Mauritius
Safari suits are often worn in business circles. Appointments should be made. English is widely understood in the business community. Handshaking is the customary form of greeting. It is appropriate to give a gift as a small token of appreciation if invited for a meal. Office hours are 0900-1600 Monday to Friday; 0900-1200 Saturday
Petty crime is common and travelers are advised to common sense precautions such as keeping an eye on personal belongings and avoiding crowds.
There are an abundance of hotels throughout the island and a number of smaller family holiday bungalows. From June to September and during the Christmas season, reservations should be made in advance.
Telephone IDD service is available in Mauritius. The country code is 230 and there are no area codes. The outgoing international code is 00. There are a limited number of public telephone booths, mainly at the airport and in major hotels. Most hotels have fax facilities. Telegram messages can be sent from the Mauritius Telecommunications Service offices at Cassis and Port Louis. There are also facilities at Overseas Telecoms Services Ltd, Rogers House, President John F Kennedy Street, Port Louis. Airmail to Western Europe usually takes five days, four to six weeks by sea. Post office hours: Generally 0900-1100 and 1200-1600 Monday to Friday; 0800-1100 Saturday.
220 volts AC, 50Hz. UK-type three-pin plugs are commonly used in hotels.
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Standards of cuisine, whether French, Creole, Indian, Chinese or English, are generally very high but fruit, meat, vegetables and even fresh seafood are often in short supply and restaurants must usually depend on imports.National specialties:
• Venison (in season).
• Camarons (freshwater prawns) in hot sauces.
• Octopus.
• Fresh pineapple with chilli sauce.
• Rice with curry.
• Dholl purri is a wheat pancake stuffed with dholl and dipped in tomato sauce.
• Samosas.National drinks:
• Rum.
• Beer.
• Alouda (almond drink).
• Fresh coconut
milk.
Things to know: Waiter service is normal in restaurants and bars.Tipping:
10 per cent is usual in most hotels and restaurants. Tips are not customary for taxi drivers.Nightlife
In Grand Baie and some towns there are discos and nightclubs with music and dancing. Rivière Noire is a Creole fishermen’s district where sega dancing is especially lively on Saturday nights. Sega troupes give performances at most hotels. Gamblers are lavishly catered for; casinos in the island’s hotels are amongst the island’s attractions.
