| | Need to Know | Capital City Port Louis | | Tipping Not mandatory
| | Electricity 220 V | | Weights and Measurements Metric System |
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People & Language
Uninhabited before the 16th century, Mauritius has become home to a variety of ethnic groups who came to it on their own, or were brought as slaves/indentured labour to the island. This includes those of Indian, French or Chinese descent, and Creoles (descendants of African slaves who speak a mixture of French and African dialects). This ethnic composition has given rise to a fascinating diversity of traditions, customs and festivals. Despite all this diversity, however, there is little intermarriage between communities.
Mauritians speak a variety of languages—although French and English are the official languages, you are likely to encounter more than a little of Indian languages like Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Bhojpuri, part from Hakka, Mandarin, Cantonese and Creole - a mélange of African dialects and French.
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Religion
The main religions in Mauritius are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Chinese religions. There is a fairly high degree of religious tolerance. Celebration of some popular festivals is not limited to the faithful, and the calendar is full with religious events. There are renowned pilgrimage sites in Mauritius like the Pere Laval shrine at Ste. Croix for Catholics and Lake Bassin for Hindus.
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Food
It would be perfectly understandable if you went to Mauritius and came back a ton heavier—the range of cuisine here is mind-boggling, not to mention mouth-watering. Indian, Chinese, European/ Mediterranean and Creole food will jostle for your culinary attention. A typical Mauritian buffet will include Mediterranean-style vegetables, Indian-style biryani, boiled rice as a staple and salad with French dressing. Seafood is an added attraction, and if you are feeling adventurous, do try ‘daube’—octopus stew.
The staple is curry with rice or roti, an Indian-style bread. For liquid refreshment, the options (apart from alcohol, which is available in plenty, especially the home-made variety) are ‘lassi’, a sweet/salty yoghurt drink, and ‘alouda’, a sugary brew.
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Culture & Crafts
The Mauritian calendar is filled with an amazing variety of festivals and other religious celebrations. The main ones are Hindu festivals of Indian origin. These include two festivals of South Indian origin held around December, January and February-- ‘Taipoosam Cavadee’ and ‘Teemeedee’ —during which devotees demonstrate their faith by participating in fire-walking rituals and skewering their tongues and cheeks. Another South Indian festival is Pongal, held in February/March, to celebrate the end of the harvest season. Holi is a commemoration of the forces of good over evil and is celebrated around March by celebrants spraying coloured water and powder on each other.
The Hindu festival of Maha Shivratri in Mauritius is the biggest of its kind outside India. Mauritian Hindus make a pilgrimage to their shrine located in Lake Bassin at this time. The Chinese New Year is marked with firecrackers and special sweets. Eid is celebrated by Muslims to mark the end of Ramadan--the month of fasting. The Pere Laval Feast Day in September is in remembrance of the Catholic convert-king’s death anniversary, and it attracts pilgrims from all over the world.
For some exciting hip-swinging, foot-stomping and authentic local dancing action, we would recommend that you try the Creole sega —an energetic and altogether sensual dance performed on the beach to the sound of Latin American, Caribbean or African pop. This is Mauritius’ definitive contribution to the performing arts and can be seen and heard in local clubs all over the island, so make the effort to find some sega instead of a packaged ‘cultural show’ that you may find at your hotel.
Mauritian crafts reflect its cultural diversity, and in local markets, you can pick up anything from turtle-shell souvenirs to Malagasy handicrafts and Indian herbs. Visit the factories for wonderfully patterned knitwear. T-shirts are made in plenty in Mauritius and you pick them up at almost every market.
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 | Mauritius, a glimmering jewel in the blue seas of the Indian Ocean, beckons with an irresistible blend of endless white ... | | Have passport-will travel! Below is a list of countries offer visa on arrival for Indian nationals including Thailand, Bali, Hong ... | | | | | |
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