The Casela Nature & Leisure Park was stunning in the blazing heat and, as most Mauritians know, it has expanded to much more than an aviary. The birds take up the majority of what can now be called a Zoo but the newest features such as the fishing and petting zoo are the most enchanting due to their interaction with the park visitors; especially children.
The birds are in multitude of several species of varying endangerment from many tropical climates around the world. The descriptions are in both English and French which was very helpful and there is plenty of useful information, infographics and maps. The birds are accompanied by the solemn tortoises that roam around an open area where you can walk right up to them and take pictures.
The petting zoo is one of the most wonderful places where you can feed the animals with the available feed or baby milk bottles. The animals here are not just the typical farmyard animals but feature (at the time of our visit) a very tame zebra, several deer, a few ostrich and a few animals more commonly seen worldwide such as farmbirds and goats. Having a young deer eat or drink from directly out of your hands is captivating for anyone, child or adult.
The Tilapia fishing was another great experience to share with a group. You’re equipped with equipment similar to the average fisherman of this island paradise and have a small, safe body of water to catch fish in. Most of it is luck and patience but two of us managed to catch fish and, despite having to return it to the water, we felt very accomplished.
The hilltop restaurant that looks over most of the park and Mauritian country-side features a vast, mouth-watering selection of food, including some of the best of Mauritian and Indian-Ocean cuisine. There are plenty more activities such as the safari (via Bus, Jeep, Quad-bike or Segway) for the more adventurous but we found there was plenty of fascinating animals and experiences to be had otherwise.
Message in a Bottle 