Hiking trails criss-cross the wild and empty Black River Gorges National Park. Unfortunately, they're not always well marked, so check the route and trail conditions at the information centres before setting off. Look for the rare tambalacoque or dodo tree and wild guavas. Birdwatchers could see the Mauritius kestrel and echo parakeet, among other rarities.

Tamarin is awkward to reach, but it's worth the effort for a beautiful, deep, cool bathe at the bottom of a series of seven spectacular waterfalls. They are only accessible via a challenging trail that begins near the Tamarin Falls reservoir, but you will have to explore to find it. It's best to take a local guide from Henrietta.

This excellent museum in the former Beau Plan sugar factory not only tells the story of sugar in fascinating detail, but along the way covers the history of Mauritius, slavery, the rum trade and more. End your visit with a sugar-tasting session and something sticky in the stylish café-restaurant.

These attractive gardens are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mauritius, but the shady avenues seem to swallow the crowds. One key attraction is the park's giant Victoria regia water lilies, native to the Amazon. There's also an astonishing collection of palms of all shapes and sizes.

These gardens were started in 1735 by Governor Mahé de La Bourdonnais as a vegetable garden for his Mon Plaisir Château. The grounds were gussied up by French horticulturalist Pierre Poivre in 1768 in his bid to introduce spices, but afterwards lay neglected until 1849, when a British horticulturalist, James Duncan, took over. His legacy is seen today in the garden's array of palms. Among them you'll find stubby bottle palms, graceful royal palms and talipot palms, which flower only once after about 40 years and then die.

The centrepiece of the garden is the pond of giant water lilies. Young leaves emerge as wrinkled balls and unfold into the classic tea-tray shape up to 2m across in a matter of hours. Come in January to see them at their biggest and best.