Only 420€ per week!
Culture Week
Le Morne - Mauritius
Culture Week
Le Morne - Mauritius
Visit this mesmerizing location and immerse in the culture of Mauritius!
The Culture Week is designed especially for you to get a clear understanding about the culture of Mauritius, find out the do's and don'ts during your stay while visiting several beautiful locations in La Goulette where the projects will be held! This week would come in handy for you to prepare yourself for the big adventures coming your way in this country.
Program
Living
Le Morne
Mauritius
Program Description
The best way to embrace Mauritius where you will get familiar with the culture and people. During this week we will explain the dos and don’ts regarding safety and transport. After the formalities, this is a wonderful way to make new friends and learn a little more about their country. Dig a little deeper and see what you can discover, learn local language and cooking, and get to know you about your projects.
Le Morne represents one of the most significant global commemorations to the memory of the slave resistance at the Slave Monument. Not only does the region evidence a rich and remarkable oral history but in 2008 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site precisely for this remarkable role. Take a hike on Le Morne Trail wherein the higher you climb the more spectacular the view. A drive to Chamarel where you will see the mysterious seven coloured earth site coupled with a drive through the Black River Gorge National Park and catch a glimpse at the unique flora & fauna. The week consists of five days of activities to introduce you to the culture and surroundings, and also for you to interact with the fellow participants.
Aims & Objectives
To introduce you to the diverse geographical and cultural environment of Mauritius by fostering a deeper understanding of cultural similarities and differences through experiential learning in Mauritius and to help you develop awareness and deeper understanding of culture.
Schedule
Monday
Your week in Mauritius will start with the introduction to the House Rules, Do’s and Don’ts including an informative session on fascinating Mauritian History and Culture on Monday morning. After lunch, find yourself feeling relaxed in the impressive Le Morne Public Beach admiring nature’s beauty and posing for some cheesy photographs.
Tuesday
After breakfast take a local bus to grab this moment to explore the town Quatre-Bornes popularly known as La Ville des Fleurs (The City of Flowers). Discover the shopping centre with restaurants, food, supermarket, Banks, money exchange and a lot of shops selling textiles and accessory brands at competitive rates. This shopping centre especially is famous among youths for a meetup. After lunch in Quatre-Bornes, you will take a bus to Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius known for its French colonial architecture and the 19th-century Champ de Mars horse-racing track.
Wednesday
Time to get closer with nature to be soothed and healed. After Breakfast, you will leave for hiking to Le Morne Trail. 60% of hiking is easier and the rest 40% requires some challenging effort leaving your shoes dirty.
After 3 hours of hike, complete the rest of your day by relaxing into Tamarin public beach in the afternoon to create some fond memories and enjoy the evening with a sea breeze.
Thursday
After Breakfast, leave for Chamarel- home of the Chamarel Waterfall, seven coloured earth and the most beautiful views over the Indian ocean. You will have the best time of your trip to Chamarel- Waterfall, one of the highest and best in Mauritius. Get ready to get thrilled by the wonder of Mauritius, Seven Colored Earth- sand dunes packed in a strange rainbow of colours. After that, you will drive through Black River Gorge National Park to Ganga Talao.
Friday
Experience the Mauritian Cooking lesson in the morning and spend the afternoon at the exotic seaside town Flic-en-Flac beach where you can feel old dutch vibes and take part in some crazy water activities or simply relax at one of the longest sandy beaches in Mauritius.
Note: This schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.
Participant Criteria & Requirements
Standard Requirements
Minimum age: –
Maximum age: –
Minimum English level: Basic
CRB required: On Signup
Passport copy required: On Signup
Resume copy required: No
Required qualification: None
Additional Requirements
For participants below 18, parental consent is required and for participants above 65, medical clearance is required.
Additional Equipment
No specific equipment necessary.
Location
The location is perfect, sitting along a beautiful stretch of coastline, on the Southwest coast of Mauritius, only a two hour drive from the International Airport.
Turquoise clear water, powder white sand, palm trees and a huge mountain behind it. Do you already have an imagination of what this will look like? It will be even better when you are here with forest trails, hikes leading to an incredible panorama very real.
Le Morne represents one of the most significant global commemorations to the memory of the slave resistance. Not only does the region evidence a rich and remarkable oral history but in 2008 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site precisely for this remarkable role.
About the Accommodation
Participants will stay at our centre which is located in the Le Morne area, yet can vary depending on the project. All participants are expected to be environmentally responsible and to use all resources with restraint, especially water, paper and electricity. You will be expected to clean up after yourself, and to play your part to keep the accommodation neat and tidy. There are refrigerators at the accommodation for participant’s convenience. Bathrooms have hot water facilities and all rooms have wall-fans to cool off.
Food Arrangements
Breakfast is western style and lunch and dinner would be a mix of western and typical Creole style food.
Facilities
ATMs, supermarkets, and medical facilities are available within 5km radius from the accommodation.
Activities & Events
No scheduled activities outside the program.
Sights & Surroundings
- Le Morne Brabant trail
- Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth
- Black River George National Park
- Chamarel Waterfalls
Transportation
From this location we do not provide free transport to other locations.
Quick Facts
Name: Republic of Mauritius
Population: 1,348,242 (July 2016)
Capital: Port Louis
Language: Mauritian Creole, Bhojpuri, French, English
Currency: Mauritian Rupee (MUR)
Time zone: MUT (UTC+4)
Country Information
The beautiful island Mauritius is a famous tropical travel destination lying in the Indian Ocean, about 2000 km away from the southeast coast of the African continent. The country was known by different names throughout the past as it was visited by a number of nations from time to time. And it was only in the year 1638 that the country was inhabited after the establishment of a colony by the Dutch republic. And later, in 1710 the Dutch colony was abandoned and then became a French colony five years later giving the island the name “Isle de France”. The country became a republic in the year 1992 under the commonwealth nations and currently, it is the 3rd most attractive tourist destination in the region due to its breathtakingly gorgeous beaches and the tropical forests. And in addition to this, the country owns the world’s third-largest coral reef which surrounds the island as well.
Climate
The country is blessed with a tropical climate with two seasons which consists of warm humid summer from November to April and a comparatively cool winter from June to September. Hence there are a number of very rare plants and animals that are extremely unique to the island with great biodiversity. The country is relatively a younger island which was formed as a result of volcanic activity around 8 million years ago.
Culture
This is the only country in this region that has Hinduism as the main religion with around 60% of the population. And apart from that Christianity, Islam and Buddhism are also practised in the country in addition to a small percentage of people who do not follow any religion. And as the country has diverse religious practices and the culture and ceremonies are highly influenced by the religions, there are a number of colorful festivals celebrated throughout the year.
Transportation
The country does not have a railway system but has a good public bus transportation service providing free rides for the students, senior citizens and disabled people since the year 2005.
By Bus
The country has a number of bus transportation companies and out of which the major ones are namely, the National Transportation Corporation, Mauritius Bus Transport, Rose Hill Transport, Triolot Bus Service, United Bus Service, Luna Transport and Perle De la Savanne in addition to a number of individual operators. Therefore the country has roughly around 900 bus stops under a considerably big network that consists of around 200 bus lines.
By Taxi
The availability of taxis in the country is commonly higher in the main cities than in the surrounding areas. And the taxis are very useful when you travel independently and all taxis have the “taxi” sign written on the top of the cars. And the taxis can be identified easily due to the yellow square box on the sides of the doors which indicates the route.
