Cheap Flights to Mauritius

The tropical island of Mauritius is best known for its breathtaking beaches, but there are numerous other attractions, too. Reminiscences of the colonial era, beautiful nature and animal parks are among the things you must see in Mauritius.On the other hand, watersports, quad biking, and top golf courses are just some of the exciting activities to take up on the island.

Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean, located about 900 kilometers east of Madagascar. It’s a part of the Mascarene Islands, along with Rodrigues and Reunion. Although only 65 km long and 45 km wide, it is considered to be a real multi-cultural island.During history, it was occupied by British, French, Dutch, Portuguese, and even the pirates used the island as a hideout.

The beauty of the Mauritius’ beaches is out of this world, and the ones you must visit include Grand Baie (party beach), Blue Bay, Pereybere, Flic enFlac and Ile aux Cerfs.Powder-white sand and Casuarina trees make each of these beaches beautiful, while the clarity of water will leave you speechless even after spending days on the island.

Wildlife is an important part of Mauritius. The Mauritian kestrel and the pink pigeon are two bird species you can see only on this island, so make sure to visit the Black River Gorges National Park. You can also find giant tortoises, or head out to sea to search for dolphins, sharks, and whales.

If you don’t want to spend the entire day lying on a beach, you can head on a boat excursion to one of themagnificentislands of the lagoon.Mauritius is perfect for snorkeling and diving, thanks to its coral reef, and shallow waters. On land, you can try one of the top-class golf courses, do some horse riding or simply head hiking to enjoy the beautiful nature.

The fascinating history is another reason why you should take cheap flights to Mauritius. At the La Preuneuse beach, you can find the Martello tower, which is a fort built by the British during the Napoleonic Wars. Eureka is a beautiful private museum, offering exhibits of antique furniture, old photos, and chinaware from the 1800s. The number one exhibit at the Natural History Museum is the skeleton of the bird Dodo, extinct in the 17th century.

Once you get tired, enjoy the delicious local cuisine. Try everything, from fine-dining restaurants to beachside shacks serving fresh fish. The fascinating mix of various cuisines is what makes the food in Mauritius so special.

 

It’s only natural that you want to know where you will land after you get one of the cheap flights to Mauritius. The main international gateway to the island is the Sir Seewoosagur RamgoolamInternational Airport. It was previously known as the Plaisance Airport, and the locals will probably understand if you use this name, considering that it’s easier to pronounce. The airport is locatedless than 50 kilometers southwest of Port Louis, the capital of the island. It offers direct flights to various destinations in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The other airport is much smaller and is called Sir Gaetan Duval Airport. It is located on a remote island of Rodrigues and mostly serves for flights to and from Mauritius.

The peak season on Mauritius is considered to be from April through August. During this period the weather is dry and sunny, but not too warm. Days are long and sun-drenched, ideal to enjoy on one of the many beautiful beaches on the island.

A lot of tourists can also be seen in December, considering that the Northern hemisphere gets on one of the cheap flights to Mauritius to enjoy the “Winter Sun.” If you are a surfer, you will especially like the period between June and August. Divers will enjoy March and April, while fishermen may hope to catch some serious bites from October through to April.

It’s not recommended to visit Mauritius from January to March, due to the cyclone season. Also, the east coast can get very windy in July and August.

The Mauritian Constitution mentions no official language, although Mauritian Creole, which is primarily based on French, is spoken by the vast majority of the population.

French is widely used in business, and most news prints are also in this language, although local TV channels use Hindi and English. Sometimes the Mauritians won’t admit that they speak English, so the best option for communication with them is French.

Asian languages and different dialects are also present in Mauritius. Bhojpuri, a mixture of Creole and Hindi, is used by the Hindu community. In some locations, you will hear dialects such as Tamil or Hakka.

The official currency in Mauritius is the Mauritian Rupee. The locals are very proud of their money, and it’s the only one you can use while on the island. The exchange booths on the airports are opened 24/7, and they can exchange your dollars, pounds or euros for the local currency at fair rates. Furthermore, the rates are better than the ones you can get in the U.S. or the U.K.

If you do decide to exchange your money before going to Mauritius, make sure to get Mauritian Rupee, and not another countries currency of the same name. Rupees are also used in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives and Seychelles, but only Mauritian Rupee is accepted on the island.

There is a slight terrorism threat on the island because of the high number of British tourists. However, this shouldn’t stop you from getting cheap flights to Mauritius. You should just pay attention, especially if you are in places frequently visited by foreigners.

Crime levels are low when compared to international standards. Foreign tourists can be the victims of petty crime, such as bag snatching or pick-pocketing. You should avoid walking alone at night or using poorly lit streets. 

Most roads are narrow, and the rate of traffic accidents is high. If you are a tourist involved in an accident, the best thing to do is to drive to the nearest police station.

The weather is warm throughout the entire year, considering that the island has a classic tropical climate. The summer starts in November and lasts to April, and is known for hot and humid days. The average temperature is around 34 degrees during the summer. 

The winter begins in May and ends in October, but even then, the temperature only drops from hot to pleasantly warm. The average temperature on the coast is around 22 degrees.

The cyclone season can stretch from November to May. However, the period from January to March is considered the rainiest. If you are on the island during that time, make sure to monitor weather updates.