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According to Mark Twain, "God created Mauritius and then
Heaven". This mesmerising place is a tropical paradise
for people to spend a memorable vacation. Mauritius consists
of two islands. By far the biggest one is known as Mauritius
whose capital city, Port Louis is located here. Then there is
a smaller island some 500 km away, called Rodrigues. Mauritius
rests in gorgeous isolation in the bosom of the warmest ocean
of all, the Indian Ocean, bounded by Africa, India and Australia.
The country is ornamented with lovely bougainvillea and flame
trees, violet moonscaped mountains, deep craters, wild waterfalls,
rainbows and shooting stars, villages hidden in lush coastal
vegetation, plateau towns with charming old colonial houses,
flowers and trees growing out of the red earth in striking hues
and everywhere there is green and golden cover of sugarcane.
Mauritius is also blessed with some of the most enchanting beaches,
a large scope for shopping and warm, friendly people to welcome
their visitors.
Fact File
Official name : Republic of Mauritius
Government : Parliamentary Democracy
Nationality : Mauritian
Capital city : Port Louis
Ethnic groups : Indo-Mauritian
(68%), Creole (27%), Sino-Mauritian (3%), Franco-Mauritian (2%)
Location : Mauritius, a volcanic
and mountainous island in the Indian Ocean, lies 2000km (1240
miles) off the southeastern coast of Africa, due east of Madagascar.
Continent : Africa
Currency : Mauritian Rupee (MUR);
1 MUR = 1.4924 Indian Rupee = 0.03429 US $ = 0.02840 Euro (subject
to change).
Population : 1,159,729 (1998).
Languages : English is the official
language. French, Creole, Hindi and Bhojpuri. Urdu and Chinese
are also among the languages spoken.
Religion : 51 per cent Hindu, 31
per cent Christian, 17 per cent Muslim.
Area : 2040 sq km (788 sq miles).
Famous for : Giant water lilies,
a spice garden and the Talipot Palms
Major cities : Beau Bassin-Rose
Hill, Curepipe, Port Louis, Quatre Bornes, Vascoas-Phoenix.
Clothing : Summers: cotton; Winters:
woolens
Major events : Teemeedee, takes
place throughout the year but mostly in December and January
Thaipoosam Cavadee in January or February festival of Pongal,
and Chinese New Year, Maha Shivaratri Holi, Independence/Republic
Day is 12 March. Père Laval Feast Day in September Eid-al-Fitr
the ninth month of the lunar year.
Things to Buy : Local craft is
also particularly rich, ranging from the shells, bracelets,
necklaces, and pagnes, Gold jewelry and gems spices, clothes.
Things to do : Sightseeing, enjoying
the beaches, shopping.
Cuisine : Creole rougailles, Indian
curries, Muslim bryanis, Chinese sweet-and-sour pork, French
delicate dishes, English bacon and eggs. In short it has variety
of cuisines from Indian to Chinese & continental.
Visa Permit
All visitors are required to have a passport and onward ticket
in order to enter the country. Most visitors do not require
visas for stays of up to 90 days. Contact a Mauritian embassy
prior to your visit.
Culture
The culture of Mauritius involves the blending of several cultures
from Mauritius's history, as well as individual culture arising
indigenously. Mauritius is a multicultural country, but some
have observed that it is not yet a nation where people look
upon it as the land of their forebearers. The country has in
essence its own language (Mauritian or Mauritian Creole) and
a thriving literature in its language, its own music and dance
(the sega), a special cuisine - it's the land where miscegenation
is rich and vibrant but there is a view that the root searching
ideology of those in power tries to shroud what is most progressive
in the cultural landscape. Mauritian beer (especially Phoenix,
since 1963), is a big part of Mauritian culture.
When to go
Apart from the busy Christmas to New Year period. 'Winter' occur
from July to September, when dayTime temperatures drop from
sticky to balmy. With less rain and humidity, this is one of
the best Times to visit. Summers( January to April), when the
days are too hot. December through March is the best Time for
diving, when the waters are at their clearest; June through
August is best for surfing; and October through April is excellent
for big game fishing, when the large predators feed close to
shore.
Climate
Tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter
(May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May).
In the summer months, from November to April, the temperature
varies from 20 to 28 degree celcius on the Central Plateau and
from 25 to 33 degree celcius on the coast. From May to October,
the average temperature is 19 degree celcius in the centre of
the island, rarely falling under 13 degree celcius at night.
On the coast, all temperatures are about 5 degree celcius higher.
The sea temperature approaches 27 degree celcius in summerTime
and is down to 22 degree celcius in winter. The hours of daylight
are approximately from 05:00 to 19:00 in summer and 06:00 to
17:30 in June, July and August - the winter months. The rainy
season occurs from January to March - especially on the Central
Plateau.
Getting there
By Air : Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam
International Airport is the international airport in the country
which makes it accessible from various parts of the globe.
Getting around
Public Transport : Most Mauritians
get around the island by using public transport, so you shouldn't
have a problem if you choose to use it. Buses are plentiful
and inexpensive and connect every part of the island. However,
some attractions are not accessible by public transport, especially
in the Black River Canyon area. Taxis are numerous and all have
meters, but these are rarely switched on. It is therefore advisable
to agree on a price before starting a journey. There are no
operational railways in Mauritius.
By Air : There are five airports
in Mauritius, two of which are paved. The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam
international airport is located at Plaisance, 4 km from Mahebourg.
Air Mauritius operates over 30 weekly flights to and from all
the European major cities including 15 combined flights with
Air France to and from Paris. Other international airlines operating
in Mauritius include Air Austral, British Airways, Condor, South
African Airways, Air Seychelles, Emirates and Singapore Airlines.
By Road : In 2001, there were 2,000
km of classified roads in Mauritius, 98 percent of which were
paved. Driving is on the left hand side of the road. It can
be fun to rent a bicycle, scooter or car and explore the island
for yourself. Scooters and bicycles are available to rent from
many hotels and shops. On most back roads traffic is light and
it's safe to ride. If you haven't ridden a scooter before you
should probably avoid the main roads and bigger towns, however.
An international driver's licence is compulsory and drivers
must be over 23 when renting a car.
Major attractions
Port Louis(capital city) : Port
Louis, the capital and main port of Mauritius, was founded by
the French governor, Mahe de Labourdonnais in 1735. The harbour
is nestled within a semi-circle of picturesque mountains. This
alluring town has restored its past glory and elegance. At a
close distance from the main square there are some exquisite
French colonial buildings; especially the Government house and
the Municipal Theatre, which were built during the 18th century.
Besides these, there are two eye catching Cathedrals, Anglican
and Catholic and a mosque too. The Supreme Court, natural history
museum, the Worldwide Masks museum are also present in the capital
town.
Chamarel : A twisting road leads
from Case Noyal village to the coloured earth at Chamarel which
is one of the oldest sites on the island and is also known as
the Seven Coloured Earth. This is a piece of undulating land
lying in contrasting layers of colours, and the patches of blue,
green, red, purple and yellow earth are considered to be the
result from the weathering of volcanic rocks. The closeby Chamarel
waterfalls coming from the moors and native vegetation and is
charmingly beautiful.
Pamplemonsses Garden : Pierre
Poivre created this enchanting garden in 1767 in the Estate
of the French Governor Mahe de Labourdonnais. His Chateau known
as 'Mon Plaisir', which was built in 1735, can still be seen
there. The garden owns a collection of native and exotic plants,
including the giant Victoria Amazonica water lilies, many species
of palm trees especially the unique talipot palm which flowers
once every sixty years and then dies.
Grand Bassin : This enchanting
site nestles in the crater of an extinct volcano and is a place
of pilgrimage for large number of Mauritians of Hindu faith,
particularly on the occasion of Maha Shivratree, which is celebrated
in the month of February.
Ile Anx Cerfs : It pulls tourists
on the east coast where people come to enjoy the beach and lagoon
for water sports or sunbathing. Fantastic restaurants and several
souvenir stalls can also be seen here. Moreover, on the island,
there is a boathouse where one can hire water skis, sailboards,
Laser dinghies, canoes and surfcats.
Black River George : Proclaimed
in 1994, this 6,574 hectare park protects much of the remaining
native forests of Mauritius and presents the visitor with a
chance to relish the fantastic natural scenery and some of the
unique endemic plants and bird life. A boardwalk provides access
to the typical dwarf forest of the region and a fenced conservation
management area which protects a sample of the remaining health
land.
How to plan your tours:
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Incredible
Islands