Time Mauritius is 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and 3 hours ahead of mid-European time. Credit Cards Credit cards are generally accepted by banks, hotels, restaurants and tourist shops. The following credit cards are negotiable in Mauritius: America Express, Diners, MasterCard and Visa. Back to Top Health Requirements Yellow Fever: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travelers over 1 year of age and coming from infected areas. Infected areas are those areas which the World Health Organisation includes in the endemic zones.
Malaria: There is no malaria risk in Mauritius or Rodrigues Island. VAT A value added tax of 15% is included in all bills relating to goods and services, including hotel and restaurant bills. Back to Top Working Hours Private Sector: Monday to Friday: 08.30 – 16.15 Saturday: 09.00 – 12.00 (Some offices) Public Sector: Monday to Friday: 09.00 – 16.00 Saturday: 09.00 – 12.00 (Reduced staff) Currency The monetary unit is the Mauritian Rupee (Rs.) which is divided into 100 cents (cs). Coin exist as: 1 rupee, 5-rupees, 10-rupees; 20 and 50 cent-pieces. Notes are in the following denominations: Rs 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 2000. Foreign currency notes, drafts and travelers cheques may be brought into Mauritius without restriction. Back to Top International Airport Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Air Terminal, also known as Plaisance (code: MRU) is approximately 3 kms from Mahébourg, 48 kms from Port Louis, 70 kms from Grand Baie, 45 kms from Flic en Flac and 40 kms from Belle Mare. Facilities include duty-free shops both on arrival and departure, bars, banks and Post Office. (230) 603 3030 / (230) 637 5306 What to Wear Take your best beach and casual wear. In the winter months of June, July, August and September carry some light woolens for the cool evenings. Back to Top Driving On the left, please! Electricity Power supply throughout the island is 220 volts Back to Top Customs Passengers over 18 years of age may import the following duty free items: 250 grammes of tobacco (including cigars and cigarettes), 1 liter of spirits, 2 liters of wine, ale or beer, one quarter liter of Eau de Toilette and perfume not exceeding 10cl.
A plant import permit must be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, prior to the introducing of plants and plant material including cuttings, flowers, bulbs, fresh fruits, vegetables and seeds. All plants must be declared to Customs immediately on arrival and are subject to examination. It is prohibited to introduce sugar-cane and parts thereof, soil micro-organism and invertebrate animals. Facilities for examination and certification of plant materials are available at Le Réduit (Tel: 454-1091) and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport offices of the Plant Pathology Division. (Tel.: 637-3194).
All animals including animal products need an import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture and a sanitary certificate from the country of origin. All animals must be declared to the Customs Authorities immediately on arrival, and landing is allowed is allowed only if certificate issued by the Veterinary Authorities of the exporting country are in conformity with Import Permits. Dogs and cats undergo a six months’ quarantine; Birds and other animal/species up to 2 months. Drug trafficking is illegal and carry very heavy penalties. Firearms and ammunitions need import permits and must be declared on arrival. Back to Top Tobacco It is forbidden to smoke in public areas. “Smoking” and “Non-smoking” corners are available in certain restaurants. Nudism Nudism and monokini are not welcome along our public beaches. No hotel allows nudism on beaches. Monokini is sometimes tolerated. Back to Top Drugs Introducing drugs is illegal. Warning!, drug trafficking is severely punished by the law. Security A tourist police has been set up to ensure security in tourist zones. An anti-terrorist law has also been proclaimed. A specific law relating to all tourist activities and corrupt practices has also been voted. The following essential pieces of advice are meant for you:- • Keep an eye on all personal belongings at all times.
• Be careful when withdrawing money from a cash point.
• Avoid wearing high-priced jewellery.
• Do not leave anything high-priced jewellery.
• Do not leave anything inside your car.
• (For excursions or purchases) only use recognised operators or suppliers.
• Keep your passports, plane tickets, jewellery of value and large sums of money in the safe of your room.
• For sea excursions, do not rent boats with inadequate security standards.
• During individual sea excursions, always notify the person responsible of your boat house.
• Do not go swimming in areas where it is forbidden. Back to Top Radio and Television The Mauritian audiovisual landscape is a free one. Three private radio stations share the airwaves with the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). There are three Mauritian television channels and two satellite television companies. France Inter and RTL programmes are broadcast by Mauritian radio stations during the day. The main France 2 new bulletins is broadcast daily, while on satellite television, Canal +, TF1, TV5 and RTL 9 programmes are available. Newspapers The Mauritian press is one of the most dynamic in Africa. Two English weekly co-exist with several French written newspapers. The press is totally free and reflects perfectly the plurality of the country. Back to Top
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Source : Free Guide “