Mauritius - Mauritius

Mauritius is an island in Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and belongs geographically to Africa.

Regions

Mauritius is divided into 9 districts:

• north: Port Louis, Pamplemousses, Rivière du Rempart
• southwest: Black River, Savannah
• east: Flacq, Grand Port
• center: Plaines Wilhems, Moka

places

• Port Louis - Capital

Other goals

Rodrigues Island

background

Mauritius is well suited for Africa beginners. The infrastructure is good and medical care is guaranteed at European level. Already at the airport Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, welcomes you to the dry heat and a wonderful smell of vanilla and sandalwood. You will discover this smell again and again all over the island (outside the cities).

The island looks like what one generally imagines as "Caribbean" in the catalog; however, it is also suitable for people with travel experience Maldives or Guadeloupe an interesting destination, as the island offers much more than this Caribbean dream. There are remnants of jungle-like terrain, a flat plateau, of course enough dream beaches with white sand and wild mountains. Unlike on La Reunion or Mayotte you are outside the EU, which feels different per se. Anyone who comes here must be aware that Mauritius is a paradise that has to be conquered first.

There are two species of animals in particular on the island. On the one hand, there are portraits of the Dodo, a flightless large pigeon that was extinct 100 years after its discovery. On the other hand, there are those Macaquesthat were brought to the island by European sailors in the 17th century and probably helped actively in the extermination of the dodos.

getting there

By plane

The vacation flyer Condor flies three times a week from Frankfurt am Main to Mauritius. Also Air Mauritius offers connections all year round (after the main season partly via Paris). The flight time from Frankfurt am Main is about 11½ hours, from Munich it is 11 hours. In addition, the golf carriers like Emirates Connections from Europe with a stopover in Dubai. Another connection with a short transfer time in Johannesburg offers South African Airways from Frankfurt am Main, so that the trip can also be combined with a stay in South Africa.

The approach to Mauritius is very low from the north, so that during the last four minutes of the flight you can see the whole island from above and count palm trees or circular sugar cane plantations. The runway is short and ends "felt" in the sea.

When taking off, which usually takes the entire runway, you usually only take the route to the south away from the island for a few minutes after take-off, while the plane gains altitude. After a U-turn in the direction of Mogadishu or Dubai, you can say goodbye to your holiday destination at medium altitude.

Airport hotels

The airport closes at 11 p.m. In the event of a very early departure, there are higher-priced airport hotels nearby that also organize transfers for a fee.

Airport bus routes

9 Mahebourg Traffic Center - Airport - Curepipe - Ian Palach South, daily 05: 00-19: 25, every 9 minutes
10 Mahebourg Traffic Center - Airport - Rivière des Gallets, daily 05: 45–18: 15, every 20 minutes
198 Mahebourg Traffic Center - Airport - Port Louis (Deschart Street), daily 05: 25–18: 25, every 15 minutes, travel time to the capital approx. 80 minutes. If you want to continue to Grand Baie, you have to change to line 215 .

By boat

mobility

Taxis and minibuses

Since in Mauritius (and Rodrigues) you drive on the left and the road conditions (roundabout) are sometimes very confusing, you should confide in the local drivers. It is important to ensure that all vehicles have a functioning air conditioning system. Bargaining is rarely worthwhile, but you should definitely consider the price before starting the journey arrange. There is no meter in the taxis. Make sure that the taxi is an official one. The others are cheaper, but often in an adventurous state, and in the event of an accident, insurance coverage is dubious.

Above all, it makes sense to use a taxi or similar when driving into Port Louis, as the driving style there is not very European - scooters and mopeds overtake on the right and left ...

A taxi driver who works as a self-employed driver with day tours and airport transfers in tourism earns around 50,000 to 60,000 Rs (1250 - 1500 €) per month. Hotel taxi drivers earn significantly more as hotel taxis are exorbitantly expensive. Their prices are based on the number of hotel stars. A day trip in a taxi from a 5-star hotel or a resort hotel can quickly cost Rs 10,000 (€ 250). Day trips by taxi are possible. The advantage of this is that the driver also acts as a travel guide on the way and waits for you nearby, no matter how long it takes. Occasionally, you will be driven to restaurants / souvenir shops that will pay the driver a commission. Don't be afraid to rule out something like this before starting your journey. Restaurants with many taxi drivers in front of them are - unlike us - a sign of good, cheap cuisine. Here the cook pays quite well for delivered guests. (The fact is, however, that taxi drivers are always among the wealthy Mauritians, which can easily be seen from the quality of their private homes.)

Rental car

Taxis are always significantly more expensive than rental cars, insofar as they are small cars that you should never rent from Germany, but always only in Mauritius. A vehicle the size of Nissan-Micra or Honda-Jazz costs around € 25 a day, which can be even cheaper if you rent a vehicle for a longer period, e.g. over 14 days. Larger rental cars (luxury class) such as Mercedes E-Class, BMW-X5 or Porsche cost at least around € 250 a day and are always offered with a local driver. Motor scooters, so-called scooters (with helmet) are offered for around € 20 a day.

The road conditions in Mauritius are not confusing! In general, you should already have experience in left-hand traffic. Roundabouts are only prone to accidents for tourists if you don't know how to drive through them. Since a tourist knows the exact route to his destination and therefore does not know the correct exit from a roundabout, every roundabout should be approached on the right-hand lane. This path leads into the inner circle, and you can circle on this path as long as you like. There you can safely look for the right exit. A vehicle on the outer circle, on the other hand, must leave the roundabout after driving a semicircle at the latest! Every road user in Mauritius knows this. If a tourist drives over the permitted semicircle on the outer circle, the risk of an accident is very high, as vehicles from the inner circle pull into the exit without using the indicator.

By bus

The terminus is at the top of the bus. When you wait for the bus, remember that there is left-hand traffic! You sit on the side of the bus facing away from the sun. The ticket is paid for by the conductor, it is best to have change ready. You should keep your ticket as it is often checked! When you get off, ring the doorbell in front of the desired bus stop.

Bus stations can be found in all larger towns. For example in Port Louis, where there is a north and a south bus station, as well as in Goodlands, Center de Flacq, Curepipe or Mahebourg.

The buses run almost constantly between 5:30 am and 8:00 pm. At 8 p.m. the last bus leaves Cap Malheureux in the direction of Port Louis.

In Grand Baie, next to the La Jonque restaurant, there is an express bus to Port Louis every half hour.

By train

After there was no longer any rail transport in Mauritius for decades, the Metro Express Port Louis with Rose Hill. Details can be found in the article about Port Louis.

language

English is the official language, but a large part of the population still understands it French language better. The younger residents, who earn their living in banks or in tourism, are also more familiar with German. However, this is not always immediately apparent. Creole, Hindi, Urdu and Hakka are also spoken.

shop

The shop opening times are comparatively short. Most of the time it is over at 5:30 p.m.

currency

The exchange rate of the Mauritius rupee was € 1 = 48 mRs at the beginning of March 2021. (In mid-2020, share price plummeted -13%, stabilized since then.) Mauritian rupees can be obtained from almost every bank prior to arrival. The export from Mauritius is not allowed. The exchange rate in Mauritius is better anyway. At the airport there are enough exchange offices at the exit, and the large hotels also offer exchange service at the reception at a somewhat less favorable rate. You should also change enough small notes, the largest note with 2,000 rupees is difficult to implement, like our 500 euro note. Withdrawals at ATMs incur fees as everywhere, but are possible without any problems as long as you still have an old debit card with the Maestro symbol. The V-Pay with chip recently introduced in Germany is not supported. In this case, you absolutely need a worldwide credit card for cashless payments.

Most dealers now take euros, but can only issue them in rupees. Action is allowed and often leads to nice conversations about God and the world.

Souvenirs

As souvenirs, we recommend spices (real vanilla sticks or powder around 200 rupees for 100 gr. In the supermarket or 600 rupees in the souvenir shop) and flowers of all kinds, some of which are also delivered from Madagascar and are packaged so that they can fly. Mauritian sea salt is cheap to get by the kilo. T-shirts are available for a few EUR cents if you don't buy in the big shops, but in one of the many all-and-nothing shops with a hairdresser, fish and cola in the villages. All things that have to be brought onto the island, such as batteries, films (does anyone else need that?) And electronic accessories, are expensive. The largest shopping centers for quick shopping tours are of course the capital Port Louis, as well as Mahébourg and Curepipe. In Curepipe you can buy model ships, which are well packed and delivered to the airport for departure.

In Mauritius there are also shops “on the green field” like ours, which are also well suited for self-sufficiency. A tobacco and newspaper shop is often attached.

Beach vendors

Hats, bags, figurines, sunglasses, fruits ... the relaxing bathing tourist will definitely get to know them. In some places you won't find even five minutes of rest. That is annoying, after all, you have vacation ... but it should be remembered that these people only get their money that way. As a rule, you just have to show that there is no business to be done today, and after a short chat, the sellers will move on with good wishes for the tourist. In Mauritius, the beach belongs to everyone and must remain accessible by law, so that beach vendors can also sell in fenced luxury hotels. As long as you are on the hotel route, the guest is taboo. If you get into conversation with a local or if you want to buy, you should take the step on the public sand, otherwise the dealer could get big, existential problems with the hotel. By the way, the quality of the goods is usually quite good, only a little more expensive than in the souvenir shop - and that is a little more expensive than the above-mentioned shopping options.

kitchen

Exotic: Notorious is the curry no. 5 made from monkey brain. Still to be found in some travel guides, it is no longer on the menu. Otherwise, the cuisine is characterized by all the Indian, English, Portuguese or African influences that make up the history of the island. Europeans, who are used to greenhouse tomatoes, will make many tasty discoveries, especially with familiar vegetables. Tropical juices and jams, often handmade, are recommended. Palm heart salad is unaffordable here, in Mauritius you can eat your fill for little money. (Mobile) food carts are called Flic-en-Flac.

Fish: If you have the chance to eat smoked marlin, you should do it! Shrimp and similar crustaceans, however, taste better from cold latitudes with deep waters.

Chicken: Often comes on the table. The meat is more fibrous than ours and darker, but the taste is more intense.

Dessert: The British once left pancakes, that is, pancakes. There is usually a thin whipped cream with coconut flakes or papaya jam. Try!

Drinks: Alouda is a milk-based drink made with basil seeds and agar-agar. Local beers are Phoenix and Blue Marlin. Imported alcoholic beverages are highly taxed and therefore expensive, this also applies to South African wine. (Here it is advisable to take advantage of the duty-free limits.) As an island whose main export is sugar cane, rum is of course produced: e.g. the Goodwill brands or the slightly more noble Green Island, mixed with lemon soda and a slice of lemon. The sale and distribution of alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited. For serving, restaurants based on the English model must have a license (which is expensive to pay).

nightlife

Enjoy the stars and the Milky Way because you can still see them here.

Those who really want to party in the club are in good hands in the northeast of the island and of course the capital. Most luxury hotels have a disco or offer torchlit Sega evenings on the beach.

You haven't flown that far to watch TV, but you can do that too: From the afternoon with local channels or in German around the clock with ZDF. Due to the time difference, however, you have to watch the afternoon program. ARD, ORF, SRG or similar do not exist.

accommodation

Mauritius is not a cheap travel destination, you can feel that especially in the accommodation. Even if the prices are currently falling a bit, as the crisis in Europe is now also here, you can only live cheaply in privately owned pensions or in small hotels without great luxury. However, this may have the advantage that you also get a little more of the real life of the Mauritian families. The German community is also happy to welcome guests from home, with many offering individual rooms in internet forums.

Mauritius is really known for its large hotels with 5 and more stars, such as Le Toussrok, the LUX Le Morne or the Paradis in Le Morne. Everything your heart desires and your wallet can offer is offered here. It doesn't matter where on the island you want to vacation, luxury resorts are all around the coast, inland the hotels without a sea view strive with particularly beautiful wellness offers and included excursions.

Learn

The school system in Mauritius is good and free for everyone up to primary school. Uniforms are mandatory.

Work

If you want to work in Mauritius, you need a permit, and it can take a while. Anyone who wants to invest and create jobs, on the other hand, is welcome. Hiring Mauritians is mandatory, in some sectors the boss has to be a Mauritian, the investor then has to submit. There are tax advantages for company start-ups. When the company closes, you can also take back all the investment sums that you have brought into the country, plus a certain percentage of the profits. Most of it should of course stay on the island.

Emigrate

It is possible, but not easy to achieve. Pensioners and non-working foreigners must bring in € 40,000 per year and provide evidence that they have also spent this money in Mauritius. The rates have already been raised several times, so that for some who can no longer afford this, they have to leave the country suddenly and very quickly, even if they have already lived on the island for decades.

security

Although many ethnic groups live in a small area on the island, the togetherness is characterized by mutual tolerance. This is also given to tourists. As always, travelers should follow a few rules of the game, because pickpockets are everywhere (especially in the capital Port Louis), but traveling alone or as a woman is completely problem-free. The murder rate is also low.

health

There are two health systems. The local population always uses a free system that can also be used by tourists. Every village has a dispensary, a small bungalow where you can get medicines free of charge. Doctors from various disciplines also come to this place, and their services can be used free of charge. A hospital of the free-to-use system is a hospital. However, these hospitals are not used by tourists. The second system consists of pharmacies where you can buy drugs, private doctor's offices and private clinics. The medical quality of these clinics can be rated as very good.

Tourists are free to choose any clinic as long as they have additional travel insurance. Prepayment must always be made, which will be reimbursed by the respective insurance company in your home country.

climate

In addition to the general weather situation, Mauritius always has a microclimate. It may be that the everyday breakfast rain falls in Le Morne and that in Tamarin a few places further it is 40 ° C with blazing sun. But rain usually doesn't really bother you as everything dries up quickly. Occasionally, cyclones set course in Mauritius in the first half of the year. However, very few of them get there properly.

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean highest air temperature in ° C	31	31	31	30	29	27	26	26	27	29	30	31	O	29
Average water temperature in ° C	28	28	28	28	27	26	25	25	24	24	26	27	O	26.3
Rainy days in the month	15	16	18	17	15	11	13	14	9	9	7	14	Σ	158

At around 65 x 45 kilometers, Mauritius is a rather small island. Almost in the middle of the island runs a mountain range in north-south direction with mountains averaging around 500 meters each. The highest mountain in Mauritius is only 828 meters high. There are usually many clouds over the island, coming from the northeast across the island to the southwest. The rain therefore rains down on the east side of the mountain range, making the west the warmest and least rainy region. A rainy season can often be found in written travel guides. This officially falls in the summer months, but at no point has it Asian dimensions. Rain showers can often only last a few minutes. Under the influence of cyclones in the summer months (turning clockwise) or anticyclones (turning counterclockwise) in the winter months, the rain hits the island parallel to the mountain range. Then the west will also get wet and the rain can last for several weeks. However, cyclones are very rare. The always warm wind over the island makes the heat very bearable for people.

Mauritius cannot be compared to the Caribbean. The island looks rather tidy European, which is probably due to the influence of the French and English in the past centuries.

The fauna and fora are unique. There are many endemic plants and animals to be found. Endemic bird species worth mentioning are the Mascarene Spectacled Bird, the Mauritius Falcon, the Mauritian Parakeet, the Mauritian Fody and the Rose Pigeon. The colorful Mauritian ornament day gecko can also only be found in Mauritius. The Aldabra giant tortoise, on the other hand, is only related to the Mauritian giant tortoise, which once lived on the Mauritian island of Rodrigues and was exterminated by Dutch seafarers. Aldabra is an island in the Seychelles, and the giant tortoises currently living in Mauritius originate from there.

respect

Good tips are thanks for good service. It doesn't hurt the traveler, it is a lot of money for the people. You can also make people happy if you bring chocolate with you as a present, so much goes into the suitcase. There aren't any similarly good ones in Mauritius, and the brand with the cow is available, but costs around 5 euros. If you know the person better, they will perhaps be happy about shoes, because good footwear is difficult to get on the island, even for money.

clothing

Nudism is forbidden! On the other hand, topless is tolerated on the "hotel beach". Many Mauritian women, on the other hand, even go into the water wearing street clothes; when visiting inland, it's best to wear something short-sleeved and keep your knees covered.

Practical advice

Smokers who like to shoot themselves have a problem: cigarette papers are forbidden according to the prevailing drug laws in the country. One can only hope for one Gideon-Bible to be found in the hotel bedside table.

To phone

If you want to call abroad is with landline phones 020 country code to select.

From Hotel telephone: A long-distance call to Germany can cost up to 3 € / min. It's not expensive inside the island. Regarding Skype, see the Internet section.

With the German mobile: T-Mobile, Vodafone and O2 have roaming partners in Mauritius. The cell phones log into the emtel or cellplus network automatically. You can make calls, send and receive SMS in the country and to Germany. With Debitel, calls cost around € 1.50 / min., SMS to Germany € 0.20, receiving an SMS is free.

Local cellular network operators are Mauritius Telecom (my.t, formerly Orange), Emtel and chili (= MTML). The current coverage can be found on a Check cardmy.t has the best coverage (especially on Rodrigues and Agalega) that's for that emtel cheaper at the minute prices. At the airport there is only the post office emtel.

They all offer cheap prepaid cards from 100 rupees. with a few free minutes or SMS. The passport is required at the time of purchase. The activation of newly purchased credit can take 2 days. It is also annoying that the VAT is deducted from the credit. I.e. if you pay 100 rup. buys will only be about 86 rupees. credited! Telephony credits expire after three months. In the case of data volume, the remainder expires depending on the package and sometimes significantly shorter, sometimes after 7 days, at most 30 days. 5GB of data was in 2020 for 450-500 rupees. to have.

Calling cards: Then there are the phone cards for the public telephone. You can get them in many shops, so you can make cheap calls in Mauritius and Germany.

In Mauritius, cell phone antennas are often hidden in palm trees. Regardless of whether it is a real plant or an artificial transmission mast.

post

The postal system is African. What doesn't get away today, tomorrow. Experience shows that postcards need between 2 weeks and 3 months to reach Germany. In Mauritius there are no postmen in the real sense of the word in the villages. Everyone has to pick up their mail at the office. Whoever receives a package will be notified.

Post to Mauritius: It is important to note “Ille Maurice - Indian Ocean” on the consignment, some consignments are diverted to Mauritania on the way because they have the same name. A parcel always ends up at customs before handover. The recipient has to come to pick up the parcel and open the parcel in the presence of the official, then a monetary amount is set - the recipient also pays properly for gifts (in case of doubt for something he does not want at all). You can simplify this pi times thumb assignment as the sender if the value on the goods slip is not very high or if, for example, the new USB stick in the accompanying letter is "hereby returned" as borrowed for holiday photos.

Internet

Mauritius allowed itself to be connected to the WWW submarine cable early on, so you are not behind the moon. Smartphones on the web also work well, but in home contracts at exorbitant prices. After all, you are in world zone 4.

More and more hotels are offering free WiFi, but at least there is a PC terminal at reception. Skype usually works without any problems and of the quality, with a little luck the same, but usually even better than at home.

There are also a few internet cafés, especially of course in the metropolitan areas. (Please add prices).

Water shortage

Please note that there is only apparently enough water for everyone. Mauritius is green, but Africa. Especially in the big hotels it bubbles and bubbles everywhere for the benefit of the guest. The fact is, however, that this water is often expensive to be delivered by tanker and the population does without it for their dream vacation. Even in Port Louis there is occasionally no water in private apartments because the hotels are given priority. In addition, the public pipeline system is ailing and loses a lot through burst water pipes. The island's water supplies come from deeply drilled underground springs and two huge rainwater reservoirs (e.g. the Grand Bassin). Some of the water is already being imported from Madagascar and the continent.

literature

Web links