With world-class hotels offering the best service in the Indian Ocean and a renowned gastronomy as well as top spas and golf, Mauritius also offers more to do than many tropical islands, with trekking, mountain climbing and ecotourism playgrounds. And with its signature sunny days, the world’s third largest coral reef surrounding a turquoise lagoon and silky, blonde, sandy beaches, this island certainly comes close to paradise.

Off major shipping routes, Mauritius remained uninhabited until the 16th century, allowing it to develop into one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. It was favored by pirates and occupied briefly by the Dutch before the French brought African slaves to work the sugar plantations. Captured by the British in 1810, Mauritius achieved independence in 1968. Its diversification into textiles, tourism and, of late, financial services, telecommunications and cyber services has been an Indian Ocean economic success story. So too has its stable multicultural society.

Descendants of Indian labourers brought in after the abolition of slavery in 1835 now comprise 70% of the population, and Chinese and Muslim traders add to a French and Creole cultural legacy. This friendly co-existence of cultures expresses itself in croissants for breakfast and curry for dinner, and garish Indian temples near French colonial mansions.

Food and Drink

Standards of cuisine, whether French, Creole, Indian, Chinese or English, are generally very high, but fruit, meat, vegetables and even fresh seafood are often imported.

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: 10% is usual in most hotels and restaurants.

Nightlife

Grand Baie is the centre of the island’s nightlife, with bars with live music, restaurants and nightclubs. Port Louis has mainly restaurants and bars. Rivière Noire is a Creole fishermen’s district where sega dancing is especially lively on Saturday nights. Sega troupes give performances at most hotels. Gamblers are lavishly catered for; casinos are among the island’s attractions.

Shopping

This ranges from sophisticated shopping for designer clothing, jewellery and handicrafts in Port Louis’ Caudan Waterfront to rooting around for T-shirts and souvenirs upstairs in the capital’s bustling Central Market, while locals bargain hard over tea and other essentials while catching up on the gossip. Island crafts, found at the craft market at The Caudan include jewellery, Chinese and Indian jade, silks, basketry, glass and model ships. Cashmere is a particularly good buy.

Duty-free shopping is popular here with around a 40% saving on textiles, jewellery, perfume and electrical goods.
Mauritius is to be turned into a tax-free shopping haven by 2010, with 80% tax taken off around 2,000 goods. Tourist shopping centres are located around the island, with a good selection of designer shops at Grand Baie, but the locals shop at Curepipe, Quatre-Bornes and Rose-Hill.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 09.30-18.00. Some shops are open until 12.00 on Sundays and public holidays.
Markets usually close around 16.00. Shops in Rose-Hill, Curepipe and Quatre-Bornes close on Thursday afternoons.

Climate

Mauritius has a tropical maritime climate, with relatively little seasonal variation in temperatures, and generally pleasant and sunny on the coast year round. Winter, from May to October is warm and dry. Summer from November to April is hot, humid and rainy. Cyclones occur between January and March. Sea breezes blow all year, especially on the east coast, and the inland central plateau around Curepipe is cooler and rainy year round.

Required Clothing

Tropical lightweights, with warmer wear for evenings and winter months. Rainwear advisable all year round. In the summer months, sun-care products and a hat are advisable and long sleeves and trousers to help prevent insect bites.

Getting There by Air

The national airline is Air Mauritius (MK) (website: www.airmauritius.com).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Mauritius (MRU) (Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam), commonly referred to as Plaisance Airport (website: http://mauritius-airport.intnet.mu), is 48km (30 miles) southeast of Port Louis.
To/from the airport: Taxis are available to the city (journey time – 45 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shops, banks/bureaux de change, snack bar, post office, shops and car hire.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Port Louis is primarily commercial but there is a limited passenger service to Madagascar, Réunion and Rodrigues Island; contact Mauritius Shipping Corporation (tel: 210 5994; website: www.mauritiusshipping.intnet.mu).

Cruise ships occasionally call at the island.

Currency

Mauritian Rupee (MUR; symbol Rp) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of Rp2,000, 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50 and 25. Coins are in denominations of Rp10, 5 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, and 5 cents.

Currency Exchange

Available in banks and at bureaux de change. A better rate of exchange can be obtained on traveller’s cheques than on cash. Mauritius Commercial Bank is reputed to have the quickest service.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

MasterCard and Visa are the most widely accepted by most banks, hotels, restaurants and tourist shops followed by American Express and Diners Club. ATMs are widespread.

Traveller’s Cheques

May be exchanged at banks, hotels and authorised dealers.

Banking Hours

Mon-Thurs 09.15-15.15, Fri 09.15-15.30, Sat 09.15-11.15 (except for State Bank of Mauritius). Banks are also open to coincide with the arrival and departure of international flights at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport.

Passport Note

All visitors must hold valid tickets and documents for their onward or return journey and adequate funds for their intended length of stay.

Passports

Passport valid for at least six months from date of entry required by all nationals of countries referred to in the chart above.

Visas

Not required by all nationals of countries referred to in the chart above for stays of up to three months.