Location Information

Port Louis, Mauritius
Language: Urdu, Hindi, French, English, Creole, Chinese
Currency: Mauritian Rupee (MUR)

Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation off the coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean.

The first record of Mauritius comes from Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century.[4] The Portuguese sailors first visited it in 1507, and established a visiting base leaving the island uninhabited. Three ships of the eight Dutch Second Fleet that were sent to the Spice Islands were blown off course during a cyclone and landed on the island in 1598, naming it in honour of Prince Maurice of Nassau, the Stadtholder of the Netherlands. Because of tough climatic conditions including cyclones and the deterioration of the settlement, the Dutch abandoned the island some decades later.

The local climate is tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; there is a warm, dry winter from May to November and a hot, wet, and humid summer from November to May.

Port Louis, Capital and main port of Mauritius, the city was founded by the French Governor, Mahé de Labordonnais, in 1735. The harbour is sheltered by a semicircle of mountains. The city has plenty of character and, in some quarters, signs of its past elegance are still evident.

To the north of Port Louis are the Pamplemousses Gardens. These, created at the end of the 18th century, are known to naturalists throughout the world for their large collection of indigenous and exotic plants, including the giant Victoria regia water lilies and many species of palm trees.

Standards of cuisine, whether French, Creole, Indian, Chinese or English, are generally very high, but fruit, meat, vegetables and even fresh seafood are often imported.

Grand Baie is the centre of the island’s nightlife, with bars with live music, restaurants and nightclubs. Port Louis has mainly restaurants and bars.

Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius. It is a port on the Indian Ocean, and the nation's largest city and main port.

Port Louis was founded by the French around 1735 as a revictualling halt for their ships travelling around the Cape of Good Hope, and was named in honour of King Louis XV.

In the town, you will be overwhelmed by the intense activity that prevails; along the boulevards, and in the streets, you come across overloaded motorcycles identical to little donkeys, old backfiring bangers, and buses spluttering. Women dressed in the latest fashion or in the traditional saris, veiled Muslim women, men and children, stray dogs and cats, stroll about in the narrow lanes.

Medical Precautions:

Recommended Vacinations:

Typhoid
Hepatitis