Lonley Planet:

On the other side of the motorway's roundabout from the botanical gardens, the former Beau Plan sugar factory now houses one of the best museums in Mauritius. It not only tells the story of sugar in great detail, but also covers the history of Mauritius, slavery, the rum trade and much, much more. Allow a couple of hours to do it justice.

The original factory was founded in 1797 and only ceased working in 1999. Most of the machinery is still in place and former workers are on hand to answer questions about the factory and the complicated process of turning sugar cane into crystals. There are also videos and interactive displays as well as quizzes for children. At the end of the visit you can taste some of the 15 different varieties of unrefined sugar, two of which were invented in Mauritius