Africa

[Visited: January-February 2018]

Of course, you can rent a car, join a tour, or even helicopter your way around Mauritius. This will enable you to see more in less time. But if you want to get in touch with the people and get a true feeling of the country, probably the best way to do so is to use the public buses. For starters, they are works of art, and it is fun just walking around a bus station, watching colourful buses arriving and parking, reading the texts painted on their sides, and admiring the images depicted, like planes, boats, women, but also fairy tale scenes, or the Titanic (making me wonder why the owner would like such a famously failed ship to decorate his bus, and the confidence he things this will give those traveling with him?).
Then there are the bus stops: often just a sign next to a road, but sometimes works of art, too. Waiting locals seem not to notice, but for the visitor, they are a colourful addition to the experience of traveling by bus. IF you are at a bigger bus station, apart from admiring the paintings at the bus stops, you have to ask around where to take your bus from. Sometimes, it seems there is a schedule, sometimes, it feels buses leave whenever the driver so decides. On the main island, there are sometimes faster buses, but also ones that stop almost everywhere, even taking big detours to depose of passengers and/or pick up others. One thing is for sure: you never know exactly when you will arrive, but arrive you will: buses can bring you almost anywhere.
My first experience on a Mauritian bus was after arriving on Rodrigues. The taxi drivers were asking too much for the ride to Port Mathurin, and when I saw the old Bedford bus a little higher up on the hill, I went to ask. The driver was lying on a row of seats, got up when he saw me, and told me he would leave in half an hour. So we did - with only three passengers. I wondered why we had waited for so long, until we started passing schools. At one, there was a crowd of students trying to get on: the driver and the ticket seller both went outside, closed the door, and made sure the students would enter in an organized way. The experience alone made me realize it had been a good decision to take this bus. Many more rides would follow on Rodrigues and the main island, where the going sometimes was extremely slow. The very last bus took me to the airport on my way home.

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Mauritius buses (Mauritius)

Mauritius buses > Mauritius > Africa

[Visited: January-February 2018]

Around the World in 80 Clicks