The Pamplemousse Garden, 37 hectares of wonderful plants

What is Pamplemousses Botanical Park? The garden was named after the grapefruits that once grew on its lands 12 km from Port Louis. In 1736, Pamplemousses was a plot of land belonging to Governor Mahé de la Bourdonnais near the Mont Plaisir estate.

In 1767, the garden was transferred to the Frenchman Pierre Poivre, a botanist by vocation. He collected rare plants from all over the world to plant in his botanical garden. According to legend, he obtained them from India, China, certain African countries and the Pacific islands in various ways, including illegally. This is how the sago palm, the cinnamon tree, the hevea from which rubber juice is made, the breadfruit, the liana pepper and many other exotic plants came to be planted on the island.

Later, the director Jean-Nicolas Céré moved to the Pamplemousses estate and added ponds and giant water lilies. After the arrival of the British, the garden fell into oblivion and fell on hard times. It was resurrected in 1849 by James Duncan, the park's new owner.

In 1868, Pamplemousses welcomed its famous white gate - a work of blacksmith's art featuring a lion, unicorn and crown, which won the International Exhibition held at London's Crystal Palace. In 1995, a medicinal plant corner was created in the botanical garden, where over a hundred species are used for medicinal purposes.

Today, the Pamplemousses botanical garden is home to a baobab tree, talipot palms and the Kigelia sausage tree, whose fruits resemble giant sausages and are poisonous, but when properly prepared they are used to cure many ailments.

The garden is best known for its famous pond with the Amazon Victoria, a giant water lily whose leaves can grow to two metres in diameter and can support the weight of a small animal or newborn baby. These unique water lilies are almost round, with a purple or reddish underside and vertical 'ribs'. Their flowers are also unusual. They go through the stages from bud to wilt in just two days and change colour from white to pink.

In terms of wildlife, the garden is home to Javanese deer, giant tortoises and winged inhabitants such as herons. As well as natural attractions, Pamplemousses has other attractions to offer: the picturesque stone 'Bridge of Sighs', bathed by the waters of two rivers; a replica of a sugar mill that was once used to press sugar cane juice; a house-museum of the Château de Mont Plaisir.

Although you can wander around the gardens without a guide, it may be a good idea to take a guided tour for an extra 100 rupees at the entrance to the botanical gardens.

The tour lasts about an hour, and a knowledgeable and informative guide will help you make the most of the park. You'll learn about the origin and history of native plants and trees.