Africa, Eastern: Mauritius

FAST FACTS on MAURITIUS

Airport:
The north of the island (Grand Bay/Grand Gaube) and Le Morne are about 1.5 Hrs from the airport and for Pointe d'Esny it is about 30 minutes. You will be met at the airport on arrival and returned there on departure. Please exit the terminal building and you will see the person meeting you holding a large sign with your name.

We recommend that you change money in the airport immediately on arrival. There are several banks in the hall directly after the luggage hall. There are no banks in Grand Gaube or Pointe d'Esny for example.

Driving in Mauritius:
Due to the high import tax on new cars and spare parts, driving on Mauritius can be expensive. Only super grade unleaded petrol is available on Mauritius and all cars use this. It costs slightly less than in Europe. Mauritius uses the British driving system (driving on the left).

If you wish to park in the center of Port Louis, Rose Hill or Quatre Bornes then there are special zones called 'Zone 1' and 'Zone 2'. To park here you need special parking tickets which can be purchased in advance at all filling stations. You should mark the date, day and time on the ticket when you arrive and display the ticket clearly behind the windscreen of the car.

Visas:
Visas are not required for people with South African, EEC or American passports.

Vaccination:
Mauritius is fairly unique for a tropical country in that it is free of such diseases as malaria, yellow fever and cholera. This is because of the very effective efforts of the government to combat these diseases. For most people therefore, vaccinations, etc. before departure are not necessary. If in doubt please check with your local Mauritian embassy before departure.

Health Care:
The medical standard on Mauritius is well advanced and the hospitals are free of charge. This applies to visitors as well. There are now additionally many private clinics in the island and they offer a more attractive environment plus frequently some of the latest medical equipment available. They are however not free and you would be well advised to check that your health insurance is valid for Mauritius before you come.

The local water is clean and 60% of the Mauritians drink it. You need therefore have no fear if you use it for cleaning your teeth etc. It is better however if visitors boil the water before drinking it or buy bottled water which is freely available in the local shops.

Mosquitoes:
As in all tropical countries (even Europe in the summer) mosquitoes do exist. We recommend using a mosquito repellant cream to keep them away.

The houses are equipped however with electrical mosquito repellers (vapes) which you can use at night. Small impregnated tablets are inserted into the apparatus which is then plugged into the electricity. The effect will last for about 8 hours. You may leave 1 window open in the bedroom but you should ensure that there is no strong wind as this blows the vapour away. If you run out of tablets they can be purchased locally for about 45 rupees.

Sun Cream:
The sun is exceptionally strong on Mauritius and many people are surprised (too late) by its strength and have to suffer sunburn for several days. Even on cloudy days, please make sure that you use a good sun cream.

Electricity:
The power supply is 230 volts and the power sockets use the British 3 pin standard. If you bring electrical appliances with you then you will probably need an adaptor.

Language:
The official language of Mauritius is English. A large number of people can therefore understand and speak it. The main language of the island however is Creole which is based on French. In addition the different ethnic groups speak such languages as Chinese and Hindi.

Holiday Clothing:
Men can usually spend most of the time in short trousers unless you want to enter a hotel for the evening, in this case long trousers are required. Additionally the maid in the house washes and returns clothes by the next day so that you do not need to take much with you. Do not overload your suitcase with unnecessary clothes. Leave some room for any shopping that you do on Mauritius.

Mauritius has a well advanced textile industry so that instead of taking all your holiday clothes with you might consider buying them locally on the local market. The shops are full of ready to wear polo shirts, T-shirts, shorts, shirts, trousers, pullovers, dresses and beachwear at low prices.

Disposable nappies for babies cost about 3 times the price on Mauritius as they do in Europe. We recommend either taking enough with you or taking nappies which the maid can wash.

Currency:
They use the Mauritian rupee. Mauritian rupees do not circulate outside Mauritius so that you can only change money on the island. Euro/UK£ or US$ travelers cheques and cash can be changed in the banks. (Please NOTE that the exchange rate for traveller's cheques is better than for cash).

There are 3 banks in the airport just after the baggage hall and there are 3 banks in Grand Bay and in other major towns on the island. Major credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are accepted in restaurants and hotels and also in many shops and supermarkets. In addition you can use credit cards to obtain cash in the banks or use them together with the secret (PIN) number to get money from cash dispensers. Please note that direct debit cards carrying either the Cirrus or Maestro labels are also accepted by most cash machines.

Tipping:
In some houses, the maid can cook for you. We would recommend paying her MUR 100 rupees each time as this is not covered in the house rent. If she washes your personal clothes for you then the normal price would be about MUR 75 per person and per week.

Climate:
The hottest time of the year on Mauritius is December / March when you can expect temperatures of 30-33 degrees with humidity. There is always a breeze from the ocean however so that most people will find it pleasant. Cyclones (tropical storms) can also occur during this period.

For those people who do not enjoy warm weather or want a more active holiday, we recommend going in July/August when the temperature is 24-26 degrees. On the coast the temperature can go down to 16-18 degrees during the night so that we recommend taking a pullover.

As you can see the variation of temperature on Mauritius is small such that enjoyable holidays can be spent there at any time of the year. Although the weather is normally sunny it does rain. The rain showers are normally short and are a pleasant change from the sun.

Things to drink:
As mentioned above you should not drink the local water unless you boil it first. Tea is grown on the island and is plentiful in the shops. The local people rarely drink ground coffee although an excellent version called coffee Chamarel is grown on the island. They mostly prefer instant coffee.

Locally bottled wine and imported South African and French wines can be purchased from 100 - 300 Rupees per bottle. An excellent beer called phoenix is brewed on the island and has proved to be very popular with our guests. Locally manufactured rums are also available and cost very little.
For further information and enquiries, please visit www.tourism-mauritius.mu

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The Travel-Informed Team

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