Mont Choisy Beach, Mauritius

© Robert Harding World Imagery/Offset by Shutterstoc

Whatever floats your boat

These turquoise waters are lapping the sands of Mont Choisy Beach in Mauritius, an island nation off the southeastern coast of Africa. It's a popular spot for locals and tourists to swim, enjoy the sun, or head out in one of these boats to catch some fish. The island has a unique cultural history. Most scholars believe it was known to Arab seafarers by the 10th century, but it remained uninhabited until Portuguese sailors established a base on the island in the early 1500s. Mauritius was later colonized in succession by the Netherlands, France, and Great Britain before gaining independence in 1968. Over the years, Mauritius has evolved from a low-income economy based mostly on sugarcane (still one of its biggest exports), to a more diverse one that includes tourism, clothing production, and technology.