Things To Do in Balaclava

Glow-in-the-dark reef fish, shoals of butterfly fish and mushroom coral – on a glass bottom boat tour, you’ll see it all. Some trips venture as far as Blue Bay, over in the south-east. It’s a top fish-watching spot and counts skinny trumpet fish and turtles among its regulars. Glass bottom boat trips launch from most hotels in Balaclava.

The Le Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis hosts the king of Mauritian shopping malls. This place has the full monty of shops – tiny craft stores, high street favourites Mango and L’Occitane, and big names like Diesel and Polo Ralph Lauren. There’s also an al fresco food court, a casino and a cinema on hand. It’s all just a 20-minute drive from Balaclava.

The area’s beachfront hotels have the corner on fine dining, with fusion restaurants giving you a feel for local flavours. African, Indian, Chinese and French cuisine all make their mark on Mauritian dishes, so you could end up cracking open spiced lobster or slurping noodle curry. Fresh local ingredients are a given, too.

There’s a reason Diwali is known as the Festival of Light. Local Hindus light up everything they can get their mitts on – from candles and oil lamps to fairy lights and lanterns. It’s all done to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

Sega shows throw together Creole lyrics, rainbow costumes and a drum backing track. And the moves are simple – think foot-stomping, hand-clapping and loads of hip-shimmying. Dance troupes turn up at most hotels, so just check the entertainment schedule.

Creole lyrics, brightly-coloured costumes and a drum backing track are the mainstays of a Sega performance. This infectious dance involves an ever-increasing tempo of foot-stomping and hand-clapping that’s designed to get the audience on its feet. You’ll find these lively dance troupes on almost every hotel entertainment schedule – and they usually make the beach their stage.

There’s a Morse code pattern of beaches in Balaclava Bay. The smaller ones have a private vibe, thanks to their volcanic rock bookends and palm tree backdrop. Hotels usually stick to the longer beaches, where you can kick back on a lounger and sink cocktails in a sand-side bar.