Mauritius Travel Tips and FAQ

Planning your Mauritius travel itinerary?

From exchanging your money to credit cards, health information, communication, weather insights and other handy tips and tricks, I'd like to share with you my experience as a Mauritian having lived on the island for over 20 years. I hope these tips will help you plan the perfect vacation of your dreams.

Language

While there is no official language in Mauritius, English and French-based Creole are widely spoken everywhere. French is also commonly spoken by almost all the population.

Cash and Credit Cards

The official currency of Mauritius is the Mauritian Rupee (labelled as Rs), and 1 Rupee is equal to 100 cents. You can exchange money at the airport or at a local bank; we recommend directly at the airport for the best exchange rates. ATMs are easily available at all popular destinations. While credit cards are widely accepted in shops, we recommend carrying some cash with you as well.

Getting Around

In Mauritius, cars travel of the left side of the road (like in England, for example). Being a small nation, the traffic is relatively less. Buses are the most popular means of transport with terminals in all major cities. If you wish to travel to a destination that is not on the bus route, it is easiest to call a taxi. Please kindly use the contact form if you'd like to order a dedicated personal taxi. If you call a random taxi, pleas make sure to negotiate the fare before you set out. Please kindly use the contact form if you'd like to request a German-speaking tour guide for daily trips, at a preferential tariff.

Communications

If you are residing at La Marquise Résidence, you do not have to worry about internet as we have free Wi-Fi connection on premise. On the go, you'd want to buy a prepaid SIM card. There are two major companies offering SIM cards: Emtel and MyT. We recommend MyT since from experience, they have the best coverage on the island. In general, internet connectivity is quite good in Mauritius and this applies to mobile internet as well. SIM cards are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at kiosks that are found in almost all major shopping malls on the island.

Health Information

In Mauritius, you don’t need to worry about Malaria or other tropical diseases. If you are unwell, you can visit a state hospital where tourists are treated free of charge. Please visit a private clinic if you are seriously ill. Always use sunscreen with high SPF (we recommend minimum 30), especially when you are on the beach. Don’t forget to carry beach shoes or flipflops while bathing as sea urchins or corals abound even in shallow waters.

Best time to travel (Climate and Weather)

Mauritius has a tropical climate with an even distribution of rainfall and few fluctuations in the temperature through the year. There are two main seasons in the country. From my experience, the weather, temperature-wise is pleasant throughout the year. Below is a graph that shows the historical average of the temperatures you can expect. This should also give you a general idea about the kind of clothes you'd want to bring and wear in Mauritius. (picture source: IslandStays).

Safety

Mauritius is considered a very safe travel destination, especially in comparison to other African countries. Nevertheless, it is best to follow some basic safety regulations for a stress-free Mauritius vacation. In general, you must be wary of pickpockets. Keep your precious belongings close to you. Mobile phones should be securely stowed in your front pockets or zipped jacket and always hold your camera strap while using it. At La Marquise Résidence, you can keep your valuables in the secure safe. The beaches are generally safe at night, but always keep an eye open and potentially avoid dark or poorly-illuminated areas.

Tipping

Tipping is not common in Mauritius and tips are generally included in the bill at most restaurants. Most travellers still choose to tip, which is welcome. While traveling by taxi, it is common to simply round off the price. However, if you so wish to tip, you may tip 5% of the bill for a good service and if the service was excellent, 10% or more. Generally, you'd want to tip in Mauritian Rupees to make it easy for the waiter. However, tipping in EUR, GBP or USD is welcome also.

Flying Drones

The general rules of flying drones as per EASA apply in Mauritius. A little pinch of common-sense like not flying over people, hospitals, police stations, prisons, nature reserves or near the airport needs to be observed. In all other places, permission from the land/property owner may be required.

Can I swim with sea turtles?

No, as from the 25th January 2022, this is not allowed anymore, as part of plans to preserve these fragile sea wonders. See the official government announcement here for more information.

Can I climb on top of the crystal rock?

No. the Crystal Rock is an endangered "sea monument" whose base is being eroded yearly. With time the rock is getting more fragile and to preserve its existence, climbing on it is not allowed. However, you can always swim around it, maybe as part of a dolphin swim adventure. If you'd like to request a day tour with the wild dolphins (at a preferential tariff), please kindly use the contact form.

Latest status on the COVID rules

Yes, they change so often. Blink an eyes and we have a new rule in place. To get the latest official status, please have a look at the Mauritius Now page.

Where to buy Mauritius-branded gifts

I'm sure you'd want to grab some of those artisanal local products from Mauritius, maybe some T-shirts, flipflops, hats, towels, sunglasses etc. You can get all of these in supermarkets like Jumbo Phoenix. If you are staying at La Marquise Résidence, there is the Pasadena shopping mall approximately 15 minutes of walk from the holiday home, along the coast. The mall offers a lot of traditional Mauritian products. This is just a small list. Mauritius has such shops all over the island, especially along the coast. All big shopping malls, like Bagatelle, Cascavelle, Super U will offer you great choices.

Best way to fly to Mauritius

From Germany, I recommend Lufthansa with direct flights from Frankfurt and Munich. Some airlines cooperate with Lufthansa, for example Austrian Airlines, that offer stop-overs in Vienna or Zurich for instance. The general flight time is 12-14 hours each way. If you would like to have a longer stop-over time, then I would recommend Emirates, although it is pricier than the local offers. On the other hand, Emirates is quite generous with the baggage allowance (2x23kg).

From France: Air France

From the UK: British Airways

I do not recommend travel agencies like fluege.de, Swoodoo, Momondo, Kayak, billigfluege.de, Skyscanner, TUI, OPODO and others. Book at your own risk. The chances of being disappointed is unfortunately quite high.

Hotel or self-catering holiday home?

Very very hard question and the answer depends on so many factors - budget, nature of intended holiday, amongst others. If you want to just sit on a beach chair, relax all day and have someone bring you your cocktails right at your beach chair, then hotel all the way. If you want to discover the island on your own, and require a comfortable, safe and clean place to stay as stop in between your island explorations, then a self-catering holiday home all the way. Naturally, La Marquise Résidence is definitely the right place to be, located on the calm and quiet western coast of Mauritius, where you could enjoy the beautiful sunset over the Indian Ocean, every single day.

Airport - Taxi or Transfer

If you are staying at La Marquise Résidence, I would recommend a transfer from the airport back and forth. You can then get a rental car in Flic en Flac. La Marquise Residents can get a preferential tariff. Please use the contact form for more details. This way, you have a worry-free back-and-forth trip to the airport and during your holidays, you can enjoy your own rental vehicle.

Waterfall swims

If you fancy swimming under a waterfall, I recommend the Rochester Falls, Tamarind Falls, Alexandra Falls.

Top Mauritius Travel Tips

Please check out my curated list of Must Do things in Mauritius for an idea how to spend the days during your dream vacation.