FORMALITIES : No visa is necessary. To enter and remain in Mauritius, it is necessary to be in possession of a valid passport at least six months after the date of the return, the return ticket and a proof of accommodation on the spot (addresses during your stay, personal contact, etc.) is enough for the European and Swiss nationals.

HEALTH : Neither paludism, neither yellow fever, nor no other tropical disease with Maurice. Nevertheless, it will never be repeated enough that one should not leave on a journey without being up to date in its vaccinations. We particularly draw your attention to hepatitis B, for which there is a vaccine but not effective treatment. This disease, extremely contagious and very widespread to Maurice, can be mortal. Will also know that there is a vaccine for hepatitis A, then prevention is better than cure! Avoid drinking the water of the tap even if it is not really bad, choose water out of bottle. With regard to the virus of the AIDS, same precautions as everywhere else.

CURRENCY : The monetary unit is the rupee Mauritian (R$) 1 euro +/-R$ 35. The credit cards are accepted in all the stores. One finds distributors in all the average agglomerations. Aimed, Master Card and American express train is used. The traveller' S cheques are accepted and changed easily in the banks. Envisage cash at the time of your exits, and purchases. Banks and exchanges use the same official rate (not black market in Mauritius).

Mauritius has beautiful being sold like a top-of-the-range destination, it is however, as regards lodging, with the range of all the purses. Transport (taxi, drunk...) is rather cheap as well as food. Air transport is the expensive part of your voyage.

The phone calls long distance are expensive to Mauritius. You can however pay the international communications a little less expensive while returning to you in the offices of Mauritius Télécom. Mauritius is very well equipped of connections Internet. Several cyber coffees opened their doors lately. The mails by plane put approximately 5 to 10 days to arrive to their recipient.

LANGUAGE : The official language is English, the Creole is on the other hand most used in the families. Mauritius is a great French-speaking nation, French is spoken and included by the majority of the Mauritians: The press Mauritian employs the French language. There are several daily newspapers but the most read are the Express train, the Mauritian and the Platform. One finds several stations of radio on the tape FM, which diffuse music essentially, and sometimes resumptions of French or English emissions. National television, counts 3 chains, proposing a melting-pot of programs in French, English, hindi and Mandarin.

TIME DECALAGE : Only 2 H in summer and 3 H in winter compared to France. To count a small dozen hour of flight at the beginning of Paris.

QUAN D TO LEAVE : The ideal season to go to Mauritius east that of the southern summer, which is November at April. To escape bragged of Europe and to spend the winter in the shade of the coconuts. But this season also corresponds to the cyclonic period, generally from semi December at end Mars. The weather is nevertheless very nice the remainder of the year, in north and especially in the west. Lasted of the ideal stay of your stay with Mauritius, one week is likely to be a little short (this would be to only recover from the hours of flights). Count about fifteen days to visit and profit the island.

IN YOUR BAG : Envisage very light clothing. You will find some as on the spot and less expensive as in Europe (sympathetic tee-shirts, paréos, trousers, shorts out of printed cotton). As in any season it can sometimes happen to you to be surprised by a tropical downpour, carry a wind-cutter. Essential: a bathing suit, of course, but also a hat to protect you from the sun. Do not hesitate to carry light walking shoes or tennis shoes, because there is in the island some possibilities of trott strong sympathetic nerves. In winter, a woollen article or two could be useful.

ESSENTIAL : bag with back, films, sun lotions, girdles wallet and especially cream-coloured against the mosquitos...

TO MOVE: The road network is well developed and serves all the agglomerations and strategic points of the island. Control is on the left, (the taxis say: the French roll on the right, the English on the left and us in the medium), it will be necessary for you to be extremely vigilant. In the agglomerations and the villages, the roads are encumbered pedestrians, bicycles and Mobylettes, often rather not very attentive... Enough expensive for only one race, the taxi appears means of transport interesting when one can visit the island during one day. The bus is by far the most economic means and slowest to move in the island. As there are road stations in all the cities, one can almost cover all the country without starting his budget holidays too much. Although enough little used, the bicycle and the scooter is very pleasant to discover Mauritius carefully all.
There are many police officers in the island, and one finds a station in the least small village. However there is well little delinquency with Mauritius and even less criminality. Attention with the flights in the bungalows, do not try people, do not leave without monitoring your bags, cameras, and other personnel objects. When you leave your housing think of well closing the nonprotected doors and windows. If not not of "panic" Maurice remains still a place of the very peaceful world.

THAT TO MAKE : With his gilded beaches and his transparent water, one cannot resist the traditional meeting of bronzing. Maurice offers excellent provisions for the water sports. For the amateurs of fishing to large you will be able to find all kind of exits, at sea. Attention it is necessary some time to hold in advance. Several excursions to be made, like: visit surrounding islands, free diving and in bottles, strolls in the lagoon....) You will be able to venture practically everywhere in the island. The relief of the north of the island is uniformly flat. By opposition the south has some mountains (with less than 900 m). That promises the beautiful ones to you stroll.