Mauritius

Quick Facts

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Capital

Port Louis

Population

1,210,000

Government

Parliamentary Democracy

Religions

Hinduism, Christianity (Catholic), Islam

Languages

English, French, Morisyen, Bhojpuri

Calling Code

+230

Nationality

Mauritian

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Introduction

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Discovered by the Portugese, claimed by the Dutch, the French and finally the British, Mauritian culture is an eclectic mix of the descendants of Europeans colonizers, African slaves and Indian labourers. The island's culinary styles, which can be attributed to its distinct heritage, are exquisite; Mauritius is a favourite among cooking shows, with specials covering the island's food cropping up constantly.

With great food filling their stomachs, tourists head for the island's trendy beaches, where swimming and surfing are generally the order of the day. Mauritius has heavily promoted its aquatic attractions, developing diverse ways of enjoying the marine world, such as undersea walks and semi-submarine rides. Inland, rising mountains make for gorgeous scenery and excellent hiking. Though Mauritius is hardly a role model for good environmental treatment, the Royal Botanical Gardens offer a delightful glimpse of the diverse flora that once thrived on the island.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

The island of Mauritius is divided into 9 districts

• Black River
• Flacq
• Grand Port
• Moka
• Pamplemousses
• Plaines Wilhems
• Port Louis
• Rivière du Rempart
• Savanne

and 3 dependencies.

• Rodrigues, an island 560 kilometres north-east of Mauritius.
• Agalega, two small islands about 933 kilometres north of Mauritius.
• Cargados Carajos Shoals, also known as the Saint Brandon islands, about 402 kilometres north of Mauritius.

Cities

• Port Louis - The capital
• Beau Bassin
• Curepipe
• Phoenix
• Quatre Bornes
• Rose Hill
• Vacoas

Sights and Activities

Black River Gorges National Park

The Black River Gorges National Park is a spectacularly wild expanse of thick forest which covers a total of 3,5% of the total surface of the island. The park is home to over 300 species of plants and nine species of bird which are endemic on Mauritius. These include the pink pigeon which is staging a comeback after almost being extinct. Others include the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, echo parakeet and Mauritius cuckoo-shrike. Although there is a network of hiking trails, they're not always well marked, so check the route and trail conditions at the information centres before you go into this wild area.

Le Morne Cultural Landscape

Le Morne Cultural Landscape is one of the newest sites on the Unesco World Heritage List (as of 2008). It mainly consists of a rugged mountain on the edge of the Indian Ocean in the southwest of Mauritius. It was used as a shelter by runaway slaves through the 18th and early years of the 19th centuries. Here, they wre protected by the mountain’s isolated, wooded and almost inaccessible cliffs. The slaves formed small settlements in the caves and on the summit of Le Morne. Mauritius unfortunately was an important stopover in the eastern slave trade and also became known as the “Maroon republic” because of the large number of escaped slaves who lived in Le Morne.

Beaches

Many people visiting Mauritius go here just to enjoy the wonderful climate at one of the beaches, or at one of the swimming pools of their hotels. Mauritius boasts a high density of very exclusive hotels and is more affordable than for example the Seychelles or Maldives. White sanded palm fringed beaches and excellent diving and snorkelling all belong to the possibilities here.

Other sights and activities

• Aapravasi Ghat - also on the Unesco List, near Port Louis
• Lion Mountain - hike near Vieux Grand Port
• Tamarin Falls - great hike and refreshing waterfall afterwards
• Macabée Bel Ombre Nature Preserve
• Domaine du Chasseur Nature Preserve
• Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens - Beautiful and popular tourist destination
• L'Aventure du Sucre - museum about sugar factories on Mauritius, near Port Louis

Events and Festivals

Weather

Mauritius has a tropical oceanic climate with moderately high temperatures and humidity throughout the year.
Temperatures average between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius during the day, warmest being November to April, coolest between June and September. Nights are around 22 degrees in summer, 18 in wintermonths.
Rain occurs in all months but the wettest period is from December to April. During these months tropical cyclones occasionally strike the island or pass near enough to give very heavy rainfall and violent damaging winds.

Getting there

By Plane

Air Mauritius is the national airline of the country and has its base at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU), 50 kilometers from the capital Port Louis. International destinations include Cape Town, Chennai, Delhi, Durban, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne, Milan, Mumbai, Munich, Nairobi, Paris, Perth, Reunion, Rome, Singapore, Sydney and Zürich.
Several other airlines fly to a few of these cities as well, like Air France, Air Europa, British Airways, Emirates, Kenya Airways and LTU.

By Boat

Getting around

Plane

Air Mauritius flies between Mauritius (main island) and Rodrigues, taking around 90 minutes. Air Mauritius also does helicopter tours of the island, usually lasting around 20 minutes or so.

By Train

There are no train services on Mauritius.

By Car

Roads on Mauritius are paved and in a fair condition. The driving skills of the locals might be another story though and it is best to drive defensive and watch out. You can rent cars from international as well as local firms (DH Car Hire) at the international airport or in Port Louis. Traffic drives on the left and you need your national driver's licence.
Small motorbikes or bikes are other options.

By Bus

Mauritian buses are generally good - albeit a bit slow - and can take you to (or near) just about any place on the island. There are several different operators, none of which cover the entire island. Port Louis and Curepipe are the main hubs. Tickets are cheap and should be kept handy, as inspectors check them frequently. The main three companies are the National Transport Corporation United Bus Service and Mauritius Bus Transport. Triolet Bus Service has good services as well.

By Boat

Coraline has crossings once a week between Mauritius and Rodrigues. Other than that, it will be chartered boats to go out and explore Mauritius underwater or catch your own delicious fish diner for the night.

Red Tape

Money

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

An internet connection can be hard to come by on Mauritius, although there are one or two small internet cafe's in Port Louis.

Phone

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