Mauritius Travel Answers

Hi Glen, Welcome to VT. I am going to Mauritius in Jan and Feb 2013 with friends who have been there over Xmas this year and they tell me up on the n/w coast around Grande Baie and Pereybere that that is where all the ex-pats and retired people go for the winter. We ourselves are looking more to Flic en Flac and down in the s/w corner near La Morne, which are quieter, but then we are 3 retired couples. Good luck

Hi Glen, The answer is YES! YES! YES! ;-) FYI I just came back from Mauritius 2 weeks ago. I went alone and stayed a week at Club Med La Pointe Aux Cannoniers at Grand Baie and had a ball! So, did a British couple I met, who were on the same return transportation to MRU for our departure from Mauritius, who said they will recommend it to all of their family in the UK! FYI you are never alone at Club Med! The current GO team is great and you will have friendly company at the bar, in the restaurant etc, exactly what a GM from Belgium found out after feeling apprehensive about coming to Club Med alone for the first time in 30 years! ;-) For a cheap tour, take the boat ride to the other club med village at Albion (you will see Port Louis en route), where you will be personally welcomed and shown around the village/given infor for it, and can spend a day at that village at no extra charge! And don't worry about there being couples only - FYI both are family clubs, so you'll find singles (I was not the only one at La Pointe! There was e.g. a Swiss lady, staying for two weeks), couples, families but you won't find kids in your way - they are looked after separately by the GOs! And it's an all inclusive, hassle-free vacation, including pick up from/to the airport, but they don't stinge on quality, even when the number of GM's dropped to 120 when I was there (this is low season but Dec will be high season, so I suspect it will be at least twice the fun!) ;-)

Hi Glen, It's a YES vote from me as well! I spent a week alone in Grand Baie about four years ago and had a great time. Funnily enough, I had the same concerns as you when I booked it. After a bit of research I decided that Mauritius would probably be a better bet than the Maldives or the Seychelles for a single traveller and I'm glad that I made the decision to go there. I stayed in an apartment in Grand Baie, spent my days on the beaches of Pereybere, Mont Choisy and Trou aux Biches and ate out in the restaurants of Grand Baie each evening and never felt uncomfortable as a solo traveller. I made use of the local Triolet buses to get between the north coast resorts and to visit the capital, Port Louis. Port Louis is a surprisingly large town (for a relatively small Indian Ocean island) and has some interesting sights such as the race course, Fort Adelaide, a small "Chinatown" district and the Caudan Waterfront complex of bars and restaurants. Go on...book it....you won't regret it! Have a great trip, Jonathan

> After a bit of research I decided that Mauritius would probably be a better bet than the Maldives or the Seychelles for a single traveller Oh, dear me, Jonathan - imho Mauritius is ok, lah (as we say in MY) but the Maldives: my God! It's heaven - I had never seen a beach so white and a sea so blue, with different shades of blue to aquamarine.. And baby sharks swimming back and forthe on the waters' edge! Don't you miss it next time, ya? :-) @OP - I went to Grand Baie Village with a Club Med GO from Madagascar (so sweet, I called her Madagascar 4!) on the local bus, for 16 rupees per pax (which she paid for with her coins), compared to 200 rupees for the cab ride back (to rest my poor feet and give her a treat, in return, coz the return cab fare from club Med is 500 rupees!). It was fun exploring Grand Baie Village and I was going to post a tip on my VT page - unfortunately, I was way laid by a personal attack on a VT forum and decided to take a sabbatical from it.. Maybe one day, ya? Cheers! P.S. I haven't been to the Seychelles but I heard it's gorgeous! But funny how I went to Mauritius and the Bahamas and found MY beaches/islands much nicer (except for the b***dy heat, of course!) ;-)

Hi Sheherezad, Don't worry, I fully intend to visit the Maldives some day soon - it just wasn't somewhere I particularly wanted to go to alone. I figured Mauritius would have more non-beach attractions to keep me occupied and busy. The Maldives is on our shortlist for November this year - so I may get to see those white beaches, turquoise seas and baby sharks soon! :-)

Like I wrote earlier: you are NEVER alone in Club Med! ;) Best avenue for single person travelling alone ! ;) Btw Maldives is best visited during the northern winter coz the sea is calmer, thus to cause sedimentation, leaving the sea so clear that you can sea fish swimming even amongst coral near the waters edge!

Yes you can,plenty places of interest on the coast and inland,possibility to stay all round the island,going all inclusive mean you have to come back to same hotel every night,hotel of every category are available everywhere,private bungalows for rent,studios,appartment,rooms,surrounding popular beach zones as well as city hotels.The island is 60 by 50 kms,bus access everywhere,taxis rent for the day,scooters,cars,cycles,boats.Negotiate all prices.Any precise information feel free to get into,contact me,will be please to help.

Hi, I am travelling to Mauritius alone this weekend (for 3 - 4 days) or next and cant afford to stay in 4 - 5 star hotels, I am a 27 yrs old male and would prefer beaches and some water sports where i can enjoy and make friends with local and tourists alike I would prefer a guest house or something similar at most 3 star hotel (max. approx 60 - 70 usd) per nite.. Is Club Med La Pointe Aux Cannoniers at Grand Baie a 5star hotel? I am just apprehensive can i travel alone , will it be fun, can i find solo travellers whom i can be friends with ?

Is it safe to venture out at nite ?

If someone can suggest me best places to go for solo travellers , I will be highly obliged .

Also I am a pure vegetarian , is it possible to find veg. restaurants there ?