Spring at Sage: Mauritius

Begin the journey from Los Angeles to Mauritius.

You’ll lose this day as you cross the international dateline, but don’t worry, you’ll get it back on the way home. Use the travel time to get to know your fellow travelers and think about what you hope to discover on the island.

Arrive in Mauritius and head into Port Louis, the capital. At Aapravasi Ghat, explore the history of indentured workers who arrived from India and the role their descendants have played in shaping Mauritius. Then take in views from Fort Adelaide, walk beneath the banyan trees in the city, and meet the dodo at the Natural History Museum. Your first day introduces a question you’ll carry through the trip: who gets to call a place home?

At L’Aventure du Sucre, trace the history of sugar and its connection to life on the island, then try a sugar tasting. Later, explore Port Louis through its food. As you sample dishes, including Creole favorites, consider how recipes carry stories across generations. If the schedule allows, finish with the energy of a local football game or horse race.

Take a boat to Île aux Aigrettes, where a guide from the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation will introduce you to plants and animals that conservationists are working to protect. After lunch, hear about land restoration at Ferney Valley. Then turn your attention to the sea with Eco-Sud and learn how coral nurseries support reef restoration. What does it take to care for a place that people and wildlife both depend on?

Spend time with the team at Ebony Forest and get involved in their work restoring native forest. You’ll see why protecting wildlife also means making room for the plants and habitats it needs to survive. Later, visit the viewpoints at Chamarel Waterfall and the Seven Colored Earth, where the landscape offers a striking end to the day.

Mauritius’s fruit bats are part of the island’s ecosystem, but their relationship with people raises difficult questions. Hear different perspectives from the Ecosystem Restoration Alliance, then work with a small group to develop and pitch an idea for addressing the challenges. There may be no simple answer, which makes this a chance to listen, test your thinking, and make a case for your approach. Recharge with pool time afterward.

Visit Odysseo to explore Mauritius’s marine world, then join artist and activist Kan Chan Kin for a Trash to Music workshop. Find out what discarded materials can become when you use them to make sound. After lunch at the historic Eureka house, meet young musicians from Mo’Zar and hear how music has created opportunities for youth in their community.

Meet members of Mauritius Youth Parliament and step into a debate of your own. Does social media help young people understand lives beyond their own, or make empathy harder? Hear how Mauritian youth make their voices heard, then bring your own perspective to the discussion. Later, browse for souvenirs at Caudan Waterfront.

Enjoy beach time with the group before a final conversation about the people you met and the ideas that stayed with you. What changed in how you think about coexistence? After an evening departure, begin the journey home.

Arrive back in Los Angeles with new stories, new questions, and a fuller picture of Mauritius than any postcard could hold.