Mauritius Info

History
Uninhabited, and covered in forests of ebony, the land of the Dodo was known to the Arab merchants who traded along the East coast of Africa and Madagascar. The Portuguese are known to have paid visits with Pedro Mascarenha giving his name to the islands of the region, but it was the Dutch who, after first arriving in 1598, settled on the Island and named it Mauritius after Prince Maurice of Nassau.

After stripping the ebony and introducing sugar cane and deer, the Dutch eventually left, leaving behind their dogs, wild pigs and rats but no dodos who, along with other indigenous species, had been eradicated, their name to become synonymous with extinction.

The French took up occupancy of the island in 1715, renaming it Isle de France, and their impact is still noticable in language, culture and architecture.

The British forcibly gained control in 1810, restoring the Dutch name of Mauritius although a term of the Treaty of Paris in 1814 was that the religion, customs, traditions and law would remain unchanged. Slavery was abolished in 1835 and the influx of migrant workers began. Huge numbers of indentured labourers were recruited and the wealth of the nation was based on the cultivation of sugar.

Mauritius remained a British colony until Independence on 12th March 1968, becoming a Republic on 12th March 1992.

Geography
Mauritius is a volcanic island approximately 61 km by 47 km giving a total area of roughly 1,865 km.

It is in the southern Indian Ocean just North of the Tropic of Capricorn at 20 degrees South / 57.5 degrees East. Its 330 kilometres of coastline are almost entirely encircled by coral reef and fringed with beautiful beaches.

The interior is fairly mountainous with the main urban areas sited on the cooler central plateau which rises to around 600 metres. At 828 metres, Piton de la Riviere Noire is the highest point.

Climate
There are two seasons of Winter and Summer with the most rainfall being expected in the summer which is also the period with the risk of Cyclones.

The average daytime temperature ranges between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius and about 3-5 degrees warmer on the coasts.

The temperature of the sea is an average 25 degrees Celsius year round. Together with the lush vegetation and the warmth of the people Mauritius is an ideal holiday destination.

Hours of Daylight

• SUMMER roughly 05.00 – 19.00
• WINTER roughly 06.00 – 18.00

A tropical climate where summer starts from November and ends in May. The temperature ranges around 25° to 33°. The winter starts in May and ends in October with a temperature from 22° to 27°.

Population
Mauritius has a multi-cultural population of approximately 1,100,000.

Mauritius has a cosmopolitan culture. Co-existence between Mauritians of Indian, African, European and Chinese ancestry.

Language
Mauritius has a vibrant mix of spoken languages, a legacy of its multi-ethnic past. The official language is English but French is widely spoken. Kreol is the lingua franca of the population and, among others, it is common to hear Hindi, Bhojpuri, Mandarin, Marathi, Telegu, Gujrati, Tamil and Urdu.

The Press, Television and Radio reflect this multiplicity of languages.

Money
The unit of currency is the Mauritian Rupee, divided into 100 cents. There are notes in denominations of 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 Rupees. There are also 1/2, 1, 5, 10 and 20 Rupee coins.

VAT
A value added tax of 15% is included in all bills relating to goods and services, including hotel and restaurant bills.

Credit Cards
Major Credit Cards are widely accepted.

Banking Hours

• Weekdays: 10.00 – 14.00
• Saturdays: 09.30 – 11.30

Post
The General Post Office is situated in an historic building on the Waterfront in Port Louis. Nearly all towns and villages are also served by a local Post Office.

Hours of Business

• Weekdays: 08.00 – 11.00
• Weekdays: 12.00 – 16.00
• Saturdays: 08.00 – 11.30

Shopping
There are a wide range of shopping opportunities available. In the towns there are Markets and Shopping Malls and the beach areas will also have smaller boutiques and street merchants.

Shopping Hours

• Monday-Saturday: 09.00 – 17.30
• Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays: 09.00 – noon

Curepipe, Rose Hill and Quatre Bornes close for a half day on Thursday afternoons. Some shops and Malls will also stay open late on Fridays and Saturdays.

Health Requirements
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travelers over 1 year of age and coming from infected areas. Infected areas are those areas which the World Health Organisation includes in the endemic zones.

There is no malaria risk in Mauritius.

Water
The water is treated and safe for drinking but for short stay visitors it can be advisable to purchase bottled water.

Electricity
220- 240 VOLTS

Driving
Drive on the left. Standard international road signs indicate speed limits or restrictions. Parking can be difficult particularly in Port-Louis and other Urban Areas. Parking Permits can be obtained from service stations for a relatively small fee. The roads are generally in good condition with a network of over 1800 km of tarred road covering the Island.

Taxis
Are easily identified by their white number plates, yellow illuminated sign and drivers badge displayed on the vehicle.

Buses
Mauritius has an extensive bus network. Bus stations are located in all major towns and bus stops are clearly identified at the roadside. Bus inspectors at the bus stations can advise of routes and fares. Few, if any, buses run after 20.00 hours and in the rural areas may stop as early as 18.00 hours.

Mauritius has an extensive modern telephone network. Off site public telephones can be found in shops and restaurants or at the Mauritius Telecom Service Centres in the town centres. International dialling code FOR Mauritius is (OO) 230. The Telex code FOR Mauritius is 0966 For telex facilities contact Mauritius Telecom.

Religion
Visitors are asked to respect the appropriate dress codes if visiting religious sites.