Le Morne Brabant mountain and islet, Mauritius (© Ocean/Corbis)

【February 4 2014】The basalt monolith in the distance towers over Le Morne Brabant, a peninsula at the southwestern tip of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Originally uninhabited, Mauritius had by the 18th century become an important stopover in the slave trade. Slaves who managed to escape made their way to the many caves and overhangs on the steep slopes of Le Morne. There, these "maroons" hid from slave traders and eventually formed enough settlements that Mauritius became known as the "maroon republic." Explore breathtaking Gallery from the HuluTrip homepage over the past 5 years..