Endless Summer

52 SUNNY DESTINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD SUMMER, SAND AND SUNSHINE; WALKING BAREFOOT, THE MURMUR OF THE SEA IN YOUR EARS, CLOUDLESS SKIES, A LIGHTHEARTED MOOD AND FEEL-GOOD TEMPERATURES. IF ONLY IT COULD ALWAYS BE LIKE THAT! NOT A PROBLEM: ALL YEAR ROUND OUR PLANET OFFERS SUNNY DREAM DESTINATIONS WHICH PROMISE ENDLESS SUMMER - IDYLLIC BEACHES, EXCITING TOWNS AND CITIES, AND SUPERB LANDSCAPES INCLUDED. THIS BOOK WILL GUIDE YOU TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE DESTINATIONS, INTRODUCE YOU TO THEIR ATTRACTIONS, TELL YOU THE BEST TIME TO TRAVEL, RECOMMEND HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS, AND WHISK YOU AWAY TO PLACES WHERE THE LONG SUMMER DAYS NEVER SEEM TO END.

ENDLESS 52 SUNNY DESTINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

SUMMER

ENDLESS SUMMER

ENDLESS

SUMMER 52 SUNNY DESTINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

25 GBP | 35 USD ISBN 978-3-95504-938-6

9 783955 049676

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Sun, sea and sand - whether it’s in the Mediterranean or the Tropics - there’s just the right little corner of paradise on this Earth for every single sun-seeker.

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With its legendary white sand beaches, picturesque coves and spectacular marine life, Southern Thailand truly is an island paradise.

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The sea is not only a place to enjoy sunbathing, it also entices you to take part in sporty challenges.

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With his motionless gaze, this heron on the tiny island of Vilamendhoo in the Ari atoll in the Maldives looks like he’s simply a part of this environment, which absolutely radiates tranquility.

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PLACE NAME

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PLACE NAME

#45

MAURITIUS

THE TROPICAL ISLAND OF MAURITIUS IS AROUND 900 KILOMETRES / 560 MILES EAST OF MADAGASCAR. ITS REMOTE SITUATION MAKES IT A DREAM DESTINATION FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEKING DISTANT AND EXOTIC COUNTRIES. THE SCENERY IN MAURITIUS IS CHARACTERISED BY TOWERING CONICAL AND POINTED ROCK FORMATIONS. THESE ALTERNATE WITH WIDE PLAINS WHERE SUGARCANE IS CULTIVATED. THE COASTLINE IS SHIELDED FROM THE OPEN OCEAN BY A CORAL REEF WHICH ALMOST COMPLETELY SURROUNDS THE ISLAND. THE LAGOONS ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR ABUNDANCE OF FISH AND ARE A FAVOURITE AREA FOR DIVERS AND SNORKELERS. LUXURY RESORTS HAVE BEEN BUILT BY THE IDYLLIC PALM-LINED BEACHES WITH THEIR FINE SAND. PEOPLE IN MAURITIUS ARE WARM, HOSPITABLE AND OUTWARD-LOOKING.

PORT LOUIS

Above: If you have only

x

ever heard about the

Port Louis, named after the French King Louis XV, was developed in 1735 under French rule as the main harbour and administrative centre of Mauritius. The city is used as a port of call for shipping traffic between Europe and Asia, but the port’s importance declined after the Suez canal was opened. With its rich cultural offerings and colourful markets, Port Louis provides a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the effervescent “Mauritian way of life”. It’s not the tourist attractions which make a stroll through the city so rewarding, but the motley mixture of peoples, the hustle and bustle, and in particular the friendliness of the Mauritians. Port Louis is the hottest place on the island because it is shielded from the refreshing southwest wind by three mountain ridges. Despite that, it’s definitely worth a visit to witness the contrast between the modern skyscrapers and the historic buildings that all have their place in the city.

idyllic beaches of Mauritius, you’ll be surprised how rugged the island is - visitors will find jungle-like forests, high plateaus, waterfalls and jagged mountain ridges.

Facing page: Covered with tropical vegetation, le Morne mountain rises to a height of 500 m / 1,640 ft above the Indian Ocean in the southwest of Mauritius. It is a monument to slavery and a symbol for the struggle for freedom fought by escaped slaves.

BLUE PENNY MUSEUM Visitors to Mauritius can hardly avoid this when they make their whistle-stop visits. Specimens of the blue and red Mauritius Post Office Stamps, probably the most valuable and famous stamps in the world, are kept here. x

CUREPIPE

Curepipe is in the interior of the island, around 30 kilometres / 19 miles to the south of Port Louis; it is the highest city in Mauritius. Visitors here can find opportunities for shopping in its pleasant climate. Its architectural high point is the villa-style Town Hall. The point of interest in terms of geology is the enormous crater of Trou aux Cerfs in the centre of the town of Curepipe. The circular hole measures around 200 metres / 656 feet in diameter. It is a reminder of the fact that Mauritius owes its formation to the explosive power of volcanoes. The ascent to the crater edge reveals a wonderful, panoramic view over Curepipe, its mountainous surrounding area and the picturesque volcanic cones of Trois Mamelles.

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MAURITIUS

WHAT THE METEOROLOGISTS SAY

JANUARY

8 hrs

30°C / 86°F 27°C / 81°F

FEBRUARY

7 hrs

30°C / 86°F 27°C / 81°F

MARCH

7 hrs

30°C / 86°F 28°C / 82°F

APRIL

7 hrs

28°C / 82°F 27°C / 81°F

MAY

6 hrs

27°C / 81°F 26°C / 79°F

JUNE

6 hrs

25°C / 77°F 25°C / 77°F 24°C / 75°F 24°C / 75°F

JULY

5 hrs

AUGUST

6 hrs

24°C / 75°F 23°C / 82°F

SEPTEMBER

7 hrs

25°C / 77°F 23°C / 82°F 26°C / 79°F 24°C / 75°F

OCTOBER

8 hrs

NOVEMBER

9 hrs

28°C / 82°F 25°C / 77°F

DECEMBER

8 hrs

29°C / 84°F 26°C / 79°F

Top: The island capital,

Brightly coloured

Left: The sumptuous

Port Louis, is filled with

umbrellas provide shade

displays at the vegetable

colourful houses and is in

in Umbrella Street, near

market in Port Louis are a

a beautiful setting. Above:

the Port Louis marina.

feast for all the senses.

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MAURITIUS

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BLACK RIVER GORGES NATIONAL PARK

The Black River Gorges National Park is just a stone’s throwaway from Curepipe - about 10 kilometres / 6 miles further to the south. Created in 1994, this reserve includes a large proportion of the virgin forest which has still survived on Mauritius. Visitors here will see lovely landscapes and some unique plants and birds. It’s a source of particular pride that captive breeding and returning to the wild have enabled the endangered populations of the Mauritius kestrel, the endemic pink pigeon and the Mauritius parakeet to recover. The park is threaded through with a total of 50 kilometres / 31 miles of footpaths. It lies at an altitude of between 300 and 800 metres / 10,590 and 28,252 feet, and rainfall of up to 4,000 millimetres / 157 inches is recorded each year. x

BRAS D'EAU NATIONAL PARK

The name Bras d'Eau comes from the arm-like shape of the river course which traverses this nature reserve.

The park also includes the Mare Sarcelle Reserve and has been a protected area since 2011. Numerous species of plants and animals are endemic to this predominantly wooded area. Exotic trees such as mahogany, eucalyptus, tecoma, monkey puzzle tree and araucaria grow here. The fauna includes birds such as the woodhen, kestrel, flycatcher and the Mauritius grey white-eye, as well as primates and wild boars. The latter are known locally as brown pigs. A number of walls loom up in the park; they are, among other things, the over 200-year-old ruins of a former sugar factory including its lime kiln. Numerous marked footpaths lead through the reserve from the visitor centre. Some picnic places have been created for holidaymakers. x

LE MORNE BRABANT

Jutting out into the sea at the southwest corner of Mauritius is le Morne Brabant, a peninsula crowned with a basalt monolith which is 550 metres / 1,804 feet high and covers an area of 12 hectares / 30 acres.

The caves at the summit of this almost inaccessible mountain served as hiding places for escaped slaves until the abolition of slavery by the British colonial power in 1835. Nowadays, le Morne Brabant forms the backdrop for a modern holiday paradise. Resort complexes and hotels have sprung up along the level coastal strip around the mountain, which is between 50 and 300 metres / 164 and 984 feet wide.

An idyllic, fine, white sand beach beckons you to sunbathe here, the snorkelling on the reef off the coast is wonderful, and swimming in the glass-clear, shallow water of the lagoon is also fun for children. x

PAMPLEMOUSSE BOTANICAL GARDENS

If you travel to the north of Mauritius you will come upon the Pamplemousse Botanical Gardens, which cover an area of about 37 hectares / 91 acres. They were laid out in 1736 and are not just the oldest botanical gardens in the southern hemisphere; they are also among the most beautiful in the whole world.

Here, alongside intensely scented spices and a sea of richly coloured flowers, you can also spot sausage trees (Kigelia) with their strange sausage-like fruits, and about 80 species of palm. The particular highlights, however, are two special ponds; while the huge sea lily species Victoria amazonica grows in one, the other is filled with innumerable lotus flowers.

CHAMAREL WATERFALLS Torrential waterfalls and a pink lunar landscape: two remarkable things to amaze visitors to the small village of Chamarel in the southwest of Mauritius. The twin waterfalls of Chamarel are the highest in the island, with a drop of over 90 metres / 295 feet. Some-

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GOING OUT Amari // This restaurant, part of a luxury hotel complex, ranks among the best on the island. The chefs prepare the food to the highest standards and dishes arrive as small works of art on a plate. // www.luxresorts.com At Linda’s Place // Guests at this small restaurant enjoy Creole cooking in bright, creative surroundings. The owner here cooks everything herself, whipping up excellent fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. // www.at-lindas-place.com

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52 SUNNY DESTINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD SUMMER, SAND AND SUNSHINE; WALKING BAREFOOT, THE MURMUR OF THE SEA IN YOUR EARS, CLOUDLESS SKIES, A LIGHTHEARTED MOOD AND FEEL-GOOD TEMPERATURES. IF ONLY IT COULD ALWAYS BE LIKE THAT! NOT A PROBLEM: ALL YEAR ROUND OUR PLANET OFFERS SUNNY DREAM DESTINATIONS WHICH PROMISE ENDLESS SUMMER - IDYLLIC BEACHES, EXCITING TOWNS AND CITIES, AND SUPERB LANDSCAPES INCLUDED. THIS BOOK WILL GUIDE YOU TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE DESTINATIONS, INTRODUCE YOU TO THEIR ATTRACTIONS, TELL YOU THE BEST TIME TO TRAVEL, RECOMMEND HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS, AND WHISK YOU AWAY TO PLACES WHERE THE LONG SUMMER DAYS NEVER SEEM TO END.

ENDLESS 52 SUNNY DESTINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

SUMMER

ENDLESS SUMMER

ENDLESS

SUMMER 52 SUNNY DESTINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

25 GBP | 35 USD ISBN 978-3-95504-938-6

9 783955 049676

UM_Summertime_MB_var.indd Alle Seiten

03.03.20 12:26