Surrounded by 150 km of lagoons and coral formations, Mauritius has long been the holiday "Mecca" of the western Indian Ocean. Its golden beaches are perfect for relaxing sea, sun and sand holidays and in the verdant interior, scenery features endless sugar cane fields punctuated by quaint towns and villages. Naturalists must visit the forested Black River Gorges National Park to see some of the world's rarest birds. The island's hotels are top notch and offer any conceivable watersports activities. Hospitality, cuisine and entertainment are all first class.
Capital : Port-Louis
Population : 1,2 million
Surface : 1 865 km2
Formalities : passport valid 6 month after the return.
Languages : french, english, creole and hindi
Money : the Mauritius Roupies 100 RpM = about 30 FF (06/99)
Climate : mild, tropical. Average Temperature : from 20 to 28 °C. Hot season from october to march; mild season from april to october.
Attention : risk of cyclones from january to march.
Clothing : preferably light cotton clothes, a pullover for the evenings. In some hotels to wear a tie is obligatory.
Points of interest : The festival of Divah (october or november), the Cavadee (february) and Shivaratree (february or march). Port-Louis, the "Jardin de
Pamplemousse", Curepipe, Rivière Noire, l'Ile aux Cerfs.
The sega dancing, the horse races.
