Island of Mauritius Tourism and travel guide         HOME     TRAVEL GUIDE     PHOTOS     MAP OF THE ISLAND     WEATHER MAURITIUS - General Information Home Origins of the island General Information Facts Entry Formalities Flaura Marine Life Beaches Places of interest Museums Island Cruises Deep Sea Fishing Scuba Diving Golf in Mauritius Health & Spas Mauritius Festivals Night Life Weddings & Honeymoons Map of Mauritius Mauritus travel guide   SITUATED: Located in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2000 kilometres east of mainland Africa, the island of Mauritius is an oblong mass of coral reefs born out of a primeval volcanic eruption. The island enjoys a great tropical climate with mild temperature all year round. This tiny island, only 36 miles long by 25 miles at its widest point, is situated in the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, 1,265 miles from the coast of Africa to the west, and with nothing between it and Australia to the east.   CAPITAL:  Port-Louis  TIME:  GMT +4 Sunset: 17h30 in winter, 18h30 in summer CLIMATE:  The climate is tropical; the constant south east winds temper the heat of the summer (October to April), and provide that vital ingredient for sailing and wind-surfing, two of the most popular water sports. Winter lasts from May to October with a temperature range of 17 șC to 23 șC and summer from November to April with temperatures ranging from 23 șC to 33 șC.       CURRENCY:  1 Mauritian Rupee = 100 cents. Travel with Rupees or EURO traveller's cheques. There is no restriction on foreign or local currency brought into the country. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival. The airport bank will exchange Rupees into foreign currency on departure. Credit cards accepted are American Express, Diners Club, Visa and MasterCard. Main hotels will exchange traveller's cheques and bank notes. CREDIT CARDS:  MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club and American Express are widely accepted.  TRAVELLER'S CHEQUES:  May be exchanged at banks, hotels and authorised dealers.   TELEPHONE: The Mauritius Telecom is responsible for all telephone services in Mauritius and Rogrigues. You can use both coins and Mauritius Telecom phonecards in public phone booths installed all over the island. The local directory number is 90. The international directory number is 10090. The international dialling code for Mauritius and Rodrigues is 230. To call Rodrigues from Mauritius dial 095 before the individual telephone number. There is no area code for either Mauritius or Rodrigues. To make an international call from Mauritius dial 00, then the country code, area code and the number. To make an international call to Mauritius from abroad dial 00, then the country code (230) and the actual number. Remenber there is no area code for Mauritius and Rodrigues. Mauritius has a mobile telephone network in line with the international GSM standard. Roaming agreements exist with the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Mauritius Telecom has plan to extend this service with more countries.   ELECTRICITY:  230 volts, 50Hz. Continental 2-pin plugs are most common, but 3-pin round and flat plugs have been noted. Take a travel plug. LANGUAGE: English is the official language and understood throughout the island. French is also a principal language and Creole is spoken by all locals. Oriental and Indian languages are also spoken. CUSTOMS: Passengers of 16 years and over may bring in the following items: 250g tobacco, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars; 2 litres of wine, ale or beer; 1 litre of spirits; 250ml toilet water and up to 100ml perfume. You must have a permit before you can bring animal(s), plant(s) or plant matter, flowers and fresh fruits into the country. All animals must undergo a period of quarantine. All firearms must be declared on arrival.
		VACATION RENTALS | CAR RENTALS
		HOME | MAURITIUS TRAVEL GUIDE | PHOTOS OF MAURITIUS | MAP OF THE ISLAND | WEATHER IN MAURITIUS COPYRIGHT © 2004-2009 ISLAND OF MAURITIUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Entry Requirements: Nationals of EEC, USA and most Commonwealth countries do not require visas for entering Mauritius. If necessary, visas can be obtained from Mauritian embassies and high commissions. If there is no Mauritian embassy or high commission in your country you can ask your travel agent to put you in touch with the nearest government representative. You must hold a valid and return or onward ticket. On arrival you must fill an entry form stating the address where you will be staying in Mauritius. This is very important, as no address means no entry.

Customs: Passengers of 16 years and over may bring in the following items: 250g tobacco, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars; 2 litres of wine, ale or beer; 1 litre of spirits; 250ml toilet water and up to 100ml perfume. You must have a permit before you can bring animal(s), plant(s) or plant matter, flowers and fresh fruits into the country. All animals must undergo a period of quarantine. All firearms must be declared on arrival.

Airport(arrival): The name of the airport you will be arriving at in Mauritius is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Internatinal Airport situated 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.

Airport(departure): After your stay in Mauritius an airport tax of 300 Mauritian rupees per person is payable on departure. This can be paid only in Mauritian rupees. So it is advisable to keep at least that amount in the local currency. Also you need to re-confirm your return ticket at least 72 hours before departure.

Climate: The summer season in Mauritius is from December to April with temperatures ranging between 30 and 33 degrees C. The winter season is from July to September with temperatures ranging between 24-26 degrees C. The rainy months are between January and May. However rainfall is usually higher in the centre of the island than along the coastal regions. The cyclonic months are from January to April. Fortunately cyclones do not follow a regular pattern in the Indian Ocean. Some years they can be devastating, while at other times they can be very mild or miss the island altogether.

Vaccination: Mauritius is considered to be free from diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and cholera due to very effective measures of the government, over the years, to eradicate these diseases. Most people therefore may not need vaccinations before coming to Mauritius. If in doubt check with your local doctor, or Mauritian embassy, or travel agent. Please note that a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required of travellers coming from infected areas.

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.

Telephone: The Mauritius Telecom is responsible for all telephone services in Mauritius and Rogrigues. You can use both coins and Mauritius Telecom phonecards in public phone booths installed all over the island. The local directory number is 90. The international directory number is 10090. The international dialling code for Mauritius and Rodrigues is 230. To call Rodrigues from Mauritius dial 095 before the individual telephone number. There is no area code for either Mauritius or Rodrigues. To make an international call from Mauritius dial 00, then the country code, area code and the number. To make an international call to Mauritius from abroad dial 00, then the country code (230) and the actual number. Remenber there is no area code for Mauritius and Rodrigues. Mauritius has a mobile telephone network in line with the international GSM standard. Roaming agreements exist with the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Mauritius Telecom has plan to extend this service with more countries.

Time: Mauritius time is Greenwich Mean Time plus three hours (or four hours in British winter due to the clock going back by one hour in the United Kingdom around the beginning of November each year).

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.