Mauritius is a large sugar island, with towering peaks and fringed by golden sand beaches. A wonderful melting pot of cultures and influences, with Indian, Africans, Chinese and Europeans all blending their skills to present something uniquely Mauritian.
The capital Port Louis is a lively city with some excellent shopping. For something very different, go to the horse racing, a real fun day, with a weekly meeting each Saturday from May through to November.
Flying time from the UK is approximately 12 hours. Air Mauritius and BA fly non stop, connections also possible via Dubai with Emirates which can also make an interesting twin-centre combination.
Mauritius Weather
One of the most difficult to summarise. It’s south of the equator, so has reverse seasons to the UK. The Mauritian summer, and most popular months are November to April, when the days are usually bright, sunny and at their hottest. However, this might also be the time of a tropical storm or occasional cyclone, particularly mid-January to mid-March. Temperatures are generally in the high 20’s /low 30’s.
The winter months (our summer) see a noticeable drop in temperature, although this can be a drier period with high winds experienced, particularly late afternoon on the east coast. During the Mauritian winter (our summer), the resorts in the north-west tend to be slightly more sheltered. Expect temperatures in the low 20’s, cooler at night.
Why Mauritius?
Whilst the Seychelles has an instant WOW! attraction, Mauritius is more gradual. It starts off as pleasant, but then gets even better day by day, a testament to the fantastic hotels and, in particular, the superb service – In our view some of the very best in the tropics. The beaches are superb, the sea conditions generally good, plus if you are a golfer you will be spoilt for choice. Although most of the time will be spent enjoying the hotels, take the time to explore the island. The shopping is surprisingly good, with many boutique shops in the Grand Baie (Bay) area. Plus the scenery is quite diverse, with inland mountains, some with simple lodges for overnight stays.
If We Were To Be Critical…
Occasionally disappointment with the weather, especially in our mid summer months (see Weather wise above) when the beaches can also be eroded. It is beginning to get overpopulated with similar looking hotels in places. Most of the restaurant activity is confined to the hotels, surprisingly for such a cosmopolitan island, although Grand Baie on the north-west coast and Flic-En-Flac on the south-west coast has some dining activity.
Note – As with most tropical areas, the beaches are available to both locals and tourists, private beaches are not permitted.
Mauritius – A CHIC Location
Hotels & Resorts in Mauritius
“There’s no such thing as the best hotel, just the right one…”
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Supplements will probably apply at other times, particularly mid-summer in the Med, and for rooms and/or transfers arranged for single travellers.
For example, the Caribbean and Indian Ocean prices for winter can be approximately double the May – June level and about 50% more in Asia.
For the Mediterranean & Canary Islands, Caribbean, Arabia and the Indian Ocean (except Sri Lanka) price guides generally include airfare and transfers.
*For Sri Lanka and Far East we show a per person per night hotel guide, excluding airfare, as arrangements tend to be individually tailored multi-centre itineraries.
Please refer to Travel Advice on our home page or look at www.fco.gov.uk as the Foreign Office may have issued specific destination information on safety and terrorism.
Due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19, some hotels may have changed their facilities. Standard descriptions like distance from airport or town remain consistent as does the overall resort style. However, the number of restaurants, swimming pools, if more than one, are by example flexible and can change depending on occupancy and circumstances. Spa facilities, in particular, may be changed depending on local and international suggestions.
If your holiday decision is based on any specific facility please let us know at the time of booking so we can ascertain availability from the hotel. Please note, such information may be accurate at the time given but could be subject to change. In these times it would be prudent to be open-minded and flexible on such matters.
The situation on destination entry seems to vary month to month, or in some cases week to week or even day-to-day. For updated information please refer to the UK Government travel advice https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. This will provide you with information on entry requirements including COVID-19 testing and any quarantine stipulations, especially on return to the UK. As you will know this information is constantly changing, frequently at short notice as evidenced by our own Government actions.