Identity card
Mauritius is part of the Mascareignes archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which also includes Rodrigues and Réunion. Its volcanic territory (with no active volcanoes left) covers an area of 2,000 km2; 65 km x 45 km at its largest. Uninhabited until its discovery in 1507, the island is now home to 1.2 million people, mainly descendants of European, African, Indian and Asian emigrants. Port-Louis, its capital, is located on the west coast.
Formalities Valid passport for French or European Union nationals.
Area code : + 230
Time difference +3 hours in winter, +2 hours in summer.
Language : English, Creole, French.
Currency : the Mauritian rupee (MUR). 1 euro = approximately 39 MUR.
Best season : With temperatures ranging from 20 to 35 degrees, all seasons are pleasant. However, it is best to avoid the cyclone season (January-March).
Group size : 20-500 people.
How to get there
Air Mauritius is operating 17 non-stop flights a week between Paris and Mauritius from Roissy-CDG terminal 2F during winter 2010/2011, some of them operated in code-share with Air France. The fleet is made up of two-class Airbus A 340-300s.
Flight time: approximately 11 hours.
Tel: 0890 710 315 Internet: www.airmauritius.fr
Air France
Tel: 36 54 - Internet: www.airfrance.com
For more information
Mauritius Tourist Office 124, bd Haussmann. 75008 Paris.
Tel.: 01 44 69 34 50
Internet : www.tourism-mauritius.mu
Hotels
Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita.
Located on the east coast, in the protected site of Anahita, the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius offers a sumptuous 18-hole golf course, partly bordering the ocean, and 123 villas comprising 90 bungalows (105 m2), 32 2- and 3-bedroom residences (266 m2 - 360 m2) and, on the resort's private island, a presidential suite (375 m2). Set in lush parkland between mangroves and lagoons, each of these units boasts a veranda with lounge area, swimming pool and garden. The hotel is one of the best in the world, with a contemporary ambience. It offers four restaurants - the Club, Beau Champ by the pool, Aquapazza overlooking the lagoon and Bambou - four swimming pools and a superb spa in a secluded location with 12 cabins, including 8 double suites. Business centre with free internet access and conference room for 110 participants.
Beau Champ - Tel: + 230 402 3100
E-mail : reservations.mas@fourseasons.com
Internet : www.fourseasons.com/mauritius
Intercontinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort.
Close to the tourist centre of Grand Bay and the capital Port Louis, this InterContinental hotel enjoys views over the magnificent Balaclava Bay. Its 200 rooms (56 m2 - 89 m2) all have a balcony or private terrace with an outdoor whirlpool bath for the Deluxe Terrace and the 10 Presidential Suites (300 m2). The hotel offers all modern facilities, including 42-inch plasma screens, and internet access throughout the hotel (and free in public areas, which is rare in Mauritius). Two swimming pools, one of which is heated, a 600-metre beach, an Angsana spa and 5 restaurants complete the offer. Designed in ten separate units, the hotel can be partially privatised. Featuring a 600 m2 conference room and 4 meeting rooms with a capacity of 40 to 50 participants, the hotel adds another asset: an artificial islet linked to the beach, which could represent an interesting opportunity for groups.
Costal Road, Ville Vahio, Balaclava - Tel: + 230 261 1200
E-mail : sales@icmauritius.com
Internet : www.intercontinental.com/mauritius
Sugar Beach Resort.
On the west coast, Sugar Beach is set in 12 hectares of landscaped gardens bordering a 1 km beach. Its 258 rooms (40 m2) and suites (80 m2) are housed in "le manoir or in one of the 16 units of 10 to 12 rooms that make up this establishment inspired by the sugar plantations. Each room has a private balcony or terrace with sea or garden views. The main restaurant has a terrace seating over 350. There are three other restaurants to choose from on the beach: Citronella's café, Tides and Paul et Virginie. Other features include two swimming pools, an Aura spa, a fitness room and a 350-seat flexible conference room. Guests at Sugar Beach can also take advantage of the facilities at the adjoining La Pirogue hotel. A great opportunity for incentive breaks.
Wolmar, Flic en Flac - Tel: + 230 403 3300
E-mail : info@sugarbeachresort.mu
Internet : www.sugarbeachresort.com
One&Only Le Saint Géran.
In the north-east of the island, the legendary One&Only Le Saint Géran, on the Belle-Mare peninsula, is set in 37 hectares of tropical gardens planted with palm trees and bordered by a 1.5 km beach. Its 162 suites (from 65m2 to 119m2) each boast a terrace or balcony facing the ocean or a private beach, as well as butler service. In keeping with the hotel's high standards, the emphasis is on gastronomy, with two of its restaurants featuring Michelin-starred chefs, Rasoi by Vineet by Indian Vineet Bhatia and Spoon des Iles by Frenchman Alain Ducasse. 2 swimming pools, a 9-hole golf course designed by Gary Player, a fitness centre, an Espa spa and two meeting rooms for 35 to 80 participants complete the offer.
Pointe de Flacq - Tel: + 230 401 1688
E-mail : reservations@oneandonlylesaintgeran.com
Internet : www.oneandonlyresorts.com/le-saint-geran
Mövenpick Resort & Spa.
Located in Bel Ombre, on the peaceful south coast of Mauritius, the Mövenpick Resort & Spa has 181 rooms, including 20 suites and one villa. The rooms (63 m2) open directly onto the beach or are set in 10 hectares of parkland. As for the 20 suites (from 78 to 130 m2) and the villa (275 m2), they are all on the seafront with a private pool. As well as the main restaurant with its hearty buffets, Le Camaron, the beach restaurant, serves light lunches and transforms into a romantic seafood restaurant in the evening. As for the gastronomic restaurant, La Grand'Caze, a replica of a colonial mansion, it offers innovative local cuisine in an elegant atmosphere. Other facilities include a spa, 3 swimming pools and 10 flexible meeting rooms with capacities ranging from 10 to 130 participants.
Allée des cocotiers, Bel Ombre - Tel: + 230 623 50 00
E-Mail : resort.mauritius@moevenpick.com
Internet : www.moevenpick-hotels.com
Shanti Maurice.
In the south of the island, its wildest part, this luxury boutique resort of just 53 suites and villas, including 9 with private pools, is set in 14 hectares of parkland surrounded by sugar cane plantations. The Shanti has many assets to attract exclusive groups: the elegance and size of its accommodation (from 81 m2 to 800 m2), as well as one of the most spacious spas in the Indian Ocean (7,000 m2), run by a team of therapists, nutritionists, sports coaches, yoga teachers and Ayurvedic doctors. It also boasts a splendid natural beach and three restaurants: Stars, Peebles by the sea and Fish & Rum, which serves only fresh fish from local fishermen.
Rivière des Galets, Chemin Grenier, St Felex - Tel: + 230 603 7200
E-Mail : reservations@shantimaurice.com
Internet : www.shantimaurice.com
Long Beach.
A new offering in Mauritius, the Long Beach, due to open in 2011, represents an investment of 58 million euros. The latest addition to the Sun Resorts group at Belle Mare (east coast, on the site of the demolished former Coco Beach) is a 255-room establishment with a design style and an urban feel that will delight trendy guests. The beautiful 700-metre beach has been redesigned to ensure continuity with the public spaces organised around a central piazza lined with restaurants, boutiques and bars for a trendy Italian lifestyle. Guests will enjoy three swimming pools, including a 1,400 m2 pool, 5 restaurants with outdoor areas, a Thal'ion spa and privileged access to the Touessrok golf course on Île aux Cerfs.
Coastal road, Belle Mare - Tel: + 230 401 1919
E-mail : info@longbeach.mu
Internet : www.longbeachmauritius.com
Conference centre
Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre
Paille - Tel: + 230 206 0500 - E-mail: info@svicc.mu - Internet : www.svicc.mu
Reception (non-exhaustive list)
Concorde > Royal Road, Floréal - Tel: + 230 698 7000 - E-mail : concord@intnet.mu Internet : www.concorde.mu
Mautourco > 84, rue Gustave Colin, Forest Side - Tel: + 230 670 4301 E-mail : info@mautourco.com - Internet : www.mautourco.com
Mauritours > Rue S. Venkatesananda, B.P. 125, Rose Hill - Tel: + 230 467 9700 E-mail : mauritours@mauritours.net - Internet : www.mauritours.net
Summertimes > 5, Avenue Bernardin de Saint Pierre, Quatre-Bornes - Tel: + 230 427 1111 E-mail : summer@summertimes.intnet.mu - Internet : www.summer-times.com
Good ideas
> Surprising and very popular: a walk with the lions.
> Swimming with dolphins.
> A 19th-century evening in a colonial mansion.
> Underwater scooter excursion.
< Attend a race at the Champ-de- Mars, the Port-Louis racecourse, the oldest in the Indian Ocean, inaugurated in 1812.
Shopping
Tea, rum, spices and a host of herbal teas supposed to cure all ills, as their producers tell you at the Port-Louis market. If you're an enthusiast, you'll want to take home a model boat, as Mauritians excel at model making.
The most meticulous of these (galleons, trawlers, as well as modern sailing ships and Rivas) are those made by Historic Marine, an artisanal factory located in Goodlands, a typically Indian village in the north of the island.
(www.historic-marine.com)
Practical guides
Maurice, Géoguide, Gallimard
Mauritius and Rodrigues, Guide Evasion, Hachette
Mauritius and Rodrigues, Guide du Routard, Hachette
Maurice-Rodrigues, Le petit Futé
