Overview
With world-class hotels offering the best service in the Indian Ocean and a renowned gastronomy as well as top spas and golf, Mauritius also offers more to do than many tropical islands, with trekking, mountain climbing and ecotourism playgrounds. And with its signature sunny days, the world’s third largest coral reef surrounding a turquoise lagoon and silky, blonde, sandy beaches, this island certainly comes close to paradise.
Off major shipping routes, Mauritius remained uninhabited until the 16th century, allowing it to develop into one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. It was favoured by pirates and occupied briefly by the Dutch before the French brought African slaves to work the sugar plantations. Captured by the British in 1810, Mauritius achieved independence in 1968. Its diversification into textiles, tourism and, of late, financial services, telecommunications and cyber services has been an Indian Ocean economic success story. So too has its stable multicultural society.
Descendants of Indian labourers brought in after the abolition of slavery in 1835 now comprise 70% of the population, and Chinese and Muslim traders add to a French and Creole cultural legacy. This friendly co-existence of cultures expresses itself in croissants for breakfast and curry for dinner, and garish Indian temples near French colonial mansions.
General Information
Indian Ocean, off southeast coast of Africa; due east of Madagascar.
Area
2,040 sq km (788 sq miles).
Population
1.25 million (Mauritius Government 2006).
Population Density
613 per sq km.
Capital
Port Louis. Population: 150,000 (2006 estimate).
Government
Republic established in 1992. Gained independence from the UK in 1968.
Mauritius, a volcanic and mountainous island in the Indian Ocean, lies 2,000km (1,240 miles) off the southeastern coast of Africa, due east of Madagascar. The island state stands on what was once a land bridge between Asia and Africa called the Mascarene Archipelago. From the coast, the land rises to form a broad fertile plain on which sugar cane flourishes and beyond, crater edges form a mountainous backbone. Some 500km (310 miles) east is Rodrigues Island, while northeast are the Cargados Carajos Shoals and 900km (560 miles) to the north is Agalega.
Language
The official languages are English and French (with French being the most dominant), the most commonly used are Creole (pidgin French with other languages added to the mix), Hindi and Bhojpuri. Urdu and Chinese are also spoken.
Religion
48% Hindu, 32% Christian (mainly Roman Catholic), 17% Muslim, 2% Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism, 1% other.
Time
GMT + 4.
Social Conventions
Handshaking is the customary form of greeting. Visitors should respect the traditions of their hosts, particularly when visiting a private house. The type of hospitality the visitor receives is determined by the religion and social customs of the host, which are closely related. It is appropriate to give a gift as a small token of appreciation if invited for a meal. Dress is normally informal although men will need to wear a suit for particularly formal occasions.
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. UK-type three-pin plugs are commonly used in hotels.
Head of Government
Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam since 2005.
Head of State
President Sir Anerood Jugnauth since 2003.
Passport / Visa
YesNoYesYesNoYesYesNoYesYesNoYesYesNoYes
Passport Note
All visitors must hold valid tickets and documents for their onward or return journey and adequate funds for their intended length of stay.
Passports
Passport valid for at least six months from date of entry required by all nationals of countries referred to in the chart above.
Visas
Not required by all nationals of countries referred to in the chart above for stays of up to three months.
Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Money
Currency
Mauritian Rupee (MUR; symbol Rp) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of Rp2,000, 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50 and 25. Coins are in denominations of Rp10, 5 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, and 5 cents.
Currency Exchange
Available in banks and at bureaux de change. A better rate of exchange can be obtained on traveller’s cheques than on cash. Mauritius Commercial Bank is reputed to have the quickest service.
Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs
MasterCard and Visa are the most widely accepted by most banks, hotels, restaurants and tourist shops followed by American Express and Diners Club. ATMs are widespread.
Traveller's Cheques
May be exchanged at banks, hotels and authorised dealers.
Banking Hours
Mon-Thurs 0915-1515, Fri 0915-1530, Sat 0915-1115 (except for State Bank of Mauritius). Banks are also open to coincide with the arrival and departure of international flights at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport.
Exchange Rate Indicators
| Date | Jul 07 |
| £1.00= | Rp63.79 |
| $1.00= | Rp31.60 |
| €1.00= | Rp43.09 |
Transport
Getting Around By Air
Air Mauritius (website: www.airmauritius.com) operates daily flights connecting Plaisance Airport and Rodrigues (flight time - 1 hour 15 minutes). Air Mauritius Helicopter offers transfers and sightseeing tours (tel: 603 3754; e-mail: helicopter@airmauritius.com).
Getting Around by Water
Coraline sails once a week to Rodrigues Island from Port Louis (tel: 210 5944 or 6120; website: www.mauritiusshipping.intnet.mu).
Getting Around by Road
One major highway runs north to south, otherwise a good network of paved, if sometimes narrow, roads cover the island. Traffic drives, erratically, on the left.
Coach/bus: Excellent and numerous bus services ply the island, The main three companies are the National Transport Corporation (NBC) (tel: 426 2938), United Bus Service (UBS) (tel: 212 2026) and Mauritius Bus Transport (MTB) (tel: 245 2539).
Taxi: These are regulated and metered and linked to provinces or hotels, printed on a yellow panel on the drivers’ door. Tips are not customary for taxi drivers, but appreciated.
Car hire: Numerous car hire firms include major international and independent firms.
Regulations: Drivers are required to be over 23 years old. Speed limits are 80kph (50mph) on the motorway and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Seat belts must be worn.
Documentation: A foreign licence is accepted.
Getting Around Towns and Cities
Bus and taxi services are best used in urban areas. Bicycles and motorbikes are also available for hire.
Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Port Louis to other major cities/towns/resorts in Mauritius.
| Road |
| Curepipe | 0.20 |
| Grand Baie, North | 0.30 |
| Mahebourg, Southeast | 1.00 |
| Flic-en-Flac, West | 0.30 |
Entertainment
Food and Drink
Standards of cuisine, whether French, Creole, Indian, Chinese or English, are generally very high, but fruit, meat, vegetables and even fresh seafood are often imported.
Things to know: Waiter service is normal in restaurants and bars.
National specialities:
• Venison (in season).
•Camarons (freshwater prawns) in hot sauces.
• Octopus.
•Dholl purri (a wheat pancake stuffed with ground peasand served with curry).
•Gateaux piments (chilli cakes).
National drinks:
• Rum.
• Beer.
•Alouda (almond-flavoured ice milk drink).
• Fresh coconut milk.
Legal drinking age: 18.
Tipping: 10% is usual in most hotels and restaurants.
Nightlife
Grand Baie is the centre of the island’s nightlife, with bars with live music, restaurants and nightclubs. Port Louis has mainly restaurants and bars. Rivière Noire is a Creole fishermen’s district where segadancing is especially lively on Saturday nights. Sega troupes give performances at most hotels. Gamblers are lavishly catered for; casinos are among the island’s attractions.
Shopping
This ranges from sophisticated shopping for designer clothing, jewellery and handicrafts in Port Louis’ Caudan Waterfront to rooting around for T-shirts and souvenirs upstairs in the capital’s bustling Central Market, while locals bargain hard over tea and other essentials while catching up on the gossip. Island crafts, found at the craft market at The Caudan include jewellery, Chinese and Indian jade, silks, basketry, glass and model ships. Cashmere is a particularly good buy.
Duty-free shopping is popular here with around a 40% saving on textiles, jewellery, perfume and electrical goods. Mauritius is to be turned into a tax-free shopping haven by 2010, with 80% tax taken off around 2,000 goods. Tourist shopping centres are located around the island, with a good selection of designer shops at Grand Baie, but the locals shop at Curepipe, Quatre-Bornes and Rose-Hill.
Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1800. Some shops are open until 1200 on Sundays and public holidays. Markets usually close around 1600. Shops in Rose-Hill, Curepipe and Quatre-Bornes close on Thursday afternoons.
Top things to see
• Walk around the capital, Port Louis, to see fine colonial architecture such as Government House atop the palm-lined Place d’Armes. Gaze at one of the world’s rarest stamps at the Blue Penny Museum (website: www.bluepennymuseum.com) or gawk at dodo skeletons in the Natural History Museum(website: www.mauritiusmuseums.org).
• Go souvenir shopping at Port Louis’ bustling Central Market,the craft market at The Caudan Waterfront (website: www.caudan.com) or shopping centres around the island. Bargain hunt in Chinese and Indian shops in the inland towns.
• Families should head to Casela Bird Park(website: www.caselayemen.mu) in the west. With 90 aviaries on 25 hectares (61 acres), it has more than 140 bird varieties, from five continents. The main attraction is the pink pigeon, one of the world’s rarest birds.
• Stroll around Pamplemousses Gardens(e-mail: ssrbg@intnet.mu), the third oldest botanical gardens in the world, created in the 18th century. Its international collection of plants includes giant Amazon lilies and the talipot palm, which flowers once every 60 years, then dies.
• Visit Mauritius Aquarium (website: www.mauritiusaquarium.com) in the north, populated by 200 species of fish, invertebrates, live coral and sponges originating from the waters around the island. It also has a touch pool for children.
• Follow the pilgrimage route to Grand Bassin, a natural crater lake and sacred Hindu site up on Plaine Champagne. A new 33m- (108ft-) high Shiva statue heralds the entrance to the few temples heaving with colour, incense and people at festival time.
• Visit the National History Museum (website: www.mauritiusmuseums.org) in Mahébourg in the southeast to see the bell from the shipwreck of Le San Geran that inspired Mauritius’ most famous romantic legend, Paul & Virginie, and rooms dedicated to the Dutch, French and British periods.
• Visit the most characterful town on the island, Mahébourg, and head to its new waterfront for gajaks (snacks) and a view across the bay of Grand Port, the site of the famous 1810 naval battle, to Lion Mountain.
• Snorkel or take a glass bottom boat out to see the fish and coral in Blue Bay, Mauritius’ only marine park. Or better still, take a luxury excursion to the private island just off the coast, Iles des Deux Cocos (e-mail: individual.CRO@naiade.com), to explore it from there.
• Head to the untamed south coast to see unusual rock formations such as the blowhole at Le Souffleur, a natural rock bridge at Pont Naturel and at the wild clifftop of Gris Gris, near Souillac, a rock shaped like a witch.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
Top things to do
• For a spectacular 360-degree view of Port Louis and the north, climb Le Pouce or ‘the thumb’, at 812m (2,664ft). It is an easy two-hour climb from the village of La Laura, and takes another two hours to walk into Port Louis.
• 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 (website: www.domainelespailles.net). Travel to the sugar mill and rum distillery by train or horse-drawn carriage before dining in one of four restaurants.
• Head to Grand Baie, for watersports such as parasailing, an underwater walk, submarine and semi-submersible scooters, or to La Cuvette, along silky beach with clear water between Grand Baie and Cap Malheureux, for sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing.
• Go for a swim at the northern beaches such as Trou aux Biches, shaded by casuarinas, MontChoisy, a 2km (1.2-mile) narrow white stretch of sand curving north from there, and Péreybère, a little cove between Grand Baie and Cap Malheureux.
• Go diving on the west coast around Flic-en-Flac or in the north, at Trou aux Biches or the Northern Islands from November to April. The Mauritius Scuba Diving Association (MSDA) can provide further information (website: www.msda-cmas.org).
• Take a speedboat from Trou d’eau Douce to the popular island playground of Ile aux Cerfs for beaches, golf and watersports. Or, for a quieter day, a catamaran to the Northern Islands - Gabriel Island, Flat Island and Gunner’s Quoin.
•Hike in the Black River GorgesNational Park,a6,794-hectare (16,788-acre) forest,to see indigenous plants, birds and wildlife. Black River Peak trail goes to Mauritius’ highest mountain, while the Maccabee Trail starts nearby and plunges into the gorge to Black River.
• For an adventurous lunch of roasted wild boar, duck or deer curry with one of the best island views, try Domaine du Chasseur’salfresco Panoramour Restaurant. This domaine is the best place to glimpse the Mauritius kestrel in the wild.
•La Vanille Réserve des Mascareignes (website: www.lavanille-reserve.com) is commonly referred to as ‘The Crocodile Park’, for its thousands of Nile crocodiles. It is the only place worldwide to breed aldabra tortoises and also has deer, monkeys, boar and an insectarium.
• Tiny, rugged, volcanic Rodrigues Island (website: www.rodrigues-island.org) lies 550km (340 miles) northeast of Mauritius and is known as the ‘anti-stress’ island. The capital, Port Mathurin, is only seven streets wide, with a Creole population. Rodrigues offers walking,diving, kitesurfing and deep sea fishing.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
Business
Statistics
• GDP: US$6.7 billion (2005 estimate).
•Main imports: Manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuff, petroleum products and chemicals.
• Main exports: Clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers and molasses.
• Main trade partners: France, UK and other EU countries such as Germany and Finland.
Economy
Historically, sugar has dominated Mauritius’ agricultural economy and today accounts for 25% of export earnings. Since independence in 1968, the government has deliberately sought to diversify by developing the industrial and service components of the economy.
The island’s industrial capacity is centred on a number of Export Processing Zones and its service economy is based on tourism and financial services, as well as a growing telecommunications provision which has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities. Tourism is well established and now worth over US$500 million annually. Investment in banking is more than US$1 billion. The overall economy grew at 2.5% in 2005, with inflation at 5% and unemployment 9.6%.
The government’s economic policy aims to counter the threat to the two largest sectors of the economy (sugar and textiles) from new regulations introduced by the World Trade Organization. The centrepiece of its strategy is the creation of a custom-built ‘cyber-city’, based on similar development in India, using high-speed communications links to offer e-commerce and financial transactions. It also becomes a duty-free shopping zone by 2010.
Mauritius is a member of the Indian Ocean Commission, which promotes regional economic cooperation, and of the Southern African Development Community.
Business Etiquette
Suits are usually worn in business circles. As a multicultural island, business etiquette varies between communities. But in all business transactions, hospitality and personal relationships are central here.
Office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600, Sat 0900-1200 (some offices only).
Commercial Information
Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry
3 Royal Street, Port Louis, Mauritius
Tel: 208 3301.
Website: www.mcci.org
Conferences & Conventions
With its fabulous hotels and great beaches, sunshine and high quality food, ecotourism offerings and more, Mauritius is courting the conference and incentive market. A new International Conference and Exhibition Centre opened in 2004, which with a capacity of 2,500 is the largest in the Indian Ocean.
Communications
Telephone
Country code: 230. There are no area codes. There are a limited number of public telephone booths, mainly at the airport and in major hotels. Mauritius Telecom(website: www.mauritiustelecom.com) offers a good, reliable serviceand payphones are found in their customer service centres in towns around the island.
Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements with international mobile phone companies are available and coverage extends over the entire island. Local mobile calls are the same as the price of landline calls, so it may be worth renting one if doing business here.
Internet
There are Internet cafes in both main towns and tourist centres such as Grand Baie and Port Louis. Most hotels offer high-speed Internet access.
Media
Mauritius has a free press, which means the media is full of colourful debate. The main language is French, but all the languages are represented in a variety of media, from Chinese newspapers to Bollywood movies.
Post
Airmail to Western Europe usually takes seven days; by sea, mail takes four to six weeks.
Post office hours: Generally Mon-Fri 0815-1115 and 1200-1600, Sat 0815-1145.
Press
• Of the 10 daily newspapers, two are published in Chinese and the remainder in French.
• L’Express, Le Mauricien and Le Matinal have the highest circulation.
• News on Sunday is the weekly English-language newspaper.
Radio
• MBC stations include Radio Maurice 1 and 2, Kool FM, Taal FM and One World FM.
• Other stations include Top FM, Radio One and Radio Plus.
Climate
Mauritius has a tropical maritime climate, with relatively little seasonal variation in temperatures, and generally pleasant and sunny on the coast year round. Winter, from May to October is warm and dry. Summer from November to April is hot, humid and rainy. Cyclones occur between January and March. Sea breezes blow all year, especially on the east coast, and the inland central plateau around Curepipe is cooler and rainy year round.
Required Clothing
Tropical lightweights, with warmer wear for evenings and winter months. Rainwear advisable all year round. In the summer months, sun-care products and a hat are advisable and long sleeves and trousers to help prevent insect bites.
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