Mauritius holidays

Beyond lazing around on the beach and sandy barefoot walks, Mauritius offers a multitude of water-based activities to spice up your trip. Diving, kayaking, parasailing, snorkelling, stand-up paddling, underwater sea walking… the list goes on. Head to Grand Baie on the north side, the centre of the island’s water sports industry, for all the action and to book lessons.

The Black River Gorges National Park on the south side of the island is a vast stretch of pristine tropical rainforest. Trek through the park to Plaine Champagne for a panoramic view of dramatic cliffs and stunning gorges and, if you’re lucky, you may also see some rare native birds.

With an all-inclusive holiday deal in Mauritius, you can sample a full range of exotic dishes including Indian, African, European and Chinese cuisine. Must-try dishes include fish vindaye (curried fish with saffron, mustard and garlic), rougaille (tomato-based stew with meat or fish), and alouda (almond-flavoured milk drink).

Mauritius is also famous for its rum, so if you’re interested, why not visit a distillery?

Mauritius has only two seasons: summer is from November to April, while winter is from May to October. The summer is hot, humid and rainy, and cyclones may occur between January and March and therefore cheaper holiday deals during this period. Winter is dry, with temperatures averaging 22C making it a good time to visit. Air fares are more expensive from June to August, so opt for October and November if possible – these are the shoulder months when the weather is glorious but it’s still cheap to travel.

As a multi-cultural country, Mauritius offers up a wide range of ethnic festivities. Expect firecrackers ushering in the Chinese New Year in January or February, prayers and feasts on Eid-ul-Fitr, as well as Holi, a Hindu festival of fire and colour, where people celebrate by singing, dancing, and splashing coloured water and powder on one another.

Enticed by the prospect of spending your Christmas holiday on the beach? Compare prices on TravelSupermarket to find and book a cheap all-inclusive holiday package deal to Mauritius.

Currency: Mauritian Rupee (Rs or Rp)

Capital city: Port Louis

Language: Mauritian Creole, English and French

Key phrase to learn: Ki manyèr? (How are you?)

Time difference: Mauritius is 4 hours ahead of the UK

Average flight time: 12 hours

International phone code: +230

Emergency services number: 999

Public holidays: New Year’s Day (January 1), Chinese New Year (first day of the Chinese lunar calendar), Thaipoosam Cavadee (full moon of Thai month on the Tamil calendar), Abolition of Slavery (February 1), Maha Shivaratri (13th day of Falgun month on the Hindu calendar), Independence Day (March 12), Labour Day (May 1), Eid-ul-Fitr (last day of Ramadan), Ganesh Chaturthi (4th day of Bhadrapada month on the Hindu calendar), Diwali (new moon of Kartik month on the Hindu calendar), All Saints’ Day (November 1), Christmas Day (December 25)

Link to FCO travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mauritius