The island nation of Mauritius was a popular choice for Indian tourists before the emergence of Maldives. The first time I booked a holiday in Mauritius was way back in 2002 when it was often being referred to as ‘mini India’. Maldives was not even being mentioned by any tour operators then. This continued till about 2016 or so when Maldives started gaining more popularity. When the Covid pandemic struck, Maldives had over 3x more Indian tourists annually than Mauritius. I had to cancel the 2002 Mauritius trip but got an opportunity to visit Mauritius in September of 2024.
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Is Mauritius a must see destination?
Impressive first views from air
Mauritius looked impressive at first sight, starting with the views from the aircraft as it came in to land and thereafter on the drive from airport to Sofitel hotel on the Western part of the island. Good roads, neat little villages, lush sugarcane fields and volcanic hills. Every part of Mauritius seemed to have a story behind it, if my driver cum guide was to be believed! It was a French colony once and its influence was evident, with most places bearing French names. At times, I felt I was in Europe. Indian origin people comprise a large majority of the population(~70%). So culturally, Mauritius and India are closely connected and that partly explains its popularity with Indian tourists.
Tourism is big in Mauritius
Mauritius lies in the southern hemisphere, and is part of Africa. Tourism is big, with total tourist arrivals in a year marginally exceeding its population of 1.3 million.
Getting to Mauritius
When I travelled end September/early October, there were direct flights to Mauritius only from Mumbai and Delhi. Both Air India and Air Mauritius fly on this route, with flight time of 6.15 to 7.5 hours respectively. I experienced multiple cancellations and it is just as well that at least 2 airlines fly to Mauritius from India every day. I did not have to change the travel dates but I ended up buying the more expensive single journey tickets.
Effective November 2024, Indigo started operating 4 flights a week from Bengaluru to Port Louis. Too late!
What to do in Mauritius
Given it diverse landscape, Mauritius offers plenty of water, air and land based activities. They are reasonably priced, but by no means cheap. Mauritius covers a total area of ~2k sq. kms and is roughly 65kms from North to South and 45 kms from East to West. For convenience, it can be divided onto 5 regions – North, South, East, West and Central. Over 8D, this was my itinerary:
- Day 1 – free
- Day 2 – South(Valley of Colors, Ganga Talao)
- Day 3 – North(catamaran to Gabriel Island)
- Day 4 – free, hotel activities
- Day 5 – North(submarine, scuba)
- Day 6 – East(lle Aux Cerfs and boat ride to South)
- Day 7 – free, hotel activities
- Day 8 – Central, Port Louis
North region
Scuba diving
Mauritius has a large number of diving sites, catering to both beginners and professionals. One dive cost MUR 2.6k per person. I was taken to a depth of 18-20 ft. or so where I tried walking on the seabed but struggled. Much easier to float. Took up to 3 hours to completion, starting with briefing and lessons in the pool.
Submarine ride
This was much better than the ride in Male, Maldives. For one, it was all natural, no dropping food to attract fish! We were first taken on a boat to bigger ship anchored away from the shore and that served as the docking point for the submarine. The 10 seater submarine appeared cramped when I got in but was quite comfortable and roomy once seated. Everyone had a window seat. The undersea formations were just amazing. Watched variety of fish but the highlight was a big turtle that was resting on a rock. Must have got disturbed by the sub and I watched it swim to the top. The ship wreck is another sight I would not forget in a hurry. Can now imagine how Titanic would have looked!
Overall, the journey lasted about an hour and the total trip, ~ 2.5 hours. It was conducted by Blue Safari and it cost MUR 5,800 per person.
Both scuba diving and submarine ride can be done on the same day.
Port Louis
The capital of Mauritius is probably visited more for business than tourism. But worth a short visit – Caudon waterfront is impressive, with a decent promenade overlooking ships berthed at the port, and plenty of shops and restaurants. One can buy souvenirs here plus anything locally made that catches fancy. Otherwise there is really not much to see in Port Louis. There are a couple of sites, including an open church, where Hindi movies have been shot.
Catamaran ride to Gabriel island
I took the cruise out of Grand Baie. From reporting time to return, it took about 7 hours or so. Add a bit of window shopping at Grand Baie and to and fro commute from my hotel, it was almost a 12 hour day out.
Nothing special in Gabriel island
I don’t know why Gabriel Island is rated high. The only part I thorough enjoyed was sitting out on the open deck of the Catamaran. The sea was a bit rough and the Catamaran moved up and down like a yo-yo, with the waves frequently crashing onto the deck. Otherwise, nothing special about the trip. The single toilet on board was cramped and unusable on the return journey as it was filled with sea water. There were no toilets on Gabriel Island but thankfully, nature has kindly provided shrubs and smaller plants/trees!
The Catamaran ride cost MUR2.8k per person, inclusive of lunch and beverages. Avoidable in my view. Vegetarian option was available.
South region
There is a 7 colored earth at Chamarel and a 23 colored earth at La Vallée des Couleurs Nature Park. I chose to visit the latter as it also offered few activities.
La Vallée des Couleurs Nature Park
I opted for a package that included
- Quad bike ride(buggy option also available) that was actually quite exciting given the varied terrain;
- Waterfall Zip lining over 300m that was over in a jiffy;
- visit to ‘colored earth’ formed out of volcanic activity but I could only distinguish few colors out of 23. Looked ordinary honestly; Not sure if lack of sunlight made any difference.
- Nepalese bridge walk(350m long, 100m high) that was thrilling with the bridge swaying a bit.
Overall, it cost about MUR12k for a couple. With lunch(set vegetarian meal was available) and beverages, spent close to MUR14k. That’s INR 25k for a couple. After the Nepalese bridge, I wanted to have tender coconut water but balked at the price – INR 800! Despite all the travel, there are still the odd occasions when conversion to INR cannot be resisted!
Online booking is also available with standard packages. Guidance is provided at the reception and those visiting for the first time, best not to book online. I think it is worth a visit if you are keen to indulge in couple of land activities for a change. I spent about 5 hours here.
On the way back, we stooped at Ganga Talao(or Grand Bassin), complex of Hindu temples next to a lake with 108 ft high statues of Shiva and Durga flanking the main road.
Central region
Trou Aux Cerfs(Dormant Volcanic Crator)
The area is popular with many diplomats having their residences on the climb to the Crator. The dormant volcanic Crator is at a height of 650 m with a walking track all around. The sides of the Crator looks like a mini forest, fully covered with indigenous plant species. I got a 360° view of Mauritius from the top but overall, this can certainly be skipped. Entry is free.
East region
Boat ride to south islands and Île Aux Cerfs
While the island(Île Aux Cerfs) is lovely, there is nothing much to do here. There are few restaurants in the island, including an Indian one called Masala but with prior arrangement, I had lunch served on the beach, next to the Golf course. It was cooked at home, brought over, heated and served.
I combined a trip to this island with undersea walk, parasailing and a speed boat ride to couple of islands in the South(Lighthouse Island and nearby islands), almost as far as the airport.
Disappointing activities
Undersea walk and parasailing – bit disappointing as both lasted about 5 minutes only. Cost per person was MUR 1.5k and MUR 2k respectively.
Boat ride to the South – Caught sight of couple of dolphins on the way. But overall, pretty ordinary and avoidable. Cost MUR4.8k per person, including lunch served on the beach. It was a private transfer.
West region
At the hotel, there were several activities such as snorkeling(own equipment), kayaking, paddle and peddle boats(all free). Boundaries had been marked within which only we had to carry out the activities. I also went for Dolphin watching(MUR 10k for 7 persons) and sighted quite a few of them. It was lovely to walk along the beach all the way through adjoining properties but it was not an easy walk. Coral fragments, seaweed and variety of shells(but no trash thankfully) made walking on bare feet a bit challenging. Watching sunset from the beach was especially heavenly.
Other activities
Few other options include hiking in George Rivers National Park, Le Morne Brabont(also called suicide point) and the underwater falls(requires helicopter ride but said to be an illusion), La Vanille Nature Park, Botanical gardens, surfing plus helicopter tours, seaplane flights and sky-diving. If you are looking for close encounters with ‘imported African wildlife’, head to Casela Nature Parks.
Snorkeling off the beach was generally disappointing. No good views of corals, even though water was clear, and hardly any fish.
Where to stay in Mauritius?
Apart from beach front hotels that are mostly luxury, options include boutique hotels, guest houses and homestays. The beach front hotels are more expensive but if you move away, there will be quite a few relatively cheaper options. The 4 star rated beach front hotels may actually be good value for money. I chose to stay at Sofitel Imperial located on the West coast near Flic-en-Flac village. Cost ~MUR18k per night for a couple with breakfast and dinner.
Personally, I think staying a beach resort with access to secluded/private beach should be the preferred choice, unless there are budget constraints.
attractions are spread all over the island
The key point to note is that tourist attractions are spread all over the island. The airport is located on the South-East side, about 50kms from Port Louis.
In terms of activities, North is certainly better placed than other regions. If staying in a beach side hotel, North, West or East are all ok. Choose a package including breakfast and dinner(Half Board) as commuting for dinner is not easy unless you have a car. Or you are within walking distance of a village/town. 5 star rated hotels will cost upwards of ~MUR20k per couple per night(though cheaper deals are often available) but 4 star properties can be booked for almost half that rate. I too had a choice of booking Radisson(~MUR 14k) or Anelia Resort(~MUR 11k) but chose Sofitel.
Vegetarian food is not a problem
Vegetarian food is generally available, including select Indian dishes cooked in Mauritius style. Few local cuisine items that would be on the menu almost every other day at my hotel were dholl puri(made of chickpeas like a roti) , chilli poppers, Biryani(non veg is more popular) etc. The set meal too is similar to what is served in India but with lesser items. On an average, a meal costs ~MUR 500-600 per person(~INR 1k). Drinks are extra.
Food was a bit bland but quite good at Sofitel Hotel and quite ok whenever I ate outside the hotel.
Local travel
One option is renting a car for self drive. Indian Driving Licence is valid for 4 weeks. Other option is to hire a car/van with driver cum guide. I opted for the second option. To and fro transport for activities cost MUR1k per person. Half day rentals are also available.
It was surprising to note Mauritius too has its share of traffic jams, especially near the roundabouts. The main roads were generally good and on an average, it took 1.5-2 hours to commute from one end of the island to another.
Shopping
Hand crafted ship models, handicrafts such as bags, tea, rum, souvenirs, apparel such as beach wear and those made from cashmere wool are few of the items one can consider buying in Mauritius. There are quite a few souvenirs on Dodo bird as Mauritius is believed to be the only habitat of this extinct bird. Not to forget alcoholic drinks at the duty free section of Sreewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport that are much cheaper than the Indian airports. Le Caudan waterfront in Port Louis is a good place for many of these items. I bought handcrafted ship model at Le Port Ship Model factory and Showroom. Fantastic collections and they had other souvenirs as well.
Cost of a week long holiday in Mauritius
Return economy class air fare per adult from Bengaluru was ~75k-80k, including price paid for seat selection.
Refreshingly, the cost quoted by a tour operator was very competitive and I chose to book through them, despite 5% GST and 5% TCS. To avoid the cascading effect of GST and TCS, I booked air tickets directly and local activities were booked after arrival in Mauritius through the tour operator’s local representative.
I stayed in Mauritius for 7N, 8D and the total cost per adult, excluding international airfare, was about INR 1.9 lakhs. The choice of hotel added significantly to the cost. One can easily manage with a lower budget.
No Visa required for Indian passport holders for 90 days
Indian passport holders do not need a visa for stays up to 90 days. I completed the All in one travel digital form a few days before travel. After submission, the form should be downloaded with the QR code and saved on the mobile phone for easy access. This form is used for immigration and health clearances in Mauritius. A print is not necessary.
Printed blank forms are also available before the Immigration counter at the Sreewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport that may be filled and submitted.
In Mauritius, the Immigration Officer only asked me to reconfirm hotel and return journey details. No documents were asked but obviously, one should still carry supporting documents like hotel reservations, return air tickets, bank statement and so on. I was allowed entry to stay in Mauritius for 21 days though this can vary from passenger to passenger. Thereafter, at the health counter, the QR code from the declaration was scanned.
Communication
I did not feel the need for a data connection since I had hired a van with driver but there was a need to make local calls. If you do not wish activate international roaming, buy a local SIM at the airport. It costs less than MUR 1000 with good amount of data.
Currency
Local currency is Mauritian Rupee(MUR or Rs)). One MUR is ~1.80INR. While credit/debit/forex cards are accepted at most places, some amount of cash in local currency is required for tips, small purchases etc. Given the geographical spread, best to exchange foreign currency at the airport. For USD 100, I received a little more than MUR 4500. I noted couple of counters offering to exchange INR also. But carry USD to be safe.
Tipping
Optional. But if you tip, make it at least MUR100. On some of the boats/activity centers, a separate box is kept for tipping.
When to visit Mauritius?
Mauritius is in the southern hemisphere and summer season lasts from October to April. But the island enjoys a tropical climate through out the year though sea water may be a mildly cold in the winter. October to December and April to June is stated to be a good time to visit as this avoids the peak months of summer and winter. When I travelled, the days were warm, cloudy at times but not hot and nights were cool. Sea water temperature was ideal. No rain at all. January to March witnesses heavy rains.
How many days is good fro Mauritius?
About one week is ideal. I don’t think it is worth travelling all the way for 2 or 3 nights only.
Is Mauritius a must see destination?
Mauritius is fun, safe and can be easily managed on a budget. It offers a diverse landscape such as volcanic hills, plantations, sugarcane fields, forests and a 160kms long coastline with fairly clean beaches fringed by coral reefs. Most people speak/understand English. There was not much crowd when I visited end September/beginning October. With direct flights from India, and no visa requirement for Indian passport holders, Mauritius is easily accessible at short notice. While it is not exactly a cheap destination, especially if you intend to indulge in various activities and stay in a beach side 5 star hotel, Mauritius is certainly worth visiting once. I, however, do not think it is a must visit destination any longer given the available alternate Island destinations.There is hardly anything unique in Mauritius.
