Thinking of traveling to Mauritius? Our Mauritius travel tips cover the best time to visit, where to stay, how to get there, and more!
Where in the world is Mauritius?
How do you get to Mauritius?
What language do Mauritians speak?
What is so special about Mauritius?
These were just a few of the questions Scott and I received from friends before our departure to Mauritius last month. We had a general idea of where the island is located, but I’m ashamed to say that we didn’t have decent answers to the rest of these questions.
The island of Mauritius is a somewhat well-known destination in Europe, but it’s not frequented by too many Americans or Canadians.
It’s located 2,000 miles off the southeast coast of Africa, so it can be quite a trek for those traveling from the United States or Canada. (It took us about thirty to thirty-five hours to travel from San Diego to Mauritius). That’s not to say this destination is not worth the long hours in the air.
The fact that almost all of the locals speak English makes this an ideal destination for English-speaking travelers. Creole is the informal language and is spoken in homes and between friends. This language was created by the slaves in the 18th century because they needed a language to communicate with other slaves and with their French masters.
A good portion of the island is surrounded by an outer reef, which creates calm and piercingly-blue lagoons for swimming and water sports. This also creates a safety net for water sport enthusiasts who have a fear of sharks. Read below for our Mauritius travel tips — including when to go, how to get there, where to stay, and more!
Mauritius Travel Tips: When To Go & Where to Stay
The Best Way To Get to Mauritius From The United States
The most important question: how to get to Mauritius! We are all about helping others learn from our mistakes, so here’s one of them: if you are headed from the United States to Mauritius, go through Dubai instead of Paris.
The Dubai route eliminates a few key inconveniences. The Dubai airport is one of the most comfortable places to spend a long layover, and after your first flight, you will want some time to relax.
I recommend giving yourself at least a six-hour layover. This will let you stretch your legs, get a room at an airport hotel, sleep a few hours, and take a shower. Trust me, two twelve-hour flights in a row may not seem that bad on paper, but it’s not something either of us wants to experience again anytime soon.
Read more: 25 Best Honeymoon Destinations In The World (And Where To Stay)
The Paris route is fine, as long as your second flight goes directly to Mauritius on a flight that leaves from Charles De Gaulle, but the Dubai route is better.
Once you arrive, you can either rent a car or let someone else do the driving for you. We knew we would be too tired to drive on our arrival, so we booked car transfers instead. Your hotel will likely offer this service, or you can book through Maki Car Rental who offers tours and transfers, as well as car rentals.
The Best Time To Visit Mauritius
My only complaint about Mauritius is the unpredictable weather in the winter. I personally love hot, hot, hot weather when I’m visiting an island because I want to be in the ocean at all times. If you prefer balmy weather and lukewarm ocean water, like we do, I suggest visiting in their summer (November to May).
The wind is also calmer during the summer, which will provide those glassy ocean conditions which are perfect for surfing, SUP and kayaking. However, if you like mild temperatures or any water sport that requires wind, such as kitesurfing, then winter is the time to visit.
Traveling to Mauritius: Why is it so special?
Besides the welcoming locals, the laid-back island vibe, and the stunning views, our trip to Mauritius came with a few firsts. It marked the first time Scott and I have been to Africa and yet there wasn’t a need for malaria pills or special immunizations.
Scott tried water skiing for the first time and, thanks to his instructor at the Four Seasons Resort, he did an excellent job. It was also his first time sailing. I guess you can throw in the first time he capsized a boat too. (I’m glad I didn’t join him on that boat ride.)
Plan Your Trip to Mauritius
After traveling consistently for over 10 years, we’ve come to trust and rely on a few websites to help us find the best deals on flights and accommodation.
Flights:
- Momondo is the first place we check when searching for cheap flights. It searches hundreds of sites for the best fare and includes both standard and budget airlines. The price calendar feature shows the cheapest days to fly in your preferred month of travel.
Accommodation:
- Booking.com offers savings on hotels, apartments, and villas in 80,000 destinations worldwide. You can browse hotel reviews and find the guaranteed best price on hotels for all budgets. We stayed at two different hotels during our time in Mauritius. You can read our reviews here: Four Seasons Mauritius Resort Review and St. Regis Mauritius Resort Review.
You are right There are dozens of things to do in Mauritius.
Wish I could go there someday 🙁
Oh my god!!!! Your pictures are so stunning they almost seem unreal :O Love them, reminded of my recent trip to Mauritius 🙂
You are so kind! Thank you! We hope you enjoyed your stay on the island!
Welcome to Mauritius, one minute it’s all sunshine, the next it’s raining heavily! But the showers don’t last for long, you’ll still get your tan. The pictures are wow. You must be a pro photographer!
Mauritius where power is Hindu, Money is white and the black (creole) get the shit end of the stick
As a Mauritian living in Brighton, UK, for over 40 years I can pretty much vouch for what has been mentioned in said article. What I would like to add though is that there are beach houses that can accommodate large or small groups at reasonable prices and in some you may get the additional maid to look after your laundry as well as cooking if you so wish. Climate-wise the west coast is without doubt the best coast to be in with its very steady all year round climes. So don’t be frightened visit my island and enjoy yourselves which I’m sure you will.
Hi all,
I am visiting Mauritius this Friday for 2 weeks, can someone please put my mind in regards to the wet weather. Will it rain all day or is it short bursts? I love hot weather, hence why we chose January to visit, but not a fan of rain! Thank you x
Wow ! Your picture are totally amazing. I feel the ocean ‘s vibes and the spirit of Mauritius Island… A really nice place where to go !
Nice Article. But i need to make some corrections as i schooled in Mauritius.
The official Language of Mauritius is English and French. French has been the official language longer than English, that is why the speak French more than English. There are people who don’t understand jack in English but they’re mostly the uneducated ones. Almost everyone speaks French creole which is the most spoken language.
Nice post once again.
Oh, dying to go here now! I’m so intrigued now. It looks magical and your pictures are unreal.
Nice pics Christy
So amazed that you travelled over 30hours to visit my native island! 🙂 Love your awesome tips.
It was well worth it. Thanks for stopping by our blog!
Thanks, you activated my apetite to read more about Mauritius.
Great place for honeymoon couples. They enjoy a lot.
Add this one to the bucket list! Your photos are really amazing! No, really.
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much!
Wow, it looks fantastic! I’m always looking for new beautiful beaches and this for perfectly. Beautiful photos!
Beautiful pictures…I’ve experienced the same in Maldives
I want to go there with my wife one day. Your pictures look incredible. Such an amazing place.
Wow, this is really my idea of living the dream! Actually… going to Reunion Island is very high on my list! I had never heard of Mauritius until last year but never read a post about it before. This was really nice to read! Thanks for all the tips! I hope I’ll be needing them one day 😀
It was quite a far trek for us, but well worth it! I hope you make it there someday. We stopped over on Reunion on our way, but just had a quick layover.
really a very great place in the world.What an exotic island to visit!
I have to admit that I was so impressed by the pictures you took, I didn’t even get around to reading the content. Well done!
Haha. That’s how I read all of my travel pieces — by looking at the photos. 🙂 If the photos are amazing then I’m usually sold on a destination.
These photos! But ESPECIALLY the first one. Man, this is what I needed today on a cold, dreary almost-winter morning.
I went to Mauritius with Semester at Sea three years ago and fell in love with it. Definitely did not feel like Africa to me (though I loooove Africa).
I bet Africa is very different. One of these days I’ll make it to the mainland. And I’m so not ready for winter!!
Hi Christy, I am mauritian and having my own blog on Mauritius (www.mauritiusandme.com) and I always look around the web for over bloggers articles about my tiny but beautiful Island !
Your article is very nice and your pics are stunning !!! You are a gifted photograph ! What are you shooting with?
I’ll try to share it on my Facebook page
Have fun !
I’m off to backpack around Mauritius in a couple of months and I am now officially over-excited! Thank you! This post is just great and the pictures are brilliant. I can’t wait! Researching the trip, I’m so surprised about how affordable accommodation on the island seems to be. Paradise that’s easy on the pocket! Perfect! Bryony 🙂
Great post about Mauritius and what amazing photos too! I’m Mauritian but have been living in Asia for 16 years now. Mauritius has long been popular with Europeans, especially the British and French considering we’ve been under both rules. It’s very rare to find American tourists though. I understand it’s miles away but if they can do Asia or mainland Africa, why not Mauritius right? I guess it’s all about marketing or the lack of. Thanks for spreading the good word. 🙂
Cheers,
Johahn
I find the article focused too much on sun and beach stuff – you can go to the Bahamas for that. Mauritius has so much more to offer, and you should have talked more about the culture, the food, the vibrant capital and its economy.
It’s too bad we didn’t have more time on the island. We went for the beaches and watersports because that’s where we prefer to spend our time. Most of our trips involve packed itineraries, so we chose to stick to the beaches instead of trying to see everything this trip. It’s definitely a great reason to visit the island, but clearly not the only reason.
really appreciated that you loved our little paradise and thought of writing about it 🙂
It is fascinating to see my beautiful country Mauritius being dispalyed in some amazing pictures.Though far from USA and Canada,but a visit is well worth it.Chris and Scott ive also visited San Diego more than ten times and i love the place…so we share something in common.
I think your amazing pictures depict quite well what is so incredible about Mauritius.
Wow form your pictures it definetly looks there’s a lot about Mauritius! It looks like heaven on Earth. Looking forward to your posts. Have fun!
Mauritius! What an exotic island to visit! Especially for us Canadians. From your photos, it looks fascinating – and we look forward to your future posts about it…
Hmm very place. you enjoyed a very great moment. Mauritius is really a very great place in the world. many travelers like to enjoy that place.
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