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ViewsMauritiusFrom eTripTips Wiki
Mauritius [1] is a small island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar.
[edit] Regions [edit] Coastal areasThere are 9 districts
And 3 dependencies
[edit] Cities
[edit] Other Destinations
[edit] Understand[edit] HistoryThe discovery of Mauritius Island was first made by the Arab sailors, at this time the island was a dense forest. There is no exact date of when Mauritius was discovered by the Arabs, it is said to be around the 9th century. But the Arabs sailors were not interested in settling on the island. Fernandez Pereira, a Portuguese sailor who saw the island decided to give it the name of Cerne. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was attained in 1968. But the Portuguese sailors were not interested to settle on the island. The first to colonise the island were the Dutch. They took possession of the island in 1598. The Dutch settlers came on the island by a bay in the south eastern part of the island which was named Warwyck Haven after the commander VanWarwyck, the bay is now known as Grand Port. Mauritius also got its name during this period; the island was named after the Prince of Holland Mauritz de Nassau. The Dutch left the island in 1710, but before leaving they had introduced on the island monkeys, sugar cane, and the java deer. But when they left Mauritius, there were almost no more dodos on the island as it was their main source of food. The dodo was a large flightless bird very sociable and very easy to capture. When the Dutch left the island they also left on the island the slaves that ran away from their masters. The French settled on the island in 1715 and also landed at the bay in the southeast and named it Port Bourbon. They made settlement on the north-western side of the island which became the harbour and was named Port Louis which is also the capital of Mauritius. During the French settlement there has been a lot of development in the country. Mahé de Labournnais whose statue is found in Port Louis in face of the harbour is known as the founder of the capital city. The British took possession of Mauritius in 1810 after a battle between French and British. From then Mauritius was under the rule of British until they attained independence on the 12 March 1968 within the commonwealth. Slavery was officially abolished in 1835. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam also known as the "Father of the Nation" was the one who brought the island to independence and did a lot for the country. On the 12 March 1992, Mauritius became a Republic. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community. [edit] ClimateTropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May); Natural hazards : Tropical cyclones (November to April);but most cyclones usually occur from the end of December till March. Mauritius has only two seasons, winter and summer. There is not much temperature differences between the two seasons of the year. The climate on the central plateau is cooler than on the coastal areas. The West coast is much wetter and more humid than the East coast.
[edit] Get in[edit] By plane The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport,
Virgin Atlantic is due to start direct flights between London and Mauritius end of October 2007. Visitors are required to provide accommodation details to the immigration service on arrival. Failure to do so could see you being sent home! If you arrive in Mauritius from a country where malaria is endemic, you may receive a visit from the government health service and be required to give a blood sample for malaria screening. [edit] By boatThe common way to enter Mauritius is usually by plane, and even though there are vessels that arrive at the port they are mainly cargo ships. The Mauritius Pride and the Trochetia are the Mauritian vessels that usually sails to Reunion Island, Rodrigues Island and Madagascar. [edit] Get aroundBus and taxi services are best used in urban areas. Bicycles and motorbikes are also available for hire. [edit] By planeAir Mauritius [10] operates daily flights connecting Plaisance Airport and Rodrigues (flight time - 1 hour 15 minutes). [edit] By helicopterHelicopters are available for transfers and sightseeing tours
[edit] By carOne major highway runs north to south, otherwise a good network of paved, if sometimes narrow, roads cover the island. Traffic drives, erratically, on the left. Numerous car hire firms include major international and independent firms. Prices vary widely starting from 600 rupees per day. Regulations: Drivers are required to be over 18 years old. Speed limits are 90kph (50mph) on the motorway and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Seatbelts are compulsory. A foreign licence is accepted. The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Port Louis to other major cities/towns/resorts in Mauritius. Curepipe 0:20 Grand Baie, North 0:30 Mahebourg, Southeast 1:00 Flic-en-Flac, West 0:30 [edit] By busExcellent and numerous bus services ply the island.
[edit] By metered taxiThese are regulated and metered (though meters are almost never used) and linked to provinces or hotels, printed on a yellow panel on the drivers' door. Tips are not customary for taxi drivers, but appreciated. [edit] By boat
[edit] TalkThe official language in Mauritius is English. Virtually everyone speaks Creole closely followed by French, with English a not too distant third. Other languages are: Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri and Chinese. Usually administrative papers are in English. [edit] See[edit] Northern Touristic Zone Grand Bay was the first area of the island to fully experience the tourist boom. A shopping and leisure paradise, Grand Bay also happens to be the area where Mauritians head for when they want a fun-filled night out (restaurants, bars and discos). Recently renovated, La Cuvette beach is well worth a visit.
[edit] East
[edit] South East
[edit] West
[edit] The Interior
[edit] Do
Blue Safari Submarine see the wonderful underwater tropical fish without even getting your feet wet. Dives to 35m. [edit] Eat When leaving Mauritius, don't wait until you go through passport control if you want to have a snack. The coffee shop after passport control is not value for money. You would be better off visiting the snack bar before check-in and taking your purchases through with you. Mauritius is a paradise for the senses, not only for the eyes with its beautiful landscape, but also for the palate. Gastronomes will find a variety of flavours and aromas inherited from the different migrations through its history. Culinary traditions from France, India, China and Africa, the best-known and appreciated cuisines in the world, have been passed on through generations. Depending on the region, rice or a variety of flat bread called chapattis or roti called farata by the local people, is eaten with curries. The extensive use of spices like saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and herbs like thyme basil and curry leaves are the common ingredients that provide some powerful, yet subtle, savour. Dal a variety of lentil soups are many and varied according to which type of lentil is used, vegetables and beans, and pickles accompany the dishes. Dholl puri and roti, originally an Indian delicacy have become the fish and chips of Mauritians. Biryani from Mughal origins is a dish expertly prepared by the muslim community, with meat mixed with spiced rice and potato. You can buy many snacks on the streets of Mauritius including the famous gateaux piments or chilli cakes and vegetable or meat samosas along with octopus curry in bread. The tomato and onion based dish called Rogai is a variation of the Ragoux of France and all mauritians eat this dish often if not daily. Mauritians have sweet tooths and make many types of 'gateaux' as they are called. The cakes vary and you can find cakes very much like at home and others similar to Indian cakes like Gulab Jumman and Rasgoola among many others. Check out the queues where the street sellers are selling their type of snacks and the longest queue will probably have the tastiest food on sale and is very cheap. [edit] DrinkMauritius produces a wide range of cane rum. It is very cheap and is a nice drink when mixed with cola and ice. Don't forget the coconut water with a dash of lime and a splash of local rum over ice. If you are staying in a hotel where the drinks are wildly expensive consider collecting your tipples while you are out and about from the local village shops or supermarkets where the prices are much cheaper. The local beer Phoenix is considered to be one of the best in the world and costs around 30 rupees (less than one pound sterling) for a pint. Serve very cold. Delicious ! =] [edit] Sleep
[edit] WorkMauritius is an ideal place to live if you have your own business, especially if you can earn your money overseas. The government has set up a new visa category as of October, 2006 catering specifically for the self employed.
[edit] Stay safeBe alert for your own security in Mauritius. Exercise common sense and look out for suspicious behaviour, as you would anywhere in the world. Be a smart traveler. Before your trip: Organize comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy. Register your travel and contact details, so that you can be contacted in an emergency. Crime levels in Mauritius are low, though petty crime is on the rise. Most crime against foreign tourists is petty crime, although incidents of assault and rape occur. The rate of crime is higher in downtown Port Louis, and in the coastal tourist centres of Grand Bay, Pereybere, Flic en Flac and Tamarin. Security risks increase after dark especially on beaches, city streets and in other secluded areas. There have been incidents of tourists being assaulted and robbed while staying at beachside bungalows run by unregistered proprietors. [edit] Important telephone numbersThe Tourist Police service (Police du Tourisme), [edit] Stay healthyMauritius is a risk area for infection with dengue fever (also known as "breakbone fever" from the muscular paroxysms sometimes induced). No vaccine is available. However no cases of dengue fever have been recorded in the country for several years now. Since 2005 during the high season a certain type of mosquito called the Aedes albopictus causes the viral illness Chikungunya and the insect is more likely to be around in the daytime. It is important to use anti-mosquito protection at all times. Mosquitoes are more prevalent in rural areas but they can also inhabit the beach in the tourist zone and may lead to swollen joints and/or rashes. Symptoms last from one week up to several months depending how seriously you are affected. Some people recover quickly but it can take several months to recover completely. It shouldn't put you off visiting Mauritius. Just take good care to cover yourself completely in the best mosquito repellant you can find and re-apply again after swimming. Sleep under a mosquito net. Spray the bedroom well before going to bed with a good repellant and take an electric repellant to plug into the power supply. You can buy plenty of repellants of all types locally in mauritius quite cheaply including bracelets for kiddies. Here is a website with comprehensive information on the Chikungunya virus - Health Protection Surveillance Centre’s website: [14] In 1991, 86% of the population had antibodies indicating that they had been exposed to the hepatitis A virus, following an epidemic of the disease in 1989. Hepatitis A vaccination is generally recommended for travel in East Africa (and most other places) by the CDC. Due to recent efforts transmission of schistosomiasis in Mauritius has been "virtually eliminated", according to the [15]. Many of the beaches are infested with sea erchins. It is a good idea to either buy or bring plastic shoes when venturing into the water. This is generally not a problem at the big hotels. Reef fish in Mauritius have been found containing a neurotoxin similar but not identical to that found in Caribbean reef fish. It is important not to eat peanuts or take alcohol if you eat coral or reef fish like sea bass, snapper, mullet, grouper, there are many more. The fish eat the toxic algae that grows on the coral reefs. Don't eat intestines or testes of the fish as higher concentrations of the toxin collect here. The symptoms include gastrointestinal upset, vomiting and diarrhoea and sometimes numb feelings of the arms and legs. More info: [16] [edit] RespectWhen tourists go to Mauritius, many look for the typical Mauritian. They will not find them. There is no typical Mauritian, as Mauritians are a sum of different cultures. You have white Mauritians, African Mauritians, Indian Mauritians, Muslim Mauritians, Buddhist Mauritians ... the only thing you should know is that they all have different ways of life, and most of the time do not mix together. Each ethnic group fits a role in the Mauritian community. The Mauritians all get on well together and respect each others traditions and way of life religions and customs. They are proud of their country and join together on many occasions to celebrate being Mauritian, especially on Independence Day, March 12th, achieved in 1968 when Dr Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (now deceased) was Prime Minister. He is now regarded as the revered father of Mauritius. Presently his son Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam is the Prime Minister. Each morning the children sing the national anthem in the playground before commencing classes and it is a joy to hear them sing. Glory to thee Motherland, O motherland of mine. Sweet is thy beauty, Sweet is thy fragrance, Around thee we gather As one people, As one nation, For peace, justice and liberty. Beloved country, may God bless thee for ever and ever. [edit] Contact
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