General
Information
 Mauritius covers an
area of 1,865 sq. km. (720 sq. mi.), about the size
of Rhode Island, and is located about 500 miles
east of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean.
Rugged mountains cover more than 75% of the country.
The vegetation is diverse and rich comprising tropical
and subtropical species, from mango and palms to
hardwoods. About half the country is still covered
with primary forests.
 The peak summer season
and best time to dive is October to April. The remainder
of the year is good but the visibility and temperature
drop somewhat. But if you visit in summer, make
sure to check the weather as this is the time when
tropical storms are the most active in this part
of the world. Cyclones can last for over a week
!!!
The sea is calmer and warmer on the west coast throughout
the year. The east coast is blown over by the Trade
Winds which makes it colder and rougher. The east
coast however, has some of the best dive sites in
Mauritius.
Sites include cliffs, caverns, reefs, pinnacles
and wrecks. Many species of marine life inhabit
Mauritius' waters, including sharks, barracuda,
tuna, red-snapper, rays, eels, bass, whales, dolphins,
turtles, over a hundred species of coral, octopus,
crabs, squid, lobsters, gorgonias, lionfish, angelfish,
parrotfish, grouper, seargent-major fish, ancientship
wrecks, cliff faces, caverns, coral reefs and much
more.
Dive
Centers & Accommodations
Getting
There
Mauritius is well serviced by a number of main airlines.
Air Mauritius has weekly flights to and from many
European cities as well as to and from the major African
cities including Antananarivo, Cape Town, Durban,
Maputo, Harare, Johannesburg, and Nairobi. In addition,
there are flights to and from Bombay, Delhi, Chennai,
Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Perth
and Singapore. British Airways, Air France, Singapore
Airlines and South African Airways operate weekly
flights. A prime destination, Mauritius is only some
12 hours flight from Europe and about 4.5 hours from
Johannesburg, South Africa.
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam is the internatinal airport
which is located at Plaisance near the town of Mahebourg
in the south of the island. It would be a good idea
to change some money into Mauritian currencies immediately
on arrival. Flic-en Flacq in the southeast is one
hour from the airport by car, Port Louis the Capital
1Hr, Grand Baie and Perebere in the north 1.5 Hrs,
Le Morne in the southeast 1.5 Hrs, Belle Mare and
Palmar in the east 1.2 Hrs, and Mahebourg in the south
20 mins. Depending on your destination, transfer cost
varies from 300 to 900 Mauritian rupees.
Flights
Air
Mauritius
1 weekly flight from Milan
1 weekly flight from Chennai
2 weekly flights from Dar Es Salaam
Minimum of 21 weekly flights from Reunion (Gillot)
Minimum of 5 weekly flights from Reunion
(Pierrefonds)
minimumof 21 weekly flights from Rodrigues
3 weekly flights from London (Heathrow)
1 weekly flight from Manchester
1 weekly flight from Brussels and London
15 weekly flights from Paris (CDG)
1 weekly flight from Frankfurt
1 weekly flight from Munich
1 weekly flight from Geneva
1 weekly flight from Vienna
1 weekly flight from Rome (Fiumicino)
1 weekly flight from Johannesburg
2 weekly flights from Johannesburg and Durban
1 weekly flight from Cape Town
1 weekly flight from Melbourne
1 weekly flight from Perth
3 weekly flights from Mumbai
2 weekly flight from Delhi
1 weekly flight from Singapore
2 weekly flights from Hong Kong
5 weekly flights from Antananarivo
2 weekly flights from Narobi
4 weekly flights from Seychelles
Air
France: 6 weekly flights from Paris (Charles de
Gaulle)
Air
Austral: Daily flights from Reunion Island, Rodrigues
Island
British
Airways: 2 weekly flights from London (Gatwick)
and Narobi, 2 weekly flight from London (Gatwick)
Condor: 1 weekly flight from Frankfurt, 1 weekly flight
from Munich
South
African Airways: 3 weekly flights from Johannesburg,
1 weekly flight from Durban and Johannesburg, 1 weekly
flight from Cape Town and Durban
Air
Seychelles: 2 weekly flights from Seychelles
Singapore
Airlines: 1 weekly flights from Singapore, 1 weekly
flights from Johannesburg
Air Zimbabwe: 1 weekly flight from Harare
Air Madagascar: 2 weekly flights from Antananarivo
Entry
A valid passport and a return or onward ticket is
a must for travellers entering Mauritius. Visas are
not required by those from a Commonwealth country,
Japan, South Africa, the USA, the EU and the Scandinavian
countries. Those that do require a visa can usually
obtain one for three months, and they are renewable
on request. Mauritian Embassies and High Commissions
issue visas free of charge. Passengers in transit
require no visas but they must continue their journey
within 72 hours of checking in.
Customs
Passengers of 16 years of age and over may import
the following duty free: 250 grammes of tobacco (including
cigars and cigarettes), 1 litre of spirits, 2 litres
of wine, ale or beer, one quarter litre of Eau de
Toilette and a quantity of perfume not exceeding 10
cl. A plant import permit must be obtained from the
Ministry of Agriculture, prior to the introduction
of plants and plant material including cuttings, flowers,
bulbs, fresh fruits, vegetables and seeds. All plants
must be declared to Customs immediately on arrival
and are subject to examination. It is prohibited,
by law, to introduce sugar cane and parts thereof,
soil micro-organisms and invertebrate animals.
Health Requirements
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required
for travellers over 1 year of age and coming from
infected areas. Infected areas are those areas which
according to the World Health Organisation are included
in the endemic zones.
There is no malaria risk in Mauritius or Rodrigues.
Travel Tips
Business Hours
Generally from 09H00 to 16H00 each Monday to Friday
and a half-day on Saturdays. On the Central Plateau,
shops are open all day on Saturdays and half-day on
Thursdays.
Because it is a free port, Mauritius has a number
of commercial, development and offshore banks in addition
to the central banks.
Shopping
Take your pick - packets of Mauritian spice, ship
models, miniature dodos in copper or wood, Mauritian
recipe books, Sega music cassettes, miniatures of
island rum, anthurium flowers, Mauritian tea, T-shirts,
shells (make sure you get a Clearance Certificate),
Indian fabrics, basket work, quilts, hand-embroidered
table cloths, pottery, casual wear and pareos. Knitwear
and beachwear can be purchased at factory prices and
duty free shopping includes designerwear, diamonds
and gold jewellery.
Time
Mauritius time is 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean
Time and 3 hours ahead of mid-European time.
Communications
The country telephone code is +230 and there are no
area codes. Public telephone booths can be found at
the airport and larger hotels. Fax facilities are
available at most hotels. E-communication is also
available.
Electricity
The power supply throughout the island is 240 volts.
Most power sockets use the British 3-pin plugs. French
2-pin plugs are also in use all over the island. If
you intend to bring electrical appliances with you
it would be a good idea to have your own adaptor.
Dress
Beachwear is a popular form of dress in Mauritius.
Otherwise, dress is casual although most hotels do
not allow guests to wear shorts or T-shirts in the
restaurants or bars in the evenings. Between June
and October, a jacket or tracksuit top is recommended.
Dress appropriately when visiting religious shrines
and remove shoes when entering mosques and temples.
Tipping
There is no hard and fast rules about tipping in Mauritius
and it is not generally expected. It is at the discretion
of the customer whether to tip or not.
Water
Tap water in Mauritius is usually safe to drink. However
you need to take precaution in case of heavy rainfall
and flooding. In such situations it is advisable to
drink boiled or bottled water.
Weather
In the central part of the island, 1968 ft. / 600
metres above the sea level, the average maximum day-time
temperature varies from about 68 F / 20 C in August
to about 79 F / 26 C in February. Along coastal areas,
the temperatures are generally higher. The western
and northern regions are warmer and relatively drier
than the East and the South.
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