Modelled on paradise, according to Mark Twain, this island nation of beaches and sugar cane is closer to India than Africa in its culture and philosophy, with a name that conjures up all the exoticism of the Indian Ocean.

The island of Mauritius was formed by ancient volcanic eruptions, which created a surreal landscape of volcanic lakes, waterfalls and curiously eroded peaks, ringed by perfect beaches. In the south, the coastline is scarred by black lava flows, a marked contrast to the whispering white sand found elsewhere on the island.

The interior was once covered in tropical rain forest, but most of the jungles were cleared to provide space for sugar cane in the nineteenth century. The island has a classic Indian Ocean climate.

Wriggling your toes in the sand at the end of a tropical day is the definitive Mauritius experience. The island’s beaches are legendary, backed by wispy casuarinas, and dusted with cool, white sand. Inland are rolling sugar cane fields, interrupted by manmade pyramids of volcanic stone and tortured peaks drenched in green foliage. Offshore are coral reefs teeming with divers, snorkelers and iridescent fish.