Troux-aux-Biches, Mauritius

Did you know they had cots for infants on flights?! Did you know that said cot can hold up to 16kg?! I'd like to thank Air Austral for being the first airline to hook us up with one of them. We have been flying now for how long?! I knew there were cots, but we were made to feel as though the cots were only for small infants. Maybe they are on other airlines. If this is the case, they need to get their act together! Our flight was glorious!!! Van napped for 4 hours....in a cot!

We landed in the south of the island after sunset. So although we had a cross island trek, it was hampered by the fact that we couldn;t see anything. First impression are good though. Mauritius seems to be very clean and more on par with first world standards. We really didn't know what to expect considering it's an African nation.

Our Airbnb for the month is only a couple blocks back from one of the most beautiful beaches in Mauritius. It's got a great terrace and 3 bedrooms, so lots of space for us to get away from one another haha.

Our first day was spent watching the sunrise (3 hour time difference). Then we got a run in and headed out in search of breakfast. Just as things were looking bleak and the hanger was taking hold, we came across a motor bike serving up some daal puri....mmmmm. It hit the spot. We grabbed a taxi and hit up the grocery store to stock up. After a month and a half of eating out every meal, cooking at hame and having a fridge is a very welcomed affair.

The afternoon was lazy. Dinner, our first homemade dish in a while, was curry. Not to toot my own horn, but it was on point! Bedtime was early for everyone.

The next morning, another early one, after runs and breakfast, we took the boys to the beach. It's a bit rocky and littered with coral. It was the first time the boys and I touched the Indian Ocean.


Sunday was lazy. We ran, then dragged the boys to get a few groceries because the store closed at noon. Easter seems to be a non-issue here. The majority of the population is Hindu, but Sunday is still a quiet day with not much open come lunch. The boys fell asleep during the trip to the store, so that screwed up the rest of the day. We didn't get up to much after that. We threw Shrek on for the afternoon. Sundays were meant for being lazy (and football).


Monday I woke up feeling like a truck ran over me. I went back to bed.....for the whole day. Luke and Isa were troupers, they even took the boys out to the beach and made dinner (even though it was my night). By the evening I was starting to feel better, but it was back to bed early.

Tuesday I was back into the swing of things. Isa and I got our run in, the boys stayed entertained for the morning and napped in record time. Luke ducked out into town to check things out. Arch was up early, so Luke took him out to Mont Choisi beach (to the north of us). We are surrounded by beaches to the south and the north, all within less than 10 minutes walking distance. Once V woke up (an hour later) we treked out to the beach to find Luke and Arch. We had bought the boys some sand toys to give them on their birthday on Thursday, but they're going to be 2 and have no clue what a birthday is...so we broke them out at the beach today.

They shared with another little guy a year older. Mont Choisi beach is usually bopping with locals. The resort folk all go to the beach in Troux-aux-Biches because it's fancier.

Wednesday was another lazy day. We are starting to sleep in a bit longer than 5am, so sunrises are dwindling. Can't say I'm incredibly upset, but we still enjoy a nice cup of coffee on the balcony. There has been a lot of Netflix for the boys lately because the adults are worn out. We managed to gather up a few supplies for the boy's birthday tomorrow.

Thursday morning Archie was up first. We had a little banner up for them and some funny paper glasses. They each got a morning present (Peanut M&Ms) and we made a big breakfast. Throughout the day we talked to family on facetime and watched more Paw Patrole. For dinner we made pizza (their favorite) and brought out a fudge brownie pan (by mom) complete with candles and sang. Their faces just beamed as they listened to us singing and blew out their candles. It was really fun to watch.

Friday evening we decided to finally get our butts out to the beach for sunset, it did not disappoint. The boys had fun playing in the surf and searching for crabs with Luke or stomping Isa and my sandcastles.

The next few days, including my birthday, were a bit of a bust (at least for me). I was sick again. Maybe I hadn't rested enough with my previous bout of illness. Regardless, I was back to feeling like crap and couldn't even stomach a beer. The rest of the gang kept busy at the beach or going for walks while I hid away in my room. We also ran into a bit of drama when Arch decided to chug some Tylenol. We weren't entirely sure how much he took, but it was a questionable overdose so we had our first trip to the doctor on this trip. Our Airbnb host took us to a nearby paeds doc and we returned for some bloodwork later. In the end he survived unharmed.

We did manage to get our first diving excursion in. Lucky for us, our diving outfitter is across the street. We've signed up for at least 6 dives with them while we're here. The water was perfect. We dove a wreak and poison reef, where we got to see a ton of morae eels and some octopus.

Sunday we moved up to the top floor suite, once it's occupants had left. The views are 360 and spectacular. We get the sea and the mountains in the south.

Monday, I was feeling better and wanted to get out of the house, so we rented the car from our host and headed down to Port Louis in search of some street food. There must be something about Mondays in Port-Louis because we had a hard time finding anything. We managed to get a bowl of Halim (delicious soup, except for the beef hooves chunks that had hair).

The market was closed and we sauntered through Chinatown, but over 3/4s of it was closed as well. We took in the sights of the city, but left hungry and a bit underwhelmed.

We left a bit disappointed and decided to eat out in Trou-aux-Biches instead. It was a local joint and I had mines frites (fried noodles with seafood).

Tuesday we headed up to Cap Malheureux to explore the beaches in the north. We followed the tide out at the iconic Notre Dame Auxilliatrice. It was a beautiful setting.

After taking in the scenery, we headed out to the mall to grab a few groceries and souvenirs. We spent the rest of the day at home, relaxing on the rooftop.

Wednesday we drove to the most southern part of the island to see the sea at Gris-Gris. We made a pit stop in Trou-aux-cerfs for a "hike". Trou-aux-Cerfs is a dormant volcano with a well defined cone and crater. In truth, it was difficult to get a view because the area is 350m, fenced off and covered in brush. A road circles the crater and the community uses the site as a walking/running track. We "hiked" it.

When we got to Gris-Gris the weather was on the brink of storming the entire afternoon, we even saw a few sprinkles, but it didt't dampen the beauty of the violent sea. The currents in the area a renown accross the island. Vander fell asleep on the way down and we left him in the car (with the windows down and within sight). After taking in the sights (and photographing heavily), we got some delicious roti and gajak for lunch.

The ride back to Troux-aux-Biches was a long one. There aren't many highways, as you can imagine, in Mauritius and traffic gets quite congested around Port-Louis. It's a common complaint about the island.

We spent Thursday recuperating from our busy week. Enjoying the views from our rooftop and getting a run in. Two weeks down and roughly two more to go. Time is flying!!