Discover stereotyped Mauritius differently


Chances are that you are one of many that believe you need to win the lottery first before you can travel to Mauritius. It’s one of the most common statements I get to hear in Germany. Or the only posters you have seen when walking past by a travel agency that showcased, when it was about Mauritius, only a few luxury hotels giving one the impression that this is the only holiday option you can choose from if you want to travel to the island. Maybe you have been to a travel fair in Berlin and seen a Mauritius stand presenting the island with Sega dancer and its resorts representatives. Is that all Mauritius has to offer you?
linkedin1 - Mauritius aint just beaches

Is Mauritius only sun, beach and resorts?
While the billboards at your metro station will most likely never feature any holiday rentals that Mauritius has to offer, obviously as its to pricey, if ever you get to see a Mauritius ad, it will be most likely the one fitting with the stereotyped image of the island! …Sun, beach, resorts!
Yes, indeed it is true, Mauritius has magnificent beach locations, azure blue lagoons with top notch 5 star luxury hotels which come with very high class services and standards which often surpass many other 5 star resorts around the world.
Your travel agency catalogue will most certainly present you the islands top resorts which come at various prices, packages etc. Maybe a page where your attention will be captivated for a moment to look at these beautiful photos and dream… someday… maybe when I get rich I’ll go to Mauritius… Is Mauritius only for the rich?
linkedin2 - La Cambuse Beach in Mauritius

Flight tickets to Mauritius still pretty expensive!
Mauritius has built itself the reputation of being a luxury holiday destination. It still is. Hotels over the last decades practised very expensive rates, those were the good times, and on top flights to Mauritius have always been more expensive than to many other destinations around the world in comparison. Mauritius has competitors like Maldives and Thailand. Flights are cheaper there and I often loose booking requests to those destinations when it comes to the stage where my potential guests start looking at the exorbitant flight costs. Unfortunately flight tickets to Mauritius are still expensive. I do not have to hide such facts in my article as it would be deceiving for you if I would only say how you can holiday more cheaper in Mauritius and omitting the transportation factor. Yet, Mauritius is in comparison to Thailand and Maldives very different, and therefore the veil of stereotyped Mauritius needs to be removed for you to discover various other reasons why you should opt for Mauritius as your next holiday destination and dig a bit deeper in your purse which you will however not regret. This article alone will not do justice to the vast facets Mauritius has to offer, therefore I also invite you to discover my Mauritius blog.

Mauritius is a sort of tiger state amidst Asia and Africa
First of all, Mauritius is a full fledged country. It is a sort of tiger state amidst Asia and Africa. The island is aiming high to reach and surpass the standards of Singapore. Even though it is an island, it is rather more a small country on the surface of an island. Meaning it has cities, highways, various infrastructure that countries have, a population rich in diversity, nature diversity – therefore a lot to offer, to do and to discover. There must be a reason why so many people after their first visit tend to come back again and adopt Mauritius as their favourite destination. Mauritius goes beyond just the material and wins the heart of many travellers. We can conclude that Mauritius is therefore not just beaches and resorts.
linkedin3 - Port Louis, Mauritius

This is how you start your relationship with Mauritius
The Mauritius you want to discover, is one, where you book your own accommodation. This will be your first beginning of your story relating to Mauritius that will impact your life. In life choices matter.
The more common way of booking through an online portal a hotel package is something I don’t need to go into details, this is advertised globally and you know how it works. For a more individual holiday experience, tailored to your preferences, you can opt for a private beach villa, a beach front apartment or holiday rentals not so far away from the beaches. You can get such offers at various budgets. Prices can differ according to season and number of persons. You can find cheap places to stay in Mauritius for prices going as low as EUR 30 per night for an apartment for 2 persons and sometimes with sea view included! As from around EUR 150 per night you can start getting into the taste of having a small beach house for 2 persons, sometimes in top locations. Book early! As from 20th of December expect prices to double or tripple till 10th of January and availability to be EXTREMELY SCARCE!

According to statistics around +/-50% of arrivals coming to Mauritius aren’t staying in a resort. There are approximately a similar amount of rooms available compared to resorts in bungalows, villas, apartments and guest houses.

Where to find the jewels to stay at?
You will not find easily such accommodation in travel agencies, you need to go online. Holiday rental portals such as HomeAway, AirBnB and Isla-Mauricia offer you listings of private holiday rentals that you can book. On some of these portals you either get direct contact with the owners or you have an agency to handle your request who can give you proper advice about what you are looking for and which places to consider depending on the type of activities you are looking for.

Holiday rentals in Mauritius are regulated by the Tourism Authority and local agencies that market these online must have a Tour Operators licence to operate. By going through a reputable local Mauritian agency that has built its portfolio of a selection of offers that they have visited and checked you can rest assured that you are going to get what you are booking and also the advise for booking the right place plus someone to call on the island if you have some troubles or need assistance. You are definitely not at a loss when it comes to the booking rates by considering an agency. And you will usually have a personal account manager who will handle all your questions.
You want your holiday to Mauritius to be a success. It will be a long flight, require a lot of planning, don’t cut out the good advise of an experienced agent for just a few Euros difference. Book with those, that know the island from inside out!
linkedin4 - A beach bungalow in Mauritius

Don’t fear in booking a beach villa or luxury apartment!
Will you get less services by staying in an individual organised accommodation?
Not necessarily! Most properties usually already offer a cleaning service included meaning you don’t have to burden yourself of any such duties during your holiday. Some properties also offer a cooking service. You can talk with the housekeeper about the menus you would like to have and just supply the ingredients. You can wake up late, eat at times that you like, ran out of your beach villa straight into the lagoon and no dress codes to worry about! Have your lunch in Pyjamas!

Eat eat eat!
Food is seriously not a problem in Mauritius. Mauritius offers an excellent cuisine. A mix of various cultures cuisines out of which has emerged its own style. Go in town, and you will have plenty of Restaurants to choose from. If you do not fancy anything exotic you will also find brands and restaurants with menus more common to what you have at home.

Easy to get around with a car rental
With a car rental you can easily tour the island and do your shopping’s. You can also book island sightseeing tours. These are easily found along the coastal roads with tour operators in Grand Baie for example. Drive on your own, stop at places of interest, try out other beaches and lagoons. Be free.

Bet you didn’t know that you can cycle in Mauritius!
Mauritius also offers many nice coastal areas where its nice to go cycling. This is also a very comfortable way of getting around.

And we conclude with…
I’ll conclude that you can have an excellent yet different and individual holiday experience in Mauritius by booking your own individual holiday rental. A lot of services can be booked in addition such as a chef cook. Some luxury apartments also offer a concierge service on site. Activities wise, whether you want to practice diving, kite surfing, golf, water ski, deep sea fishing, boat trips and more. These can also be booked in the vicinity of your property.
Some properties also have special conditions with service providers.

Do you have doubts in booking a property where the lagoon in front is rocky? Often you will find lagoons close by where you can swim, either a 5 mins walk, 5 mins drive or some properties even offer a boat and bus shuttle to various beaches…

You are getting bored by the beaches everyday?
Spend a day in the capital and other towns to discover other aspects of the island. Many towns offer great opportunities for shopping. Our capital city Port-Louis has definitely its very own flair with a mix of old and new, best is just to walk there through town. I like doing photo shootings in Port-Louis and on Saturdays you can even see horses race right in front of your nose at one of the oldest horse racing courses of the southern hemisphere, namely Cham de Mars. Check the bazaar, have a meal in china town, a coffe at Le Caudan Waterfron, shop some fabrics at La Corderie Street, and drink a real Mauritian tea at Pakistan Hotel at La rue Desforges. Come to Mauritius for more…


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