Mauritius Vacations

Mauritius is a fascinating little piece of perfection. Its name conjures up pcitures of tropical luxury, perfect beaches, and great extravagance. Mauritius has a lot of offer visitors. There are a lot of historical sights, great cultural diversity, surprising geographic variation, as well as breathtaking beaches. Moreover, there is great Chinese, Indian, French and African food here, good soulful music, and a party spirit. Mauritius is a livelier cousin to the quieter Seychelles but still a place to enjoy a luxury and exotic vacation.

Cost and Budgeting on Mauritius
Backpackers and other budget travelers staying in cheap accommodation and eating meals on the street can usually spend €25 to €30 per day. That doesn’t include any tours or activities. If you want a nice mid-range hotel and meals at some restaurants, you should budget at least €50 per day. An expensive hotel plus a few fancy restaurants, you’re looking at spending at least €175 per day. If you plan to do any activities while you are there (and you probably are), add €30 per day to your budget.

Things to See and Do in Mauritius
Visit Grand Bay- Grand Bay was the first place here in Mauritius to witness a big tourist boom. Grand Bay is a shopping and leisure paradise and is also the area where Mauritians go for great night-life.
Visit the Balaclava Ruins- Only a few meters from Baie aux Tortues, you’ll find the ruins of the old Balaclava estate. It’s an old villa that is truly spectacular. Visitors will be able to see the great sea walls that make this place so famous and were laid down by the famous Mahé de Labourdonnais. This is one of few historic spots on Mauritius.
See the Triolet Shivala- Triolet offers an opportunity to understand Hindu community on the island and see the biggest Hindu temple, the Maheswarnath, built in 1819 in honor Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, Muruga, Brahma and Ganesha.
Climb Le Pouce- This is an easy 2-hour climb from the village of Petit Verger (near St. Pierre), and takes another 2 hours to walk into Port Louis. It gives you stunning views of the area and is a great way to do something other than lying on the beach.
Watersports- Head to Grand Bay for cool water activities such as parasailing, an underwater walk, semi-submersible scooters, or go to La Cuvette, a long silky white sand beach with clear water between Grand Baie and Cap Malheureux. Here you can go sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing.
Scuba Dive- Diving is great here and there are some great wrecks around. You can dive on the west coast around Flic-en-Flac, in the north at Trou aux Biches, or the Northern Islands from November to April.
Hike in the Black River Gorges National Park- This park has an amazing array indigenous plants, birds and wildlife. Black River Peak trail goes to Mauritius’ highest mountain for excellent views of the islands (it’s a moderately challenging hike), while the Maccabee Trail starts nearby and plunges into the gorge to Black River.
Visit Tamarind Falls- Located inn the interior of the island, this is an awe inspiring 7 waterfalls surrounded by lush green mountains. Bring something to swim in as numerous pools little the area beneath certain falls. First time visitors would be advised not to go alone as it’s a tricky area to get too.

Mauritius Weather
Mauritius enjoys a typically tropical climate with year-round heat and humidity. The islands’ summer months are from December to April, when it can be extremely humid and very hot while the “winter” (less humidity, slightly more rain) runs from May to November. The best months to visit Mauritius are May to early December.