Sometimes when you’re travelling you come across unexpected treasures. The Sugar Adventure museum was one of those experiences for me. We discovered it when we visited the National Gardens in Pamplemousse, Mauritius and happened to check online what else was in the area. We figured since we were driving to the Gardens we may as well make the most of the trip.
The museum explores the history of the sugar industry in Mauritius, set amongst the context of the broader story of Mauritius. When we arrived at the museum, I was excited when I was told that there was an audio tour of the exhibits which we could download on our smart phones.
In total, the audio tour is 40 audio files that cover every aspect of the history of sugar globally, sugar in Mauritius through the ages, and the tastings after the tour. It is a comprehensive guide to the museum’s exhibits and can be accessed at any time via the app. I don’t think the tour was specifically developed with the needs of the blind community in mind as there were few descriptions of the exhibits. It appears to have been developed with the expectation that the listener will be able to see what is being explained. Nonetheless, it was wonderful for me to be able to access the information that was shared, and I learned a significant amount about the sugar industry and Mauritian history.
More than that, the tour was especially useful to me because I was able to engage with very few of the exhibits using my other senses. As so often happens in museums , visitors are unable to touch the exhibits which is one of the ways I would discover more about them. So the tour filled in many gaps for me.
The museum app also provides written transcripts of the content, which would make it accessible to someone who is hearing impaired. When it comes to physical access, most of the exhibits are on the main floor with no stairs, so it appears to be mostly accessible for a person using a wheelchair or other mobility aid. Overall, I was impressed by how inclusive the museum is, as it does not appear to be common in Mauritius. As always, I would recommend that you contact them directly to ensure your access needs can be accommodated.
As if that wasn’t enough, following our walk through the museum, we were able to sample various sugar products, including tasting several of the raw sugars, rum, honey and jam. The tastings were a delightful end to a fascinating tour that I would recommend to anyone.
Truly an unexpected treasure for us to have found by chance.