Information about services, food, clothing, currency and language in mauritius

Time Zone:

The time on Mauritius is 4 hours ahead of GMT

Clothes and Equipment:

During the day it is best to wear light, airy, cotton clothing. In general, even in the smartest hotels, there is very little formality. However, for the evenings you should take a “casually elegant” wardrobe. Many of the beaches consist of coral sand which is quite rough, so it is more comfortable to walk in bathing shoes. As a rule there is no objection to people going “topless”, but whenever you are bathing in the company of native Mauritians – who often wear saris even in the water – you should respect local conventions. Remember that all beaches on Mauritius are open to the general public. For evening strolls outside the hotel grounds a pocket torch is recommended.

Car Rental and Taxis:

A driving-license from your home country is sufficient, however, it is an advantage to have an international one. Remember that Mauritians drive on the left! There are taxi ranks at the airport. It is advisable to negotiate the fare before you start, since the cars have no taximeters.

Language:

The official language is English, but French and Creole are more widely spoken. All three languages are spoken equally well by the Mauritians.

Currency:

It is advisable to take Sterling or Dollar travellers cheques, but not Euro-cheques. It is best to change your money into local currency when you arrive at the airport or at a bank in Mauritius. If you buy Mauritian rupees in your own country you will get a very poor exchange rate. Most hotels, shops and restaurants accept the major credit cards.

Telephoning:

Calls from public telephones are considerably cheaper than telephoning from your mobile. For this reason it is a good idea to buy telephone cards, available in supermarkets and elsewhere.

Nightlife:

Gambling is the favourite pastime on Mauritius. You will find not only restaurants but bars, night-clubs and discos – in some places all under one roof! The younger generation prefer to go to night-clubs outside of town.

Religion:

The population of over 1 million is made up as follows: 52% Hindu, 26% Catholic, 20% Muslim, Protestant and Buddhist. The co-existence of so many cultures and religions leads to a large number of public holidays: There are 15 days a year when work stops on Mauritius.

Travel Seasons:

In the southern tropics between the equator and the tropic of Capricorn there is no equivalent to our summer and winter, but simply a “rainy season” and a “dry season”, though even these terms are not strictly accurate. Put very simply: it is hot all year round. The temperature varies only slightly, a matter of 10 degrees C between January and July. Since Mauritius is in the southern hemisphere the warmest period is from November to January, and the “coolest” from June to August. However, there are two factors which determine, to at least the same extent, how warm or wet it can actually be – the wind and your location.

Souvenirs:

With such a combination of races the range of goods on offer is bound to be colourful and varied. You can also buy products that are exclusive to Mauritius such as high quality textiles. Mauritius was the fifth country in the world to issue postage stamps, in 1847. Despite their illustrious ancestor, the rare Mauritius “Twopence Blue,” interesting Stamps can be bought cheaply. High quality jewellery can be purchased duty free for foreign currency. To do this you need to have a copy of your passport and air ticket with you. A speciality of the island are the workshops where scale models of famous sailing ship are assembled with painstaking detail. Even if you find the prices of these model ships a bit fancy, there are many less expensive souvenirs to take back with you: costume jewellery, baskets and other wicker work goods, pottery and embroidery. You can buy small bags or larger jars of spice, tea and Chamarel coffee.

Food and Drink:

The Island’s cuisine has been enriched by its many races. Its main components are rice, vegetables, poultry, fish, seafood, and exotic spice, to which familiar non-tropical ingredients are added. The most important of these are tomatoes, which are known here as pommes d’amour (love apples) and which give a glowing colour to the dishes. Onions and garlic add flavour, while spices and ginger add a touch of the exotic. The influence of India is very noticeable in Mauritian cooking, since the largest element of the population is of Indian origin. There are dozens of different curries, each with a special flavour. The best curry powders are made on a stone, found in every kitchen and called “roche currie”. However, other culinary influences have also made their mark on Mauritius. Chinese immigrants have had great success with their Sechuan, Peking and Cantonese cuisines. After rice the most important food is fish, which comes in all sizes, types and flavours. Anyone who visits Mauritius is strongly urged to eat out in restaurants from time to time. In many of these you can chose between European, Mauritian, Chinese, or Indian dishes. In the typical Mauritian home you will not find any wine. This is only within reach of wealthy tourists in hotels and a few well-heeled island families. Cheaper but still good are the locally brewed beers, “Stella”, “Blue Marlin” and “Phoenix.” Mauritian rum, the best known brands being “Old Mill”, “Green Island” and “White Diamond Rum”, is the basic ingredient of most cocktails. In restaurants you should add about 10% to the bill for service, if it is not already included.