Isolated, Tropical, and laid back. Grab your swimsuit and sun block to prepare for a journey to an island paradise. Mauritius is the destination, an island nation in the southwest Indian Ocean. You’ll need to jump on a plane to get here, as it’s only a mere 900 kilometres east of Madagascar and just less than 4,000 kilometres southwest of India. It does have a neighbour though; the French island of Reunion is 200 kilometres to the southwest. The largest city, which also happens to be the capital, is Port Louis. Other towns include Curepipe, Vacaos, Phoenix, Quatre, Bornes, Rose-Hill, and Beau-Bassin.

You can thank volcanos and volcanic activity for the creation of Mauritius from undersea eruptions about 10 million years ago. No need to worry about volcanos today – the hotspot is now under Reunion.

Trade winds from the southeast keep a breeze going. The climate is tropical with warm, dry winters from May to November and hot, sticky, humid summers from November to May. Like other islands and nations in the region, there are Cyclones during November to April. The "official" language here is English, but it is only spoken by a small part of the population. Creole is the primary language spoken.

Mark Twain once said, “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius”, as noted in Twain’s following the equator.

The island is surrounded with clear waters and coral reef. There are a plethora of resorts on the island that will cater to your needs. Water activities such as snorkelling and diving are available, but many visitors come just to kick back, relax, and enjoy the beaches, breathtaking scenery, and tropical environment.

Getting to Mauritius

Unless you’re able to swim at least 600 miles in one go, chances are you’ll be arriving by air. The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) is the primary gateway for travellers arriving and departing. The national carrier, Air Mauritius has a network connecting the local islands and also provides international service to Africa, Australia, Europe and Asia. Regional carriers including Air Austral, Air Madagascar, and Air Seychelles provide service in addition to large international carriers including Air France, Air Zimbabwe, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, South African Airways, and Emirates.