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Mauritius
The only island the dodo ever lived on, and it was gone less than a century after sailors arrived.
The dodo existed on Mauritius and nowhere else. The Dutch landed in 1598, the last widely accepted sighting was in 1662, and the bird was gone within a lifetime — killed less by hunting than by the pigs, rats and monkeys that came off the ships. The natural history museum in Port Louis keeps the reconstruction most people have seen a photograph of.
What replaced the forest was sugarcane, still covering much of the central plateau, and the plantations are why the population is largely of Indian descent, with Creole, French, Chinese and English all in daily use. Le Morne Brabant, the basalt block on the south-west corner, was a refuge for escaped slaves and joined the UNESCO list in 2008. Cyclone season runs November to April.
Quick facts
Currency
MUR
Mauritian rupee
Language
English
+ French
Power
—
Driving
Left
UK-style
Airport
MRU
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International
Emergency
—
Police · Fire
When to go
Monthly breakdown
Storm risk: HighJan
Rain
Feb
Rain
Mar
Rain
Apr
—
May
Best
Jun
Best
Jul
Best
Aug
Best
Sep
Best
Oct
Best
Nov
—
Dec
—
Major events
Thaipoosam Cavadee
Tamil devotees carry decorated wooden arches to temples after ten days of fasting, many with skewers through the skin. The date follows the Tamil calendar.
Independence Day
12 March marks both independence from Britain in 1968 and the move to a republic in 1992, with a national flag ceremony and displays at Champ de Mars.
Festival International Kreol
A week of sega music, food and language events across the island, closing with a large concert. Sega itself is on the UNESCO intangible heritage list.
Hidden gems
Ile aux Aigrettes
A coral islet off the southeast coast being replanted with the ebony forest that once covered the mainland, with pink pigeons and giant tortoises reintroduced.
Chamarel Falls
A single 100-metre drop into a forested basin, best seen from the platform on the road above rather than the base.
Eureka House
An 1830s Creole mansion at Moka with 109 doors, built to catch the breeze from every direction.
Local food
Dholl puri
dietary_tags.veganA thin flatbread stuffed with ground yellow split peas, folded round bean curry and rougaille and eaten from paper on the street.
Rougaille
A tomato, ginger, garlic and thyme base cooked with fish, sausage or beans; the everyday Creole sauce.
Gateau piment
dietary_tags.veganSplit-pea and chilli fritters sold by the bagful in the morning, eaten with bread and butter.
Safety tips
Water-Safety
The lagoon is calm because the reef takes the swell, which makes the passes through it deceptive. Do not swim or paddle out beyond the reef line, and check where the passes are locally.
Nature
Stonefish sit camouflaged on the lagoon floor and their spines cause severe injury. Reef shoes solve it, and are worth wearing anywhere you are walking on sand near coral.
Transport
Driving is on the left, and roads outside the motorway are narrow with pedestrians and stray dogs. Night driving in the interior is best avoided.
Sustainability
Eco rating
Reef: At riskPlan Your Trip
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