Welcome home Mauritius will enchant you, will uplift your soul, making you feel that you belong to the chosen few. Every visitor enjoys personal attention. Every encounter is an opportunity to discover a friendly face. Behind each smile lies the promise of a unique holiday.

The contrast of a multitude of colours and tastes, the island, set in its turquoise sea, is an oasis of peace and tranquillity. Mauritius, a melting pot where past and present are smoothly blended together, offers an essential beauty that will compel to return to its shores time and time again.

May your stay with us remain engraved in your memory forever. 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.

Cavadi This festival is celebrated in January/February. Bodies are pierced with needles, tongues and cheeks with pins, devotees in a trance carry the ‘Cavadi’ on their shoulders as a penitence. The ‘Cavadi’ is a wooden arch, covered with flowers and with a pot of milk at each end.

Divali The Festival of Lights is celebrated in a spirit of pure joy, in the month of October or November. Small clay lamps line the walls, balconies and yards. They are lit at sunset. Their golden light, which is believed to guide the Goddess of wealth and good fortune, can be seen everywhere. Divali represents the victory of truth (light) over ignorance (darkness). The Festival of Lights, Divali, is a celebration of joy, happiness and for many Mauritians, a time for sharing.

 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. The belief in Père Laval, to whom powers of healing are attributed, reminds us of the Lourdes Pilgrimage in France. Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the 4th day of the lunar month of August/September by Hindus in honour of the birth of Ganesha, God of wisdom. Holi This Hindu festival is as colourful as the many legends from which it originates. It is above all a festival of joy during which men and women throw coloured water and powder on each other and wish one another good luck. Id-El-Fitr The Id-El-Fitr festival signals the end of the Ramadan - the fasting period for Muslim people. Prayers are said in mosques all day long. Ougadi Ougadi is the Telugu New Year and is usually celebrated in March.

Spring Festival The Chinese New Year is celebrated each year on a different date, owing to the differences between the lunar and the solar calendars. Houses are thoroughly cleaned before the festival. No knife or scissors are used on the actual day of the festival. Red, a symbol of happiness is the main colour of the day. Food offerings are made to ensure that the following year will be plentiful and traditional ‘Wax’ cakes are distributed to parents and friends.Firecrackers are set off to drive away the evil spirits.

In an island where people originate from a wide variety of places, the local cuisine is a testament to the influence of this melting pot. This produces remarkable results: in Mauritius, you can travel to all corners of the globe without leaving the table Mauritian cooking is in a class of its own: it is a combination influenced by people of different cultures and cooking traditions.

Mauritian people are adventurous with food, and are perfectly happy to eat Creole, Chinese, Indian or Muslim food. Mauritian cuisine is proud of its past but is still firmly rooted in the contemporary world. A few leading chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Trois Gros brothers and Michel Ducasse have paid a visit to the island and have thus played a part in the creation of this top-quality cuisine. You can eat at the «Spoon des îles», (One&Only Le Saint Géran) of Alain Ducasse, where cooking is an art. However, during your holidays do not deny yourself the pleasure of eating local food, at a table d’hôte or in the various specialised restaurants. Do not hesitate to try the «dholl purri» (wheat pancake stuffed with dholl and served with a tomato sauce), the «farata», the «gâteaux piments» or the «samosas». Restaurants:: General Info :: Maps ::Practical Info :: Culture :: Cusine :: Offices