Mauritius, as its people will tell you, is a real tropical paradise but there's much more to this island than its beaches and hotels.

Bounded by a coastline littered with glittering beaches, protected by a virtually unbroken coral reef, Mauritius fulfils many people's fantasy of a tropical island paradise. Furthermore, with its extensive range of excellent accommodation, the island offers everything most visitors could possibly want in terms of water sports, food, entertainment, shops and, of course, weddings, it can be hard to drag yourself away to explore inland.

Mauritius does not have many single traditional tourist attractions - though there are notable exceptions, including the Botanical Gardens and some wonderful old plantation houses - but it is great fun to drive around among the coastal fishing communities or explore the verdant plateau at the heart of the island that was once the floor of a gigantic volcano which blew its top and left behind the jagged peaks and rock formations that are today so characteristic of the island's scenery. Rainfall on the plateau feeds many rivers and streams, providing an abundant supply of water and irrigation for the sugar cane fields that cover most of the island's arable land.

One thing you will discover is that the quality of the service you receive during your visit is due, in large measure, to the genuine good nature of the people of Mauritius. Brightly coloured Hindu temples and shrines pepper the landscape, often seen glistening in the sun, and those of Indian descent can still be seen wearing the traditional clothes of their forbears.

Mauritius is all about a diversity of races and cultures living side by side. At the airport, new arrivals are surrounded by a flurry of officials who address their guests in English, accentuated with a French twang. As you change your foreign currency into rupees, Chinese, Indian and European bank clerks complete the transaction with such conversational ease that you may wonder if you haven't been accidentally misrouted to some other continent. Because of the multicultural nature of its society, hardly a week goes by without some celebration or religious ritual taking place from Tamil fire walking and Hindu body-piercing ceremonies, to Catholic pilgrimages and Chinese dragon dances.

Whatever the attractions of the land and its people, you will always be drawn back to the sea. Whether you end up lazing by a lagoon, snorkelling or diving over the coral reef, playing with little fish or wrestling with big ones from the fighting chair, it is probably the delectable coast that will remain imprinted on your mind long after returning home.