Mauritius

When to Go

Climate Description
Situated near the Tropic of Capricorn, Mauritius has the advantage of a subtropical climate. There are two seasons: summer (November to April) with an average temperature of 30°C and winter (May to September) with a variation of temperatures from 17°C at night to 24°C in mid-afternoon. In between, a pleasant period is from September to November with temperatures between 25°C and 28°C.

Temperature & Rainfall Chart

H I S T O R I C A L W E A T H E R D A T A

Average Temperature

	Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
°F	75	80	80	79	77	75	72	71	70	71	74	76	78
°C	23	26	26	26	25	23	22	21	21	21	23	24	25

Average High Temperature


°F	79	84	83	83	81	79	76	74	74	76	78	81	83
°C	26	28	28	28	27	26	24	23	23	24	25	27	28

Average Low Temperature


°F	71	76	76	75	73	70	68	66	66	66	69	71	74
°C	21	24	24	23	22	21	20	18	18	18	20	21	23

Highest Recorded Temperature


°F	102	102	93	90	95	86	90	91	88	95	93	91	91
°C	38	38	33	32	35	30	32	32	31	35	33	32	32

Lowest Recorded Temperature


°F	45	64	63	64	64	45	46	45	46	46	51	63	61
°C	7	17	17	17	17	7	7	7	7	7	10	17	16

Average Precipitation

	Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
in.	67.7	8.8	9.8	9.6	7.8	5.5	3.7	3.9	3.2	2.2	2.3	3.1	7.0
mm	1719	223	248	243	198	139	93	99	81	55	58	78	177

Average Wind Speed


mph	10	10	10	9	9	10	10	10	11	10	10	9	9
km/h	16	16	16	14	14	16	16	16	18	16	16	14	14

Average Morning Relative Humidity


%	85	87	90	90	89	87	84	83	84	84	82	81	84

Average Afternoon Relative Humidity


%	74	75	77	78	78	76	74	73	73	72	71	70	73

Top Attractions
Top Attractions & Touring Routes
NORTH
Grand Bay
Grand Bay was the first area of the island to fully experience the tourist boom. A shopping and leisure paradise, Grand Bay also happens to be the area where Mauritians head for when they want a fun-filled night out (restaurants, bars and discos).
The Triolet Shivala
The longest village on the island, Triolet offers an opportunity to visit the biggest Hindu temple, the Maheswarnath, first built in 1819 in honour of the Goods Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, Muruga, Brahma and Ganesha.
The Labourdonnais Orchads
Discover a large variety of tropical fruit trees colourful and perfumed exotic flowers. Trips on mountain bikes or hiking are possible.

EAST
Flacq Market
Flacq is one of the most important villages in Mauritius. This meeting point for inhabitants of the East boasts the country's largest open air market. The extremely colourful market attracts a large number of people.
The Waterpark Leisure Village
Enjoy unforgettable moments sliding on he giant chutes, with family or friends. Relaxation and pleasure guaranteed.
Ile aux Cerfs
Ile aux Cerfs is a paradise for water sports and has the most beautiful beach in Mauritius. You cannot afford to miss this tiny island, delicately poised on the ocean, a real pearl in the Mauritian landscape.

SOUTH-EAST
Domaine du Chasseur
Nestling in the Anse Jonchee hills, the Domaine des Grand Bois has splendid hunting grounds covering an area of 900 hectares. Stags, monkeys and boars live amidst the luxuriant vegetation of the hillside. One can watch a few species of endangered birds, including the kestrel.

INLAND
SSR Botanical Garden
The gardens are known to naturalists throughout the world for their large collection of indigenous and exotic plants, including the giant Victoria Amazonica water lilies and many species of palm trees.
Black River Gorges
This national park of 6 574 hectares was created in 1994 for the protection of Mauritius' remaining native forests. Visitors can enjoy magnificent landscapes, with endemic plants and rare bird species.
Activities
General Activities
Beaches
Lagoon of a tipically tropical sweetness and endless white beaches: Mauritius is a real paradise for those who want to enjoy the sea or just to soak up the sun. Here is a list of the island's finest public beaches.
Deep Sea Fishing
Mauritius is a paradise for deep sea fishing. Species include the blue or black marlin, all types of sharks, yellow tuna, the Bonitos, the 'emperor', the 'pelerin', the 'becune' or the barracuda. Huge fishes like the Blue Marlin roam seas and hunt around the island from November to April, and very often until May.
Eco Tourism
take breathtaking views on foot, on bike or kayak; or go trekking through fields, rivers and forests on all terrain quad bikes and discover the magnificent views of this island.
Golf
What could be more pleasant than being on holiday on a dream island whilst having the opportunity to improve your golfing skills.
Spa
Those seeking well-being during their holidays should be sure to visit the spas, new oases of peace where time stands still. Mauritius offers several world-class items.
Shopping
The island's reputation as a shopping paradise is enchanced by the diversity and quality of shopping opportunities.

Major Events Calendar
Cavadi
This festival is celebrated in January/February. Bodies are pierced with needles, tongues and cheeks with pins, devotees in a trance carry the 'Cavadi' on their shoulders as a penitence. The 'Cavadi' is a wooden arch, covered with flowers and with a pot of milk at each end.
Divali
The Festival of Lights is celebrated in a spirit of pure joy, in the mpnth of October or November. Small clay lamps line the walls, balconies and yards. they are lit at sunset. Their golden light, wich is believed to guide the Goddess of wealth and good fortune, can be seen everywhere.
General
Official Name & Formation date
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius.

Flag

Capital and major cities
Port Louis (capital city)
Vacoas-Phoenix, Beau Bassin-Rosehill, Curepipe

Geographical location
Mauritius is situated on the south west of the Indian Ocean, in the Mascarene archipelago, at 160 km east from Reunion Island and 920 km east from Madagascar. It includes the main island of Mauritus, Rodrigues, Saint Brandon and Agaléga. Mauritius is a volcanic island of 1865 km². The coast, 330 km long, is nearly entirely surrounded by coral reefs.

Languages
English (official)
French (de facto)
Hindi, Urdu, Bhojpuri

Currency
The monetary is the Mauritian Rupee (Rs. or MUR) wich is divided into 100 cents (cs). At the latest exchange rate, one Euro is worth around Rs. 30.

Communication
Mauritius has international direct dialing facilities to most parts of the world as well as high speed fax and internet services.
Calling code : +230

Time zone
Mauritius is four hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time and three hours ahead (2 hours in summer) of mid-European Time.
+2 hour with Latvia (in summer)
+3 hours with Latvia (in winter)

Public holidays
There are 15 public holidays every year. Seven of them are fixed holidays:

January 01 & 02 - New Years Day and Abolition of Slavery
February 01 - Thaipoosam Cavadee
March 12 - National Day
May 01 - Labour Day
November 02 - Arrival of Indentured Labourers
December 25 - Christmas Day

The remaining public holidays are religious festivals whose dates vary from year to year.
Useful Information
Health Issues
No vaccinations are required.
However a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers over 1 year of age who arrive from areas where yellow fever cases are reported.

Emergency phones
Police (ambulance) : 999
Police : 208-7018; 208-7020
Fire : 995, Samu : 114

Driver's License
People in Mauritius drive on the left-hand side of the road and give way to the right.
Foreigners with a driving licence issued by a Competent Authority in their respective countries are allowed to drive during their stay in Mauritius.

Electricity & Mains
220 volts.

Banking & Shopping Hours
Banking hours:
Monday to Thursday: 9:15-15:15, Friday: 9:15-15:30, Saturday: 9:15-11:15 (some banks only).
Banks are also open to coincide with the arrival and departure of International flights at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport.
Shopping Hours:
Shopping hours in main cities range from 9:30 to 19:30 (Monday-Saturday). Some shops are open till noon on Sundays and public holidays. many duty free shops and modern shopping centres (Caudan, Curepipe, Floreal Square, happy World House, Orchard Centre) offer a wide choise of products.
Please note that there are no shops open in Rose-Hill, Curepipe and Quatre-Bornes on Thursday afternoon.
Working Hours:
Private sector: Monday to Friday: 8:30-16:15, Saturday: 9:00-12:00.
Public sector: Monday to Friday: 9:00-16:00
Saturday: 9:00-12:00

Tipping
Tipping is not compulsory.

Useful Links
Customs
Passengers over 18 years of age may import the following duty-free items: 250 grams of tabacco (including cigars and cigarettes), 1 litre of spirits, 2 litres of wine, ale or beer, one quarter litre of Eau de Toilette and perfume not exceeding 100 ml.
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.
It is prohibited to introduce sugarcane and parts thereof, soil micro-organisms and invertebrate animals.
All imported animals including animal products need an import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture and a health certificate from the country of origin.

Country Info

Mauritius

When to Go

Top Attractions

Activities

General

Useful Information

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