According to physicscat, Mauritius (French: Maurice) is a country and island in the Indian Ocean (Africa) that has been independent from the United Kingdom since 1968. A number of islands that are part of Mauritius are: Rodrigues, the Agalega Islands and the Cargados Carajos island region. Mauritius is part of the Mascareignes archipelago (Mauritius, Rodrigues and Reunion).The capital of Mauritius is Port Louis.A number of major cities in Mauritius are: Vacoas, Curepipe, Quatre Bornes and Triolet.
Mauritius is a tropical island with beautiful sandy beaches, clear water, luxury hotels and lots of natural beauty. The island has several National Parks where you will encounter rainforests, waterfalls and many small animal species. There is no big game in Mauritius. Mauritius is the country where the Dodo (ratite) used to live. On the coastline of Mauritius you can do excellent water sports, such as: diving, windsurfing, sailing, water skiing, snorkeling and paragliding. For divers there are shipwrecks, caves, coral reefs and many species of fish (including sharks, barracudas, eels, whales, dolphins and turtles). Mauritius is known worldwide as a wedding and honeymoon destination. See ask4beauty for Mauritius the pearl of the Indian ocean.
Where is Mauritius located?
Travel information of Mauritius
Official name: Republic of Mauritius
Continent: Africa
Area: 2,040 km²
Capital: Port Louis
Country code: MU, MUS
Population: 1,379,365 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 828 m (Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire)
Distance (Amsterdam – Port Louis): 9,505 km
Flight time: approximately 11 hours
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Mauritius that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Mauritius, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Mauritius. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Mauritius?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Morocco at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Mauritius has a tropical climate. In the winter months the temperatures are around 20 to 30 degrees and in the summer months around 25 to 35 degrees. The summer and winter months are opposite to those in the Netherlands.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Mauritius can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Mauritius can be found at Climate info.
Best time
June, July and August are the best months to travel to Mauritius. This avoids the rainy and stormy season. December, January, February and March are the best months for diving in Mauritius.
Language
English is the official language in Mauritius. French and Mauritian Creole are also spoken.
Would you like to translate from or into English for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure from Mauritius.
A visa is not required if you stay in Mauritius for less than 60 days.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Tanzania (also for Mauritius):
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in Mauritius:
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Mauritius in Belgium (also for the Netherlands): rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Mauritius, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Money and Currency
In Mauritius, payment is made with the Mauritian rupee (rupee) (MUR).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Mauritius can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices in Mauritius are a lot lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -26% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (52% cheaper), food (17% cheaper), imported beer in catering (42% cheaper), cigarettes (31% cheaper) and public transport (70% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Mauritius it is customary to tip. If there is no service charge on the bill yet, tip approximately 10-15%.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 2 hours later in Mauritius.
During our winter time it is 3 hours later in Mauritius.
Mauritius has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone of Mauritius can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Mauritius you must drive on the left.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Mauritius.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Mauritius.
Electricity In Mauritius you may need a travel plug
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in Mauritius can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 999 or 148
– Fire: 999 or 115
– Ambulance: 999 or 114
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Mauritius can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Mauritius can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Mauritius end in.mu.
Mauritius official websites: govmu.org and tourism-mauritius.mu.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Mauritius is 00230 or +230.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Mauritius? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in the Mauritius Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Mauritius.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Mauritius.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Mauritius can be found on Beleven.org.
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Mauritius at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Mauritius, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Mauritius?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Mauritius. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Mauritius can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Mauritius can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Mauritius? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to Mauritius.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Mauritius.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Not allowed for men, allowed for women.
Did you know that…
…The extinct animal species Dodo has only been found in Mauritius?
…Mauritius has no army?
…90% of the fertile soil in Mauritius is planted with sugar cane?
…There are no wild animal species in Mauritius?
…10% of Mauritius consists of a protected nature reserve?
…Mauritius was colonized on a limited scale by Dutch sailors in 1598?
