Mauritius: Go for white knuckles, not white beaches

Mauritius is known as honeymoon heaven. But, as Jonathan Thompson discovers, it also has plenty to offer the thrill-seeker

'Here on honeymoon?" asked the doctor as I stumbled into his surgery for an injection. An easy assumption to make on encountering a young English tourist in Mauritius, but in this case, mistaken. As I glanced back through the open door at my concerned companion sitting in the waiting room – a bearded photographer in his thirties – I thanked my lucky stars that there was more to Mauritius than its romantic reputation.

'Here on honeymoon?" asked the doctor as I stumbled into his surgery for an injection. An easy assumption to make on encountering a young English tourist in Mauritius, but in this case, mistaken. As I glanced back through the open door at my concerned companion sitting in the waiting room – a bearded photographer in his thirties – I thanked my lucky stars that there was more to Mauritius than its romantic reputation.

With its golden bays, tropical sunshine, coral reefs and turquoise lagoons, Mauritius has long been regarded as a lovers' paradise: a perfect destination for two weeks of relaxing on a palm-fringed beach, sipping a cocktail and soaking up the rays with your partner of choice. Tourists flock two-by-two from the airport after their 11 or 12-hour flights from western Europe, heading for Grand Baie, the Mauritian Riveria in the north of the island. The main road to their destination takes them comfortably around the rocky, mountainous interior of the volcanic island, and straight to the best beaches. Few give a second thought to the geographical heart of Mauritius, oblivious to its rugged beauty.

Now, however, one of the hotel chains on the island has decided to capitalise on this potential. To show tourists – whisper it – that a holiday in Mauritius can be more white-knuckle than white beaches.

The Beachcomber group, who own eight luxury hotels on the island, have launched a new "Sport and Nature" programme, based at their five-star Shandrani hotel in Blue Bay. And it was for this, rather than cocktail-quaffing and sun-worshipping, that I had travelled the 6,000 miles from London.

After the doctor had resolved my initial run-in with an undercooked mullet, I was ready for action. One of the most popular activities available is canyoning, a sport which can encompass anything from abseiling through waterfalls to leaping great heights into a series of mountain pools. In Mauritius, it appears, it means both. Our guide, Daniel Colen, a 30-year-old Mauritian, took us to Tamarind Falls in the south-west of the island: a series of eight waterfalls ranging from nine to 40 metres in height. Within 30 minutes of our arrival I was standing in a short-sleeved wetsuit and hard-hat at the top of the Falls, roped to the rock face and gazing in awe at the thundering panorama beneath my feet. Water cascaded over the steps of the gigantic stone staircase, all the way down to the topaz sea.

There wasn't long to admire the view. Following Daniel's instructions, I edged six feet over the slippery rocks to the mouth of the first waterfall. From here, struggling to gain my footing with a 35- metre chasm beneath me, my thoughts, unsurprisingly, turned to other matters – like fear.

"Keep going," shouted Daniel over the crashing waters as I faltered near the brim – and then I was bouncing against the cliff face, dangling on the rope. Regaining my composure, I began the descent, clumsily pushing myself off the rocks and down, swinging in and out of the waterfall, trying to keep my legs perpendicular to the wall (and experiencing the strange and magical sensation of walking on a rainbow in the process). At the end of the descent, after a 10-metre jump into the lagoon below, we floated on our backs, looking up at the sky, all thoughts of palm trees and cocktails flushed from our minds.

"It's a shame when tourists come so far from Europe and they don't realise that this kind of thing is here," said Daniel. "Visitors are beginning to discover the interior of Mauritius, which is fantastic. But there are still a lot of people who don't know anything about these places – even Mauritians."

That afternoon we were transported upriver to meet a small flotilla of canoes. We boarded them at a ford where rocks had been laid for local women to do their washing, and set off downstream in pairs, passing fishermen, houses and towns on our way, until we reached the lagoon and finally the choppy waters of the Indian Ocean itself.

There are a number of small islands off the coast of Blue Bay, protected by a natural wall of coral, which can be visited by canoe. Not least of these is Ile aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve where they are trying to reintroduce a number of native species, including the pink pigeon, a relative of Mauritius' most infamous and unfortunate previous inhabitant, the dodo.

A lot of activities are, of course, water-based. During the course of our visit we tried our hands at, among others, windsurfing, sailing, snorkelling and waterskiing. The latter in particular was surprisingly easy to pick up. Skittering across Grand Baie, with the sun beating down on my back, I even managed a few twists and turns before I lost my skis and ploughed head first into the sea.

For the more adventurous thrill-seeker, Mauritius offers excellent scuba-diving among its sheltered coral gardens. The Beachcomber programme was as flexible as it was rewarding. T'ai chi on the beach before breakfast was complemented by a mountain-biking trip along the coastline. Our ride took us through swaying sugar fields and small villages, but the island has all kinds of terrain – one coastal route even takes in a volcanic bridge. For the half-hearted, though, a bus can be organised to drop you off at a convenient starting point, or to pick you up at the wrong end of a long day in the saddle.

On another morning, "a short jungle walk" turned into a full-scale climbing session as we ascended Lion Mountain, which towers over Old Grand Port in the south. From the top, the view towards Blue Bay is spectacular, with the coral sea opening up like a patchwork quilt of greens and blues and the reef itself appearing clearly, like a sub-aquatic freeway. In the evenings, the programme offered a extensive and welcome range of massages; just the tonic to relieve the rigours of some of the more gruelling activities.

After a week of sport and nature I felt infinitely more stimulated and refreshed than I would have done had I spent my time lying on the beach reading a book. It is easy to see how the island has gained its reputation as a sun-drenched haven of romantic relaxation. However, beneath the surface, away from the lush palms, loungers and parasols, there is a new, more fulfilling pearl waiting to be discovered.

Maybe one day, I'll come back on my own honeymoon – but I'll still be packing my wetsuit and climbing boots.

The facts

Sportsactive travelled to Mauritius as guests of Beachcomber Hotels and Air Mauritius. They flew with Air Mauritius from London Heathrow and stayed at two Beachcomber properties: Shandrani and Le Mauricia.

In January 2002, a 12-night stay at Shandrani costs from £1,780 per person (inc flights, excluding Sport and Nature programme) based on two sharing a deluxe room on a half-board basis. The Sport and Nature programme is available at the Shandrani only.

In January 2002 a 12-night stay at Le Mauricia costs from £1,405 per person (inc flights) based on two sharing a sea-facing room on a half-board basis.

For further information, call Beachcomber Tours, 01483 533 008.