PatanRich's Excellent Adventure: Flik-en-Flaq: a fun Mauritian town on the west coast!

When we were researching where to stay on Mauritius, Flik-en-Flak (or Flik-en-Flaq) usually popped up as it seems to be party central in the summer! Luckily, we were there in the fall, so no crowds, but good music and good food. We stayed at the Klondike hotel, which is the hotel on the most north point of the bay. Perfect for sunsets! Although our hotel did not have a real beach, it was just a hundred yards down. But we did have an infinite pool, that looked over the Indian Ocean, right into the sunset!!!! We stayed in the bungalo's, which was so perfect! They are little apartments with a small kitchen, living room, comfortable bedroom, and a veranda for sitting and drinking coffee or other adult beverages! And the coolest thing: the bungalos are nestled in a grove of 200 year old trees! The entire "garden" area is beautifully maintained with tons of flowering plants. It was beautiful!!!!

One of our day trips from Flik-en-Flaq was with a group of Europeans to swim with the dolphins- literally! Pods of dolphins live in the bay area, so you go out and swim with them. We were a little late, so didn't get to "touch" them, but we saw them as they surfaced, and watched them swim below us while we watched with our snorkel gear! It was MAGIC! We also snorkeled in some of the most beautiful reef areas, picknicked on Ile Aux Benitiers (island of Benetiers). We also got to swim- and touch!- the tiny bit of Lie aux Crystal- a tiny coral island just a few meters in diameter- it is usually on every post card from the region! The weird thing about Lie Aux Benetiers- the catains parked the boat about 100 yards off the island- we jumped off the boat into knee high green water, and walked all the way to shore! It is that shallow!

Our second day trip from Flik-en-Flaq was into the interior of the island to visit the largest Hindu temple outside India-which includes gigantic statues of Shiva, the colored rock of Chamarel, the water falls, the highest point on the island, and the Black Gorge!

Our very cool infinite pool!

Rich and I at the highest point on Mauritius- of course, an ancient, dead volcano!

Me at the giant statue of Shiva

Rich receiving a Hindu Prayer after receiving the mark for health and prosperity

Me with Ganesha- note my Hindu mark for peace and prosperity

Hindu Monkey God Hanuman

Monkey! He lives by the statue of the Hindu Monkey God Hanuman

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman)

View from the hotel pool!

Sunset!

Long sandy beach- Flik-en-Flak is a really long beach!

the 200 year old trees- you can see our bungalow on the right. Next to the hotel property,
there was a huge grove of these great old trees!

the black gorge- it is a very forested canyon that runs through the south of the island

And when there is a gorge, there must be a waterfall!

The colored rock of Chamarel

Colored rock of Chamarel

In the past, there were many giant totoises on the island- they are extinct now, sadly.
But they are re-seeding the giant tortoise population from a neighboring island.