Mauritius (French: Maurice, Mauritian Creole: Moris) is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,300 km (1,400 mi) from the African continent. Mauritius is mostly appreciated by visitors for its natural beauty and man-made attractions, multi-ethnic and cultural diversity, tropical climate, beautiful beaches and water sports.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The country consists of the main island of Mauritius and the smaller islands of Rodrigues, the Agalegas and the Cargados Carajos shoals. The British Indian Ocean Territory is claimed by Mauritius and recognised as part of Mauritius by the United Nations, but remains under de facto British control, so we do not cover it here. The island of Mauritius was first discovered by Arab sailors in the 9th century, though the exact date is unknown. At that time the island was uninhabited and covered in a dense forest. The Arab sailors were not interested in settling on the island which they named Dina Arobi or Dinarobin.
Air Mauritius operates daily flights connecting Plaisance Airport and Rodrigues (flight time - 1 hour 15 minutes). Coraline, ☏ +230 208 5900, fax: +230 210 5176, sureka.toolooa@coraline.intnet.mu. Sails once a week to Rodrigues Island and to Réunion island from Port Louis Harbour. Mauritius Pride, launched in 1991, and Mauritius Trochetia, in service since 2001, are the two ships operating on the Réunion route, and also have Madagascar as a destination. Both vessels are used as passenger and container ships. (updated Jan 2024) The modern Metro Express light rail links Port Louis and Curepipe, stopping at Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes and Vacoas-Phoenix along the way.
Grand Bay was the first area of the island to fully experience the tourist boom. A shopping and leisure paradise, Grand Bay is also where Mauritians go when they want a fun-filled night out (restaurants, bars and discos). La Cuvette beach is well worth a visit as well as the wonderful Pereybere public beach is popular because of its shopping facilities, restaurants and pubs. The SSR botanical garden, Pamplemousses, is the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere. It was founded by Pierre Poivre (1719 – 1786) in 1770, contains some flora unique to Mauritius and covers an area of around 37 ha.
Views — For a spectacular 360⁰ view of Port Louis and the north, climb Le Pouce or ‘the thumb', at 812 m (2,664 ft). It is an easy 2-hour climb from the village of Petit Verger (near St. Pierre), and takes another 2 hour to walk into Port Louis (map). The top of Signal Mountain also offers a spectacular view of Port Louis and the North. It is much easier to climb Signal Mountain from Labourdonnais Street as there is a tarred jogging track and it takes around 45 minutes to walk to the top. Starting from Saint Louis is also possible. Tour the Moka mountains — by quad bike, horse or 4-wheel drive at the accessible 1,500-hectare (3,700-acre) nature park of Domaine Les Pailles.
Don't hesitate to go to the various restaurants around the island. Although many of them advertise a specific ethnic cuisine, like everywhere around the world they have their own mix of traditional and local. You might discover that 'fried rice' can have more than one flavor. Gastronomes will find a variety of flavors and aromas inherited from the different migrations through its history. Culinary traditions from France, India, China and Eastern Africa have been passed on through generations. Depending on the region, rice or a variety of flat bread called chapattis or roti, called farata (paratha) by the local people, is eaten with curries.
Mauritius produces a wide range of cane rum. It is very cheap and is a nice drink when mixed with cola and ice. A popular drink is coconut water with a dash of lime and a splash of local rum over ice. The local beer, Phoenix, costs around Rs30 for a pint. Usually served very cold. The local Black Eagle beer, brewed in Nouvelle France is also good. A local beer called Flying Dodo also offers beer with tropical fruits mix. The Medine Estate Refinery shop at Bambous (4 km from Flic en Flac), on the west of the Island, has a wide variety of locally produced rums and liquors.
The crime rate has fallen, and Mauritius is a much safer country for visitors than most other destinations. The Tourism Police and Coast Guards patrol regularly in areas frequented by tourists, and most cities, beaches and other major attractions are under camera surveillance. Nevertheless, you should look out for suspicious behavior. 1 Police, ☏ 999, 112. Tourism Police, ☏ +230 213 1740, +230 210 3894. Coast guards, ☏ +230 280 8317, +230 212 2747. (updated Oct 2024) Port Police. Anti Drug Unit (ADSU), ☏ +230 208 1212. Traffic Police, ☏ +230 211 8434, +230 211 8478. Environment Police, ☏ +230 210 5151, +230 210 5252. Fire, ☏ 115, 995. SAMU Ambulance, ☏ 114.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Mauritius typically sees ~25°C daytime highs and 10 rainy days.
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