If the Indian Ocean is on your bucket list, make sure you visit the beautiful island of Mauritius. Here are my top 10 tips to remember when visiting the beautiful, sunny, and mesmerising island of Mauritius.
1) Don't forget to use sunscreen
Never EVER forget to put on sunscreen - (multiple times a day for that matter!) No matter what skin complexion you are, sunscreen protection is needed every day. It is recommended that sunscreen protection should be topped up every 2 hours, and even sooner if you are going in and out of water. As a dark-skinned woman, I must admit, while on previous holidays, I did take the application of sunscreen for granted, and unfortunately learned the hard way.
Although I was using sunscreen protection every day, I didn't top up regularly and unfortunately, I did suffer burns across my back and on my face. A day before I was due to return home, I began to feel a stinging sensation across the back of my neck and face. I didn't realise I was badly burned until I arrived home. My skin was sore, cracked and shedding began from my nose down to my shoulders, and all across my back. This was the worst case of sunburn I have ever received, and although the sun was not as hot on many days, I still applied sunscreen every morning after coming out of the shower.
Luckily, I carried hydrocortisone cream. The hydrocortisone cream was quickly applied to my sunburn, which both soothed and healed my skin quite fast. As a woman of colour, I do believe many people of colour take sunscreen for granted, and I urge you to educate yourself and protect yourself as often as possible when out in the sun.
2) Don't forget to bring Immodium!
If you are going to eat street food or drink tap water, it is highly advisable to bring Immodium with you. While the chances of food poisoning or diarrhoea may be hit or miss, Immodium is something I would always recommend carrying, when travelling abroad. As a visitor, our bodies are foreign to both the food and the water, and sometimes, this can be a recipe for disaster. Fresh fruit and bread may help slow down diarrhoea, and could possibly help stop any stomach cramps you are experiencing. If you have suffered food poisoning and diarrhoea, and Immodium hasn't worked for you, I would then recommend you see a doctor as it may be something else you could be suffering with.
3) Learn French!
If you have done your research, you should know that the majority of the people speak French. French and Creole are the top languages spoken in Mauritius, and while some of the natives speak English, it is not spoken by the majority. During our two-week stay, we only met one family of English tourists. This was a major prompt for me to begin learning French again for my return!
4) Learn to Swim
There's nothing worse than jumping into aqua blue and crystal clear seas, travelling on speed boats and jet skis, knowing that you can't actually swim. Children all around you snorkelling, swimming out far away from the shore, and all you can do is watch and record videos on your phone. Yes, ashamedly this is me. I made a promise to myself that I would learn to swim before I return...
5) Carry a Torch
Many of the residential roads in Flic-en-Flac are extremely dark. Streetlights may not always work, and when they do, they can be so far apart, that the roads are not well-lit. If you forget to carry a torch, you can always use a mobile phone torch.
6) Carry Extra Funds
Carry more money than anticipated. Mauritius is not as cheap as you might expect, and you might need to exchange money more often. Bear in mind some of the currency exchanges run out of Mauritian money, and then you will have to travel around looking for the nearest available exchanges or local banks.
7) Leave the Heels At Home!
It's completely up to you, but when a Nigerian vlogger told her viewers that they won't wear the heels in Mauritius, I said "I sure will!" Yes, we all want to look great, sexy and stylish on holiday, but I guarantee you will not take those heels out of your suitcase! I carried three pairs of high heels and had no desire to wear any of them! The Mauritian sun is either so hot or humid, that you'd prefer flat sandals and loose-fitted, free-flowing clothing. Shorts and flats will work perfectly fine, with any outfit.
8) Hire a car!
Ok, if you're an explorer like me, you may not mind travelling by public transport, but if you have intentions of travelling far and wide across the island, I would suggest hiring a car, as some of the Mauritian transport may not always be reliable. If you can drive and have a valid license, it may also prove more cost-effective. I quickly got used to routes, and certain areas and felt like the public transport helped me to familiarize myself around the Island. We even took the train to Phoenix Mall which was a nice day out.
9) Carry something Waterproof!
Mauritius doesn't rain nearly as much as London, but you'll be lucky if you escape showers during your stay! Particularly if your travelling during the rainy season. If not, it is still advisable to carry something waterproof or a small umbrella on your travels. Although the weather is generally hot, it can rain a few times a day!
10) Travel WITHOUT Rolling Paper
Before travelling to any country for that matter, I would always advise you to read up and educate yourself on the laws and custom practices of the country you are visiting. It is against the law to bring rolling papers (like Rizla) into the country. If you are a smoker, you can freely buy cigarettes from any of the supermarkets, but rolling papers like (Rizla) will NOT be allowed in, nor can they be purchased there. You can face fines or even imprisonment if you attempt to bring the rolling paper in and disregard the law.
There is also a NO eating or drinking policy on the trains. I'm not sure if this applies to the buses as well, but take caution and ensure you find out before you eat. Of course, I had to find out the hard way! But I was lucky enough that a passenger informed me before I was fined or thrown off!
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