The reputation of Mauritius for its beaches and sea is now established and Mauritius remains first of all a "Sea, Sun & Sand" destination. Since several years, there is a will to promote the country as a whole for its nation and fauna as well as for its inland regions.
Climate
The temperature on the coastal areas varies between 22oC in winter and 34oC in summer. The sea temperature varies between 22oC and 27oC. In the central part of the island, the maximum daytime temperature varies from about 19oC in August to about 26oC in February. The western and northern regions are warmer and relatively drier than the East and South.
Culture
Mauritius is a blend of diverse cultures and religions. The population consists of Hindu, Muslims, Christian, Chinese and Europeans.
Languages
Most people are bilingual and are equally fluent in English and French. Creole and French are the main language in the everyday environment and several oriental language such as Hindi, Bhojpuri, Urdu, Tamil, Marathi, Mandarin are also spoken.
Seasonal Wearing
In winter , carry some light woolen clothing. In summer, carry light weight clothes.
Shopping
Shopping hours in our main cities range from 9.00 am-4.30pm.(Monday – Saturday). Some shops are open till noon on Sundays and public holidays.
Foods
In restaurants, the Creole food consists mainly of this same combination of saucy Indian dish with rice, but further adapted to European Plates in the sense that it is even less spicy than in homes. The best restaurants adopt one or several specific food cultures (Italian, Chinese etc) which they keep relatively pure although there are often some subtle touches of exotic influences, on purpose or by accident. During daytime, eating on the street sides or in small restaurants (called hotels) is common practice in Mauritius as these are often the tastiest dishes of all. Small trolleys serving Chinese broths and noodles can be seen mainly in Port Louis but the most common food served are Indian specialties namely "dholl puries" or "rotis".
Credit Cards
Credit Cards are normally accepted by banks and most hotels, restaurants and tourist shops.
Driving
People in Mauritius drive on the left-hand side of the road and give way to right. Foreigners with a driving licence issued by a competent
Authority in their respective countries are allowed to drive during their stay in Mauritius.
Mauritian Government
Mauritius is a democratic state based on the West minister model and enjoys political stability.
Economy
Mauritius has a population of 1.2 million, a per capita income of $11,200 and literacy rate of 84.4%, GDP $14.27 billion(2007 est.)
Telecommunications
Mauritius is 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. It has international direct dialing facilities to most parts of the world as well as high speed fax and internet services |
