About Mauritius
Mauritius, a tropical island paradise and arguably Africa’s wealthiest destination, is one of the world’s top luxury tourism destinations. It possesses a wide range of natural and man-made attractions, enjoys a tropical climate with clear warm sea waters, attractive beaches, tropical fauna and flora complemented by a multi-ethnic and cultural population that is friendly and welcoming.
These tourism assets are its main strength, especially since they are backed up by well-designed and run hotels, reliable and operational services and infrastructures. Mauritius received the World Leading Island Destination award for the third time, as well as the World’s Best Beach award, at the World Travel Awards in January
Geography of Mauritius
Located just off the southeast coast of Africa, some 900 kilometres east of Madagascar, is the island nation of Mauritius. Surrounded by the warm Indian Ocean, the island is 2040 kilometres in size and forms part of the Mascarene Islands, with Réunion island to the southwest and Rodrigues to the northeast. As a Republic, it also includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands, while its capital is the city of Port Louis
Climate in Mauritius
Mauritius enjoys a mild tropical climate all year round. The winter months are typically warm and dry from May to November, while summer is hot and quite humid from December to April. Coastal temperatures: 22°C in winter to 34°C in summer. Sea temperature: 22°C to 27°C.
Languages in Mauritius
Mauritian Creole, French and English is the official administrative language on the island. While English is the only official language, the lingua franca is Mauritian Creole and the newspapers and television programmes are usually in French. Rodriguan Creole is a minority language and is spoken in certain parts of the country only.
Culture in Mauritius
The island is a melting pot of cultures with Indian, African, Chinese and French citizens adding to its unique diversity. As a former French and then British colony, the island also shows strong European influences.
Money & Currency in Mauritius
The local currency is the Mauritian Rupee (MUR) which is divided into 100 cents. Credit cards are accepted by most businesses.
Driving in Mauritius
The island has a network of well maintained roads and driving is on the left, with a main dual-carriage way going across the island from the airport in the south through the capital city of Port Louis in the west and further towards the popular north coast. Multi-coloured buses and taxis are a safe and popular way to get around the island, while cars can also be hired.
Direct Flights to or from Mauritius
Air Mauritius is the national carrier for the island. It operates a network of routes to the local islands and international destinations in Africa, Australia, Europe and Asia, with daily or weekly flights to most major cities in these destinations.