Mauritius

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Flag of Mauritius Mauritius
Information
Language: English
Capital: Port Louis
Population: 1,300,000
Currency: Mauritian rupee
Paved roads: 1,786 km (96%)
Hitchability: <rating country='mu' />
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<map lat='-20.2' lng='57.7' zoom='8' view='0' />


Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometres east of Madagascar.

Mauritius Ostküste.jpg

Hitchhiking

Although common in the past, hitchhiking is today totally inexistant in Mauritius. Everyone will tell you how it is impossible to hitch, "no one will ever pick you up", "just take the bus", "it's too dangerous"...

Hitchhiking in Mauritius is incredibly easy (specially for a white traveler). Most people are 'mari' friendly and generous. While a lot of people will stare at you and your thumb with a "what the heck?" look, many won't hesitate giving you a ride if they are asked to. So while thumbing don't miss any opportunity - a red light, a gas station, or a slow car - to shout through an open window the place you want to go. Any spot can be a hitch spot! Traffic is chaotic and cars stop whenever, wherever.

"where are you going?" - kot to pe ale?

"i'm going..." - mo pe al ...

Traveling in and out of Mauritius is so expensive that most people never left their island. They will be honestly admired and curious and generous when meeting a traveler, a foreigner who does something other than staying a couple of days in some seaside hotel.


Hitchhiking a sailing boat

Hitchhiking a sailing boat is a good to way to get to and out of Mauritius. The search might be quite demanding though, as there's no proper marina on the island. Check the boats docked at Le Caudan in Port Louis (leave a note in the Capitanerie), and check the anchored boats in Grand Baie (leave your note at the Grand Baie Yacht Club) and Rivière Noir. In september - november, many "tour-du-mondistes", coming from Asia and sailing around the world, could be able to take you towards South Africa and South America. From December to May is the cyclone season, with much less sailing traffic. As always with boat hitchhiking, expect to spend anything from 3 hours to 3 months to find a boat! But there can hardly be a better way to travel in these islands as that of those pirates that flourished here in the XVI century.

Cities



Nomadwiki & Trashwiki

Check Nomadwiki for info on accommodation, showers etc. or Trashwiki for dumpsters...and share your wisdom :)