One of the island's main attractions, the botanical gardens at Pamplemousses (roughly halfway between Grand Baie and Port Louis) are soothing, tranquil and brimful of endemic and foreign plant species. Also of interest is the decommissioned Beau Plan sugar factory nearby, which has been converted into a fascinating museum.
Pamplemousses itself was named for the grapefruit-like citrus trees that the Dutch introduced to Mauritius from Java. The town is typically Mauritian and feels a million miles from Grand Baie or Trou aux Biches.