In a nutshell
- The best time to visit Mauritius is from September to December and April to June — warm, sunny, and less crowded than you’d expect.
- Direct flights to Mauritius are available from several major European hubs, with a flight time of around 11 hours from Frankfurt.
- The currency is the Mauritian Rupee (MUR) — 45 MUR is worth roughly 1 Euro. A local meal costs as little as €3 to €6.
Who is a Mauritius vacation right for?
For many people, Mauritius is the ultimate honeymoon destination — and we actually met a lot of couples there who were spending their honeymoon on the island.
But Mauritius isn’t just for newlyweds. It’s an ideal destination for anyone who loves dream beaches — and the island has plenty of them.
Mauritius is also a great choice for anyone who likes to mix their beach vacation with a bit of sightseeing and culture.
The island has a lot to offer: colorful temples, massive waterfalls, evergreen national parks, and old colonial buildings. Mauritius is seriously diverse!
The best time to visit Mauritius
Mauritius is a great destination year-round. Since Mauritius is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are reversed compared to Europe. Mauritius’s summer falls during the European winter. Conversely, when it’s summer in Europe, it’s winter in Mauritius.
That said, Mauritius is warm and sunny throughout the year. Even during the coldest months of June through August, daytime temperatures are warm at 77 to 82°F (26–28°C).
Probably the best time to visit — and also the peak season — is between September and December. In Mauritius, you can expect relatively consistent daytime temperatures around 86°F (30°C), and the risk of rain showers is fairly low.
Another good window is the spring months from April to June. During this time, Mauritius is a bit cooler than during peak season. On the flip side, the island is less crowded and hotel prices are correspondingly lower. Rain is rare, and sunshine is the norm.
There’s a notable difference during this period between the east coast and the west coast. Since the wind typically comes from the east, that side of the island can be less pleasant outside of peak season, with significantly more rainfall than the western side.
During January through March, you should expect more rainy days than at other times of year. It’s still warm, of course.
Also read our full article on the best time to visit Mauritius
Book a package deal or plan your own trip?
When planning a trip to Mauritius, you have a choice when it comes to booking. You can either book your flight and accommodation separately, or you can book a package deal.
Both options have their pros and cons. With a package deal, you don’t have to worry about anything and can take advantage of bundled pricing.
Booking separately, on the other hand, gives you the flexibility to try out different hotels in Mauritius, and overall there’s a slightly wider selection of lodging than what package tour operators typically offer.
Book flights to Mauritius
There are direct flights to Mauritius from several major European hubs, including Frankfurt. We flew to Mauritius with Condor and wrote up our experience with that flight in a dedicated article.
Read our review of flying with Condor to Mauritius here
From cities like Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, and Munich, you’ll find many connections with a stopover in Dubai or Vienna.
If you don’t enjoy long-haul flights, Emirates with a stopover in Dubai is your best option — the flight time is split into two roughly equal legs of about six hours each.
A longer stopover in Dubai can also be a great idea. You could spend a few days exploring the most impressive sights of Dubai.
Our hotel recommendations for Mauritius
The selection of hotels in Mauritius is huge. There are plenty of luxury hotels on the island that truly leave nothing to be desired. You’ll need to spend accordingly, of course, but it’s usually worth every cent.
We’ve tested several hotels across different price ranges in Mauritius. Here’s a quick look at our top 3 picks.
In our article on the most beautiful beaches and hotels, you’ll find more recommendations:
Find the most beautiful beaches & hotels in Mauritius here
Hotel The Residence Mauritius
The east coast is home to a particularly large number of luxury hotels, and The Residence is one of the best. We stayed there for three days and were absolutely blown away: beautiful rooms, outstanding service, excellent food, and just an all-around feel-good experience.
The hotel comes at a price, but in this case it’s truly justified. If you’re looking to treat yourself, The Residence is the place to do it.
Go to Hotel The Residence Mauritius
Veranda Hotel Pointe aux Biches
“Welcome to your new home.” Those were the warm words that greeted us at the Veranda Hotel Pointe aux Biches in the northwest of Mauritius.
And we really did feel welcome and at home here. The rooms are new and spacious, the staff is super friendly, and the beach is beautiful too.
Veranda Hotel Pointe aux Biches
Tamarin Chambres d'Hotes
If you’re looking to keep costs down, the Tamarin Chambres d’Hotes on the west side of the island is a really excellent budget-friendly option.
The property has an outdoor pool and a wonderfully cozy atmosphere.
Go to the Tamarin Chambres d’Hotes Hotel
Sights & Activities in Mauritius
Of course, you could easily spend your entire vacation lounging on the beach or by the pool. But that would be a bit of a shame, because Mauritius has so much more to offer.
The island has a surprisingly large number of attractions. Since covering every single one of them would be too much for this Mauritius travel tips article, we’ve written a dedicated, in-depth piece about them.
Read everything about the most beautiful highlights in Mauritius here
Mauritius is also a fantastic destination for water sports enthusiasts. There are some excellent surf spots — the most well-known are Tamarin Bay on the west side of the island and Le Morne in the southwest.
Many hotels also offer kayak and stand-up paddle rentals.
The underwater world is seriously worth exploring too, making Mauritius a great spot for divers and snorkelers alike. We highly recommend these tours:
Book a half-day snorkeling tour with picnic
Book an underwater scooter tour
Practical travel tips for your Mauritius vacation
No set of Mauritius travel tips would be complete without some practical advice to help you prepare for your trip.
What do you need to pack for Mauritius?
Even though Mauritius is warm year-round, you should always bring a warm sweater and a pair of long pants. Especially during the off-season from April to August, evenings can get a bit cool.
Mauritius also uses different outlet types than most of Europe. Most hotels offer adapters or have European-standard outlets alongside the local ones. To be safe, we still recommend packing a travel adapter.
Sunscreen is absolutely essential. Especially during peak season from September to December, the sun is intense and fair-skinned visitors can burn fast. You can buy sunscreen locally, but it’s significantly more expensive there than at home.
Mosquitoes can be a real nuisance, particularly in the national parks, where they’re out year-round. Malaria and dengue fever are not a risk in Mauritius, but the bites are still annoying. Mosquito repellent is definitely a good idea — though you can also buy it cheaply on the island.
Other than that, you don’t need to pack anything special. We recommend taking a look at our packing list for Southeast Asia — since Mauritius has a very similar climate to Southeast Asia, it translates really well.
Money and travel costs for Mauritius
In Mauritius, you pay with the Mauritian Rupee (MUR). 45 MUR is roughly equivalent to 1 Euro. The exchange rate fluctuates slightly. You’ll find ATMs at the airport and in larger towns.
Mauritius is not a budget destination. You can easily spend a small fortune on the island — but you don’t have to. It’s entirely possible to vacation here without breaking the bank.
To give you an idea of common prices, here’s a quick overview:
- Bottle of water (1.5L) = 20–30 MUR (€0.50 to €0.75)
- Bus ticket = approx. 34 MUR (€0.75)
- Gas (1L) = approx. 49 MUR (€1)
- Simple, local meal = 120 to 240 MUR (€3 to €6)
- Western food = 200 to 600 MUR (€5 to €15)
Tipping in Mauritius
Technically, tipping is not really customary in Mauritius. However, due to the large number of tourists, it has become more common and is always appreciated.
In many hotels, you have the option of contributing to a shared tip pool that is divided among the staff. Of course, you can also tip individual employees personally.
Taxi drivers and guides appreciate tips just as much as restaurant servers do.
How to get from the airport to your hotel
If you’ve booked a package deal, you generally don’t need to worry about your transfer — you’ll be picked up directly at the airport.
If you’ve booked your hotel independently, there are several ways to get from the airport to your hotel:
Transfer through your hotel in Mauritius
Most hotels offer their own transfer service. Just ask your hotel about it. In our experience, hotel transfer services are always the most expensive option, so we didn’t use them.
Taking a taxi to your hotel in Mauritius
You can take a taxi from the airport. Taxis in Mauritius don’t use meters, which means you’ll need to negotiate the price with the driver beforehand.
Book a transfer online
You also have the option of booking your transfer online. That’s what we did, and everything worked out perfectly. Your driver will be waiting at the exit with a sign and will take you directly to your hotel.
Rental car in Mauritius
The best way to explore Mauritius on your own terms is with a rental car. We did exactly that and were completely satisfied. You can compare rental car deals on Discovercars to find the best price.
But be warned: Mauritius drives on the left side of the road. That means the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, the gear shift is on the left, and the turn signal and windshield wiper levers are also switched. At first, we kept turning on the wipers when we meant to signal. But you get used to it!
If you’re not used to driving on the left, we recommend renting a car with an automatic transmission. That way you don’t have to worry about shifting on the wrong side and can focus entirely on the road.
Also watch out at roundabouts — you enter them in the opposite direction from what you’re used to.
Traffic in Mauritius is generally pretty relaxed, and outside of towns the roads are usually quiet. Speed limits are 25 mph (40 km/h) in built-up areas, 55 mph (90 km/h) outside of towns, and 68 mph (110 km/h) on expressways. Stick to the speed limits — there are a lot of speed cameras on the island.
Note that an international driver’s license is officially required for Mauritius. In practice, though, you generally don’t need one.
Food and drink in Mauritius
Mauritian cuisine is shaped by the influences of its many immigrant communities. You’ll find Chinese, Indian, and African influences throughout. And naturally, on an island, fish features prominently on the menu.
A staple of Mauritian cooking is curry, served with fish, meat, or vegetables. Compared to Indian and Asian curries, the curry dishes in Mauritius didn’t quite wow us — but they’re not bad either.
Before a meal, it’s common to be served bread, butter, and a green chili paste. The chili paste is delicious, but also very, very spicy. So tread carefully on your first try!
As a sugarcane nation, Mauritius is naturally also a rum nation. Mauritian rum is considered especially aromatic.
Beer is also widely available. The local brand is called Phoenix, and it’s pretty tasty.
Internet in Mauritius
Internet access in Mauritius is excellent. We had very good Wi-Fi at each of our hotels.
For on-the-go connectivity, we bought a Mauritian SIM card. There are two major providers on the island: MyT (Mauritius Telecom) and Emtel. We got our SIM card from Emtel and paid just over the equivalent of €25 for a 25 GB data package — seriously great value.
Language and communication
The Mauritian population speaks Creole, a dialect derived from French. If you speak French, you’ll get along perfectly in Mauritius. Most locals also speak good English, so communication isn’t much of an issue.
