How to Get Mauritius
Emirates Airlines offers the most convenient regular flight option: flights are operated daily (flight time, including connections, is about 16 hours). Air Mauritius operates codeshare flights with Air France and Aeroflot, landing in Paris and Milan. You can also use British Airways and KLM flights with transfers in Paris or Amsterdam. According to populationmonster, Mahebourg is one of the largest cities in Mauritius.
Plaisance Airport is located on the southeast coast, near the old port of Mahebourg.
The same airlines fly from Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus to the transfer cities, then Air Mauritius directly to the islands (travel time is about 15 hours, including connecting). The flight time with connections is 15-19 hours.
When leaving the country, an airport tax of 685 MUR (about 20 USD) is charged.
Airport in Mauritius
International Airport Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam – the only international airport in Mauritius – is located near the city of Mahebourg, just 46 km southeast of the capital of the island, Port Louis.
The airport is home to the national carrier Air Mauritius, which operates a network of routes to neighboring islands, and in addition, operates direct flights to some cities in Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe.
Air Austral, Air Madgascar and Air Seychelles connect Mauritius with nearby islands, while Air France, Emirates, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Condor, South African Airways, Air India, Meridiana, Kenya Airways, Egypt Air, Malaysia Airlines and Corsairfly connect home airports around the world.
The current airport terminal – Terminal 2 – is a two-story building with a large outdoor parking lot. Departures are carried out from the second floor of the building, arrivals are carried out mainly on the first floor. Only passengers are allowed into the terminal building, so there is no infrastructure other than duty-free boutiques at the airport. One shop is located in the departure area, the second is for arriving passengers.
All the details about Mauritius airports are on the page “Subtleties of tourism”.
Visa
Russian citizens do not need a visa to enter the country for tourism purposes. Medical travel insurance is also not a mandatory item when crossing the border with Mauritius, but for your own peace of mind it is better to take it out.
Customs
Import and export of foreign and national currencies is not limited (the declaration is obligatory). For persons over 18 years of age, duty-free importation of 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, or 250 g of tobacco, spirits – up to 1 liter, wine or beer – up to 2 liters, up to 250 ml of toilet water or one small bottle of perfume, as well as video, photo and other household appliances – one item of each item.
It is prohibited to import drugs and medicines containing drugs, weapons, military equipment and ammunition, fruits and foodstuffs from Africa, East and Southeast Asia, seeds, plants and flowers, as well as car tires. It is forbidden to export coral products and objects illegally raised from the bottom of the sea, as well as seedlings – especially if they are planted in the ground. The transport of animals requires a permit from the Veterinary Service of the Mauritian Ministry of Agriculture.
Phone numbers
Embassy of Mauritius in Moscow: st. Nikoloyamskaya, 8; tel. +7 (495) 915-76-17, 915-76-65
Russian Embassy in Port Louis: PO Box 10, Queen Mary Avenue, Floreal, Mauritius; tel. 696-55-33, 696-15-45, fax 696-50-27; Web site
Help Desk: 150, Police: 999, 208-7020, Ambulance: 114, Rescue: 116, Ambulance: 114, Fire Department: 995 or 115.
There are no area codes in the country, all numbers are dialed by direct call.
Transport Mauritius
Air Mauritius operates daily flights from Mauritius to the island of Rodrigues (under the jurisdiction of Mauritius): 500 km are covered in a little over an hour. You can also get there (as well as to the Community Islands) by ferry.
The most economical, but not the fastest way to move around the island is buses. The network of their routes is very extensive, the buses themselves are in good condition, and some even have air conditioning. The fare depends on the distance, tickets are issued directly in the cabin by the conductor.
Taxis can be taken at the airport or near the hotel. The cost of the trip should be negotiated in advance: most taxi drivers fundamentally do not recognize counters. The cost of the trip is on average 30 MUR per kilometer, for trips over long distances the fares are reduced. For short trips, this is a rather expensive mode of transport, but hiring a taxi for the whole day is much more profitable: from 3500 MUR you can thoroughly consider all the beauties of the island.
Bargaining when discussing the cost of a trip is not only recommended – it is necessary. Often you can negotiate with hotel staff who will either advise reliable taxi drivers or order a car themselves.
Rent a Car
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. Distances on the island are short, and from Port Louis to the main cities can be easily reached in 30-45 minutes.
Driving in Mauritius is on the left. The speed limit is 50 km/h in cities and 100 km/h on highways, it is mandatory to use seat belts. You can also rent a scooter or bike to explore the local coast.
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.
Safety
Quick weather changes in Mauritius are not uncommon, so you should take not only light things with you, but also windbreakers with raincoats. The rains, although short, are strong. Also strongly recommended for use are sunglasses and creams (the level of insolation in Mauritius is very high even on cloudy days), durable shoes and beach slippers (coral fragments come across).
Perhaps the only unpleasant moment that can spoil the local vacation for tourists is an unplanned meeting with some local marine life, whose thorns and thorns leave painful wounds.
No special vaccinations are required. There are no poisonous animals and insects on the island, however, the bites of some representatives of the local fauna are painful and can cause allergic reactions.
Water in hotels can be drunk from the tap (it is thoroughly cleaned), but it is still recommended to use bottled water.
There are few police officers on the streets, but the crime rate is very low. Pickpocketing and petty theft are found only in major tourist areas, and even then infrequently.
In Mauritius, a special narcotic herb grows and is sold almost uncontrollably on the beaches (under the guise of a “shell trade”). Using and even just having it with you is a serious violation of the law, for which a large fine can be imposed or even deported from the country. So on the beaches of all hotels, you should be especially careful about salesmen selling various souvenirs. Such trade is officially legalized, and not a single hotel, even the highest category, has the right to drive “hawkers” from its beach.
