If they were just a bit bigger we could eat them. But these guys are too small. Skipper Claude-Louis smacks his lips as he points to a shoal of marlin shimmering like foil ribbons around the catamaran. They are only finger-sized, so they are safe for a while.

Mauritius is a choice destination for big game fishermen who come to catch marlin, sailfish, dorado and sharks of record-breaking size. These large predators don?t feed close to the shore anywhere else in the world, but in Mauritius they can be caught just five kilometres from the beach - so the island holds several fishing world records.

However, Mauritius has a natural safety net in the form of a reef that completely encircles the coastline. There are a few gaps in the reef - in the north and south - through which deep-sea boats exit to hunt for game fish. But it is this very reef that makes swimming and diving off the coast of Mauritius so completely safe. The reef protects the island from both dangerous currents and hungry marine predators.

Ironically, this reef also spells death, if you don't know the exit and entry gaps. Many ships of old came to grief in clear sight of land, when they unexpectedly hit the reef. Most famous is the St Geran. The ship sank off the northeast coast of Mauritius in 1744, and gave rise to the island's famous legend of Paul and Virginie.

They were in love. Virginie was returning to Mauritius after time in France, aboard the St Geran. Paul eagerly awaited her arrival from shore. Then tragedy struck. The St Geran hit the reef and went down. Virginie survived and Paul swam out to sea to rescue her, his one true love. But, being particularly modest, Virginie refused to remove her waterlogged clothing and the weight of the clothes eventually dragged her down to the bottom of the sea. Dead. Paul died soon afterwards, of a broken heart. Still the legend of Paul and Virginie lives on in everyday Mauritian life, and statues, hotels, boats and books bear the names of the star-crossed lovers.

Now tell me if I was lying? taunts skipper Claude-Louis as he hands me fresh grilled marlin for lunch. This is the very best the sea has to offer. He is right, of course. Marlin is a fine way to eat steak, but the setting also piques the tastebuds, I'm sure.

Anchoring off the uninhabited island of Ilot Gabriel gets you well prepared for heaven. Just off the northwest coast of Mauritius, this tiny island is strewn with white coral and the sugary beaches are untouched and pristine. It?s the ultimate deserted island experience - shipwrecked in paradise, if you will. Turquoise sea and blue skies stretch as far as you can see.

The island of Mauritius is about the size of Gauteng, 67km long and 46km wide, and sits like a bright green gem in the warm Indian Ocean. The island of Rodriques to the east and several outlying islands are also part of the Republic of Mauritius, which is a sovereign democratic state within the Commonwealth. Mauritius is acknowledged worldwide as being one the most democratic and stable countries in the developing world, possibly because its rich mix of peoples have realised that the only viable option on such a small island is peaceful coexistence. The result is the no-problem, easy-going attitude of Mauritians, for whom nothing is too much trouble and comes with a free smile. But then, when you live in a tropical paradise, how could you ever be in a bad mood?

The unusual landscape and rock formations of Mauritius are due to volcanoes Weird mountain peaks, crater lakes and superbly fertile soil were the result and form the backdrop to every beach. The volcanoes are now all dormant and carpets of sugarcane swathe their slopes, all the way to the sea.

Mauritius exports vast quantities of sugar, as well as rum and anthuriums. Designer clothing labels - like Diesel, Ralph Laurent and Hugo Boss - have capitalised on Mauritius's zero import and export duties and have set up factories on the island. Today textiles constitute a huge portion of the country's annual exports. Tourism is another big earner for Mauritius, and the entire island and its people are geared towards tourism. The resorts employ thousands of people, and still more thousands are employed in tourism subsidiary industries. There's just three percent unemployment on Mauritius, which means everyone's too busy to do crime.

Wherever you travel on Mauritius, there's a sense of order. Though mopeds swarm along the roads, there are few accidents; though 1,2 million people of French, Hindu, Chinese and Creole descent live on the tiny island, there is no strife - they trade, eat, dance and live together in island harmony, and with great zest for life.

In the capital Port Louis and smaller towns, loudly coloured markets sell tropical flowers, raffia crafted into a riot of hats and baskets, wildly decorated sarongs and take-away foods that evade identity. Locals gather at the market to shop and chat and bargain, maybe share a Creole finger lunch and a shot of vanilla rum.

But it's at night that the island really comes alive. Sega dancers and French and Creole music wafts through the air. Islanders flick their hips at private parties and tourists sip cocktails, all fruit and flower bedecked, and tuck into platters of ornate seafood. Which is exactly why you go to Mauritius - to be stroked by sun and sea and fed with food and drink of the gods.

All seated, booms Claude-Louis. Let's get back to the real world, he says with skipper authority and points the ocean-going catamaran back to land. Two hours later we are docked at Grand Baie in the real world, sipping blue umbrella'd cocktails at the seaside.

It's clear that real worlds are relative, and Claude-Louis has still to experience rush-hour in Johannesburg or a Cape winter. Instead, he lives a postcard existence in paradise. All he has to remember is his sunblock - and a good hat.