Visiting Mauritius quickly? Right here’s what that you must know earlier than you go.
In case you dig a gap straight via the earth’s heart from the west coast, you find yourself within the ocean simply south of Mauritius Island. Mauritius hadn’t been on our radar till lately, and after reserving our journey, we realized there was a lot to be taught in regards to the island on the opposite facet of the world. In case you’re planning a visit to Mauritius Island, right here is every little thing we realized throughout our time right here that will help you take advantage of your go to.
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Final Up to date: February 23, 2023
The place is Mauritius?
Mauritius is off of the southeastern African coast within the Indian Ocean. Sixteen islands and islets comprise the Republic of Mauritius, together with Mauritius Island, together with Rodrigues, Agalega, St Brandon, and lots of others.
Time Distinction: It’s +4 hours Greenwich Imply Time (12-hour distinction from PST)
See Extra: 15 Finest Issues to Do in Mauritus + Find out how to Plan the Good Trip
Issues You Should Know Earlier than Visiting Mauritius
1. English is the Official Language
The three foremost languages are English, French, and Creole. English is the official language, however the majority language used is French-Mauritius Creole, which was correct on our journey. Many lodge staff additionally converse German, Italian, and Spanish. In case you plan on venturing exterior the resorts and in style vacationer sights, studying some primary French will assist you.
Most Mauritians are bilingual, and lots of are expert in three or 4 languages, which makes them a well-liked recruit for cruise ships. Additionally it is price noting that 70% of the inhabitants can converse “Morisyen.” In addition they converse Indian languages akin to Bhojpouri (31.4%), Tamil (3.5%), Hindi (2.8%), and Urdu (2.7%).
2. It’s Far! (From the US)
In case you’re visiting Mauritius from the US, be ready for 2 twelve-hour flights, particularly from the west coast. Give your self an prolonged layover (at the least 6 hours) to clear customs and stretch your legs. You can also make it even longer if you would like a relaxation day or to go to a layover metropolis. We deliberate to stroll round Paris on our layover, however our flights bought delayed.
3. Who’s Visiting Mauritius
Due to Mauritius’ location, we observed most vacationers had been Europeans. France, the UK, Germany, and Spain carry essentially the most vacationers, adopted by China.
After we visited, we bought a number of feedback asking if we had been from China. The borders have been closed due to the pandemic, so the Mauritians had been excited that we is perhaps among the many Chinese language vacationers beginning to go to once more.
4. Carry your Benjamins
Mauritius isn’t thought of a funds vacation spot. Most individuals go to Mauritius for luxurious, and so they pay for it. Though you possibly can journey right here on a funds, there are higher locations if you happen to’re searching for an reasonably priced seaside trip.
5. Their Foreign money is the Mauritian Rupee
They use the Mauritian Rupee, and roughly USD 1 = MUR 43.95.
We solely wanted money for suggestions and avenue distributors. Different spots took bank cards. You’ll be able to alternate currencies on the airport and most inns or withdraw from an ATM. In case you withdraw from an ATM, we heard it’s best to restrict every transaction to MUR15,000. In any other case, the machines may get jammed.
6. Tipping Is Not Obligatory however APPRECIATED
Tipping shouldn’t be obligatory in Mauritius. Here’s a fast guideline if you’re seeking to tip for distinctive service: Spas (5-10%), Tour guides (10%), Taxis (100-200 Rps), Accommodations (100 MUR), and Eating places (10-15%).
7. Visiting Mauritius throughout Excessive and Low Seasons
Temperatures are heat all yr, making it a year-round vacation spot. The water temps keep between 71-80°F (22-27°C).
The excessive season is throughout their summers (October-April) and winters (Might-September). Throughout peak season, it’s best to e book inns three months upfront and actions/eating places round one week earlier than. Shoulder season runs March-April and September-October.
- Summers (Oct-Apr) – The imply temperature in the summertime is 76°F (24.7°C). Dec to Mar are the wettest months. Thunderstorms are frequent however go. Throughout our December go to, the waterfalls had been dry (normally late winter/early Summer season) however had been dryer than common. As soon as the rain begins in Dec/Jan, the rivers and falls fill again up.
- Winters (Might-Sep) – The imply temperature within the winter is 70°F (21°C). Winter is windier and one of the best time to go to if you happen to like gentle temperatures and sports activities that require wind, like kitesurfing.
Native Tip: They normally get a cyclone every season, and each ten or so years, it’s going to hit the island immediately. The final huge one was in 1992, so locals have been anticipating one any time now.
8. Locations Shut Early
Many locations closed sooner than anticipated, and lots of companies closed for holidays and Sundays. Additionally, sure eating places have random days they aren’t open.
9. Renting a Automobile vs. Getting a Taxi
Renting an (computerized) automobile is an choice on the island, and also you don’t want a world driver’s license. Simply keep in mind they drive on the left facet of the highway, which might be disorienting.
Roads exterior town are simple to navigate and never too crowded, however driving in a metropolis might be nerve-racking. Navigating through google maps labored nicely going to in style sights, and the roads had been in good situation in comparison with different nations we’ve explored. Pace limits are normally round 40 kph (25 mph) in cities, 90 kph (50 mph) exterior of them, and 110 kph (68 mph) on the freeway.
Taxi prices differ and are not regulated. For instance, from Port Louis to Flic n Flac, it may well price between MUR 800 and MUR 1,000. Be cautious of taxi drivers, since some are affiliated with outlets they may attempt to take you to for “ deal” to obtain a reduce of income. However now that I give it some thought, it’s much like some bloggers and influencers too.
10. Site visitors can get loopy
It could take 1-2 hrs to get from one facet of the island to the opposite. Hold that in thoughts while you plan actions or the place you’re visiting. We had numerous early days since we had so as to add within the journey time.
Site visitors on the island begins round 8 am and 4 pm. Though we didn’t see visitors, they stored telling us how unhealthy visitors was, so we all the time left earlier or manner later to keep away from it.
Native Tip: In case you booked a lodge with breakfast however have an early exercise, you’ll most definitely miss breakfast. Ask for a to-go bag.
11. Faucet Water is Technically Secure
Locals drink faucet water, nevertheless it isn’t really helpful for guests. No matter protected consuming water, we pack this self-cleaning water bottle on all our journeys to replenish on the lodge or airport.
12. Mauritius has numerous historical past, and Sugar is a Massive a part of it
Many of the fields in Mauritius are sugarcane fields, and sugarcane farms nonetheless dominate 70% of the land. The most effective locations to be taught extra in regards to the historical past of sugarcane in Mauritius is Sugar World (L’Aventure de Sucre). Right here, it’s also possible to do a sugar tasting and a rum tasting.
As a result of sugar trade, after slavery was abolished, the British examined out indentured labor and unfold it to the remainder of the world attributable to their success. You’ll be able to be taught extra about that at Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Web site, the stays of an Immigration Depot inbuilt 1849.
Do you know the now-extinct Dodo chicken can be from Mauritius? You’ll discover them on souvenirs and branding all around the island.
13. Souvenirs
- Sugar from L’Aventure du Sucre – we purchased a number of for buddies again house that love baking or consuming espresso.
- Phoenix is the island’s hottest native beer. We by no means examine our luggage, however you possibly can carry again some native beer or liquor if you happen to do.
- Native Rum or Fruit Wines – Most cocktails are made with rum since they supply from native rhumeries. There aren’t native grape wines, however you could find native fruit wines.
14. In case you Love Golf, You’ll Love Mauritius
{Golfing} could be very in style in Mauritius. There are ten 18-hole programs and 4 9-hole programs, some designed by Gary Participant and Ernie Els. Mauritius was house to the primary golf course within the southern hemisphere.
15. World Class Diving Over Snorkeling
We weren’t impressed with the snorkeling on the reefs, however Mauritius has world-class diving. There are round 50 dive websites throughout the island. If we may have a do-over, we might have taken a PADI refresher course and booked some diving excursions as an alternative.
Native Tip: Don’t overlook coral-safe sunscreen. We had been disenchanted by all of the bleached coral we noticed.
16. The underwater Waterfall can solely be Seen from a Helicopter
The underwater waterfall, an optical phantasm, is a well-known landmark it’s essential to see whereas visiting Mauritius. It could solely be seen through helicopter, which is all the time climate dependent. Plan your experience early in your go to in order that if it will get canceled, you’ll have loads of time to reschedule.
The place to Keep in Mauritius
We break up our keep between two totally different areas on the island to maximise our keep. Typically,
- The northern shore is extra touristy,
- the south facet is wilder,
- the west facet is nearer to in style sights,
- and the east facet is quieter, with extra luxurious resorts.
Native Tip: There are over 100 seashores alongside the coast. Most pristine ones in photographs are non-public seashores for resorts and inns.
Are you planning on visiting Mauritius within the close to future? Have you ever been already? Are there any suggestions that we have to add?
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“Discovery consists not of searching for new lands however in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust
Esther + Jacob
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Native Adventurer, one of many high 5 journey blogs within the US. They imagine that journey might be discovered close to and much and hope to encourage others to discover domestically. They discover a brand new metropolis in depth yearly and at the moment base themselves in Las Vegas.
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