Cheap Car Rental Mauritius

Discover the much raved about Mauritius in a rental car

“You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius", Mark Twain wrote in 1896, bowing to the beauty of this tropical Island. What the writer did to promote the island in his times, the movie The Blue Lagoon did almost 80 years later. Book your rental car in Mauritius today and see for yourself what makes this island so popular.

Today the paradise island is served by most major airlines and easy to reach. Many people are unaware, however, that the republic was only founded in 1992, and it had not gained independence from the British until 1968. Before the British the French had laid claim on the island, and before them the Dutch, who named it after their prince Maurits of Orange. The first European nation to discover Mauritius were the Portuguese in 1505, though the French probably left the greatest mark on the island; to this day the indigenous population speaks Morisyen, a Creole language.

Apart from being extremely photogenic and hospitable, the island is also surrounded by coral riffs waiting to be explored by scuba divers. The weather allows this almost all year round, though storms and rain may occur from November to May. Touristic sites are spread all over the island, but since the island’s circumference ranges at only 200 miles they are easy to get to by rental car.

Blue Penny Museum and the Pamplemousses Gardens

Two of the major sites are the Blue Penny Museum and the Pamplemousses Gardens.

The Blue Penny Museum is located in the Le Caudan Waterfront shopping mall on the bay of Port Louis, the capital. The Museum owns one of only four unused Blue Mauritius stamps in the world, as well as one of the two existing unused Red Mauritius stamps. Both are displayed for only 10 minutes every hour in order to protect them from the light; for the rest of the time the display contains replica of the world’s most famous stamps.

The Pamplemousses Gardens (the official name is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden) are located in the north of the island, just 5 miles north-east of Port Louis, an easy trip in your rental car. They were named after the first prime minister of the country and are the oldest botanical gardens in the southern hemisphere. Mahé de Labourdonnais, a Frenchman, bought the 90 acres of land in 1735, installed a watering system and started growing spices and other plants. In 1913 the ministry for agriculture took over the gardens and has taken good care of them. Giant Amazon water lilies, over 3 ft. wide, are the pride of the gardens. Another highlight is the talipot palm tree, over 65 ft. high, that is only carries blossoms once during its long life. The talipot is on the list of endangered species and the Pamplemousses Gardens are one of the few places where it still exists. A rental car on this incredible island is a must if you want to make sure you don't miss a thing on your vacation.