Pamplemousse is a small town in the north of the island, about 12 kilometres from Port Louis. Its main draw is the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens (SSR Gardens), one of the finest botanical gardens in the southern hemisphere. Founded by French botanist Pierre Poivre in 1770, the gardens cover 37 hectares and contain over 80 species of palms, including the iconic giant water lilies (Victoria amazonica) in their central pond, and the talipot palm that flowers only once in its lifetime then dies.
Entry to the gardens is free. Guides are available at the entrance for a small fee and are worth hiring — the gardens are large and the guides know their plants. Sunday mornings bring Mauritian families for picnics under the trees.
Near the gardens, L'Aventure du Sucre museum in a converted sugar mill tells the story of the island's sugar industry in considerable detail. Worth an hour.