Hilton Mauritius: Reunion When Frangipani Blooms (A Mauritius Dream a Decade in the Making)

Prologue: Recording real travel experiences, letting life be filled with fond memories. After lying dormant for years, I've recently mustered the courage to continue this travelogue. Waking up, merely to rekindle a pursuit and stubborn love for beauty, to pick up my baggage and continue the most beautiful journey of life...

That month, I yearned endlessly, just to glimpse your beauty.

That day, my heart fluttered, just to touch your skin.

That night, I tossed and turned, just to listen to your waves.

Because of you, legendary scenery, you captured my longing soul,

Just like a beauty in turbulent times, shattering my fifty-year-old heart.

That September, I again forged an indissoluble bond with the Indian Ocean. Mauritius, the most beautiful land in Africa, the birthplace of rainbows, the place where frangipani bloom. Here the land assumes a thousand postures, here the beaches are embraced by coral reefs. A country blanketed with dense sugar cane fields, a nation exuding the intoxicating aroma of rum—it truly obsessed my thoughts and stirred my heart. It is said to be a place that God himself covets, a land of countless legends and romances. Drawn by Mauritius' rich original beauty and its captivating stories, I set that year's annual overseas trip destination firmly on Mauritius.

Endless busyness is the perpetual excuse of the procrastinator. Life rushes by, time slips away. Enjoying life needs no excuse. Mauritius, let's go...

Ctrip free & easy package: Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa, half board (breakfast and dinner), self-drive! It had to be self-drive!

Mauritius is a country where both English and French are official languages. Cramming English? No time. Learning French? I only know 'bonjour'—a wry smile is still a smile, haha. Better to gather some friends online to travel together. After some maneuvering on several social platforms, I actually found two beauties, Lyn and Da Dayu. Fortunately, Lyn's English was at a mentor level, so this trip was destined to be free of language barriers.

A must-know for Mauritius travel: the Q Mauritius Travel Mutual Aid group; I got my car rental service through this group. It was founded by a Chinese brother, Brother Pang, who runs a restaurant in Mauritius. His place is in Grand Baie. Craving lobster? Find Brother Pang. Two packs of Double Happiness cigarettes for a jin of lobster, the cheapest kind will do. If you want to dine at his place, get your cigarettes ready at the airport before departure. Here's a photo: this woman is Mrs. Pang, with a charming smile. (Note: this is definitely not a deliberate plug; I didn't even have time to actually visit the restaurant, but many thumbs-ups, purely my personal impression.) Seeing such a huge lobster, tell me, folks, weren't you a bit shocked? Many years have passed—have wrinkles crept onto Mrs. Pang's face?

Carry with you: air ticket, passport, Mauritius hotel confirmation, cash and bank cards, camera and other valuables. Print out an entry health card and carry it along, so you don't end up flustered. My wife shouted, 'Where's my universal power adapter?' After a quick search, it was lying quietly in the bag—hadn't forgotten it! And don't forget snorkeling gear, you must bring it. If you also bring an underwater camera, you'll definitely thank yourself! You can rent one on Taobao, cheap and good, great value!

Rumor had it that Google Maps wasn't great for navigation, so I promptly bought a Sygic navigation app and an offline Mauritius map pack on Taobao and installed them on my phone. Later I learned that actually Google was good enough, and from then on I could forget Sygic, letting it slide into the dust of the world.

Entry health card: just fill it out basically accurately; avoid making any fundamental mistakes.

The biggest shock of flying the A380 was the incredibly long queue—a line stretching over a hundred meters, absolutely stunning to everybody.

Mauritius Scenic Self-Drive Tour officially begins:

Arrived in Mauritius at dusk local time. A little kid with a pacifier, adorably amazed countless tourists.

Complimentary items from the hotel: a men's T-shirt and a ladies' scarf, so-so quality, with a Hilton logo on the chest of the T-shirt—just keep it as a souvenir. On the table, in a khaki paper box, was a complimentary bottle of rum, distilled from sugar cane, a Mauritius specialty, worth bringing home. Welcome drinks from the hotel, one per person, fair to all, a Mauritius specialty, absolutely delicious. More than a year after returning home, every time I see this photo, my mouth waters and I murmur to myself. Oh, and there were complimentary pastries, desserts; my memory is fuzzy—surely that's not the pastries' fault.

About the hotel impression, it naturally calls for a vivid description. From the Herb Garden to Sanwei Study—oops, wrong, actually it went like this:

Mauritius self-drive destinations:

1. La Vanille Crocodile Park. Activities: crocodiles from around the world, giant tortoises, insectarium, and other animals. Time needed: 2 hours. Entrance fee: Monday to Friday, adults 350 rupees, children under 12, 200 rupees; Saturday and Sunday, adults 200 rupees, children under 12, 90 rupees.

2. Casela Bird Park. Activities: walk with lions, safari vehicle drive to see wild beasts. Time needed: one day. Entrance fee: 775 rupees. Note: self-drive parking is free, free, free! Buy on-site tickets for park activities. The park is too large and has too many activities to list.

Watching the animals' lazy manner, I thought humans are really foolish—why must we wrangle with the world until we're exhausted and stressed?

3. Church at Cap Malheureux. Activities: visit the red-roofed church (entry free), sea viewing at the Northern Three Islets, snorkeling and deep-sea diving to admire the underwater scenery. Time needed: half a day to one day. If you ask why a whole day, go experience it yourself and you'll understand. 'Malheureux' in French actually means 'unfortunate'—there must be a story here! Now I finally understand why you're called the Cape of Misfortune. The prayers in the church have been blessing you all along; may the confessions in the church wash away life's many original sins.

4. Île aux Cerfs. Activities: underwater sea walk, parasailing, skydiving, catamaran. This is where Mauritius' tourism activities are most abundant. I didn't go—regret No. 1. Not that I lost my mind; I thought I'd definitely visit Mauritius more than once in this life. Now I realize I was wrong, it's already etched in stone, so I'll just tuck this regret into my heart.

5. Blue Bay. No entrance fee. Boat fee about 150 rupees per person—bargain yourself, some overcharge. Activity: snorkeling. Here lies an incredibly beautiful underwater world. I love all the dreamy blues that forever intoxicate me. I remember on the title page of my university graduation album, my favorite color was blue. Only now do I suddenly understand that my love has been so consistent, so focused, so stubborn. I must be someone easily affected; lost in this dreamy blue, my mind became drunk and completely lost. I think such loss should only be intoxication, without a trace of regret. Blue Bay is a pool of clear blue, tucked into a bay embraced by dense forest in southern Mauritius, stretching to the distant line of whitecaps. The whole bay is calm blue, seductive, intoxicatingly blue, shallow blue without depth, no ostentation, no artifice, no pretension. She simply and quietly waits for all tourists to come and love her. Hospitable Blue Bay, for every visitor who comes because of her name, it is and must be: once you have her, you desire nothing else! Three women, each struggled in the water for less than ten seconds before all scrambled back onto the boat in succession. Yet I admire their courage—they weren't put off by the terrified looks of the earlier snorkelers in the water. That shows how powerfully the underwater beauty tempted them. It reminds me: if every guy had an absolute ace up his sleeve, finding a girlfriend would be as easy as blowing dust. On a seaside trip, if a guy can swim and dive, and he brings his girlfriend along, isn't his heart secretly pleased? After a fervent 'love' of just two or three hours, I had to leave you. But how could I bear to part! How could I bear to leave your affectionate embrace and your quiet tenderness! Blue Bay's beauty is incomparable. This is my feeling, born from the clash between Blue Bay's calm and my inner surging. So, tell me, what is your feeling?

6. Trou aux Cerfs. Regret No. 2.

7. Tamarin Bay. The vicissitudes of time, the sculpting of waves—history's changes are engraved on the stones. Regret No. 3.

8. Black River. No entrance fee. Because of that famous movie (Avatar), actually only the most bored people go here—and I was one of them. A vast, dense forest that's impossible to enter, only a terrifying mystery straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster.

9. Central Plateau. Standing on Mauritius' highest highland, I gazed far to the west, where lies the African continent exuding primal beauty. So I reached out, wanting to shake hands with that place which nourishes lush grass and where paradise's animals roam free. I closed my eyes and distinctly felt a warmth in my hand. I knew it was the fervor from the continent, grasping my heart tightly! The rainbow on the horizon was clear and brilliant; in this African island nation free from PM2.5 worries, every breath of air feels cleansed—this is what makes Mauritius the birthplace of rainbows, a title well-deserved and living up to expectations. Only a sight that makes a beautiful woman gasp is truly beautiful scenery, just as only a handsome guy who makes a beauty's heart flutter is truly handsome. The most beautiful rainbow must belong to Mauritius.

10. Grand Bassin (Bassin Lake). To be honest, not much to see—not every place makes people drool.

11. Chamarel Colored Earth & Waterfalls. On the way, buy rum at the distillery. Time needed: 2 hours. Entrance fee: adults 200 rupees, children 175 rupees.

12. Botanical Garden... leaving more regrets, No. 4. Not sure if it's willfulness, and at my age you'd think I wouldn't be so capricious. Couldn't find more reasons; anyway, I didn't go.

13. Le Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis. It's the shopping hub of Port Louis, gathering all kinds of shops where you can buy clothing, skincare, and locally flavored souvenirs. There's a L'Occitane store here, relatively cheap, but the best deal is postcards—write them out and there's a post box nearby, very convenient. In the center square, a canopy made of colorful umbrellas is a famous spot; many tourists take photos there. You can buy some handicrafts as souvenirs, but bargain fiercely. Regret No. 5. After you've seen all the starry rivers of the human world, perhaps you'll find things dull, so there may as well be more regrets, No. xxx.

14. Super U supermarket in Grand Baie. Activity: shopping. This is a mass-market supermarket for local Mauritians, with everything available and strong local character, prices lower than the airport—worth considering. Even though I don't know if Mauritius has as many shady merchants as back home, shopping at a supermarket where you enjoy the same treatment as ordinary local citizens is an excellent plan to treasure your hard-earned money.

The last of these scenes are deeply etched in my heart, but the fragments of memory can no longer be stitched together. So, let's throw them into a hearty stew:

After stewing Mauritius, let's stew Dubai a bit, letting the world of the tycoons rinse our leisurely nerves, reminding ourselves to keep striving once we get home:

After all is said and done, if you have love, don't hide it in your heart. Step truly into the most beautiful world, and you'll embrace love in your arms. In this world, there is the most beautiful scenery, forever serene and peaceful. In this world, there are the most beautiful women, always evoking boundless admiration. In this world, there are a thousand kinds of lingering affection; every seasonal breeze blows, spreading love. Who planted this poison of longing, making me reminisce forever after I left? I wish to reunite a thousand years hence, to renew our intimate whispers! When I return after a millennium of slumber, will you still be as enchantingly beautiful? For a thousand years, have you been waiting eagerly for my return!—This seed of eternal yearning. Please let frangipani bloom in every corner of my life...