Getting to Mauritius
Mauritius is an island that is found floating on the Indian Ocean and one of the countries that is topping the charts for tourism on the African continent. Due to its location where it is surrounded by water, some transportation means cannot be used to get to the Island but this does not mean that you cannot still get to the island and enjoy all that it has to offer in form of tourist attractions. The most commonly used transport means to the Island are air transport and road transport and this is due to the fact that Mauritius has over the years got some of the best transportation facilities on the African continent.
Before you travel to Mauritius, there are a few requirements that you will need irrelevant of which means of transport you will be using and these are a passport, visa and a return ticket to your own country. All these have requirements that you will need to fulfil before you are allowed to enter into the country.
Visa and passport requirements for Mauritius
- The tourist visa to Mauritius is valid for sixty days from the day it was issued.
- You need to be able to back to your country of origin without any troubles.
- The passport should be a valid one.
Best way to get to Mauritius
When planning your trip to Mauritius, you must know the type of transportation that you will use to get there and this highly depends on what you want that is preferred mode of transportation and your budget. Some of the transportation modes used to get to Mauritius are direct while others make a stopover in other countries before they reach the Island. In order for you to make the right decision, just read through the stated transportation modes below and then take your pick.
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Travel by sea
The strategic location of the Island of Mauritius has made it possible for tourists to use water transportation to travel to the Island. There are numerous ships that provide cruise holidays to Mauritius and you can use one of these from your country to travel to Mauritius. However if you are in a hurry, this type of transport will not be conducive for you as it is extremely slow with the many stop overs that are made and it is also quite expensive as compared to other modes of transport.
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Travel by air
This is the most commonly used mode of transport by almost every tourist who to travel to Mauritius. The Island is well connected when it comes to transportation and there are flights from all over the world that connect to Mauritius. Air Mauritius is the Mauritius official flight and this travels to and fro the different countries across the world.
Mauritius has many airports that are located within the different parts of the country and the international airport of Mauritius where most flights go to is the Seewoosagur Ramgoolam that is SSR international airport that is found in the south Eastern part of the Island. Below is a rough sketch on the flights that come in from the different parts of the world to Mauritius but note that the flights keep on changing.
The Air Mauritius goes to several countries that is New Zealand, South Africa, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and many more others. It is almost impossible to get a direct flight to the Island as most flights make stopovers to the different countries before making their final journey to Mauritius. it should however be noted however that the best stopover is in Dubai due to their agreeable terms of travel and the worst stopover while travelling to the Island of Mauritius.
Things to note while using Air transport to Mauritius
The best way to get to Mauritius and cost friendly is by using the numerous tour operators and agents that operate within the country. These will help you book the different necessary flights into the country and also help with booking of accommodation facilities, transportation within the country and then a return ticket to your home country.
You will need a valid passport in order to be able to travel to Mauritius and a visa is sometimes not needed as a stamp indicating for how long you will staying in the country will be put in your passport.
After getting to Mauritius using whichever means of transport you prefer, you will need to get around the Island and there are several means of transportation that you can use although you will need to know which ones are more efficient for you and prepare your trip in advance.
Some of the major transport means that you can use to easily get around the Island of Mauritius have been listed below so that you can easily take a pick.
Using air transport
This is also one of the many ways that one can travel within Mauritius. The Island has various airports and helipads that are used for transporting tourists to the different desired destinations. It might be a little expensive but it is one of the best and fastest ways that one can explore the country and within a short period of time.
You can either use planes to fly to your desired destination or go for helicopter rides that are offered and the helicopter rides can either be used for sightseeing or transfers from one place to another. It is also deemed the best way to travel to the different small islets and islands found in Mauritius. You will need to however book in advance so that you get the best services when it comes to air transport within the island.
Road transport
This is the most commonly used transport means within the country and due to its small size and good road network, tourists can easily drive from one corner of the Island to another within a few hours. Road transport in Mauritius includes using taxis, buses, bicycles or if you ae up to it, walking as all these will get you to your desired destination.
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Buses,
these are the most commonly used means of transport in Mauritius and this is because they are extremely cheap as compared to other modes of transport and there are two types of buses that are used that is the express buses and the standard buses.
The standard buses make different stopovers and have no direct route whereas the express buses have a specific route that they use and they are most recommended for tourists.
Mini buses can also be hired by tourists and these work either half day or the whole day depending on the amount of money paid and the tourist destinations that you would want to explore.
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Taxis,
these are also used to travel around Mauritius and can be found at the different taxi stages, outside airports and hotels or you can as well order for one. There are also two types of taxis that is the tourist taxis and the shared taxis.
Both the shared taxis and tourist taxis can be got through ordering for one but note that even though the taxis are metered, you will need to first bargain for the fare before entering one and you will also need to find out which routes it takes as some of them have specific routes that they operate from.
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Personal cars,
these are also commonly used in Mauritius and can be rented by tourists. Most tourists who love self-driving around the Island always hire out vans so that they can drive themselves at their own pace. If you need to hire a van, it is better to ask for recommendations, book in advance and also get yourself a map so that you do not get lost. You should make sure that the van is peak condition before you take it out for a drive so that you do not get stuck along the way.
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Use of bicycles,
although these are not commonly used in the city centers bicycles are a big hit for all those that are travelling to the rural areas of the island. Bicycles are a hit because they rarely get into traffic and help you get to all those places that are hard to get to while using a car and the bicycles can be rented out at a small price for either a full day or half day.
