Though people keep telling us that inflation is down, prices are still going up everywhere for everything – and, as always, they will never return to what they were before the last inflation plague. So if you can find a place to visit that has great beaches, a wonderful landscape, warm and welcoming people and all that at budget prices, you will probably say, “Oh, you mean Mauritius?”
Yes, you’re right. I mean Mauritius. Lucky guess.
For those who don’t know it, Mauritius is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) off the southeastern coast of East Africa. I hear you thinking, Wow! That sounds like a heavy plane ticket. And a year and a half to get there.
Well, yes, it’s a pretty long trip, 12 hours direct; or, in plain numbers, from London it’s a trip of 9,750 kilometers (about 6,000 miles), about 750 kilometers less from Frankfurt. But as the saying goes (or should go when you’re on holiday), it’s the arrival not the journey that matters. And what a place in which to nurse your jet lag. And it’s not as expensive as it sounds.
But first things first:
When to Go There
The best time to visit is from April to June and from September to December, to avoid the weather pitfalls of summer and winter, the only two seasons on the island. But there are reasons to travel throughout the year, depending on what you want to do there.
On the main island, at sea level, the average maximum temperature is around 29°C (84°F) across the island from December to March, while from June to September it drops to 25 (77°F) on the southeastern side and to around 26°C (79°F) in the north and west sides, which are more sheltered from the trade winds.
The problem is the rain, of which there is a lot, and often heavy, during monsoon season, which is from January to March. If you go then, expect about 250mm, or 10 inches, of rain a month. The least rain is from June to November.
Summer lasts from October to April, which is when you’ll want to go if you like diving and deep-sea fishing and/or tropical fruit such as litchis, mangoes, dragon-eye fruit and other tropical delicacies to be had at market stalls.
If you’re into kite- or wind-surfing or just plain old surfing, the winter months of July and August are the windiest. The winter sky in the evening is wonderful in Mauritius, perfect for stargazing and for watching the Perseid meteor shower August.
Here is an overview:
- Best time to go swimming: April to December
- Best time to take a hike: April to December
- Best time to smile at the waterfalls: January to April
- Best time to surf the waves: June to November
- Best time for your budget: May to October (cheaper hotel rates)
- Best weather: October or November (the least rain)
How to Get There
As always, but especially on long routes, the time-is-money principle applies. That is, the less money you’re prepared to pay for your flights, the longer they will be. Direct flights to and from Mauritius are rare. Where available, total flying time will be about 24 hours there and back. If you can get direct return tickets for about 800 euros, pounce on them.
Non-direct flights involving one or two stops on the legs can involve 30, 40 or even 60 hours of total flying time, and in some cases even requires a change of airport en route. In cities that don’t offer direct flights, you’ll really have to make hard choices. The trick is to do your research and reserve early.
Where to Stay
The main island of Mauritius is where most of the population is concentrated and where the capital and largest city, Port Louis, is located. But that’s a big, bustling and fairly meh metropolis. La Gaulette, on the southwestern coast of the island, is as good a place as any to stay in and use as a base as it has lots of budget hotels, markets and cheap eateries and is near some great places, such as the Black River Gorges National Park. And nearby (5km away) Le Morne – which is more upscale – has one of the island’s great beaches.
In addition, the island’s west coast is sheltered from the trade winds that affect the east coast, which means that it enjoys (and is enjoying now) hot and dry weather, perfect for beach activities. But make up your own mind; do the research, with priorities being convenience, weather and price.
Which begs the question of:
How to Get Around
On Mauritius you have an embarrassment of transport riches, from bikes to limousines, even a metro! From the east coast to the west coast of Mauritius is about 45 km; north to south spans about 61 km. Plus, there’s so much to see: lots of beaches, mountains, some national parks, fishing villages and the capital city of Port Louis. So the ideal mode of travel would probably be a rental car.
Renting a car is surprisingly inexpensive in Mauritius, if you’re cool with a small vehicle. The best idea would probably be to have a car rented for a few days when you get there, so that you can drive across the island (or wherever you’re staying) to your hotel. Then use the car for a few days, to get the lay of the land and check out some sites of interest to you for which you will definitely require a car. Other sites, like the beach at Le Morne and the amazing Black River Gorges National Park will be withing biking distance if you’re staying, as here recommended, at La Gaulette.
Or you can splurge on a taxi (arrange the price ahead of time!) upon arrival and rent a car from your hotel. Some companies deliver the car to your residence.
You can also try using the bus. Bus networks cross the whole island. They’re cheap and give you the chance to meet some of the warm and friendly locals. There are local and express buses. Always choose an express bus, because they are much faster and are air-conditioned.
You can also rent bikes and, for more serious rides, e-bikes, which can take you to places cars fear to tread. And there’s a metro, the Metro Express, which runs between Port Louis and Curepipe and for which you’ll need a prepaid smart card than can be topped up.
In other words, there are many options and the most economical may be to mix and match them according to your plans; or to set your plans according to the cost of transport around the island. (I wasn’t joking about the limousines, and there’s even the possibility of helicopter rides – but, hey, we’re on a budget, remember?)
The cheapest way to get around, of course, is to walk. And Mauritius offers plenty of places that are not only accessible by foot but also the best way to see them. Which brings us, inevitably, to:
What to See
Since we were talking about feet, let’s begin with places you can explore on foot, like the Black River Gorges National Park. This national park comprises over 17,000 acres ( or 2% of the island’s total area) of dense rainforests and other ecosystems. It has a number of long hiking trails of varying difficulty as well as over 300 species of flowering plants and one of the rarest birds in the world, the Pink Pigeon. Also expect astonishing views, gorgeous gorges and many waterfalls. If you’re staying in La Gaulette, then you’re right near it and could bike or even walk there.
La Gaulette is near another wonderful slice of Mauritius nature, Le Morne Brabant. This is the name of both the peninsula at the southwestern corner of Mauritius and the mountain – actually a basalt monolith – located there. It is 556 meters (about 1,800 feet) high and you will climb it. (Yes, you will. It’s worth it.)
The slope is medium-steep, getting harder as you approach the summit, which is very broad and from which you can see many wonderful sights, including the reefs surrounding the island and an underwater waterfall. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so be sure to ask about or read up on its history with regard to slavery; it’s fascinating and heart-breaking.
The Chamarel Waterfall is, at 100 meters (328 feet), the highest single-drop waterfall on the island. It is in the wonderfully and aptly named Chamarel Seven Colored Earth Geopark, located not far from La Gaulette (aren’t you glad that I recommended you stay there?). You can climb up to a viewing platform to get the full effect of the falls and/or make a 3-hour trek into the valley to swim in a pool formed by the falling waters. From the platform you can also see the multicolored dunes that give the park its, um, colorful name. They were formed by cooling volcanic rocks that produced the different colors according to their initial temperatures.
Other fascinating places to visit include the La Vanille Crocodile Park (with giant bats, giant turtles and monkeys in addition to the crocs) , the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden (immense water lily pads, fruit bats, big turtles) and the Grande Bassin (aka Ganga Talao), a lake in the crater of an extinct volcano at an altitude of 550 meters (1,800 feet) and the most sacred Hindu site on the island of Mauritius (with a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva). And let’s not forget the island’s many fantastic beaches, of which the white-sand Le Morne is considered the best, though not by much.
But this was just scratching the surface. The island offers fascinating things to see, explore, swim in, hike across and eat just about everywhere. And speaking of eating:
Mauritian Street Food
Talking about the island’s street foods gives me a chance to mention the diversity of peoples and cultures that make up this nation and the various languages spoken here. About half of all Mauritians speak Creole, which is a dialect of French. At least four Indian languages are also spoken, as are – to a lesser degree – Chinese and French. And English is taught in the schools.
So you can expect to find African, Indian, Chinese and French influences in the island’s cuisine. Add to this a bunch of tropical fruits, exotic vegetables and fresh seafood (yes!) and you get street food that is eclectic, spicy and unique in its variety and inventiveness. Plus, street food is available everywhere, from streetcorners to beach shacks.
The island’s unofficial national street food is dhal puri, which is usually a pair of fluffy turmeric-flavored flatbreads filled with curried yellow split chickpeas and served with lima bean curry, rougaille (savory red sauce), and Mauritian green chili and/or with atchars (pickles) and chutney.
Chana puri is one of many deep-fried delicacies available for a pittance in the street or at the beach. For example, gato piment are fried balls of crushed split chickpeas, herbs and chili – the local version of falafel. Gato pomme de terre and gato bringel are, respectively, thin slices of potato slices or eggplant battered and fried. Samosas are smaller versions of the Indian dish and made of triangular filo-style pastry stuffed with a spicy potato mixture; cheese, chicken, and fish options are sometimes available.
Briani is the Mauritian version of biryani, made with green chili paste, chatini pomme d’amour (Mauritian tomato chutney) and cucumber salad.
Finally, Chinese boulettes are round Chinese dumplings usually served hot with lots of green onions, some mazavaroo (tangy chili paste) and with or without broth.
This list barely scratches the surface of the variety of street (and restaurant) food available on Mauritius. Try as much of it as you can. You’ll probably never taste such a rich variety of affordable dishes again.
Last and Probably Least
Don’t let a long flight put you off from spending a week or two on Mauritius. Two weeks may seem a lot, but if you spend one week seeing the island and the second week on the beach, I would call that a perfect holiday. And Mauritius really is special: it’s gorgeous, has perfect weather, wonderful beaches and great food. And you won’t have to make a big effort to stay within your budget. Does that sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not. Sometimes life is actually the way it should be.