Mauritius is a lovely place to visit and travel. However, in order to maximise your personal safety, we recommend you follow the tips detailed below.
Need to know:
- English is the official language, though French Creole is spoken island-wide.
- The time zone is Greenwich Mean Time plus four hours.
- The national currency is the Mauritian Rupee which is divided into 100 cents.
- British-style three square pins and continental two round-pin plugs are both used here.
- Tipping is discretionary, but any tips are always welcomed.
At the airport
- Agree on the taxi fare prior to proceeding to your destination
Dress Code
- In order to ensure you are being culturally respectful, please dress conservatively when visiting temples/shrines. Many hotels have a dress code for dinner, so remember to check this before travel.
At your accommodation
- Select a tourist accommodation which is licensed by the Tourism Authority which would ensure that security measures put in place are as required (refer to the website of Tourism Authority- http://www.tourismauthority.mu/en/).
- Store your valuables, passport and money in the safety deposit box provided by the hotel/guesthouse/tourist residence.
At the beach
- Avoid buying products and seeking services from unauthorised persons.
- Request price of products before any purchase.
- Be careful with those who demonstrate too much insistence.
Markets
- Request price of products before any purchase
Transport
- Remember that hitch-hiking is not practised in Mauritius.
- Agree on the fare before embarking on any trip from the information desk of your place of stay.
- Be aware that advice tendered by some taxi drivers may be motivated by commissions that they receive from some traders.
Driving Licence
- In Mauritius cars drive on the left-hand side of the road and drivers have to give way to traffic from the right. Visitors with a driving licence issued by a competent authority are allowed to drive during their stay in Mauritius.
Precautions
- There are no poisonous reptiles or dangerous animals on the island. But nature being what it is, some small creatures can inflict painful sting like wasp stings, for example. In the event, this does happen and symptoms are persisting, contact a chemist or doctor.
- There are a few fish and invertebrates in Mauritian waters that are known to be harmful – namely sea urchins, stonefish and lionfish. It is advisable to enquire of their existence in the waters around a given resort. Be careful not to step on them, and consider wearing light shoes while swimming.
Emergency Numbers
- Police: 999 or 112
- Fire Services: 995 or 115
- SAMU Ambulances: 114
- National Directory: 150
- Tourist Info: 152
- Weather: 171 and 96 for cyclone reports
- Airline Data: 6033030
