Hello, I am Valerie, from Mauritius

I was born in Mauritius and I am an artist. I paint the island: its lagoons, its mountains, its markets and its festivals. Friends from abroad always ask me the same questions before they visit, so I decided to write the answers down. That is how Dodo Guide began.

This guide is for travellers who want more than a hotel and a beach: where to eat dholl puri, which coast to pick in July, which island trip is worth it, how to join a festival with respect.

I only recommend places and tours I would suggest to my own family. When I am not sure about a detail, I check it or say so.

How this site is funded

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you book a hotel, tour or car through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep the guide free and independent. Affiliate disclosure

Photo credits

Thank you to the photographers who share their work for free. Photos listed below are used under the Pexels or Unsplash licence, or a Creative Commons licence from Wikimedia Commons (linked next to each one); all other images are placeholders or our own. Photos captioned "Photo: Dodo Guide" are our own, all rights reserved.

• Aerial view of a mountain peninsula ringed by a turquoise lagoon and reefPhoto by Dominik Ruhl on Pexels
• Aerial view of boats in a turquoise lagoon off a beach in MauritiusPhoto by Jose Deguelle on Pexels
• Palm trees and parasols on a white sand beachPhoto by Michał Sołowiej on Pexels
• Palm tree on a beach with a boat moored offshorePhoto by Michał Sołowiej on Pexels
• Colourful scarves hanging on a line under beach sheltersPhoto by Michał Sołowiej on Pexels
• White sand beach with palm trees and loungers in Mauritius · Palm trees and loungers on a white sand beach in the north of MauritiusPhoto by Justine Becker on Pexels
• People walking on Flic en Flac beach at sunset, mountains on the horizon · Flic en Flac beach at sunset, mountains on the horizonPhoto by Damini Gokool on Pexels
• Boats moored below the cliffs of Le Morne Brabant · Boats on the lagoon below the cliffs of Le Morne BrabantPhoto by Tim & Martin Klement on Pexels
• Beach with palm trees and straw parasols in Mauritius · Palm trees and straw parasols on a beach on the east coastPhoto by Alina Dmytrenko on Pexels
• Sunny beach and green islet at Blue Bay, MauritiusPhoto by Jyoti Pur on Pexels
• Clear shallow water at Blue Bay, MauritiusPhoto by Jyoti Pur on Pexels
• Seven Coloured Earth at ChamarelPhoto by Vincent Rivaud on Pexels
• Tropical beach with clear blue waterPhoto by Vincent Rivaud on Pexels
• Tropical beach with fine sand and treesPhoto by Vincent Rivaud on Pexels
• Aerial view of Le Morne Brabant and its lagoon, MauritiusPhoto by Vincent Rivaud on Pexels
• Lagoon and sandy shore with a pointed mountain behindPhoto by Zak H on Pexels
• Mountains above a lagoon in MauritiusPhoto by Zak H on Pexels
• Aerial view of coral reefs in clear turquoise waterPhoto by Anastasiya Rud on Pexels
• Aerial view of the Le Morne Brabant coastline, MauritiusPhoto by Anastasiya Rud on Pexels
• Aerial view of a beach curving along a turquoise lagoonPhoto by Dominik Ruhl on Pexels
• Small boat on a clear, shallow lagoon, seen from abovePhoto by Dominik Ruhl on Pexels
• Dolphins swimming in blue water, seen from abovePhoto by Dominik Ruhl on Pexels
• Giant tortoises resting on the sandPhoto by Logan Hamm on Pexels
• Quiet sandy beach with trees and clear waterPhoto by Ricardo Stephan on Pexels
• Catamaran in Mauritius with a green island on the horizonPhoto by Chen EdisoN on Pexels
• Seaplane flying low over turquoise waterPhoto by Maahid Photos on Pexels
• Dark volcanic rocks beside a turquoise lagoonPhoto by Francesco Ungaro on Pexels
• View over the lagoon from the top of Le Morne Brabant · View over the lagoon from the slopes of Le Morne, MauritiusPhoto by Sourabh Adhya on Unsplash
• Colourful statues on a Hindu temple tower in MauritiusPhoto by Miguel Alcântara on Unsplash
• Port Louis and the Champ de Mars below the mountainsPhoto by Oosman Exptal. on Unsplash
• Fish rougaille with rice at a restaurant in Flic en FlacPhoto by Benoît Prieur on Wikimedia Commons, CC0
• Two pink napolitaine biscuits on a platePhoto by Rishi Luchun on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
• Street food van by the road in Flic en FlacPhoto by Benoît Prieur on Wikimedia Commons, CC0
• Colourful umbrellas over a walkway at Caudan Waterfront, Port LouisPhoto by Martin Falbisoner on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Footbridge with palm trees at Caudan Waterfront, mountains behindPhoto by Mip130916 on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Street of craft stalls at the Grand Baie BazarPhoto by Karsten Ratzke on Wikimedia Commons, CC0
• Sega dancers in colourful skirtsPhoto by Lonelyplanet (German Wikipedia) on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE
• View over the houses of Port Mathurin, RodriguesPhoto by B.navez on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Lanterns and silhouettes of a beach bar at sunsetPhoto by cottonbro studio on Pexels
• Sunset over the sea from a beach in MauritiusPhoto by David Ramsamy on Pexels
• Sailboat at sunset off Grand BaiePhoto by Nootan Jaitoo on Pexels
• Kitesurfer on a turquoise lagoonPhoto by Harold Granados on Pexels
• Snorkeller swimming among fish in clear waterPhoto by Miles Hardacre on Pexels
• A seafood curry with octopusPhoto by ray guesc on Pexels
• Aerial view of Le Morne peninsula and its lagoon, MauritiusPhoto by Vincent Rivaud on Pexels
• Rain on tropical leaves under a veranda roofPhoto by Alexey Demidov on Pexels
• Children playing in the waves on a sunny beachPhoto by Luis Becerra Fotógrafo on Pexels
• A couple in a sugarcane field at sunset, mountains behind, MauritiusPhoto by Joe-Francis Kiaga on Pexels
• An old blue bus parked by the roadPhoto by Philippe Weickmann on Pexels
• A man standing in a pool below a forest waterfall in MauritiusPhoto by David Ramsamy on Pexels
• Sandy beach with Le Morne Brabant across the lagoon · Quiet beach with Le Morne Brabant across the lagoonPhoto by Zak H on Pexels
• Shallow clear water and shady trees at Blue Bay beachPhoto by Jyoti Pur on Pexels
• Shady beach with palm trees at Blue Bay, MauritiusPhoto by Jyoti Pur on Pexels
• White sand beach with palm trees and a turquoise lagoon in MauritiusPhoto by Alina Dmytrenko on Pexels
• Quiet beach with black volcanic rocks and filao trees in MauritiusPhoto by emre kağızmanlı on Pexels
• Fishing boats moored in a turquoise bay in MauritiusPhoto by Chen EdisoN on Pexels
• Big waves breaking on the black cliffs of the south coast, MauritiusPhoto by Dominik Ruhl on Pexels
• hero-home.mp4 (video)Photo by Jyoti Pur on Pexels