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Mauritius, a great outdoor sports destination to host the GKA Kite-Surf World Cup 2019

This year, Mauritius hosted the GKA Kite-Surf World Cup for the third time. The event was held on the prestigious Heritage Bel Ombre beach from 6 to 15 September 2019 with just the right amount of wind to offer a pleasant experience for kitesurfers from all over the world. The island has the perfect climate and wave conditions for water sports, ranking among the world’s best destinations for outdoor adventures.

Spectacular victories at the GKA

The GKA Kite-Surf World Tour consists of 12 different stages with two main disciplines, Freestyle and Wave Riding. The Mauritian league was sponsored by Heritage Resorts, ENL, Kite Globing and Helios.

In the Freestyle category, Adeuri Corniel from the Dominican Republic won the thrilling men’s final with only 0.01 point ahead of Valentin Rodriguez from Colombia. The third place went to Liam Whaley from Spain. Mikaili Sol from Brazil won the first place in the women’s category, followed by Rita Anaus from Spain and Bruna Kajiya from Brazil.

Airton Cozzolino from Cape Verde finished first in the Wave Riding discipline, followed by James Carew from Australia and Sebastian Ribeiro from Brazil. In the women’s category, Jalou Langeree from the Netherlands claimed the first place ahead of Ninja Ricot from Mauritius, who had also competed brilliantly in seven races. And finally, the third place was awarded to Carla Herrera-Oria from Spain.

All good things must come to an end… the tour’s Mauritian stage ended after nine days of sheer excitement with the traditional closing ceremony at Heritage C Beach Club on Sunday 15 October 2019.

Mauritian Heritage

Mauritius is a dream destination for kitesurfers and water sports enthusiasts. With breathtaking water bodies and impeccable wind conditions, sailing on the blue lagoon is a unique and unparalleled experience. The island is renowned worldwide as a haven for board sports. This is why the most famous kite brands regularly come here to try out their creations and latest collections.

Whether you are a water sports enthusiast or a simple adventure seeker, Mauritius is home to a plethora of activities for everyone.

Heritage Bel Ombre is a splendid 2,500-hectare estate with one of the finest golf courses in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius has a favourable climate for a wide range of sporting activities and competitions, whether for water sports such as big-game fishing or mountain cycling in idyllic settings.

Mark also your agenda for events like the Moka Trail, the Mauritius Adventure Raid Trophy, the Mauritius Marathon, the Indian Ocean Triathlon and countless golf completions… a wonderful cocktail of emotions!

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CORAL REEFS PROTECTION: EVERYONE’S CONCERN

Through its partnership with the NGO, Reef Conservation, Heritage Bel Ombre would like to raise awareness with respect to the threats affecting the lagoon ecosystem, and to come up with a few guidelines for those wishing to responsibly enjoy Bel Ombre coastal region.

Fighting global warming is one the major challenges to protect our planet. As an island, Mauritius is even more affected by the rise in temperature on the surface of the oceans. Over the past 160 years, an average rise of 0.5°C has been recorded around the globe -but that figure is just an average. A rise of temperature of even 1- or 2-degree causes bleaching.

The coral reef ecosystem and its encircling lagoon are essential elements of the postcard vistas associated with tropical islands. Coral reefs provide shelter to a large variety of marine species which contribute to the complexity of the lagoon ecosystem. The coral reef structure buffers shorelines against waves, thus limiting beach erosion. It is therefore essential to come up with solutions to preserve the delicate balance of the ecosystem.

Since 2016, Reef Conservation conducts monthly surveys on several sites, including Bel Ombre. Research has shown that year after year, corals usually show more pronounced bleaching during the summer months, even though some species of coral seem to offer better resistance. In 2019, Reef Conservation has recorded a peak during the months of April and May.

To limit the consequences of this phenomenon in the Bel Ombre lagoon, a number of measures have already been implemented by the hotels in the region: speed limitation for boats, discontinuation of water skiing from hotel offers and practice of snorkeling only during high tide.

The protection of coral life is a concern for all. By following a few simple guidelines, everyone can help to protect corals, sea shells and other forms of marine life where they thrive best: in their natural environment. Here are a few suggestions which will help you enjoy your next beach or lagoon outing responsibly.

First of all, the don’ts:

  • Do not touch marine organisms: touching coral might kill them and other organisms can be venomous.
  • Do not walk on corals. They break easily, and you could seriously damage corals which grow very slowly (dozens of years for a few centimeters).
  • Do not take away marine organisms such as shells and corals, take pictures instead.
  • Avoid throwing anchors on live coral or sea grass which provide shelter to some species.
  • Do not feed fish.
  • Do not throw rubbish in the lagoon, especially plastic.
  • For your safety, never snorkel alone, bring a friend along.

Instead, feel free to:

  • Enjoy the magic sights of the lagoon whilst snorkeling.
  • Take pictures of the coral reef and of their living hosts, to make them known.
  • Pick up rubbish on the beach.
  • Eventually participate in beach and lagoon cleaning events.
  • Support associations promoting protection of the environment.
  • Spread the word about coral protection to raise the awareness of friends and family.

We live in an era where we are becoming increasingly conscious of the relationship between humans and their environment. Through a few simple actions, we can all contribute to the safeguard of a precious heritage which belongs to all of us.

Dominic Dupont, ENL Property, investissement residentiel, residential property
CategoriesEditor's Picks Investment Real Estate

“We use our know-how to contribute to sustainable development in Mauritius”

Dominic Dupont explains how ENL Property, a leading property player in Mauritius, draws on the expertise and experience gained in the luxury residential property market to develop the Moka Smart City as an integrated, high-quality project that is consistent with sustainable development efforts.

Dominic Dupont, ENL Property, investissement residentiel, residential property

How is the luxury property market doing in Mauritius?

The residential property segment continues to expand with a significant increase of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Rs 8.895 billion in 2018. The sector continues to concentrate a large part of FDI inflows, thus contributing to boost the country’s economy. There is a growing demand, especially from Europe and South Africa, and the property market in Mauritius has considerably diversified over time.

What is your view on the development of the market since the opening up of property ownership to foreigners?

There has been a boost in foreign investment in the Mauritian market due to the combination of a broad offering, a very good quality of life and an attractive set of measures, such as access to the Mauritian residence permit and tax incentives. The residential property segment has evolved to address the rising expectations of clients, who are now more knowledgeable about the destination and the market. The latter, which initially consisted predominantly of seaside property developments, has expanded into more urban areas, including apartments, with the passing of the Non-Citizen (Property Restriction) Act and the launch of the Smart City Scheme in 2016.

The ENL Group has also broadened its offering, isn’t it?

Our foray into the luxury property segment through Heritage Villas Valriche and La Balise Marina has actually enabled us to enhance our service standards. These two IRS developments have reached a certain level of maturity – La Balise Marina is in its final phase. Over the years, we ourselves have gained a lot of maturity and honed our knowledge of the market and of specific client requirements. In addition, we have strengthened existing relationships with the relevant authorities, which are essential for the smooth running of such large-scale projects. We also remain attentive to the market and to our partners.

We have acquired extensive expertise and experience in retail, residential and office property, which allows us to keep pace with market developments. This is reflected in our significant involvement in projects such as Les Promenades d’Helvétia, the Moka Smart City’s first residential development, as well as office buildings like The Pod at Vivéa Business Park and The Dot, a brand new undertaking at Telfair.

Smart Cities require an integrated and balanced approach, don’t they?

The underlying Live-Work-Play-Care concept of the Moka Smart City involves a mixed-use development using the latest advances in urban planning and digital technologies. Such developments also require environmentally sound, responsible and integrated space planning and management. We leverage our ability to develop integrated, high-quality projects that are consistent with sustainable development efforts.
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Over the past decade, ecology and innovation have been our key priorities in the development of Moka. The region is transitioning into a more sustainable and liveable city through the progressive rolling out of a concept of ‘citysmarting’. This flexible improvement process stems from a well-thought-out Master Plan. The core elements of the plan are: making optimum use of resources; offering an improved quality of life; creating real economic opportunities; and fostering engagement with key stakeholders.

Visit ready to live in apartments in the West Coast! Accessible to foreign buyers

Involvement in community life therefore remains an important component…

We have a strong commitment that goes beyond the social contribution required from certain property developments. La Balise Marina is also positioning itself as a key stakeholder in the Black River region with a contribution of Rs 15 million to date to promoting the empowerment of a number of people through training, employability and NGO support. All these initiatives are structured around Friends of La Balise, a platform for dialogue with the region’s socio-economic stakeholders. In the same vein, we took an innovative approach to launch the citizen collective, Moka’mwad, with the aim to develop a people-centric city. This will allow the residents to play an active role in the development of the Moka Smart City.

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