PLANNING A HOLIDAY TO MAURITIUS

We are sitting down with Mrs. Lolotte, the local connection for Mauritius and Rodrigues, for WHL.travel, an OTA (Online Travel Agent), to ask her some questions about planning a holiday to mauritius.
Are there special visa rules and restrictions? Most nationals of European countries do not require a visa to visit Mauritius. We do advise that you check with your airline or the Mauritius government visa section for further information.
How many days ahead do I need to make a reservation? It is generally advisable to place reservations no later than 4 weeks in advance. For high season bookings, 3 months ahead should be sufficient to secure your room. However, for peak season, which occurs between 23rd December and 10th January, booking up to 6 months in advance for hotels and even earlier for beach villas is a must; especially with regards to having ample choice.
Note that early booking bonuses do apply for some hotel accommodation.
After requesting online, how long must I wait until I get my confirmation? In general a request is answered within 12 hours during weekdays and confirmed within 24 hours.
How do I travel to Mauritius? The common way to travel to Mauritius is by flight. The local airline “Air Mauritius” serves many destinations worldwide.
Are there other airlines flying to Mauritius? Yes, there are several airlines e.g. Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Air France, Condor, South African Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and others.
What are the activities provided at the hotels? Most free activities offered by the hotels are water based such as water skiing, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, pedal boats, glass bottom boat tours and snorkelling. Land based activities are usually fitness centres, tennis, mountain bikes, volleyball. Some hotels offer golf.
Activities offered for an extra fee are often: Horse riding, deep sea fishing and SCUBA diving.
Which are considered the best hotels in Mauritius? It is difficult to classify as each person has their personal taste. However, judging the best hotels as being 5 star properties; Maradiva Villa Resort and Shanti Maurice is considered to be the top resorts by LRT.
Other 5 star hotels include the Prince Maurice, Sofitel Imperial and Continental. More great hotels and information can be found on our hotel portal; hotels-in-mauritius.com
What do hotels usually organise as entertainment at night? Live music and cultural shows are frequently organised by almost all hotels in Mauritius.
What happens if one wants to stay at the hotel for some additional nights? This first of all depends on availability. If the room is free and available after your stay, LRT will inform the hotel accordingly and arrange payment for the additional nights. Please note that payment with the hotel directly will be at the rack rate, which is higher than rates booked through LRT.
What are the different meal plans commonly offered by the hotels? They generally offer HB (Half board). There are also other packages, which you find listed below.
What is B & B?
B & B stands for bed and breakfast as a meal plan.
What is HB?
Meaning half board, this meal plan includes bed, breakfast and dinner.
What is FB?
FB or full board includes bed, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
What is AI?
AI is also a meal plan the meaning is “All Inclusive”. This includes bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner and selected drinks.
Do all hotels offer golf?
No, golf courses are mostly part of selected 4 and 5 stars hotel properties.
Which are the best beaches one can find in Mauritius?
There are many beautiful beaches around the island. These are some of the best: Mont Choisy, Trou aux Biches, Péreybère, to the north, Flic-en-Flac in the west, Le Morne in the south-west, Blue Bay in the south, and Belle Mare in the east.
What are the best holiday-spots of the island?
That depends on which time of the year you are visiting. The West Coast is a 365 day holiday region, but nevertheless, in summer gets quite hot and during this time the east and south may be preferable. In winter though, the South and East Coast can be chilly in the evenings and sometimes even during the day due to rough trade winds.
Can an angler bring their catch back to the hotel for his dinner?
Yes, most hotels will be pleased to prepare it for them. Note that generally any fish caught belongs to the boat but a piece of the fish or the catch is provided on request to the angler.
Can one charter a boat for a day trip or overnight during one’s vacation in Mauritius?
Yes, catamarans are available for both day and overnight chartering.
How is Christmas celebrated in the hotels of Mauritius?
Christmas in hotels is mainly a celebration for the children and in some hotels Santa Claus offers presents. Special dinners are offered for a supplement and afterwards most hotels offer cultural shows.
Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner supplements are compulsory.
How is the end of year celebrated in the hotels of Mauritius?
Each hotel arranges a special dinner for New Year Eve, too, with shows and fireworks at midnight. New Year’s Eve dinner supplements are compulsory.
Will a guide be needed when visiting Mauritius?
Yes, if you require a better insight of the culture and history of the island. LRT will help you choose the appropriate guide for any type of vacation you are planning.
What is the best season for travelling to Mauritius?
Apart from the busy period between Christmas and New Year, Mauritius does not really have a high or low season.
Winter occurs from July to September, when daytime temperatures drop from humid to pleasant. January to April provides longer days but can prove to be too hot and humid for some.
November is the best month for diving, when the waters are at their clearest; June to August is best for surfing; and October through April is excellent for big game fishing, when the large predators feed close to the shore.
Is there a duty free shop at the arrival area in the airport?
Yes, there are duty free shops both in the arrival and departure hall.
Note: Duty free shops can also be found in some of the islands’ larger cities.