Geography
Mauritius is an island nation located in the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. The country consists of the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agalega and Kargados-Karachos. The total area is 2045 square meters. km
Mauritius is an island of volcanic origin. It is for this reason that it is so picturesque - from mountains overgrown with exotic jungles to bright corals in the depths of the sea.
The capital of Mauritius - the city of Port Louis - is one of the smallest, but most picturesque capitals in the world. From the top of the hill next to the old English port of Adelaide, you can enjoy the panorama of the city.
Mauritius is famous for its picturesque nature reserves and large parks, which can be walked or traveled by car or bicycle.
The largest nature reserve of Mauritius is the Black River Gorge National Park, located in the southwest of the island. There are also nature reserves in Mauritius: the Riviera de Anguillas Park, where you can get acquainted with the life of monkeys, giant tortoises, bats and chameleons among the beautiful jungle, as well as the nature reserves of Le Pous, Île Rond (Round Island), Île pro Cerpan (Snake Island ), Île à l'Egret and Bois Sec (Dry Forest).
Not far from the northern coast of Mauritius, in the middle of the ocean, there is a group of islands, Île Rond, Meaux au Serpents, Queen de Sweet, Gabriel, Île Plat, Île d'Ambre, each of which is a nature reserve with wonderful nature and picturesque coral reefs.
The third largest coral reef in the world is located around Mauritius. Most of the hotels that are located on the shore have specialized diving schools, which can be practiced here all year round, the visibility under water here is approx. 20 - 25 meters. In addition to an incredible variety of fish (rockfish and hammerfish, marlins and moray eels, barracudas, tunas and rays), you can see dolphins and sharks here, as well as sunken ships, many underwater caves and tunnels.
Population
The population of Mauritius is approx. 1.29 million people (as of 2013). Over the centuries, different peoples settled on the island. The inhabitants of the island are proud of the fact that Mauritians, Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, Creoles, Africans, and Malagasy live in one state in the world and mutual respect.
Time zone
Time zone GMT +4: in summer +1 hour from Kyiv time, in winter coincides with Kyiv time.
Climate
Mauritius is a year-round destination for tourism, there are no sharp changes in temperature during the year, wet and dry seasons are not pronounced. Strong monsoons are possible in February - March. Average air temperature + 25-30C, water + 22-26C.
Religion
There are three main religions on the island - Hinduism (48%), Catholicism (23%), Islam (16%)
Language
The dominant languages in the country are English, French and Creole.
Monetary unit (currency exchange)
The national currency is the Mauritian rupee (MUR). 1 rupee = 100 cents.
1 USD = 35.4 Rupees.
Currency can be exchanged at the airport, banks and hotels on the island. Visa, American Express, MasterCard cards are accepted for payment in hotels.
Transportation within the country
Despite the fact that Mauritius is a relatively small island, its infrastructure is quite developed, which allows you to move around the entire island quickly and conveniently (with the exception of railways - they are designed only for the transportation of goods, in particular, sugar cane).
The most popular form of transport among tourists is a taxi. It can be ordered near most hotels. The cost of the trip must be negotiated in advance, and without fail haggling. The island also has a well-developed network of regular buses that run quite often and can deliver to almost any point on the island. You can buy tickets both at the ticket office and directly from the driver.
You can travel between the islands on all kinds of boats, boats, and ferries. The fee for them is quite small (up to about 300 rupees), but to avoid surprises about the price, as with taxis, you need to negotiate in advance.
Rent a car
An international driver's license is required to rent a car. In Mauritius, there are many rental points, both European rent-a-car and local ones.
The main thing to take into account is that Mauritius drives on the left, which can cause some inconvenience for our compatriots.
Customs regulations
Foreign currency can be imported into Mauritius without any restrictions, export is also not limited.
You can import duty-free up to 250 g of tobacco (including cigars and cigarettes), 1 liter of strong alcohol and 2 liters of weak alcohol (wine, beer), 250 ml of toilet water and up to 100 ml of perfume.
Holidays
An atmosphere of eternal celebration reigns in Mauritius, as representatives of many nationalities and religions live in the country - Indians, Chinese, Muslims, Christians - there are three New Years in Mauritius!
January 1-2 - New Year
January - Islamic Eid-al-Fitr
January or February is the Hindu festival of Thaipusam Kavadi
January or February - Chinese New Year
February or March is the Hindu Maha Shivaratri
March 12 - Independence Day of Mauritius
March-April - Holi, the Hindu festival of colours
April or May is the Hindu New Year of Divination
April or May - Christian Easter
August-September is the birthday of the Hindu god Ganesha
May 1 - Labor Day
September 9 - the day of commemoration of Jacques Desire Laval (French Catholic missionary)
October-November - Diwali, the Hindu festival of light
November 1 is the Christian Day of All Saints
December 24-25 - Catholic Christmas
December-January - Hindu Coal Walking Festival Timidi-timidi
