Mark Twain once said, "Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius." Traversing this amazingly diverse island adrift in the Indian Ocean, I can readily agree, Mauritius is a paradise. Rugged volcanic mountains, cascading waterfalls, tropical forests and stunningly beautiful beaches surrounded by coral lagoons all create a dreamscape of land and sea, heaven and Earth.
The red leaves of beach almond trees contrast with the dreamy aquamarine colours of the sea at the Coine de Mire off the north coast.
Dozens of islands, large and small, surround Mauritius's coastline.
The western side of the island faces away from the vastness of the Indian Ocean and towards the setting sun.
On any given day the ever changing sea creates a watercolour of blues, greens and indigos.
The bright colours of a Mauritian Ornate Day Gecko 'pop' from a drab wall.
A water lotus rises from a still pool in the Pamplemousse Botanic Gardens.
Afternoon light beckons visitors down the forested trails that crisscross Bras D'Eeu National Park.
The mountainous landscape of Le Morne Brabant, a hulking basalt mountain and world heritage site, looks like the landscape of another country.
Seemingly endless waterfalls tumble down the vertiginous canyons in Black River Gorge National Park.
Much of Mauritius's landscape today looks like this: sweeping sugar cane fields crisscrossed by dusty red roads punctuated by dramatic mountainous outcrops towering above the plain.