Mauritius has a fascinating history, and I am curious to know how much influence of the Arab and Portuguese visitors is visible today. Perhaps evidence of the Dutch settlers is more obvious? If anyone has been to Mauritius I'd love to hear about the food, architecture, or anything relating to the culture.
I would say that the French and Dutch settlers have influenced Mauritius more than any other European culture. Wasn't it the Dutch who first introduced sugar cane? Some people say they also hunted the dodo into extinction but I really don't know if that is true or not. Sorry, I can't be more help.
From my experience, there was no sign of Arab or Portuguese influence. I know they were active in the area. Even the Greeks made it that far. But I don't know if they did much on the island. Certainly, whatever impression they left was mostly subsumed into the local culture, then replaced by the French.
