According to Thesciencetutor.org, Mauritius is the short name for the Republic of Mauritius. This state consists of several islands among the shining azure of the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, and is a popular international resort, one of the most luxurious in the world. The Republic of Mauritius has the largest island of Mauritius in the country with a total area of 1865 sq. km, the small island of Rodrigues, 104 sq. km, the Kargados-Karajoms archipelago and the island of Agalega. Mauritius also has many tiny islands, very picturesque and beautiful.
The total land area of this island nation is 2045 square meters. km, the capital of the country – the city of Port Louis is located on the largest island of Mauritius. This island is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the length of the coastline in Mauritius is more than 330 km. Almost the entire coast is white sand beaches and the clearest ocean, wonderful small bays, coral reefs. In the middle of the island is an elevated plateau covered with tropical forests. Its height ranges from 600 to 828 meters above sea level. Emerald green forests, picturesque terrain, extinct volcanoes and charming beaches make Mauritius an ideal place for tourism.
If you go to Mauritius, take thin and light clothes with you, they will always come in handy. In case of heavy rain, you will need umbrellas and raincoats. Bring special shoes for the beach, good sunglasses and strong sunscreen. On the beach, you can safely spend time in a swimsuit. But off the beach, you’d better get dressed, otherwise you’ll be stopped by a policeman.
Products can be bought in the markets, but always have stomach protection with you, because Mauritius is still a tropical country. If you wish to visit a Hindu temple or mosque, dress modestly and take off your shoes before entering. You can not make noise and talk loudly near any places of worship, and if you want to take photos of temples or local residents, please ask permission to shoot.
Corals should not be harmed and it is best not to buy any coral parts from the locals.
In Mauritius, there are three-pin electrical sockets, the mains voltage is 220 V.
The information service is 90.
Order of international negotiations – 10-091.
Central Bureau of Tourism (Port Louis) – 211-91-27, 211-62-55, 208-52-41, 208-52-42, 208-63-97, 637-36-35.
Rescue service (police, firemen, ambulance) – 999.
Ambulance – 114.
Police – 208-70-13/20.
Fire Department – 995.
Visa
To visit Mauritius, a Russian does not need to apply for a visa in advance. A visa for 60 days is issued at Mauritius airport and can be extended if necessary. To obtain this visa, you need a passport valid for more than 6 months after the end of your stay in Mauritius, a return ticket, a tourist voucher or an invitation from a resident of Mauritius. If you want to visit Mauritius without a travel agency for up to 15 days, you need to have a hotel reservation or an invitation from a resident of Mauritius. When leaving the country, you need to pay a fee of $ 20.
Customs
The import and export of foreign and national currencies to and from Mauritius is not limited, you just need to declare the amount. For persons over 16 years of age, duty-free import is allowed: cigarettes – up to 200 pcs. or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, spirits – up to 1 liter, wine or beer – up to 2 liters, up to 250 ml of eau de toilette or 1 small bottle of perfume, as well as video, photo and other household appliances – one subject each denomination. It is forbidden to import drugs and medicines containing drugs, weapons, military ammunition and equipment, fruits and foodstuffs from Africa, East and Southeast Asia, as well as seeds, plants and flowers from these countries, car tires.
Connection
Cellular communication: GSM 900 communication standard. Roaming is available to subscribers of major Russian operators. Fixed telephone service: local calls are made from pay phones that work with calling cards (phones with a yellow arrow above the booth) or accept coins (1 and 5Rs coins are used). Phone cards (30 min. – 40Rs, “subscription” for 8 hours – 400Rs) are sold at the Mauritius Telecom office, tobacconists, gas stations and restaurants. An international call can be ordered at a Maurutius Telecom call center or made from a hotel (almost 20% more expensive). A call at a call center is ordered and paid (about 90Rs for 3 minutes) in advance, regardless of whether it was possible to connect to the subscriber. To call the country, dial 8 – 10 – 230 (Mauritius code) – the subscriber’s number. There are no area codes in the country, all numbers are dialed by direct call. To call from Mauritius to the island of Rodrigues, the “international scheme” is used – you should dial 00 – 495 – the subscriber’s number, while the “return” call from Rodrigues is direct, without additional codes.
Time
From April to October in Mauritius is the same time as in Moscow, and from November to March time is ahead of Moscow by 1 hour.
Transport
Taxis in Mauritius can be ordered from any hotel and at the airport. But you should negotiate the cost of the trip with the driver in advance. The cost of the trip is on average about 15-20 MUR per kilometer, but if you want to travel a long distance in a taxi, they will give you a discount. It would be wise to bargain with the taxi driver and reduce the price, but if you want to negotiate for you, contact the hotel staff. In Mauritius, as in other countries, it is customary to make money on tourists, so bargain to a reasonable price. If you are planning a lot of trips, rent a car. Car rental on the island is carried out by branches of large international companies and small local firms. Private offices have lower prices, but dealing with them is much more difficult in case of any accident: insurance and so on are not guaranteed here. To rent a car, you must be over 23 years old and have an international driving license issued at least a year before the start of the rental. Some companies are lowering the age limit to 21 and adopting national rights. Renting a car for a day will cost from 1500 MUR and more, depending on the brand of car and the presence of air conditioning in the cabin. You should rent a car no older than four years (the year of manufacture is usually indicated by the last two digits of the number). Traffic in Mauritius is left-handed, in cities the speed limit is 50 km / h, on the highway – 90 km / h. On the roads leading to the capital,
Food
Tap water in Mauritius is of quite decent quality and you can drink it, but in order not to risk it, it is still better to buy bottled water for drinking.
Mauritian cuisine is as diverse as its people. All nationalities have contributed to this cuisine, but the habits of Indians, French and Chinese have most influenced the local table.
Alcoholic drinks in Mauritius are produced inexpensively, such as rum or beer, and wines are imported and therefore very expensive. It is worth trying such local delicacies as “royal salad” – the heart of a palm tree with smoked blue marlin fillet, the famous Mauritian white rum Green Island and local beers of different varieties.
Safety
Mauritius is quite a safe island, you don’t need special vaccinations to stay on it. However, take allergy medication with you in case you react to a mosquito bite. Be extremely careful in the sea, do not touch corals and marine life – many of them are poisonous and very dangerous. Do not dive without the supervision of an instructor – the reefs have strong undercurrents. There are a lot of police in Mauritius, who always keep order. Keep an eye on your belongings and in no case agree to try the narcotic grass that you can be offered on the beach. This could get you into legal trouble.
