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MASA
A dramatic aerial from a cliff edge looks down over a turquoise lagoon and coastal village.
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MauritiusTravel Guide

Mauritius5 stories

An Indian Ocean island of volcanic peaks, sugarcane, and Creole culture, ringed by one of the world's great lagoons — and hiding a wilder, quieter side beyond the resort gates.

Is Mauritius right for you?

When to come

May to December, the cooler and drier months

Around 32°C by day in January, 27°C in July — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

Mauritius is inWarm in January
When to go
January: around 32 degrees by day, 24 at night, 131 millimetres of rain, wet.
February: around 31 degrees by day, 24 at night, 160 millimetres of rain, very wet.
March: around 32 degrees by day, 24 at night, 83 millimetres of rain, wet.
April: around 31 degrees by day, 23 at night, 87 millimetres of rain, wet.
May: around 29 degrees by day, 22 at night, 48 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
June: around 28 degrees by day, 20 at night, 24 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
July: around 27 degrees by day, 19 at night, 18 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
August: around 27 degrees by day, 19 at night, 19 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
September: around 28 degrees by day, 19 at night, 17 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
October: around 29 degrees by day, 20 at night, 15 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
November: around 30 degrees by day, 22 at night, 24 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
December: around 31 degrees by day, 23 at night, 85 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

May to December, the cooler and drier months

Average daily highs, recorded at Port Louis, Mauritius.

Where this comes from

World Meteorological Organization (via en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Louis) — The Mauritius country article has no weather box; used the Port Louis capital-city box (WMO). Box uses 'rain mm' rows and states no explicit normals period.

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with

Nothing else we cover is within a comfortable hop — this one is a trip of its own.

Plan itWhere to stay in Mauritiusad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Mauritius

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Mauritius

Chamarel Waterfall in Mauritius plunging from a basalt cliff into a forested gorge, with green mountains behind
01
Itineraries

Eight Days in Mauritius, Split Between Two Bases

The island is small enough to fool you into booking a single hotel, so here is the eight-night, two-base route that delivers the lagoon, the mountains and the wild south with no wasted driving.

Mauritius · 11 min
The rippled red, ochre and violet dunes of the Seven Coloured Earths at Chamarel, Mauritius, edged by tropical forest
02
The List

Mauritius, Frame by Frame: The Island's Most Photogenic Corners, Ranked

Seven frames worth planning a whole day around, ranked — with the routing, light, costs and seasons that decide whether you actually get the picture.

Mauritius · 12 min
An aerial view of the Le Morne Brabant peninsula in Mauritius, its forested basalt peak ringed by turquoise lagoon and reef
03
Hidden Gems

Mahébourg, Chinatown and the Tea Country: The Mauritius Most Visitors Skip

The old French port, the capital's Chinatown, the tea plateau and the working salt pans of the west — the Mauritius the coaches drive past, and how to sequence it in two days behind the wheel.

Mauritius · 11 min
Aerial view of Le Morne Brabant mountain on Mauritius, surrounded by turquoise lagoon, reef, and deep blue ocean
04
Hidden Gems

Mauritius Beyond the Beach: The Quieter Island

Skip the resort bubble. The wild south coast, the tea route, rainforest gorges, and Creole market towns reveal the Mauritius most visitors never see.

Mauritius · 2 min
Tea Route, Mauritius
05
Food

Dholl Puri Sells Out by Two: Rules for Eating Across Mauritius

The island's best cooking comes from market stalls and plantation verandas that shut before the resort dining rooms open, so here is where to eat in each part of Mauritius and what to order.

Mauritius · 9 min
In pictures

Mauritius, framed

Tea Route, Mauritius
Photo: Colours of Mauritius / Unsplash
A food market in Mauritius
Photo: Oumar Ramjean / Unsplash
Art and music in Mauritius
Photo: Stephan van de Schootbrugge / Unsplash
A red-and-white striped lighthouse stands on a rocky volcanic point above a turquoise sea.
Photo: Yannick Apollon / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Mauritius

See and do

Eat and drink

Before you go

Practical essentials for Mauritius

Money

Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Language

No language is official in law; English and French run government and business, while Mauritian Creole is what nine in ten people speak at home

Power

Type C/E/G, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

A dense bus network covers the island cheaply and the Metro Express tram links Port Louis with Rose Hill and Curepipe; taxis have no meters, so agree the price before you get in.

Tap water

Tap water is treated and tested to national drinking-water standards and is safe to drink - most Mauritians drink it.

Driving

Left-hand side; a licence in English or French is accepted, so no International Driving Permit is legally required, though hire firms often ask for one.

Emergency

999 or 112 (police), 114 (ambulance), 995 (fire)

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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