Mauritius - Indian Ocean Islands

Mauritius is one of the most popular destinations for Island Beach Weddings.  Specials are run from May through to early September so bare this in mind when you are setting your dates

Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Time: GMT - 2 hours ahead of SA
Language: English (official), Creole, French (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri
Health requirements - None
Visa - NONE for SA passport holders
Capital - Port Louis
Flights - Are comfortable and quite short. 4 hours flying time. SAA have a flight everyday and so does Air Mauritius.


A wedding in Mauritius will linger in your memory FOREVER!!!!  An unusual mixture of scenes and experiences taken up here and there along the roads leading past verdant mountains and spectacular beaches. It will be a heterogeneous blend of island mystery and brightly transparent lagoons, the exuberant Creole character encountered in the marketplace, the astonishing variety of deep-sea fauna, mysterious primeval forest with exotic fragrances, the delicious combinations found in Mauritian cooking, the excitement of water sports, and the charm of an incomparable hotel industry.

With world-class hotels offering the best service in the Indian Ocean and a renowned gastronomy as well as top spas and golf, Mauritius also offers more to do than many tropical islands, with trekking, mountain climbing and ecotourism playgrounds. And with its signature sunny days, the world's third largest coral reef surrounding a turquoise lagoon and silky, blonde, sandy beaches, this island certainly comes close to paradise.

Off major shipping routes, Mauritius remained uninhabited until the 16th century, allowing it to develop into one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. It was favoured by pirates and occupied briefly by the Dutch before the French brought African slaves to work the sugar plantations. Captured by the British in 1810, Mauritius achieved independence in 1968. Its diversification into textiles, tourism and, of late, financial services, telecommunications and cyber services has been an Indian Ocean economic success story. So too has its stable multicultural society.

Descendants of Indian labourers brought in after the abolition of slavery in 1835 now comprise 70% of the population, and Chinese and Muslim traders add to a French and Creole cultural legacy. This friendly co-existence of cultures expresses itself in croissants for breakfast and curry for dinner, and garish Indian temples near French colonial mansions.

Climate
Mauritius has a tropical maritime climate, with relatively little seasonal variation in temperatures, and generally pleasant and sunny on the coast year round. Winter, from May to October is warm and dry. Summer from November to April is hot, humid and rainy. Cyclones occur between January and March. Sea breezes blow all year, especially on the east coast, and the inland central plateau around Curepipe is cooler and rainy year round.

Required Clothing
Tropical lightweights, with warmer wear for evenings and winter months. Rainwear advisable all year round. In the summer months, sun-care products and a hat are advisable and long sleeves and trousers to help prevent insect bites.

Location
Indian Ocean, off southeast coast of Africa; due east of Madagascar.

Time
GMT + 4.

Area
2,040 sq km (788 sq miles).

Population
1.25 million (Mauritius Government 2006).

Capital
Port Louis. Population: 150,000 (2006 estimate).

Geography
Mauritius, a volcanic and mountainous island in the Indian Ocean, lies 2,000km (1,240 miles) off the southeastern coast of Africa, due east of Madagascar. The island state stands on what was once a land bridge between Asia and Africa called the Mascarene Archipelago. From the coast, the land rises to form a broad fertile plain on which sugar cane flourishes and beyond, crater edges form a mountainous backbone. Some 500km (310 miles) east is Rodrigues Island, while northeast are the Cargados Carajos Shoals and 900km (560 miles) to the north is Agalega.

Government
Republic established in 1992. Gained independence from the UK in 1968.

Head of State
President Sir Anerood Jugnauth since 2003.

Recent History
Post-independence Mauritian politics have been dominated by the Ramgoolam family (Navin being the son of the revered Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the first prime minister following independence) and by the two principal figures of the Mauritian Left, Paul Bérenger and (later Sir) Anerood Jugnauth. After over a decade of dominating Mauritian politics, Jugnauth handed the premiership over to Bérenger in 2003 (who became the first non-Hindu to hold the post), and the leadership of the Socialists to his son, Pravind. In the most recent election in 2005, Navin Ramgoolam won his second non-consecutive term.

Language
The official languages are English and French (with French being the most dominant), the most commonly used are Creole (pidgin French with other languages added to the mix), Hindi and Bhojpuri. Urdu and Chinese are also spoken.

Religion
48% Hindu, 32% Christian (mainly Roman Catholic), 17% Muslim, 2% Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism, 1% other.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. UK-type three-pin plugs are commonly used in hotels.

Social Conventions
Handshaking is the customary form of greeting. Visitors should respect the traditions of their hosts, particularly when visiting a private house. The type of hospitality the visitor receives is determined by the religion and social customs of the host, which are closely related. It is appropriate to give a gift as a small token of appreciation if invited for a meal. Dress is normally informal although men will need to wear a suit for particularly formal occasions.

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Top Things To Do - Mauritius
 
• For a spectacular 360-degree view of Port Louis and the north, climb Le Pouce or ‘the thumb', at 812m (2,664ft). It is an easy two-hour climb from the village of La Laura, and takes another two hours to walk into Port Louis.

• Tour the Moka mountains by quad bike, horse or 4-wheel drive at the accessible 1,500-hectare (3,700-acre) nature park of Domaine Les Pailles (website: www.domainelespailles.net). Travel to the sugar mill and rum distillery by train or horse-drawn carriage before dining in one of four restaurants. 

• Head to Grand Baie, for watersports such as parasailing, an underwater walk, submarine and semi-submersible scooters, or to La Cuvette, a long silky beach with clear water between Grand Baie and Cap Malheureux, for sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing.

• Go for a swim at the northern beaches such as Trou aux Biches, shaded by casuarinas, Mont Choisy, a 2km (1.2-mile) narrow white stretch of sand curving north from there, and Péreybère, a little cove between Grand Baie and Cap Malheureux. 

• Go diving on the west coast around Flic-en-Flac or in the north, at Trou aux Biches or the Northern Islands from November to April. The Mauritius Scuba Diving Association (MSDA) can provide further information (website: www.msda-cmas.org).

• Take a speedboat from Trou d'eau Douce to the popular island playground of Ile aux Cerfs for beaches, golf and watersports. Or, for a quieter day, a catamaran to the Northern Islands - Gabriel Island, Flat Island and Gunner's Quoin.

• Hike in the Black River Gorges National Park, a 6,794-hectare (16,788-acre) forest, to see indigenous plants, birds and wildlife. Black River Peak trail goes to Mauritius' highest mountain, while the Maccabee Trail starts nearby and plunges into the gorge to Black River.

• For an adventurous lunch of roasted wild boar, duck or deer curry with one of the best island views, try Domaine du Chasseur's alfresco Panoramour Restaurant. This domaine is the best place to glimpse the Mauritius kestrel in the wild.

• La Vanille Réserve des Mascareignes (website: www.lavanille-reserve.com) is commonly referred to as ‘The Crocodile Park', for its thousands of Nile crocodiles. It is the only place worldwide to breed aldabra tortoises and also has deer, monkeys, boar and an insectarium.

• Tiny, rugged, volcanic Rodrigues Island (website: www.rodrigues-island.org) lies 550km (340 miles) northeast of Mauritius and is known as the ‘anti-stress' island. The capital, Port Mathurin, is only seven streets wide, with a Creole population. Rodrigues offers walking, diving, kitesurfing and deep sea fishing.

Top Things To See - Mauritius
 
• Walk around the capital, Port Louis, to see fine colonial architecture such as Government House atop the palm-lined Place d'Armes. Gaze at one of the world's rarest stamps at the Blue Penny Museum (website: www.bluepennymuseum.com) or gawk at dodo skeletons in the Natural History Museum (website: www.mauritiusmuseums.org).

• Go souvenir shopping at Port Louis' bustling Central Market, the craft market at The Caudan Waterfront (website: www.caudan.com) or shopping centres around the island. Bargain hunt in Chinese and Indian shops in the inland towns.

• Families should head to Casela Bird Park (website: www.caselayemen.mu) in the west. With 90 aviaries on 25 hectares (61 acres), it has more than 140 bird varieties, from five continents. The main attraction is the pink pigeon, one of the world's rarest birds.

• Stroll around Pamplemousses Gardens (e-mail: ssrbg@intnet.mu), the third oldest botanical gardens in the world, created in the 18th century. Its international collection of plants includes giant Amazon lilies and the talipot palm, which flowers once every 60 years, then dies. 

• Visit Mauritius Aquarium (website: www.mauritiusaquarium.com) in the north, populated by 200 species of fish, invertebrates, live coral and sponges originating from the waters around the island. It also has a touch pool for children.

• Follow the pilgrimage route to Grand Bassin, a natural crater lake and sacred Hindu site up on Plaine Champagne. A new 33m- (108ft-) high Shiva statue heralds the entrance to the few temples heaving with colour, incense and people at festival time.

• Visit the National History Museum (website: www.mauritiusmuseums.org) in Mahébourg in the southeast to see the bell from the shipwreck of Le San Geran that inspired Mauritius' most famous romantic legend, Paul & Virginie, and rooms dedicated to the Dutch, French and British periods.

• Visit the most characterful town on the island, Mahébourg, and head to its new waterfront for gajaks (snacks) and a view across the bay of Grand Port, the site of the famous 1810 naval battle, to Lion Mountain. 

• Snorkel or take a glass bottom boat out to see the fish and coral in Blue Bay, Mauritius' only marine park. Or better still, take a luxury excursion to the private island just off the coast, Iles des Deux Cocos (e-mail: individual.CRO@naiade.com), to explore it from there.

• Head to the untamed south coast to see unusual rock formations such as the blowhole at Le Souffleur, a natural rock bridge at Pont Naturel and at the wild clifftop of Gris Gris, near Souillac, a rock shaped like a witch.

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Travel Advice - Mauritius

Crime levels are low.

Drug trafficking carries severe penalties.

The threat from terrorism is low. But travellers should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

The cyclone season in Mauritius is generally between November to May.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel 

Mauritius is one of the top chosen destinations for couples wanting to elope, couples wanting a beach sunset wedding and couples in love just wanting to get away from everything for a few days. Weddings are Heavenly in Mauritius and the Mauritians certainly know how to make you feel extremely special.

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