Officially called the republic of Mauritius is an island nation which lies to the east of Madagascar. This place also has the cargados carajos and the Rodriguez and agalega islands.  This island is one of the Mascarene Islands.

The island was ruled first by the Dutch and then the French. After napoleon, the British took control of it. This place is a member of the African union, the South African development community. This place is also part of the La Francophone (French culture and French language related places).

The economy here is upper middle.

Creole, English and French are generally what are spoken.

About one million and three hundred thousand people here are of Indian origin. It has the distinct attribute of being the only African nation which has a majority practicing Hinduism even though, there are quite a significant population of Christian and Muslim religions.

Mauritius is the only place in the world which was home to the extinct dodo. The bird became extinct by the seventeen hundreds.

The climate here is tropical. The winter is dry due to the southeast trade winds.

The cyclones have devastating effects on the local flora and fauna, however these recover quite quickly.  There is an environment ministry which is responsible for keeping the island clean. This service is supposed to be very good in what it does, with the clean and spotless streets and environment here on the island.

If you see that there is something about the environment that is not being attended to, then there is a portal to register complaints online.

The best way to travel here is by taxi cabs and buses.

The transport systems are free of charge for children, older people and the disabled.  Even otherwise; the charge is quite less for a bus ride.

The island of Mauritius has been independent since the year 1968. It has been a European colony and has taken to the fine European culture. It is apparently called the mosaic of the Indian Ocean. . The places has many cultural influences from china, India, the rest of Africa, the continental and British. The place boasts large volcanic lakes and beaches. This place also has a very dramatic mountain range. The mountains here are known for their distinct formations and scenic landscapes. Most of the population here speaks Creole. . There are many hotels and resorts here. Although, these strictly adhere to the islands eco friendly behavior.  On the northward coast of the country lies the oberoi. The coast is comparatively quite less developed.  The hotels here are very state of the art although they are nothing too glitzy.  There are twenty acres of beautiful and lush land with an exquisite spa center. This place is known for its privacy and discreet hospitality services.

One of the most famous restaurants here is the spoon des lles. This place is one of the islands most cherished and most visited places.  This place usually hosts a lot of the saint geran hotel and spa is another fine and elegant hotels that lie around the same region as the spoon des lles.  This place is also famous for the chef alain ducasses restaurants which have opened all over this region and has now opened in the Europes as well. . The cuisine here is both French and Asian bringing out the most exquisite dishes and specials from the both these regions.

The best beaches over here are the public beaches, the locals usually come here very often to celebrate family occasions and catch up with their friends.  Even if you are staying at one of the famous luxury hotels which have their private beaches, for some reason there aren’t as good as the local public beaches.

Aswan ha a busy market atmosphere with a big tourist center. The city sued to be smaller but now it has been expanded. The city includes the previously separated community from the elephantine island.

Most of the Nubian settlement people who have settled here; do not even roof their houses, because there is almost no rainfall.

The city of Aswan used to be called swenet. This is a frontier town that was in the south of ancient Egypt.  Swenet got its name from the goddess that was patron to the city.  The name is also said to have been kept because it could be an Egyptian word and symbol for ‘trade’.

The place was also famous because navigation was possible from here to the delta without encountering any barriers from this location.

Egypt has many stone quarries.  The places are known for their quality and availability of the rock syenite.

Swenet was also important because it was a strategic location for the military to establish station and run operations from here. The local navy also kept a check and collected toll from the trade ships passing through this region.

In about the year three hundred and thirty, Alexandrias bishop got stationed here and this place became the Coptic diocese of syene. Many writers have mentioned this place in their writings like Herodotus, strabo, Ptolemy, pliny the elder. It is also mention in the scriptures of the bible in the book of Isaiah.

Aswan lying toward the south of Egypt. Almost at the Sudanese border. With serest on one side and islands that are beautifully covered in palm trees with great big boulders. All these give off a naturally beautiful sense of being and harmony in Aswan, the southern most town of Egypt.  Aswan used to be a very strategic trade location and it was very famous for its ivory, gold and slave trade throughout the years. . The souk here is amazing. It is filled with spices, perfumes, and produce.  After Cairo’s, this is Egypt’s most active market places even today.

The town of Aswan has been well known to tourists especially during the winters.  People here are quite laid back. And being laid back and the sightseeing tradition of the place go well hand in hand. Get yourself into one of the many tradition feluccas and go sailing. It is also preferable to go sailing downstream to Luxor.

It doesn’t matter what else you do; however you have to book into the old cataract hotel at Aswan. This is where Agatha Christie visited and she was she captivated and inspired that she write her book, death on the Nile, right here. Later on when the movie adaptation was made, the cataract hotel is present in many scenes throughout the movie and a lot of filming had been done with the hotel as well. The hotel gives off a very Edwardian feel which very calmly and stylishly blends into oriental elegance.  It was this that got aga khan the third to get completely mesmerized about this place. He made this place his honeymoon destination and he also visited back quite regularly. In fact, before he died he chose to be buried in this place as well. And so it was. Aga khans body lies in the in the mausoleum here and his tomb is one of the most visited sites here in the city.  You may as well go on and book any of the many suites in the hotel. However, if you are looking for some drama and history then make sure you book into one of the special suites.

Gather Christies quite has a small balcony from where she would watch the sunset and then go back to a small writing room whenever she would wish to write down her thoughts and her novel.  Also there is a suite of thousand and one nights, in which Winston Churchill spends a lot of time. If you could manage getting the Winston Churchill suite then you would probably want to live there for one thousand and one nights as well.

The Aswan high dam reservoir is an artificial hill which has a dome structure.

This monument was built for the pharaoh Ramesses and his wife queen Nefertari. After the victory at the battle of Kadesh, the pharaoh built this temple as a temple to himself and also to intimidate his enemies.

The construction of the temple was started in 1244 BCE and took about twenty years. This place was the temple of Ramesses who is beloved by Amun.

This is one amongst the six other rocks built temples during the reign of emperor Ramesses.

These temples have a side agenda of impressing the southern neighboring countries and to enforce Egyptian religion around the country of Egypt.

The temple was dedicated to Amun, Ra- horakhty and ptah and of course it was dedicated to Ramesses himself.

The entrance of the temples has about twenty two carved baboons that flank the entrance. Baboons were carved as they were believed to be worshippers of the sun.

The statue that lies to the left of the entrance of the temple was damaged during the earthquake that took place here. Although the lower part of the statue is fully in tact.

The temple has about twenty meter statues of the pharaoh with a double crown of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt

The temple of Abu Simbel has great historical value. Pharaoh Ramesses the second ordered for the very colossal sun temple of Abu Simbel to be carved into the side of a cliff.  The exterior side of the temple has a huge monument of the pharaoh and the interior of the temple is also built in Grande style. This work took approximately about thirty six years to complete. A UNESCO operation that was carried out in the nineteen sixties reformed and remaintained this and another two temples. Also these temples were facing the danger of being submerged and hence a dam was built to save them from being submerged entirely. The cost of the project was about forty million dollars and it involved relocated the temples entirely and placing them on elevated grounds. The temples were built in such a way that the first rays of the sun travel about one hundred and eighty feet deep into the temples sanctuary and the sun rays falls on the tombs of the pharos and the statues of him and his gods.

The temple is engineered in such a way that the semi annual phenomenon that takes place on February the twenty second and October twenty second. These two days were believed to be Ramesses birth and coronation dates respectively.

Lake Nasser is the largest man made lake in the world. This came to be because of the UNESCO dam project.  The M.S Eugene was the first cruise ship to bring its wealthy passengers to this land after it lost its fame through the years.  A lot of cruise ships head north on the Nile from Aswan to Luxor , however these are some cruises available that sail towards the south all the way to lake Nasser. Hence when this place is visited, the tourists here have the privacy of the entire place to themselves as they are very little people around.

The place has lovely patches of desert that gives you spectacle of moonlight once the sun sets. The long and beautifully dotted shores have the lakes temples on them and the environment here is just amazing. The pyramids located here are scenic and have strong cool winds that blow around the area most of the time. The steam boat Eugene which came here first was named after the French empress who opened the Suez Canal in eighteen sixty-nine. The empress had a suite reserved on the ship which was the designated imperial suite and it was about six times the size of the average cabin.

Eritrea lies to the north and Kenya to the south. Sudan lies to the west of the country and Somalia lies to the east.

Also the country is the second oldest country which is and official Christian nation after Armenia. Ethiopia was never colonized which is one unique thing about this country compared to most African countries although it was under Italian military occupation for a period of five years.

The country is quite historical. In fact its name was Abyssinia.  Which is Turkish; for land of the habesha people.

The climate here is a tropical monsoon with lots of variation. Even thought it is close o the equator, the climate is cooler than most other countries with the similar attribute. The reason being, most of the major cities in the country are much higher than sea level.

In fact the local capital of Addis Ababa is located at the foot of a hill range that is home to  Mount Entoto.

If you want to get around, buses are quite common here. There is a comprehensive system and cheap busses that you can quite commonly used here.

One remarkable attribute of Ethiopia is that like many other African countries, namely; Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. All these have national parks and wildlife reserves.

Ethiopia is also a country with many national parks and wildlife reserves and conserves.

Lets us check out the Ethiopian safari

The safari starts out from the front of the traveler frontier right into the deepest sections of the south of Ethiopia.

If you are traveling to this place by road, then you can head south along the Rif valley lakes and the omo basin which is to the south of the road.  And then once you come closer to the north side of the jade sea the place is right there.

You will find many nomadic tribes, the river and basin of omo. The most spectacular thing about these lakes is the largest crocodiles in the world are found here in this lake.

A lot of historians, ancient researchers, naturalists and scientist come here to Ethiopia and usually visit the north.

Although the south western region of the country is a famous place for pilgrimage.

On the safari you will get to see amazing scenery, sparkling lakes, a verity of plant and animal life. Also here you will find a blend of many cultures.

Malawi was first colonized by he British .when it got its independence in the nineteen sixties; it became a single party state. Amongst the densely populated countries , Malazi is the last developed. There is a lot of rural population and the economy is based primarily on agriculture. The people of the region used to be hunter-gatherers.

The climate here is quite hot; especially in the low lying area of the country. However the northern highlands have a temperate climate. Between Novembers an April, there are rains and thunderstorms and March faces severe thunderstorms.

Malawi has two listed UNESCO world heritage sites. These are the Malawi national park and the Chongoni rock art area.

Clusters of one hundred and twenty seven different places in the granite hills in Malawi’s central plateau. Carbon dating shows the theses rocks that have been carved and painted on are very old.  It has been found that the people who were responsible for these amazing rock arts are mostly people from the hunter-gatherer culture.

One is the Chewa ethnic group in the Malawi region who has ancestry going back all the way till the Iron Age. It is believed that this group is also responsible for some of the art works.

And the group has been continuing the tradition to paint on the rocks even now. In fact, their paintings are very closely tied to their festivals and their rituals.  Generally, rock art is not something that is found amongst agricultural folks.  There is also an observation that most of these paintings are created with symbols about women.

The strong persistence of its rich culture and tradition has been depicted in these paintings. The dense and extensive collection of rock art is mainly showed depicting women’s initiation rights, funeral rights were also shown in the paintings. Apart from these there were paintings about agriculture and farming that were depicted on the rocks.

Apparently the Nyau secret society is close associate with this structure and promotes the strong association that lies between the rock art and the lives they lead, the traditions they follow and the rituals that they perform.

A strong part of Malawi culture is its dances and their national event called the national dance troupe. The government was quite proactive in the formation of this organization.

These dances and rituals are performed at initiation rituals, marriage ceremonies and other such similar celebrations.

Basketball and soccer are famous in Malawi.

The local tribes of the region are known for their mask carving and basket making industries. These attributes are prevalent in today amongst the native tribes. Along with these, wood carving and oil paintings are also popular at these places.

The government is making the country very tourist friendly and there will be a variety of things to do once you’re here…

Because of these sites, the city of Luxor has become very popular amongst tourists.

Luxor used to be the ancient city of Thebes in Egypt. The city was said to have been blessed by Amon -Ra. Also called ‘city of the scepter’ and ‘the shrine’. Thebes was known as ‘the city of hundred gates’ and ’southern Heliopolis’. This was the main venue for the worship of the sun God Ra. Luxor, Memphis and Heliopolis were the three distinguished cities in Egypt at this time. The earlier town as it consistently grew in its social status, art, religious and political supremacy. Later on the city became the military and political capital of ancient Egypt.

Later on the city of Thebes lost its political and military importance in the region. It was succeeded in its role by Alexandria.

Even though the city went through all this loss of power, it still maintained being the religious capital of Egypt. Thebes as a city had a main God called Amon. As Thebes grew in in Egypt, Amon grew as well; linked to the Sun God Ra, and they thus created a new deity celled ‘Amon-Ra’ also called king of Gods.

The city receives almost no rainfall. In summers you might want to keep away as the temperatures go as high as fifty degrees Celsius. To go from the east bank of the river to the west bank, you will find many ferries and be sure to try out the motorboat known for their speedy crossings of the bank.

He east side of the bank is quite spread out, so you may have to use transport. There are many bus routes available that take you most of everywhere in the region. The specialty local transport here is horsed carriages called ‘caleches’. These even provide citywide tours.

Taxi cabs are also widely available. The standard taxis are new and well air conditioned. So if you are looking for a fairly comforting ride, don’t hesitate to stop a cab.

Let us look at the things that you can do on the west bank:

Luxor temple

Karnak temple

Luxor museum

Mummification museum

Now let us look at the things that we can do on the east side:

Valley of kings

Valley of queens

Medinat Habu

The Ramesseum

Tombs of the nobles

Malkat

Colossi of Memnon

So come to Luxor and experience life in one of the most important cities of ancient Egypt

Let us find out a little more about the picturesque city of Tunis.

The famous ancient city of ‘Carthage’ is easily accessible from Tunis. Tunis is world famous for its Souq where you get authentic products and provides you with the most hassle free experience in all of north Africa. The city of Tunis is divided into two parts. One is the old city of Medina and the new city or ville nouvelle. Moving around in Tunis is easy because of its well developed metro system. And the main hub for changing your metro train is the very center of the city which is the Place De la Republique. You can also avail of the many taxi cabs that are driving around in the city.

Let us take a look at things that you could do while you are here in the city.

Bardo Museum

The museum is essentially the palace; of the thirteenth century Ottoman ruler, Bey. The museum is known for its Roman mosaics. It also has many showpieces from Carthage, Sousse, Mahdia and also Roman-Arab artifacts.

Cathedral of St. Vincent DE Paul

This is one of the oldest monumental buildings from Tunis’s colonial era.

Zitouna mosque

This is the largest mosque in the whole of Tunisia. The mosque is as old as the eighth century. Through the years however, additions have been made to the mosque.

Bab el Bahr

The gate was constructed in eighteen fifty and till today stands strong. This is built as the ‘gate to the sea’.

Take a walk

Tunis is full of ancient buildings, mosques and gates. Get acquainted with the local people and enjoy the local culture.

Also there are operas, ballets and other dramas going on the Municipal theater in Tunis.

Belvedere park is the largest park in Tunis which has a museum of modern art and has a zoo as well.

The Souq in Tunis is just outrageous, here you can find oils, spices, perfumes, locally made furniture amongst other things. Halfaouine is a cheap food market that sells traditional food

If you are looking for places to go eat;

Try Abid where you can get a superb meal of meat and macaroni for very cheap

Also try Restaurante Les Etoile which is cheap food joint where you get good Kouskous and salads.

Drinks are available at places like

Le Boef sur Le Toit

‘Beef on the roof’ is an awesome place for food, drinks, music and dance.

Bar Jamaica

This place is famous amongst the tourists.

So, whether you are here en-route to somewhere else, or your here to spend some time in the city, Tunis has everything you could need to make your stay more than memorable.

Mozambique is a beautiful county in south east Africa. This place was first discovered by Vasco Da Gama and later colonized by Portugal. In about 1975, Mozambique got its independence. Mozambique has a tropical climate so if it would be a good idea to go there anytime between April and September. The country has many lovely beaches with amazing coral reefs.

Let us look at Pemba which is a beautiful port town in the capital of the Cabo Delgado province which lies in the north of Mozambique. The town is filled with banks, Patisserie, restaurants and supermarkets and lots of everyday- type fun things to do !

The town stands out mostly because of its Portuguese architecture with lovely structures and lush green gardens. Ibo island is famous for its white sandy beaches and rich corral reefs.. if you are into diving then there is no better place than here.

Apart from the many water sports, Pemba has amazing marine life, so when you go snorkeling you are going to have the time of your life. You can even swim with the dolphins. The best place for scuba diving is Nacole Jardim. This place has guides and good facilities for scuba diving.

The local market here is called the Souq. At the Souq, you will find a lot of traditional articles .You can also buy locally made art, handcrafted goods and a locally specialized array of silverware. Although you should avoid buying ivory from the markets here as it is illegal to do so !

Once you are done with your shopping and sight seeing, then visit the Wimbe Beach where you will find a wide variety of restaurants serving you lovely seafood dishes both local and continental. Which means that if you feel like fish and chips then you would have no problem getting it. If you are on for the after party then head out to ‘Restaurante Discoteca’; which is on the same beach. This place is on of the most hep clubs around. If you are in the mood for some serious meat then head to restaurant 556, bite into some delicious ribs, steaks and the many chicken delicacies.

Let us look at a few places that you could check into, in Pemba.

Complexo Turistico Caracol

Its is a tourist living complex on the Pemba beach.

Lono Lodge
This is an exclusive beach resort in the north of Pemba.

Pemba Beach hotel

This place offers you a variety of rooms which come well furnished with an awesome view of the Indian ocean.

Now that you know what to do once you are in Pemba, plan that trip you have been waiting for, take your family and friends to the lovely Mozambique.

This strange phenomenon is actually a Richat structure (a prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert that resembles; most conspicuously; a bulls eye). It is all the more noticeable as the remaining expanse of desert is rather featureless. This structure was formed due to symmetrical uplifting of ‘underlying geology’. Hence, due to the thousands of years of erosion, this is visible now. However, this explanation is not accepted all over by the scientific community, as they believe that this Richat structure could also have been formed with a meteor impact.

Due to its significantly noticeable location and its wondrous shape, it has attracted attention since the earliest space missions. The eye has a diameter of about fifty kilometers (almost thirty miles)and its distinct bulls eye shape makes it very distinguishable. Six hundred million years old Paleozoic quartzite rocks in concentric bands; make the onion shaped formation. The white part of the eyes is a plateau made of sedimentary rock which stands about 200 meters above the desert surface.

The Richat structure fits as the iris and lies in a comfortable depression. The peak of the outer rim is almost five hundred meters above sea level. In the center, rocks that are resistant to weathering and erosion; form ridges that go up to hundred meters in height. The nonresistant rocks make the valleys. These features alternate and at the same time are concentric.

So how the circular formation came to be still remains a mystery.

If you are the type of person who like natures in her obscure and the bizarre form, then the ‘Eye of Africa’ is what you should be checking out. The structure has a gigantic appeal to it and seems more alive than just a Richat structure by itself ! For its- one in the world shape and geological importance. This Richat structure at the end of the day is what helps bring back our astronauts home !!

The city has always been known for having a high profile tourist clientèle. This is because the tourist destination are serene and lovely and offer an experience that is available nowhere else on the planet.

The city has a rich history associated with it. When the colonists first arrived in Mauritius, then entered through this city. There are places in the city which are said to be exactly alike what the city was during the medieval times.

The city is rich is flora and fauna and you can even get a specialized tour in the Airgetta birds sanctuary. Fishing is big here in Mauritius and fishermen usually make their catch on an everyday basis.

Historical weapons and other such artifacts and remains from the colonial battles are found here in the naval museum in the city. Hotels and resorts are in the plenty here in the city. You can get a decent house in the middle of a garden in the Le Preskil beach resort. The resort stands in the middle of a tropical garden.

You will find most of what you ever need at the hotels like Air conditioned guest-houses to swimming pools.

Languages spoken here are Creole, French and English. The climate here in the Mauritius is tropical. Warm and dry winters start in May and last till about November. The summer spans from November till May.

Be sure to not litter in Mauritius as the local environmental police have the authority to arrest or fine you or both! Moving around in Mauritius is easy because of the inland public transport system. You will find a healthy amount of taxis cabs and buses to take you around.

The Mauritius cuisine is a blend of Chinese, Creole, Indian and European influence. After the Dutch introduced the people here to sugar cane, the French then introduced them to the concept of making rum out of sugar cane. The production of rum from sugar cane here has been an ongoing tradition.

Phoenix brewery on the island; produced beer. The Portuguese were the ones who discovered the dodo in Mauritius. After that the dodo has only been found here until it became extinct. According to a theory, the wild boars that were set free killed most of the already threatened dodo. The dodo is also incorporated into the coat of arms.

There is a lot of water sport activities here because of the lovely beaches and the many tourists who visit the place. The island is surrounded with coral reef and calm waters. Deep sea fishing, surfing, skiing, cruising in a yacht and unbelievable but true- you can also go cruising in a submarine.

So come and experience beautiful beaches and warm climates here in Mahebourg and the rest of Mauritius.