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Factoids -
Mauritius |
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"Mauritius
is the only place the DODO bird ever existed.
When discovered, the island of Mauritius was home to a
previously unknown species of bird, which the Portuguese
named the Dodo (simpleton), as they appeared not too bright.
However, by 1681, all dodos had been killed by settlers or
their domesticated animals. Nevertheless, the dodo is
prominently featured as a supporter of the national
Coat-of-Arms." |
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"In
1847, Mauritius became the fifth country in the world to
issue postage stamps. The two types of stamps issued then,
known as the Red Penny and the Blue Penny are probably the
most famous stamps in the world, being very rare and
therefore also very expensive.
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Mauritius highest point is Mont Piton de la Petite Rivière
Noire (828m high) and the Longest river is Grand River South
East (34m long) |
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3 Nights / 4 Days
Singapore Tour
Package |
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 Welcome
to
Mauritius - the Paradise Island
Mauritius is an island nation in the southwest Indian Ocean,
about 900 kilometers (560 mi) east of Madagascar and about 3,943
kilometers (2,450 mi) southwest of India. In addition to the
island of Mauritius, the republic includes the islands of St.
Brandon, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius is part of
the Mascarene Islands, with the French island of Réunion 200
kilometers (125 mi) to the southwest.
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Factoid: "Singapore
is among the 20 smallest countries in the world,
with a total land area of only 682.7 square
kilometers. The USA is about 15,000 times bigger."
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Name:
The name Singapore is derived from the Malay words "Singa
(lion)" and "Pura (city)", which were themselves derived from
the Sanskrit words 'Sinha' and 'Pura'. In Tamil, one of the
official languages of Singapore, Singam means Lion and Puram
means City. Hence, Singapore is also known as the Lion City.
The naming is attributed to a prince named 'Sang
Nila Utama', who according to folklore, was caught in a terrible
storm that did not cease until he had thrown his crown into the water.
The waters calmed immediately after that, and he sailed to the closest
island he could see. The first animal he saw after he had set foot on
the island was supposedly a lion. Therefore, he decided to name the
island Singapura.
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History of Mauritius
Island:
The discovery of Mauritius Island was first made by the Arab
sailors when the island was a dense forest. Arabs sailors were
not interested in settling on the island. Fernandez Pereira, a
Portuguese sailor who saw the island decided to give it the name
of Cerne. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was
subsequently held by the Dutch, French and British before
independence was attained in 1968. The first to colonise the
island were the Dutch. The Dutch settlers came on the island by
a bay in the south eastern part of the island which was named
Warwyck Haven after the commander VanWarwyck, the bay is now
known as Grand Port. Mauritius also got its name during this
period named after the Prince of Holland Mauritz de Nassau. Sir
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam also known as the "Father of the Nation"
was the one who brought the island to independence and did a lot
for the country. On the 12 March 1992, Mauritius became a
Republic.
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Factoid:
"Sir
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam also known as the "Father of
the Nation" was the one who brought the Mauritius
Island to independence."
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Fact File
- Mauritius Islands |
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Country: |
Republic of Mauritius |
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Location: |
Southern Africa, island in the
Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar |
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Map References: |
Political Map of the World |
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Geography: |
Mauritius is located approximately
2000kilometres to the south eastern coast of Africa and lies
east of Madagascar on 20°5, 57.5E. The country covers an area of
1865kms with 330kilometres of coastline. Mauritius is 45km in
width and 65km in length. |
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Area: |
total: 2,040 sq km
land: 2,030 sq km
water: 10 sq km
note: includes Agalega
Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
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Capital: |
Port Louis |
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Independence: |
12 March 1968 (from UK) |
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Flag Description: |
Four equal horizontal bands of red
(top), blue, yellow, and green |
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Language: |
Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%,
French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the
population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census) |
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Ethnic Groups: |
Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%,
Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2% |
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Religion: |
Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%,
other Christian 8.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified
0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census) |
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Currency: |
The monetary unit is the Mauritian
Rupee (MUR.) which is divided into 100 cents (cs). |
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Time: |
UTC +4 (9 hours ahead of
Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Climate: |
Tropical, modified by southeast
trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid
summer (November to May)
The temperature on the coastal
areas varies between 22°C in winter and 34°C in summer. The sea
temperature varies between 22°C and 27°C. In the central part of
the island, the maximum daytime temperature varies from about
19°C in August to about 26°C in February. The western and
northern regions are warmer and relatively drier than the East
and the South. |
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Electricity: |
220 Volts |
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Health: |
No vaccinations are required.
However a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for
travellers over 1 year of age who arrive from areas where yellow
fever cases are reported. |
Best Time
to Visit Mauritius Island:
May to September is the ideal time
to be on the islands. Not only is the weather pleasant, you can
also have the islands almost to yourself. The rush of tourists
is mainly concentrated from November to March, and August.
What to Pack:
Take your best beach and casual wear. In the winter months (June
-September), carry some light woollen clothing for the cool
evenings. Please show due respect when visiting religious places.
Wear appropriate clothing (and remove leather shoes and belts) when
entering the premises.
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Sunscreen
with high SPF (Sun Protection Factor)
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Sunglasses
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Hat or Cap for shade from the sun
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Light cotton clothing
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Insect Repellent
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Bathing Suits
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Credit Card (Visa, American Express, MasterCard, Diners Club, and Eurocard are accepted)
Health Care and
Safety:
No vaccinations are required. However a yellow fever vaccination
certificate is required for travellers over 1 year of age who
arrive from areas where yellow fever cases are reported.
A tourist police service has been set up to ensure security in
tourist zones. The following essential pieces of advice are meant
for you :
For sea excursions, do not rent boats with inadequate security
standards.
During individual sea trips, always notify the person responsible
for the boat house.
Do not go swimming in areas where it is forbidden.
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"WARNING:
Singapore treats drug offences EXTREMELY severely:
simple possession of a single dose may get you a
year in prison. The mandatory sentence for
trafficking is death by hanging.
"
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Festivals & Culture
of Mauritius Island:
Mauritius is a blend of diverse cultures and religions which our
immigrant population brought from their ancestral countries.
Their festivities are celebrated in a spirit of peace and
harmony throughout the year. The population consists of Hindus,
Creole, Chinese, Muslims and Europeans.
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Cavadi : This Festival is celebrated in
January/February.
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Divali: The Festival of Lights is celebrated in
October or November
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Father Laval: Every September 9, Mauritians of all
faiths walk or drive towards the tomb of the Blessed Jacques
Désiré Laval, the «Apostle of the Black People» at
Ste-Croix, Port-Louis.
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Ganesh Chaturthi: This Festival is celebrated in
August/September by Hindus
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Holi: This Hindu festival is as colourful as the many
legends from which it originates.
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Id-El-Fitr: The Id-El-Fitr festival signals the end
of the Ramadan.
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Ugadi: Telugu New Year and is usually celebrated in
March.
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Spring Festival: The Chinese New Year is celebrated
each year on a different date
Shopping
in Mauritius Island:
The Mauritius Island’s reputation as a shopping paradise is
enhanced by the diversity and quality of shopping opportunities.
The number of tourists-only duty-free shops where passports and
air tickets must be shown is on the increase. Prices are very
reasonable.
What can one buy in Mauritius?
Models of old ships. (Note : Airline
companies charge for freight on ship models according to size
and weight.) Mauritius has an enviable reputation for
textiles production, namely for pull-overs and knitwear. Leading
brands of shirts, trousers, suits, dresses, suits for women,
shorts or swimwear are sold at unbeatable prices. Basketwork,
embroidery, pottery, cut stones and recycled glass are very much
in demand. Those who love cooking will be able to take back
fruit jellies, chillies, and other types of spices and pickles -
delicious bits of raw vegetables soaked in oil, spices and
chilly. Do not forget to buy some Vanilla tea or Rum. Only
accredited shops are allowed to sell duty-free goods to
tourists.
Coffret des Iles, on the other hand, offers a wide range of
gift-parcels ready to offer, home delivered in France, England
and Germany within 72 hours.
Entry
Formalities and Mauritius Island Visa:
A visitor must be in possession of a valid passport and a Return or
Onward ticket. A visitor’s visa is normally granted for a period of
two weeks to one month upon arrival, to almost all holders of a
valid passport, with one or two exceptions. Visitors are strongly
recommended to contact the Passport and Immigration Office in
Mauritius or the nearest Mauritian Embassy or Consulate.
On Arrival Tourist Visa for Nationals from Republic of
India visiting Mauritius for a period of stay up to 15days!!!
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"WARNING:
Visitors are also reminded that it is a punishable
offence to overstay in Mauritius Island beyond the number
of days given."
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For other destinations, email us your requirements to
outbound@aadityatours.com
Disclaimer: We've
tried to make the information on this page as accurate as possible,
but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any
loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from
this information. You should verify critical information (like
visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the
relevant authorities before you travel.
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+91 98400 56156
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