Barbecue ( Tandoor) at Tei Mei Tuk Reservoir

For the long weekend of Easter,we decided to go on barbecuing. We chose to go to Tai Mei Tuk, which is a place close to the Plover Cove Reservoir in Tai Po District, New Territories, Hong Kong. It is a very popular place in Hong Kong for barbecues and cycling.

The group set out to shop the groceries, BBQ accessories (Grill plates, bamboo skewers, forks, brushes, tongs, igniter, charcoal, gloves) and drinks for the next day.

We were a bunch of people with some preferring only veggies. Yes Barbecuing for veggies is a bit challenging and tricky!!! The challenge is vegetables if not grilled on perfect heat, are charred easily.

Barbecuing requires prior marination of chopped vegetables and Chicken at least 6-8 hours before grilling (This is typical Indian taste). So we had gathered at my place to prepare the marination (Amongst the group, Sarang & I claimed to have better competency in preparing the marination for BBQ). We marinated chopped Capsicum, Potatoes, Mushroom, Cauliflower and Paneer for veggies and Chicken for non-veggies in the mixture of yogurt and tandoori chicken masala. (I’ll publish the recipe for marination some time later!!!).

Chalo Chale Tei Mei Tuk Reservoir

Tei Mei Tuk barbecue area is in Plover Cove Country Park. It is located between picturesque back ground of Pat Sin Leng (Nine mountain peaks) Country park and sea on three sides. The landscape view is simply fascinating and leaves you mesmerized.

We left early from Whampoa garden at around 9:30 am to reserve the free barbecue pits. To visit Plover Cove Country Park, Tai Po is the most convenient set off point. To reach Tai Po market, we took East Rail Line MTR from Hung Hom. Further we caught bus no. 75k to reach Tai Mei Tuk.After the hunt of around 15-20 minutes, we found free barbecue pit with two pits side by side. It’s advisable to reach the place by 9:30 am, so as to get the pits easily. It was the perfect sunny day for Barbecuing. Though it was sunny the temperature was hovering around 25 C and a flow of cool breeze made us fell fresher.

Tandoor side - BBQ pit mein sulagte hain charcoal

As soon as our rest of the troop arrived, we set to lighten the Tandoor/ barbecue. We were carrying few bags of flammable charcoal/ match light charcoal. The good aspect about using this charcoal is it ignites easily with less effort. Though it does not burn with big flames, but the heat is sufficient for the grill effect of veggies and chicken.

We threaded the marinated Paneer, onion, capsicum, carrots, potatoes and cauliflower pieces onto bamboo skewers in a

combination of our choice. Wow the vegetables tasted yummy before grilling as well!! This time our trick ( actually credit goes to Trupti for suggestion) of soaking the bamboo skewers in water worked to avoid the breaking and burning of them.

In the adjacent pit, we put on grilled pieces of chicken and sausages. As all the vegetables and chicken were steamed earlier, we were just th

e heating things up and adding some nice grill color. Simultaneously we were brushing the Chicken wedges and kebabs with butter as well to avoid charring of them. We had some corn too as an accompaniment.

We had prepared famous Marathi “Thecha’’ (Chatni prepared by grinding hot red chilies, garlic, lime juice and tempered with of jira and mus

tard) for dipping the grilled vegetables and Chicken.The grilled

veggie kebabs and Chicken tasted amazing and were mouth watering. All the flavors of garlic, ginger, Tandoori Masala and tanginess of yogurt had blended well and soaked deep inside each food particle.

And as the sun moved to west, we winded ourselves to return to Whampoa Garden with bloated stomachs and sweet memories.

Mauritius Tour

We Hate Guided Tours

“Come on folks time is up, we need to rush to the next location”, “You have 2 hours to enjoy your swim in the beach”, “Now we take 25 minute lunch break”, “Make it fast”, “wake up early”, “where is that stupid couple, they always make us late”

All the statements above are against my senses of holidays. We feel trips and tours are not social gatherings. It’s an opportunity to spend time with your loved ones (only) in a leisurely manner. It’s a chance to go away from the daily routine and do things at will without looking at watch. Be free. Be space and time independent. It’s an event to not only to see things out of your but also turn inwards. (will pen down more thoughts in another one)

Why Mauritius

We love beaches and the beach side lifestyle. Swim in the salty water, take a sun bath, sip a few beers and just lie on the beach for days and do “nothing”. So when we thought of a long holiday it had to be extension of our memorable Goa trip. Why only Mauritius, No reason what so ever. But thanks to Bollywood to flush this awesome island on our brains for years together.

Plan and preparation:

I am someone who does not believe in planning a trip. I feel its not a project, its not a task, it’s a flow. On the other hand Minal need the things to be well planned. So you can imagine the heated discussions we had while “planning” the trip. Finally we decided to “half-plan” the trip. As we were not going in the peak season (October) it was easy to get good place to stay at arrival. We booked a few hostels (the cheapest available option) online by paying 5% of the rent (less than Rs 500). This gave us a chance to find a good place to live when we travel and also the security just in case we don’t get anything. Mauritius is a tiny island. It looks like a droplet of rock in the Indian ocean. If you ride along the coastal highway you will come to the starting point after traveling approx 200 Km.

We had planned a tour of 11 nights (12 days) and our stay was across 3 coasts , Flic-en-flac on the west, Trou-aux-biches the north and Blue Bay the south-eastern coast.

Ganapati Bappa Moraya

Our flight from Mumbai was on the “Visarjan” day of Ganpati . So we left early from Pune to have some time buffer considering the traffic jams due to “miranvnuk” (Immersion procession of Lord Ganesha).

Indeed we had blessings of Ganpati for the tour. We arrived at airport almost 3 hours before the check in of flight. We ate home made “batata bhaji and poli” (Cooked Potato vegetable and Indian bread) at the airport.

The Bird’s Eye View

I never miss the rising sun while flying on a plane. Indeed I see the rising sun only on an aeroplane. As usual I started taking some snaps and videos. Soon saw some movement of the flight troop, an indication of nearing the destination. We were very near to Mauritius and I got a feeling that the pilot is planning to land in the ocean. And suddenly the lush green sugarcane fields appeared. The green flesh of earth was scratched by black tar roads. Some houses bunched together making small townships, few sharp mountains. Fortunately we didn’t get the landing signal and the pilot continued showing us around. Finally we landed in a sugarcane field like place. It was the tiny Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. No no, we are not back in India. This is Mauritius airport. One thing worth mentioning, 52% Mauritian population has Indian origin.

The first shot

Never go by looks. I will correct this old saying “Never go by snaps posted on internet”. When we arrived in Flick-n-Flac we didn’t have any intention to live in the hostel booked on internet. But we just paid a visit. It was a part of a superb resort but was just too tiny. The decision was obvious, not to stay there. I checked at the reception and found a huge 1400 sq ft, 2 bedroom apartment in the same resort with an additional cost of 500 MUR (Mauritian Rupee, 1.25 times INR then). No second thought we dumped our luggage and went out in search of a ride.

Select Your Ride

The best way to explore the beauty Mauritius is to hire a two wheeler (recommended in case u do not have

kids). After landing at airport, we took a taxi to reach Flic-en-Flac. The taxi ride from Airport to Hotel costs 4 days of bike rent :) One can go anywhere any time at any pace. The roads are less crowded outside the bigger towns. And unlike India people follow traffic rules:). Wow nice idea, I will write one on this too :)

Day 1 – Wolmar beach

The taxi driver showed us around Flic en Flac. You will land into this village after a tour though sugarcane fields.After hiring the bike, we without wasting any time left for Wolmar beach, very near to Flic-en Flac. It was a mix of sunny day with some cloudy patches. We just could not wait to actually see the famous shallow beaches. We were mesmerized with the crystal clear beaches, and shallow sea. Wolmar beach is located very near to Flic en flac, may be at a distance of 4-5 Km. We reached this location from our hotel in about 15- 20 minutes. There is Casela Bird Park very near to Flec-en-flac. Though this was on our to visit list, in the madness to enjoy beaches , we missed on this.

Day 2 - Le Morne and Chamarel

Next day was rather a windy day , so we decided to drive up to Chamerel. At around 10 am, we started with a map in hand , packed our lunch. For the veges from India, a warning, if you are looking for typical Indian food at reasonable amount, you might be disheartened as vege Indian food is limited to some restaurants. But definitely there are some roadside thelas that offer “Dhol puris” Dal and maida paratha. During our Mauritius trip, we had often packed those in our lunch boxes. We rode up the hill to arrive at Chamerel. The journey to Chamerel offers the excellent view of sea and landscape from the hill roads leaving you spellbound with the panoramic view formed by combination of sun, water, earth , hills and sky. For those who are interested in the geology , the colored earths of Chamerel would be treat to watch. Chamerel earth is a local geological wonder in which seven different colors are found in swirling layers, creating an earthen rainbow. These earths are created by volcanic rocks that are exposed to different

temperatures and rain water. The visitors are not allowed to enter the sands here. This place is also known for Chamerel Waterfalls. Somehow we didn’t enjoy the waterfalls and thought it was hyped. Guess we being of residents of Pune, India have seen many such bigger waterfalls during rainy season in and around Pune:)

Le Morne

We then left for Le Morne around 1:30 pm from Chamerel. Le Morne is on South west tip of the Mauritius and the entire drive is along the South west coast. We drove along Bel Ombre and Bae du Cape. The coastal line mesmerizes u with sometimes sea water brushing the road. There are small villages along the coastal line and road passes thorough small hillocks. Driving

along the coast line we then turned towards Le Morne village to arrive at Le Morne beach. There is a golf ground located with the background of the sea and offering excellent view. This is the place where the island is not protected by the barriers of corals. The winds are strong and the waves are big. Best setup for adventure sports. This is where many adventurous souls mediate by challenging the sea on the surf boards. Le Morne beach is home for sea boarding, kite surfing, kayaking and parasailing. However we preferred to just laze around at the beach. Here I tasted one of the best Panini in one of restaurants at beachside that too vegetarian, rare!!!

Day 3 : Curepipe & Trou aux Cerf

It was a cloudy day so we decided to spend our time visiting Trou aux Cerf. Trou aux Cerf is a crater formed as a result of volcanic activity millions of years ago. After lingering at Trou aux cerf, we decided to ride to Le Morne again!! It took us more than an hour to reach Bel Ombre. But never felt so. This time we were riding through he central part of the island. Most of it was hill and deserted. Hardly someone crossed or overtook us.

Day 4: The Benetiers and Tamarin Bay

It was a bright sunny day. We packed our lunch, fruits, beer and set off for trip to Isle of Benetiers. From flic-en –flac we marched towards La Gaulette village. We had fixed up a boat with small fisherman for 1000 Mauritian rupees. It took us around 45 minutes to reach the island. Benetiers is a small piece of rock mushroomed 3 Km away from the shores. We climbed the rock and Sarang did snorkeling here. Though I was very much interested in doing, I had no courage to enter the cold waters. We then spent some time on an island near by and then left back for the La Gaulette . While riding back to hotel, we sneaked on Tamarin Bay to watch the sun set.

Day 5: Shifting to Trou Aux Biches

In morning we decided to shift to Trou Aux Biches and went to flic-en flac beach. Flic-en-flac beach

has white, smooth sand and one can enjoy snorkeling and swimming here. This beach is very famous with tourists. On a bright sunny day, you will get excellent view of Le Morne Mountain from this

beach. It was at this beach , we witnessed nature’s wonders, a full hemispherical rainbow with distinct 7 colors cutting across the horizons of sea !! Around 10:30 am we left sugarcane fields of Flic en flac behind and headed towards Trou Aux Biches on our two-wheeler!!. Trou Aux Biches is at the northwest side of Mauritius. It took us an hour to reach Port Louis. We had no bookings in this area and spent some time in looking for accommodation. We got good deal in one of the villas at Trou Aux Biches. In evening we spent time at local beach. We recommend spending few days in this place for the blue, turquoise beaches

Day 6: Mont Choisy and Pereybere

Early in morning we left for North west tour and spent our whole day in riding, swimming, in the beaches of Mont Choisy . There are some nice , less crowded beaches in this area. This place offers a good view to the Coin de Mire island. In evening we went for shopping in the Grand bay area. There are some duty free shops here and rates are at par or slightly higher than India.

Sunsets: Mont Choisy

Day 7: Catamaran tour to Gabriel Island

This was the most memorable day of life. We took a catamaran tour to Gabriel Island from Grand bay. We left around 8:30 am from our villa in Trou Aux Biches for grand bay and arrived around 9:00 am. A small boat then took us to the catamaran stationed at a bit deep waters. We had never been into deep

sea. After some time we had left the shallow waters and

were in deep sea, sailing with the wind. It was a bright but windy day, and the sea current was quite strong. We were getting wet with the waves:) in the roller coaster ride. To add to our joy were the sight of jumping dolphins in and out of sea waters very near to our catamaran. We reached Gabriel Island after an hour and half. Our group received a grand welcome from a crew of Sega Dancers and barbecue chefs. We wondered around the beautiful island, swam in the crystal clear, shallow waters returned for lunch and drinks at our camp. Dancing to the tune of Sega dancers we merrily enjoyed lunch, beer and fresh fruit dessert. Veges, please inform the crew members early, unfortunately there is no barbecue for veges , but at least you will get veg noodles, rice and salads. We left Gabriel island around 3:00 pm back to Grand bay .While returning back to villa, we witnessed most memorable sunset of my life at Mont Choisy. For next few days, even in dreams all I could see was waves, sailing boats and serene beaches

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Day 8 : Port Louis

Port Louis is capital of Mauritius and largest city. It is about 30 minutes from Trou Aux Biches. We just wondered around the streets of Port Louis, had a walk at Caudan waterfront. There are some coffee shops at waterfront that offer Indian snacks as well. In evening we returned back to Mont Choisy to witness the sunset.

Day 9: Shifting base to Mahebourg

We had fell in love with the North west side of Mauritius and were contemplating, whether to shift to Mahebourg. Mahebourg was about 80 Km – 90Km at the south east coast, from Trou Aux Biches with ride around mountains. We were not sure if it would be safe to ride this distance on our hired two-wheeler.

Finally we decided to return our two wheeler at Port Louis to the owner (Gautam was so nice, that he came all the way from Flic-en-Flac to collect his bike ). We then left to Mahebourg in a bus. Mahebourg is a historical city with Dutch and French colonial past. The Hotel, we had booked though youth hostels proved to be a shady place and hence we decided to hunt another hotel at blue bay. Finally we settled for a small villa near Blue bay.

Day 10: Ride to Le Souffleur

It was cloudy day with some chances of rain. So we decided not to spend time on beach but ride to Le Souffleur. Le Souffleur is on South east coast and once was famous for whistling sound created by engulfing of waves in rocky

caves. However now due to erosion of volcanic rocks it does not occur any more. But still the whole scenery, the violent waves, wind and dashing of waves on rock is worth a see. One arrives at the Le Souffleur riding along the sugar canes fields and factory. We were were in awe of the place, and were thinking .. Mauritius had so much of variety to offer. Just yesterday we had enjoyed the serene beaches and today we were in company of nature's violent face!!

Day 11: Trip to Isle of Cerfs

This was another memorable day of our life. Isle aux cerf got to be on you list of “must visit” in life. We had booked a cab to visit this place, about 1000 Mauritan rupees from Blue Bay. En route at Trou déau Douce. We packed Stir fry veg (Thank god I found some good veg food at reasonable amount), some rice, of course cans of Phoenix beer and some snacks. A small boat took us to Isle Of Cerf. This is an amazing island with amazing view, turquoise beaches, white sand, ideal location for paragliding . You can spend whole day at this island. We left this island around 4 pm in the boat and it bought us back to trou-deau Douce in 15 minutes. We then left for Belle Mare beach around 5 -6 Km from Trou déau Douce and returned to our villa with peaceful mind.

Day 12: Visit to Marine Park – Blue Bay

Today was the last day we were going to spend in Mauritius . We decided to visit Marine Park in blue bay as our Flight was in evening at 6:00 PM. Blue bay has world’s oldest corals and rich marine life. We hired a glass bottom boat to see the corals and had fun snorkeling into the seawaters.

Bye Bye Mauritius

It was 12: 00 noon and packing time to say bye bye to Mauritius. It seemed like I had just come to Mauritius and had so much to see, relax, enjoy.. In our desire to see and enjoy beaches, we had missed some of the places such as Pamplemonsses Garden, Grand Bassin, National Bird Park, Grand Bassin, Blak River Georges. The people of Mauritius are so wonderful, always willing to help, to give information to tourists….

I felt proud because many of them were of Indian origin and somewhere had the Indian culture cornered in their lives.

As we were boarding the flight, we were contemplating when we would again visit this beautiful country …… and realized best way to enjoy the serenity and beauty of Mauritius is to find a job and stay at east for couple of years and explore the areas which we failed to in this visit….. Any employers listening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!