Things you need to know before leaving for Mauritius
General Info | Do's & Dont's | Health & Safety | Essential Contacts
Entry Requirements: Nationals of EEC, USA and most Commonwealth countries do not require visas for entering Mauritius. If necessary, visas can be obtained from Mauritian embassies and high commissions. If there is no Mauritian embassy or high commission in your country you can ask your travel agent to put you in touch with the nearest government representative. You must hold a valid and return or onward ticket. On arrival you must fill an entry form stating the address where you will be staying in Mauritius. This is very important, as no address means no entry.
Customs: Passengers of 16 years and over may bring in the following items: 250g tobacco, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars; 2 litres of wine, ale or beer; 1 litre of spirits; 250ml toilet water and up to 100ml perfume. You must have a permit before you can bring animal(s), plant(s) or plant matter, flowers and fresh fruits into the country. All animals must undergo a period of quarantine. All firearms must be declared on arrival.
Airport(arrival): The name of the airport you will be arriving at in Mauritius is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Internatinal Airport situated at Plaisance near the town of Mahebourg in the south of the island. It would be a good idea to change some money into Mauritian currencies immediately on arrival. Flic-en Flacq in the southeast is one hour from the airport by car, Port Louis the Capital 1Hr, Grand Baie and Perebere in the north 1.5 Hrs, Le Morne in the southeast 1.5 Hrs, Belle Mare and Palmar in the east 1.2 Hrs, and Mahebourg in the south 20 mins. Depending on your destination, transfer cost varies from 300 to 900 Mauritian rupees.
Airport(departure): After your stay in Mauritius an airport tax of 300 Mauritian rupees per person is payable on departure. This can be paid only in Mauritian rupees. So it is advisable to keep at least that amount in the local currency. Also you need to re-confirm your return ticket at least 72 hours before departure.
Climate: The summer season in Mauritius is from December to April with temperatures ranging between 30 and 33 degrees C. The winter season is from July to September with temperatures ranging between 24-26 degrees C. The rainy months are between January and May. However rainfall is usually higher in the centre of the island than along the coastal regions. The cyclonic months are from January to April. Fortunately cyclones do not follow a regular pattern in the Indian Ocean. Some years they can be devastating, while at other times they can be very mild or miss the island altogether.
Vaccination: Mauritius is considered to be free from diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and cholera due to very effective measures of the government, over the years, to eradicate these diseases. Most people therefore may not need vaccinations before coming to Mauritius. If in doubt check with your local doctor, or Mauritian embassy, or travel agent. Please note that a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required of travellers coming from infected areas.
Electricity: The power supply throughout the island is 240 volts. Most power sockets use the British 3-pin plugs. French 2-pin plugs are also in use all over the island. If you intend to bring electrical appliances with you it would be a good idea to have your own adaptor.
Telephone: The Mauritius Telecom is responsible for all telephone services in Mauritius and Rogrigues. You can use both coins and Mauritius Telecom phonecards in public phone booths installed all over the island. The local directory number is 90. The international directory number is 10090. The international dialling code for Mauritius and Rodrigues is 230. To call Rodrigues from Mauritius dial 095 before the individual telephone number. There is no area code for either Mauritius or Rodrigues. To make an international call from Mauritius dial 00, then the country code, area code and the number. To make an international call to Mauritius from abroad dial 00, then the country code (230) and the actual number. Remenber there is no area code for Mauritius and Rodrigues. Mauritius has a mobile telephone network in line with the international GSM standard. Roaming agreements exist with the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Mauritius Telecom has plan to extend this service with more countries.
Time: Mauritius time is Greenwich Mean Time plus three hours (or four hours in British winter due to the clock going back by one hour in the United Kingdom around the beginning of November each year).
Tipping: There is no hard and fast rules about tipping in Mauritius and it is not generally expected. It is at the discretion of the customer whether to tip or not.
Do's
¤ Consult your General Practitioner/Family Doctor for advice on vaccination requirements if you intend to travel to far-away tropical countries. Please note that Mauritius is considered to be free of malaria.
¤ Have some petty cash in the form of Mauritian currency from the bank or money changer even before your departure to Mauritius. If this is not possible then the next option is to have those changes at the airport on your arrival in Mauritius. For your information the currency used in this island is the Mauritian Rupee.
¤ Take enough travel insurance cover for yourself (and your family).
¤ Take one or two tubes of mosquito repellant if you intend to visit Mauritius in summer. As in some other tropical countries, there are only ordinary mosquitoes in Mauritius which are harmless and not dangerous to health, but simply annoying.
Don'ts
¤ Do not swim in the sea where a danger notice is displayed.
¤ Do not accept lift from strangers, especially if you are alone.
¤ Do not venture alone into very isolated locations or on deserted beaches at night.
¤ Do not leave your personal belongings or valuable items such as camera, webcam, purse, wallet, or handbag unattended in public places like beaches, parks, gardens, and pavements, as this might encourage theft.
¤ Do not leave personal belongings or valuable items on the seat(s) of cars or buses unattended, as this might encourage theft.
¤ Tap water in Mauritius is usually safe to drink. However you need to take precaution in case of heavy rainfall and flooding. In such situations it is advisable to drink boiled or bottled water.
¤ Use sun block when taking a sun bath on the beach. Always use a suntan lotion with hign sun protection factor if you have fair skin.
¤ Avoid the use of street drugs. Illicit use of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and designer drugs is illegal in Mauritius.
¤ Pick-pockets do operate in the city of Port Louis (the Capital) and other major towns of the island, especially in crowded locations and busy pedestrianised streets. The central market in Port Louis and its vicinity including crowded bus stations are prime bases of operation. You have to take precautions with your money and belongings if you visit these places.
Essential contacts in Mauritius
Emergencies | Tourist Information | Passport & Immigration | Custom & Excise | Airlines | Foreign Embassies in Mauritius | Mauritian Embassies abroad
The emergency number for the Police, Fire Brigate and Ambulance in Mauritius is: 999. In case of necessity local police stations can be contacted through the Police Switchboard, especially if you do not have the telephone number of the station concerned. The Police Switchboard Number is: (230) 208 1212
Mauritius Tourism
Promotion Authority
11th Floor
Air Mauritius Centre
President John
Kenedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 210 1545
Fax: (230) 212 5142
Airport Counter:
(230) 637 3635
¤
The Mauritius Government
Tourist Office
Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam
Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 201 1703
Fax: (230) 212 5142
Passport
and Immigration Office
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 208 1212
Fax: (230) 212 2398
Custom and Excise
Department
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 240 9702
Fax: 240 0434
Air Mauritius (MK)
Air Mauritius Centre
6 President John
Kenedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town Office
(230) 208 7700; Airport Office (230) 637 3552
Reservation: (230)
208 6878
Ticket Office: (230)
208 7903
Hotline: (230) 211
6060
Fax: (230) 637 3266
(Airport Office)
¤
Air France (AF)
Rogers House
5 President John
Kenedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town Office:
(230) 212 2666; Airport Office: (230) 637 3552
Reservation: (230)
208 1281
Ticket Office: (230)
212 0218
Fax: (230) 211 1411
¤
British Airways (BA)
Duke of Edinburg Avenue
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town Office:
(230) 208 1039; Airport Office: (230) 637 3181
Flight Enquiries:
(230) 637 3621
Reservation: (230)
208 1039
Sales: (230) 208
6414
¤
Cathay Pacific Airways (CX)
10 Dr. Ferrier Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town Office:
(230) 212 4044
Reservation: (230)
212 4044
Ticket Office: (230)
212 4042
¤
Malaysian Airlines (MH)
3rd Floor
Blendax House
Dumat Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town Office:
(230) 208 4935
Fax: (230) 208 2417
¤
Singapore Airlines (SQ)
5 Duke of Edinburg Avenue
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town
Office/Reservation/Ticket: (230) 208 0791
Fax: (230) 208 1535
¤
South African Airways (SA)
Rogers House
5 President John
Kenedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town Office:
(230) 208 6801; Airport Office: (230) 637 3552
Reservation: (230)
208 6820
Ticket Office: (230)
212 0218
Fax: (230) 208 8792
¤
Aeroflot (SU)
Ground Floor
St. James Court
St. Denis Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town
Office/Reservation/Ticket: (230) 240 0082
¤
Air Austral (UU)
Rogers House
5 President John
Kenedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town
Office/Reservation/Ticket: (230) 212 2666
Fax: (230) 211 1411
¤
Air Madagascar (MD)
Rogers House
5 President John
Kenedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town Office:
(230) 208 6801
Reservation: (230)
208 6878
Ticket Office: (230)
208 6820
Fax: (230) 212 0218
¤
Air Zimbabwe (UM)
IKS Building
Corner Farquhar
& La Paix Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. Town Office:
(230) 242 4032
Fax: (230) 240 5305
General Consulate of
South Africa
4th Floor
British American
Insurance Building
Pope Hennessy Street
P.O Box 908
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 212 6925
¤
Hign Commission of Australia
Rogers House
2nd Floor
5 President Kenedy
Street
P.O Box 541
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 208 1700
Fax: (230) 208 8878
¤
Hign Commission of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Anglo-Mauritius House
Intendance Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 212 0359
¤
Indian Hign Commission
6th Floor
LICI Building
President John
Kenedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 208 3775,
208 3776
¤
British Hign Commission
7th Floor
Les Cascades
Building
Edith Cavell Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 211 1361
¤
Embassy of the United States
of America
4th Floor
Rogers House
President John
Kenedy Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 208 2347
¤
Embassy of Russia
Queen Mary Avenue
BP 10
Floreal
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 696 1545
¤
Embassy of France
14 St. Georges Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 208 3755
¤
Embassy of Madagascar
Anglo-Mauritius House
Port Louis
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 212 0359
¤
Embassy of the Republic of
Egypt
8 King George Avenue
Floreal
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 696 5012
¤
Embassy of the Republic of
China
Royal Road
Belle Rose
Mauritius
Tel. (230) 454 9111
(Administration), 454 9113, 464 5556