Mauritius
Travel Information
History
Before 1500: Mauritius is uninhabited but already recorded on Arabic sea charts as Dina Harobi, which means "deserted island“.
1507: Portuguese sailors discover the island on their way from the Cape of Good Hope to India and use it as a port of call and a source of fresh foods. The captain at the time was named Don Pedro Mascarenhas, hence the name of the archipelago (Mauritius, Rodrigues and Reunion together form the Mascarenes). The island also served as a place where they could repair their damaged ships. However, they never established a settlement. By the time the Portuguese left Mauritius for good they had already introduced animals like goats and pigs on the island to provide meat for the ships replenishment. Some of these animals, especially the pigs have managed to survive and can be still be found in the forest as wild hogs.
1598: Dutch discoverers took over and named the island after Prince of Orange, Maurits van Nassau (lat. Mauritius). The Dutch were the first to settle on Mauritius and try to farm the land. They deforested the ebony forests and wiped out the prehistoric dodo bird in the process. Cyclones, infestation of rats as well as yellow fever forced them to abandon their undertaking. In addition, South Africa became more interesting as a settlement area for the Dutch.
1710: Abandoned by the Dutch the island became a French colony, when Guillaume Dufresne d’Arsel took possession of the island. He named it "Ile de France". The capital Port Louis was enforced with a storm-protected harbor and extensive infrastructure was built (roads, housing, military facilities, hospitals, water supply). The cultivation of sugar cane and the trade in slaves and spices boomed.
1810: During two fierce sea battles, the British secede Mauritius from the French. The British administration remained tolerant of the islanders and had little impact on their lives (French remained the main language and Napoleonic law was still in force). A sugar cane empire was built using African slaves.
1834: Great Britain abolished slavery in its own country as well as in its colonies. In that process, most of the former slaves abondoned the farms and tried to find their own land to cultivate. They were replaced by cheap work forces from China and India.
1869: With the opening of the Suez Canal, the increased cultivation of sugar cane on the Caribbean Islands and the cultivation of sugar beet in Europe, the economic decline of Mauritius began. Malaria and cholera epidemics, devastating storms and a terrible fire all add to the decline and many inhabitants flee the island.
1939: With the beginning of the Second World War, the British interest in Mauritius is back. The port is modernized, tea plantations are established and malaria is fought (since 1952 Mauritius is considered malaria-free).
1968: Independence within the Commonwealth is proclaimed (republic in 1992). Since independence, Mauritius has been a democracy with free elections.
Climate and best time to visit
The weather on Mauritius is tropical all year round with temperature between 23° and 36°C. Water temperature is pleasantly warm all year round between 23° and 30°C. The hottest season is the European winter, the coldest the European summer with coolish nights (down to 15°C). The south and east are influenced by the steady breeze of the southeast trade winds and are therefore slightly cooler and treated to more rain than the north and west. Rainfall can happen all year round. The driest month is July and the most rain usually falls in January. There is a risk of cyclones in February/March.
Immigration rules and regulations
No visa is required (CH/D/F/GB etc.) for a stay up to 30 days. Passports must be valid beyond the date of departure.
Flights
Edelweiss offers direct flights (11 hours) several times a week. Stop-over alternatives are Emirates or Turkish Airlines. The most convenient option for an extension after an African safari would be Swiss flight to Johannesburg (or Nairobi) and return flight from Mauritius with Edelweiss.
Health and insurance
Mauritius is malaria-free. It is recommended for all travelers to check personal vaccinations. Yellow fever vaccination is only necessary if you are entering from a "yellow fever country" like Kenya or Uganda.
Currency and methods of payment
The national currency is the Mauritian Rupee (MUR, Rs).Payment is made in the local currency. It is advisable to withdraw or exchange a small amount in rupees for purchases locally at the ATM. In restaurants and hotels you can easily pay with credit cards (VISA, Mastercar).
Communication
The national language Creole can be considered a French dialect but is actually a language of its own. Creole is spoken by over ten million people worldwide, for example on island nations such as the Seychelles, La Réunion and the French Caribbean islands. There are numerous variations of Creole and no uniform spelling.
During the French colonial period, it was strictly enforced that slaves from different countries had to work together, trying to make sure they couldn’t communicate and plan revolts. However, to communicate with their landlords, the slaves had to somehow converse in French and in that process they developed their own words and grammar similar to French: Creole.
The official language is English. Official documents are written in English, exams are taken in English. However, most Mauritians prefer to speak French rather than English.
Food and drink
Food is of good quality. However, we recommend that you drink only bottled drinking water.
Electricity
The power supply is 220 - 230 volts. The plugs have three large rectangular prongs (UK-Style).
Laundry
Clothes can be washed in all hotels of higher standard.
Traffic
Left-hand driving on Mauritius.
Time difference
Mauritius time zone is three hours ahead of Switzerland in winter and two hours ahead in summer (GMT +4).
