THE SUGAR ADVENTURE

From the outset, we opt for the guided tour which, at 10.30am and 2pm Monday to Thursday and 2pm on Fridays, under the guidance of fascinating experts, offers an even more vivid vision of the history of the Mauritian nation and the incredible "powers" of sugar cane.

Here you are in the biggest and best cultural center on the island: an imposing achievement, worthy of the great European museums, bringing together fascinating information on the history of Mauritius through its sugar production, inseparable from the island's development since successive colonizations. Housed in the former Beau Plan sugar factory, the site covers 5,000^m2 and comprises three autonomous entities: the factory transformed into a discovery trail, the Village Boutik and the Le Fangourin restaurant (open continuously from 9am and also offering space for a coffee or a drink).

Just refurbished, this tribute to a Mauritian heritage that can be seen in all the island's landscapes is an ideal place to visit at the start of your stay, as it provides an insight into the process of producing sugar and its co-products (energy, rums, biofertilizers), as well as immersing you in the history of the various Mauritian settlements and gaining a better understanding of the local people and their unfailing relationship with sugar cane. Most of the visit takes place in three huge halls, divided into a multitude of spaces arranged around particular focal points. You'll walk past the island's most beautiful lava-stone chimney, a ^19th-century locomotive, giant grinding mills, and enter huge cooking appliances, a thermal power plant, a distillery, a docked boat... Everywhere, explanations are richly documented.

The strength of the site also lies in its superb interactive and visual scenography: animated models, multimedia screens, a 25 m-long comic strip, a train that starts moving... Everything is designed to arouse the visitor's curiosity, including that of the youngest visitors, whose attention is also focused by a treasure hunt booklet with a gift at the end. It's all beautifully designed to stimulate the desire for learning and discovery.

To enrich the visit, cane-cutting sessions are offered on Wednesdays in the company of a former field worker. You can share your stories, cut a stalk yourself using a local pruning hook, grind it and taste the freshly squeezed cane juice.

The visit ends at the Village Boutik with a tasting workshop of 11 Mauritian sugars (unrefined brown sugars with much stronger tastes than our recolored red sugars). You'll also be able to taste homemade jams, honeys and sweets. Don't miss the second tasting workshop, featuring some fifteen 5-star rums from New Grove, a perfect immersion in the world of rum. Some rums, infused with special sugars, are exclusive to l'Aventure du Sucre. Take home New Grove Emotion 1969, voted best rum in the world in 2021. The Village Boutik has been awarded the Made in Moris label, a guarantee of the authenticity of its products, and promotes Mauritian artisans by offering beautiful local souvenirs.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, l'Aventure du Sucre presents a number of temporary exhibitions each year, highlighting the island's artistic, cultural and environmental riches