Lifestyle Holidays

Known as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” Mauritius is an idyllic volcanic island mostly surrounded by white sandy beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters. This exotic island is located about 900 km east of Madagascar and is approximately 2040 sq kilometres.

With a population of just over 1.2 million Mauritius is a melting pot of many cultures where past and present are smoothly blended together. The cosmopolitan mix of French, British, Indian, Chinese and Creole cultures creates an island of rich diversity in culture. Its unique reputation has been built upon the welcoming nature of its friendly people.

Mauritius is a dream holiday destination. A beautiful coastline of white sandy beaches, a tropical climate, excellent diving and fascinating flora and fauna combine to make this paradise island idyllic. Mauritius is not only a honeymoon or wedding destination, but it is also a great place for independent and family travellers as it offers a wide variety of self contained villas, bungalows and apartments, as advertised on our site.

The first recorded discovery of Mauritius was by Hasan ibn Ali, a mercurial leader from Shiraz in Iran who left his home in AD 975 with a fleet of 7 ships. European discovery was not until the 16th Century and although there is some doubt, it is believed that Portuguese navigator Domingo Fernandez first discovered Mauritius in 1511.  In 1528 Diego Rodriguez, another Portuguese navigator, discovered Rodrigues and it is he who the island is named after.

Due to its isolated location, Mauritius wasn’t settled until 1598. In its history, Mauritius has been under Dutch, French and finally British rule up until Independence in 1968. Even today, many people don’t know where Mauritius is! Formed on a now dormant Volcano, the island is 65 km long and 45 km wide and is surrounded by coral reefs and turquoise water, while the inland has a great plateau punctuated by impressive mountains.

Some 560km east of Mauritius lies Rodrigues, a place of simple charm. In fact, many locals say that Rodrigues is like Mauritius, but 30 years ago. Tourism is largely untapped and the people that make up the island are warm, hospitable and very welcoming to tourists. Often overlooked by the traveller to Mauritius, Rodrigues is definitely worth a visit by those who seek a fascinating, peaceful place to explore with genuinely warm and friendly locals.

With its proximity to the Tropic of Capricorn, Mauritius is of a subtropical climate which basically has two seasons, summer, from November to April and winter from May to October. Temperatures range from about 25 – 33 Degrees Celsius in summer and from about 18 – 24 degrees Celsius in winter. Even for such a small country, there can be differences of up to 5 degrees Celsius from the central plateau to the coast. Given the tropical climate, Mauritius is good to visit all year round.

Tourism is one of the main economies in Mauritius. The first tourists to arrive in Mauritius by air were on a Qantas flight from Australia to South Africa, which landed in Mauritius in 1952. Since then tourism numbers have increased year after year and the country is expected to attract 1 million tourists in 2011. The French (excluding Reunion) make up 25% of tourists annually, 12% from the UK, 11% from Reunion, 8% are made up from Germany, Italy and South Africa and 2% from India and Australia.

The population of Mauritius is 1.27 million. Given this, and the size of the island, you would expect Mauritius to feel crowded. But the majority of the population live in the larger cities/towns such as Port Louis, Quatre Bornes and Curepipe, so it is easy to find deserted areas of beach and forests.

The official language of Mauritius is English, although many Mauritians are more comfortable speaking French. The language understood and spoken by all is Creole. Fewer than 3,000 Mauritians speak English at home, 35,000 speak French and about 52% of the population speak Creole.

Mauritius is small enough to base yourself in one spot and set out on day trips. It is possible to drive around the whole island in one day but given the amount of activities and tourist attractions on offer, we suggest you take day trips to avoid missing out on what’s on offer! The most popular places for self contained, beach accommodation is in the tourist towns of Grand Baie and Pereybere in the north and Flic en Flac in the west, however you will find accommodation all over the island.

For such a small island, Mauritius has so much to offer. Be sure to check out our pages such as "Things to do in Mauritius" and the Events calendar which will assist you in your holiday planning. We hope you have a wonderful holiday in Mauritius!