Mauritius is an island of wonder which is home to many breath-taking instances of nature’s best. One of them is Le Morne Brabant, a basaltic mountain that spreads across 30 acres and reaches 1,824 ft above sea level.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
The mountains were closed off to the public after it was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2008 and was once again opened in 2016 after it was ensured that it could be conserved and persevered while it was being visited by tourists.
A Symbol of Freedom
The mountain is a symbol of marronage and Mauritius’ fight for freedom from slavery. The slaves were brought over to Mauritius as a stopover from India, Madagascar and the African continent. Many slaves escaped and hid in the mountain under harsh conditions without food or shelter.
It is said that after slavery was abolished in 1834, a group of soldiers had come to Le Morne to tell the slaves that they were free but the slaves on seeing the soldiers from afar had thrown themselves off the edge of the cliff choosing death over returning to indentured servitude.
Hiking Le Morne Brabant
You can put Le Morne Brabant on your map by either hiking there or taking to the air.
The hike is 3.5 km and takes you the exotic forest covers of the area including gigantic endemic trees. The hike takes roughly 4-5 hours and should be taken with a guide in tow.
You can also take a seaplane on an air cruise over the mountain and see a lot more of the beautiful and iconic landscape. Most of the best resorts in Mauritius would have an option in their packages about visiting Le Morne Brabant so wherever you are staying, including The Residence Mauritius by Cenizaro, make sure to enquire about it.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+
