Currency:

The monetary unit is the Mauritian Rupee (Rs.) which is divided into 100 cents (cs). At the latest exchange rate, one USD is worth around Rs. 30.

Electricity:

Electricity is 220 volts. UK-type 3-pin plugs are commonly used in hotels in Mauritius.

Language:

English is the only official language; however, most people in Mauritius are bilingual and are equally fluent in English and French. Creole and French are the main languages in the everyday environment and several oriental languages are also spoken.

Time Zone

Mauritius time is GMT + 4 hours

Country Information

Mauritius is a mountainous, volcanic island situated in the Indian Ocean about 2000 km off the south eastern coast of Africa and lies 800 km east of Madagascar. The country covers an area of 1865 square km with 330 km of coastline. It is a small island – 45km in width and 65km in length. Mauritius is encircled by a broken ring of mountain ranges, varying in height from 300 meters to 800 meters above sea level. Mountains cover about 18 percent of the island.

Streams and rivers speckle the island; a lot of them are formed in the cracks created by new and old lava flows. Heavy flows of water are common during the storms and cyclones. Mauritius has two natural lakes, both crater lakes. The biggest manmade body of water is Mare aux Vacoas.

Mauritius has some of the most stunning coral life on the planet, not only rich in coral life but also rich in marine life. The underwater world of Mauritius can be called a natural wonder by itself. The waters surrounding the island are teeming with hundreds of species of colorful fish.

The island is attractive to scuba divers because of the safe waters and near perfect diving conditions. Mauritius is a place of magical beauty for scuba divers with a reef that extends all the way around the island and warm, crystal clear water.

The St. Brandon’s Atoll, since its discovery as a fly fishing destination, has become the pinnacle in saltwater flats fishing adventure. The bonefish on average are the largest found anywhere in the world and the Indo-Pacific golden permit opportunities here are unparalleled. Giant trevally and several other trevally species are also common within the shallow waters found at St. Brandon’s.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Mauritius airport is 48km (30 miles) southeast of Port Louis. Taxis are widely available to the city (travel time – 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic). 

Airport facilities include duty-free shops, banks/bureaux de change, snack bar; post office, shops and car hire (Avis, Europcar and Hertz). A new terminal has recently been built.

It is well connected with most of the international airports in United States, Europe and Asia. Air Mauritius, the national carrier operates more than 30 weekly flights to and from all the major European cities, including 15 combined flights with Air France to and from Paris. British Airways operates four weekly flights, Emirates Airlines three and Condor one. Air India also connects major cities in India to Mauritius.

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