Why Mauritius
The island is the product of four centuries of successive settlement — Dutch, French, British, Indian, Chinese, African — and that produces a society where four religions and as many cuisines coexist without merging. The public holidays follow four calendars.
The lagoon and the beaches are the postcard, but the interior is worth the detour: the Black River gorges, Le Morne Brabant, World Heritage listed for its history of maroonage, and the cane fields that cover the island.
Getting around
A rental car gives you freedom; driving is on the left, and the roads are decent outside the congestion of Port Louis. The light rail now links the capital to Curepipe.
Public buses cover the whole island for a few tens of rupees but are slow and stop early in the evening. Taxis are negotiated by the trip or by the day, price agreed before getting in.
Money
Cards work in hotels, supermarkets and restaurants; the markets, the buses and small businesses run on cash.
The price gap between the hotel circuit and the rest of the island is considerable: eating in the roadside stalls and the markets divides the bill by five for better food. Tipping is not compulsory, ten per cent is appreciated.
Before you go
The lagoon is protected by the coral barrier, but the passes and the outside of the reef have strong currents. The safe swimming areas are known locally: ask rather than assume.
All beaches are public by law, including those in front of hotels: nobody can bar access from the shore.
The cyclone season from January to March comes with a graded warning system, broadcast on the radio and posted everywhere: classes 3 and 4 shut the island down, and flights are suspended.