If you’ve ever had the curiosity to look for pictures of Mauritius, one of the images that you probably have left on your retina is the ones of large water-spreading waterlilies leaves. Lots of leaves. These are found in the National Botanical Garden of Mauritius, which since 1988 has been called Sir Seewoosagur Botanic Garden (in honor of the one who led the island to independence) and which is one of the most visited sights of the island.
Although a botanical garden is not as spectacular as a zoological one, the 1 ½ – 2 hours spent at Pamplemousses will bring peace to your soul and fill your “green” spirit. The garden was opened almost 300 years ago, by François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, the French governor of the island, as private property, then becoming a center for horticultural research and, a little later, a public botanical garden.
Today it is populated with more than 650 species of plants, the “stars” including baobabs, the 85 types of palm trees, and giant water lilies, which I mentioned above. But I also admired many other plants, trees, and shrubs, sometimes feeling like the Ferdinand bull sniffing the flowers. Not to mention other quirks of nature, not sniffed but photographed, like the penile shrub.
And if you visit Mauritius, try to do these 11 fantastic family-friendly things!
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