri in town, look no further than Shyam (you can call him 'Sam'). He scoots around town scooping out flavourful snacks from an empty aquarium tank on the back of his motorbike. On Monday you'll find him at the market, and he always makes an appearance at the public schools when the students are set free from class in the afternoon. If you're desperate for dhal puri, just give him a ring and he'll come find you.
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Son of Kite
During the winter months when the winds are strong in the southeast, you can kitesurf in the bay with Son of Kite. A one-hour private lesson costs €75.
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Tabagi Bambous
Dark, dimly lit and usually dingy, tabagis (convenience stores) line the streets of every town and township in Mauritius – they're an essential part of the local lifestyle. If you have yet to visit one, the unusually popular Bambous is the perfect place to lose your tabagi virginity. Customers come to visit Amrita, the proprietor, who is constantly dishing out her signature rotis while Bollywood heroines clink their bejewelled costumes on the TV screen. Amrita herself is quite the anomaly – it's very rare for a woman to run her own business in the less-developed parts of the country.
reviewed
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Man Ramdhayan
Offers minibus tours of the island; prices start at around Rs400 per person. Book by phone (there's no office) and he'll come and pick you up at your hotel.
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Le Croissant de Lune
This charming German-run café is a great place for breakfast or a light lunch. It serves up delicious pastries cooked on the premises, pizza and very good sandwiches.
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Chick's Resto
OK it's not the Café de Flore, but Chick's with its outdoor tables is about the only place in town to kick back with a cold beer and shoot the breeze with the locals. Pizza and chicken is also available.
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Monte Carlo
This rather sorry place has seen better times and is in a fairly uninspiring location facing the bus station, but the food served up is perfectly good. It serves reliable Creole, Chinese and more pricey French cuisine.
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Chez Patrick
Patrick's is hugely popular with locals and tourists for its unpretentious atmosphere and authentic Creole cooking. The Phoenix beer banner out the front reads 'so delicious, so Mauritius' and we think the motto holds true for the restaurant, too.
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La Colombe
Disco lights, kitsch decor and smiling staff await you at this lively venue located on a side street set back from the promenade. House specials include venison, wild boar and a smattering of seafood. Things liven up a bit on Saturday, which is occasionally séga night.
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Chez Nous
On a windy bay between Mahébourg and Blue Bay, Chez Nous offers great views across the lagoon from its tables (all indoors due to the wind) and a dodgy selection of Athena posters on the wall (check out those adorable three-year-olds getting married…) The mainly seafood menu is good, with smoked marlin the speciality.
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Rault Biscuit Factory
In 1870 the Rault family started producing manioc biscuits at their little biscuit factory on the northern outskirts of Mahébourg. It has changed hardly a jot since. The crispy, square cookies are made almost entirely by hand using a secret recipe passed down from generation to generation and baked on hotplates over stoves fuelled with dried sugar-cane leaves. The short guided tour ends with a chance to sample the end result – with a nice cup of tea, of course. The factory is on the far side of the Cavendish Bridge; when you cross the bridge take a left and follow the signs.
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Notre Dame des Anges
The butter-coloured tower of Notre Dame des Anges church provides a focal point in Mahébourg. The original church was built in 1849, but it has been restored several times over the years, most recently in 1938. Take a quick peek inside at the baronial roof timbers. Local people visit throughout the day to make offerings to Père Laval, whose statue stands to your right immediately inside the door. It's worth a visit just for the priceless 'beware of children' sign outside.
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National History Museum
The colonial mansion housing this museum, just beyond central Mahébourg, used to belong to the Robillard family and played an important part in the island's history. It was here in 1810 that the injured commanders of the French and English fleets were taken for treatment after the Battle of Vieux Grand Port (the only naval battle in which the French got the upper hand over their British foes). The story of the victory is retold in the museum, along with salvaged items – cannons, grapeshot and the all-important wine bottles – from the British frigate Magicienne, which sank in the battle.
The museum contains some fascinating artefacts, including early maps of the island…
reviewed
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Les Copains d'Abord
Hands down the most popular dining option in town (and the only one that has any real sense of nightlife), Les Copains d'Abord occupies an enviable position along the seafront promenade on the south side of town. Tasty Mauritian dishes (think fresh seafood curry and flavourful rougaille saucisses), smart decor and frequent fits of live music will help you quickly forget that the menu is overpriced.
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