Mauritius is mostly known for the azure blue sea and its beautiful beaches. It is also a popular honeymoon destination. But is that all Mauritius has to offer? We traveled to this beautiful island for 13 days and have found an answer to the question. If you are not sure whether Mauritius is the destination for you then read on. Or watch our video for some of our highlights.
The climate in Mauritius
Mauritius was the perfect sun destination for us. 13 Days in January fleeying from our cold little country (The Netherlands) to an island full of beautiful beaches with a tropical climate. It sounds perfect but was the weather in Mauritius really so great?
We can answer this question with a resounding Yes! In principle, December to March are the summer months in Mauritius with the best weather, but it also comes with more rain than in its winter months. Cyclones may also occur during these months. But make no mistake because it is really summer, and not a rainy season or anything remotely close to that. We have had brilliant weather for 12 days and just one of rain in total. But be prepared because when it rains in Mauritius it really rains. After 10 seconds you’ll be soaked. The good thing is that immediately after the rain stops the sun will break through again. The showers mainly provide some necessary cooling.
Before we travel to a destination, we always check the climate information. Being in the rain for 2 weeks is a waste of our time and money.
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Before we travel to a destination, we always check the climate information. Spending 2 weeks in the rain is a waste of our time and money. Of course you can always be unlucky, but good research in advance does wonders. Mauritius came through our climate check.
But how do you get there anyway? How many flights do you need?
We quickly figured out how we could get to Mauritius in the quickest and cheapest way. You can choose a number of flights and airports. In our case, a direct KLM flight from Schiphol turned out to be the most rapid but also the most economical option. The flight was € 550 per person return ticket. This direct flight has now been around for 1 year. The flight time is approximately 11 hours and then you arrive at this island paradise. It’s possible if you book from anywhere in Europe they’ll stopover in Amsterdam to put you on this flight.
A good idea instead of booking your separate flight and hotels is to book a package holiday through the well-known travel providers. Especially because hotels and resorts in Mauritius are expensive. For a 4 or 5* hotel you should think of € 300 – € 500 per night. Of course there are also plenty of cheaper options such as Guesthouses and Airbnbs which we didn’t really researched though. You can stay here for as little as € 20 per night. But you will soon see that Mauritius really focuses on honeymoons and golf vacations. We will tell you more about the best hotels for your honeymoon in the next article.
You will see that Mauritius really focuses on honeymoons and golf vacations.
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When you book a package tour, the transfer is included in the package and you will be taken from the airport to the hotel by bus. Many tourists will then spend the entire holiday in a hotel. And to tell you the truth, enjoying the luxury and pampering is what you need sometimes, and something we definitely enjoyed on this trip.
Be adventurous, rent a car
Because we wanted to explore Mauritius on our own, we chose to rent a car. It takes approximately 2 hours to drive from north to south. This is also the longest ride you can take. In Mauritius you drive on the left-hand side of the road, which took some getting used to in the beginning. For this reason we have also chosen to rent an automated car. Changing gears with your left hand is then not necessary. And that helps focusing for sure.
If you want to rent a car, make sure you click this link and use our code ‘MONSTER’ to get a 10% discount at Booking.com Car Rental
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The roads in Mauritius are great and nobody is driving fast. It is such a small island no one seems to be in a hurry. So in fact you don’t have to be that adventurous because it is very quiet on the road. For us it was hands down the best way to explore the island. The price of 13 days of car rental was an estimated € 400 with the most comprehensive insurance. So that’s about € 30 per day.
Do day trips from your hotel?
From all hotels you can book day trips to the most famous sights in Mauritius. The prices of these day trips quickly increase up to more than € 100 per day. Depending on how much you want to do, you can determine yourselves if renting a car is a good investment. We have visited 5 different hotels located all over the island so we have explored enough to have a good idea of the most beautiful places that Mauritius has to offer. We would therefore recommend touring by yourself.
Beaches, beautiful nature and hiking to waterfalls
In addition to the most blue water and beautiful beaches, the nature in Mauritius has really surprised us. The Black River National park is located in the south and here you can hike to the most beautiful waterfalls. We haven’t seen anyone there apart from some locals who enjoyed a good hike. Most tourists will mainly visit the Chamarel waterfall and the Seven Colored Earth in this park. Because you can see it from the side of the road with no hiking involved. We opted for a hike to an unknown waterfall called 500 pieds.
Due to the regular showers the island is completely green. From palms to pine trees everything can be found on the island. Because of the diversity in vegetation, the landscape / location can completely change and look like a different location for every 5 minutes.
Beautiful coral reefs, breathtaking underwater world
Mauritius has a lot of beautiful animals on the island. We have seen birds in the most beautiful bright colors, monkeys, but also the underwater world in Mauritius is something you have to experience.
In the east coast we did a snorkeling trip with an organization called WiseOceans . WiseOceans employs biologists who plant and monitor coral to ensure it stays healthy. The coral is beautiful and offers a home to countless fish and we have also spotted Nemo and Dory.
WiseOceans focuses on the conservation of coral and the underwater ecosystem. Because of Global Warming, a lot of coral disappears and the biologists replant that.
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If you want to go snorkeling, we really recommend WiseOceans in addition to snorkeling, they will tell you more about the different types of coral, the fish you can encounter during snorkeling and make you aware of the urgency to properly treat the coral. They are located on the Four Seasons resort.
Highlight of our lives: Swimming with wild dolphins
On the other side of the island, the west coast we have been able to spot Wild dolphins. If you want to see them you can go snorkeling on a tour from Black River. We have did this tour with JPH Charters. JPH Charters had us set the alarm extra early. This made sure that we were the first to be at sea to spot the dolphins.
The dolphins swim in groups of up to 40 dolphins. It was a really mindblowing experience to jump out of the boat and swim in between these beautiful animals while they were swimming around you. The dolphins are not fed here and it is entirely natural that they swim around here every morning. They even come very close to you to check you out sometimes. They are very friendly. If you ever want to swim with dolphins we recommend you to do it like this. In the middle of the ocean instead of in a too small swimming pool with a trained dolphin!
If you ever want to swim with dolphins, do it like this instead of in a small pool with a trained dolphin!
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Mauritius is such a diverse destination that, as we said before, is indeed known for beautiful sea and beaches. However, we have discovered that Mauritius has a lot more to offer.
Don’t worry and rent a car to cross the entire island. Decide for yourself what you spend by choosing a guesthouse and eati at local tents or opt for a more luxurious resort and relax. It is all possible! All you have to do is give Mauritius a chance to prove its beauty!