Chamarel: Seven different colours of earth in one compact area

The stunning lava formations of Chamarel in south-west Mauritius have for centuries fascinated scientists and visitors

Mauritius is a honeymoon island. Everywhere I look, bashful brides and grooms are serenading each other on velvety white sands fringing lapis lazuli waters. Fiery sunsets bleed into the Indian Ocean. The 65-km-long, 45-km-wide archipelago with coral reefs boasts of 300 km of the whitest beaches.

Salubrious sandy stretches aren’t the only highlight of this island located 2,000 km off Africa’s south-eastern coast. Mauritius’ volcanic interiors teem with geological goodies — multi-hued vertical cliffs, crumbling rims of extinct volcanoes, gurgling waterfalls, the Grand Bassin crater lake sprinkled with colourful Hindu temples, and massive statues of gods and goddesses. Rains have hewed