Coming from Rodriguez and feeling a bit uneasy being at anchor so close to the reef, we thought it would feel good to be at a “dock” for a bit when we arrived in Mauritius….that was not the case (LOL)!
Customs Wharf
Remember, even though we had just come from Rodriguez Island (who is also a part of the Mauritius Republic but have their own autonomy), we are required to duplicate the process here as well. On June 17th, after a very restful night at anchor just outside the Port Louis harbor (you are not allowed to come into the inner harbor at night), we woke up early to motor to the “customs wharf” to clear into Mauritius. Don’t forget to hail the Port Louis port control on CH 16 for permission to enter the harbor. They really like to know that you are coming in : )
Our quick 10 minute motor to the customs wharf 
Coming into port after being out at sea is always a strange feeling: Both of excitement and stress of the unknown!
Street view of the customs concrete wharf 
Be careful of the fountain and little white buoys when on approach 
We docked in front of Neptune’s Highway (in photo) but was told we had to move back because the fountains water supply line was just beneath us. If you have a deep draft boat, dock near the floating restaurant. We draft only 5.5 feet and saw 8 feet of depth here. Neptune’s Highway draws 7.4 feet and they had no issues.
The customs wharf is not really a dock and has no bollards or cleats to tie your boat off. Thankfully Bruce on Neptune’s Highway had time to catch our lines as we “squeezed” in front of them and could pull us into the concrete wall close enough so that we could jump off and tie our lines to the handrail.
Looking aft… 
Side view…. 
Looking forward… 
Fenders are both high and low in case there is wake in the harbor from the other boats.
We had read an account of a cruiser years ago who experienced major damage to their vessel being tied up here due to wake produced by the Coast Guard maneuvering around the harbor. The wake lifts the boat and hits the side creating the rails to possibly smash into the concrete wall. Thankfully there was little traffic during our 1 hour clearance.
Just a thought: Our friends on Ruby Ruby decided to actually anchor just outside the fountain and take their dinghy to land to clear in and out….smart cookies! Just be careful of a “rock” that is just SE of the wharf….We believe we saw a yellow marker where it was reported to be but for cautionary steps, we kept left/port when we approached the concrete customs wharf.
Looking at the Customs House which is right around the corner from the Customs Wharf 
Coast Guard is on one side…. 
Customs is on the other…. 
Took just a few minutes to complete paperwork and sign a book, but had to wait for the immigration officer to arrive from the office in town to stamp our passports…easy peasy!
Le Caudan Marina
After a quick late breakfast at the restaurant right at the customs wharf, we called Parvez, the Le Caudan marina manager, to see if there was space at the marina just a few minutes away. Parvez confirmed the depth was enough for Neptune’s Highway 2.1 meter draft and he came to catch our lines at the wharf. Trevor did an AMAZING job getting us off the customs wharf and in between the fountain and the white buoys… I often get too stressed out to be of any help!!!!
Quick trip to the marina, remeber to stay close to the customs wharf when exiting to avoid the “rock” 
It’s a small marina and when it’s full, boats need to raft up. But did we mention there is free power and water use? We paid about $23 USD per night. 
The boat traffic is REAL as this is the main port for all the shipping so the Coast Guard is in/out of the harbor all the time…and the wake they create (LOL)! 
Concrete wharfs don’t rise/fall with the tides so you have to have enough slack in your lines to accommodate the 1.5 m tidal swing. Be sure to have fenders both high and low and becareful that they can’t get caught under the huge concrete lip 
Parvez is AWESOME!!! He has lived here all his life, has 2-3 kids (can’t remember now) but has over 100 birds he cares for….no joke we saw photos on his phone : ) 
Parvez is incredibly responsive and understands cruisers needs and concerns. He takes pride in his work and is so accomodating he ever did our laundry for us when the laundry guy was not in just to make sure we got it back before we left port…what a guy! 
Slow Flight tied up…. and look at the view!
We stayed at the Le Caudan marina for just over a week when we first arrived and experienced the “Disney Land” environment the Caudan Waterfront brought us.
Even the buildings give you a “castle” and a “happily ever after” feeling 
I wish I would of photographed ALL the workers! Every morning, cleaned uniformed workers would sweep and mop the streets/sidewalks, water and trim the grounds, and even patch the pavement?! As I said…it’s like Disney Land! 
White tiled walkways lined with museums, craft shops, resturants/food courts, duty free shops, clothing stores, jewlery stores, and fancy hotels…. 
even a casino?! We didn’t go in..thank goodness 
Everyday there would be bus loads of tourists to shop around and grab a bite to eat. On the weekends and evenings the place was full of locals enjoying a night out as a couple or with their family. 
The Caudan Waterfront spans many blocks in front of the city Port Louis but is right downtown so an easy walk to more ‘local’ environment. 
At night, we were told not to go “outside” the waterfront for our safety. We of course consider the warning but like any city, it’s about being street smart. We went out a few times after dark but we were in a group and found the streets to be quite empty and no one bothered us a bit. 
Date night! There is a cinema at the waterfront and Trevor splurged for a movie….do you see the reclining chairs, pillows, and a blanket…. 
…they even served a beverage and your choice of sweet or salty popcorn?! I didn’t want to leave…. 
The Caudan waterfront is a mecca for festivals and events…for obvious reasons…there was a music festival the first weekend we were there. Here is a photo of a local dance troop practicing their moves right in front of the boat.
Being at Le Caudan marina meant we had a score of people literally a foot away from our boat all day long. This was a good and bad thing in our opinion: We met some incredible people here but we also had an incredible lack of privacy. Here are a few photos of me taking pictures of people taking ‘selfies’ of themselves by/on the boat. The below collage of photos are literally from a 24 hour period…I could of taken a hundred more during our total stay at this marina!
On the other hand…we met some pretty cool people…one to mention is Ritvik Neerbun, a local TV journalist and producer at Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). He just came by and asked if he could interview us. It took a bit to of energy and effort to connect us but eventually we met and chatted about our travels, how we decided to go, and the fun and challenges we have been through. Of course we are not versed for public speaking let alone on a tape (no video…it’s harder to explain things without a visual reference) but it was fun anyways! He did mention there would be a lot of editing (LOL)! He was a huge resource and he clearly knew a lot of people. We were in touch until we left but unfortunately we didn’t have the chance to share an “adult beverage” with him as we wanted to…. we will for sure keep in touch with him to see how his up and coming projects are going.
Thank you Rivik for all your time and energy with us..it was such a pleasure and an honor to of met you!
A Proper city….
However, at the marina we are right in the middle of the town and a short walk through underground tunnels get us to the city….fresh market (this includes fresh meat and fish!) and the “real” flavor of Mauritius.
Think Trevor is watching his step with all that distraction above?!!! …Bwhahaha! 
Through the tunnel we go….
It’s a striking contrast on the “other side” of the tunnel….one we are more accustom to….
Striking contrast to the white tiled walkways at the Waterfront…the sidewalks in town are mostly cobblestone. 
All around town were guardrails 
Main highway through the city…we were told it can take people up to an hour to drive to work in town and the traffic is horrific during rush hour. 
Old buildings selling new technology 
The main grocery store in town about a 10-15 minutes walk from the boat 
Lots of food vendors…We were told this place was the best. Trevor in line for a quick snack of Dholl Puri…. 
a curry in a flat pancake….delicious! 
The main gate to the fresh market. We were told there are many pickpockets at the market targeting tourist. We never had a problem. 
Trevor always went to the same “tomato man”…it seemed as if each stall had their own specific product they would sell. 
Fresh herbs and greens of all kinds! 
The market had a “meat and fish” area….I didn’t have the stomach to go in but couldn’t get by the delivery truck! Trevor tells me there was every type of meat you could imagine….and every part of every meat as well….nothing goes to waste! 
On the streets, there were little tables set up selling fresh stuff too. 
Another smaller market was near the bus station, less tourist and more rustic…same veggies and fruits! 
Ethnicity and religion are closely related. The major religion is Hindu from the India and the French/Creole are mostly Catholic/Christian. There is a growing Muslim community here and we were told they are seeking more influence and power in the government currently. 
A large central park where people..and dogs… just hang out 
There seemed to be a small ‘market’ style shopping area along the park selling more clothing and toy items…. 
Windmill museum… 
China town was Trevor’s favorite, he could wonder the streets and stores to look for stuff…a game of “needle in a haystack”…but it kept him busy and off the boat for hours (LOL)! 
Scooters were not as popular as we expected….cars are they way to get around here on the island. 
The new look….Telecom is king! 
A guy just chilling in the window 
We saw these huge vats on our walk to the industrial area to check out the boat yard….Thank goodness Alcohol is listed first (Hahaha) 
These style of buildings were everywhere in Port Louis 
Relics of the colonial days…. 
We haven’t seen this style of roof before…any guesses where the influence comes from? I have no idea… 
I absolutely love this photo!
We have to end this blog post with a few fun outings we had and shared with our small fleet that came from Rodriguez: SV C. Coquin (Claude and Louise), SV Neptune’s Highway (Bruce and Laura).
Found a proper Korean Restaurant that got great reviews… 
so I made everyone go with us…I even made sure Claude had a go at tasting kimchi (LOL)! 
There was even a Korean food stall in the Caudan waterfront food court!
Happy hours!!!….you get the point : )
Up next….Taylor Smith Boatyard: A cruisers paradise for boat work and parts in the Indian Ocean!
Hi Kimmy! Nice to catch you up!
Hope to meet you again soon!
Isabelle and François from Geronimo
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