Travel to Mauritius

a mainstream beach destination

Mauritius is a substantial island set in a very remote part of the Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar.

Remarkably the island lies some 1700 km off the coast of Africa, around 3000 km from both Johannesburg in South Africa and Nairobi in Kenya, with which it is most commonly connected by air.

The island is around 50 km in diameter and contains a blend of dramatic forested peaks and rich agriculture, fringed by classic tropical beaches.

Despite its remoteness Mauritius is one of the most heavily touristed islands in the world, with literally hundreds of hotels lining its beaches, at least fifty of which are enormous resorts with hundreds of rooms. This is not a place for the intrepid traveller, it is somewhere to come to enjoy a tropical climate in lavish comfort, with some watersports, golf and tennis mixed in.

Mauritius is not somewhere we have historically recommended a great deal over the years, it is very far removed from the core safari areas of Africa, both geographically and tonally. The vast majority of our guests are usually better advised to seek out the tropical beach locations on the coasts of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.

But there are certainly times when Mauritius is the best solution, especially for guests who want that all-inclusive type of resort, who are specifically interested in playing golf or who specifically need to avoid malarial areas.

The island therefore best combines with the non-malarial safari areas of South Africa, namely Waterberg and Madikwe, as well as the Cape.

The best time of year to visit Mauritius is generally considered to be during the May-Dec dry season.

Getting there

Mauritius has a good connection of flight connections from around the world, notably direct from Europe, the Persian Gulf and Africa.

The island is therefore commonly used for beach only trips.

Mauritius tends to be combined with safari on mainland Africa relatively rarely, since the tropical beaches of East Coast (Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique are generally easier to access and less touristy.

Mauritius tends to fit into safari trips best when either trying to avoid malarial areas (in combination with safari areas like Madikwe or Tswalu in South Africa) or where guests are specifically looking for a large commercial resort, especially one with golf facilities.

All flights come into the main airport in the capital Port Louis, from where all lodges can be easily accessed by road.

Where to stay

Most people visiting Mauritius tend to base themselves in just one lodge for the whole of their stay, but there is plenty of variety around the island to warrant combining two or even three lodges.

Most of the lodges are clustered in three distinct areas, the more heavily populated northwest coast around Port Louis, the scenic lagoons on the east coast and the impressive landscapes of the southwest corner.

notably non-malarial