O. R. SalahudeenTravelling to the Island country of Mauritius could be very exciting anytime, here we shall intimate you on travel to Mauritius from Nigeria step by step guide and introduce you to ways to make your trip and stay memorable and hitch-free one.
WHERE IS MAURITIUS LOCATED
The Island country of Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean about 2400 km Southeast of the African mainland. A tourist paradise, blessed with beautiful beaches and numerous tourists friendly environments. A well-organised country with a stable economy and government. Travelling to Mauritius is a pleasure any time of the year.
HOW TO GET THERE
The only option available for travelling to the Island country is by flight and be ready to have at least a stopover and the possibility of acquiring a transit visa.
The surest way to fly to the Island country is by Air Mauritius. The airline operates flights from Nigeria to Mauritius. They call it direct flight but I’m sure they will stop over somewhere along the way.
Other Airlines operate scheduled flights from Lagos to Mauritius, such as the Emirates A380 flight from Lagos – Dubai – Mauritius. South African Airways, British Airways, Air France and Lufthansa etc are other airlines you can choose if you can afford their stopovers.
Please note that their price ticket ranges from USD550 – USD720 on average.
IS MAURITIUS A VISA-FREE COUNTRY FOR NIGERIA?
Fortunately yes. Mauritius allows Nigerian citizens 14 days visa on arrival which enables you to enter and stay in the country for 14 days only. The drawback of this type of visa is that it may be difficult to obtain an extension if you intend to stay for a longer period.
Furthermore, there is no Mauritian Embassy in Nigeria, therefore if you intend to obtain their long stay visas you have to find out which country represent their interests in your country.
Furthermore, on visa, it’s important to know that the visa on arrival agreement between Nigeria and Mauritius covers the only tourist, visit or business visas purposes only, therefore if you’re going for studies or employment, it’s advisable you apply for a visa before embarking on travelling to Mauritius. That’s the wise thing to do if you want to stay in Mauritius legally.
WHY MAURITIUS?
Very simple, Mauritius is a tourist’s paradise, a dream vacation anytime. The Indian Ocean Island country of Mauritius with attractive beaches and numerous centres, a superb destination for vacationers, wedding and honeymoon couples. You can’t be wrong if you make it to Mauritius.
IS MAURITIUS A SAFE PLACE TO TRAVEL?
According to numerous safety experts, Mauritius is adjudged to be a safe place currently. There is no case of terrorism, kidnapping, mugging or pickpocketing. You’re free to move freely everywhere on the Islands with peace of mind.
There are no cases of women harassment, hence women are safe to enjoy their stay, however, it will be very unreasonable to dress indecently that may attract a bad element. The choice is yours.
STILL ON TRAVEL TO MAURITIUS FROM NIGERIA STEP BY STEP GUIDE
1. Be sure your passport is valid for at least six months with free visa pages before departing.
2. Have a basic travelling allowance sufficient to cover your entire stay in Mauritius.
3. Have a return ticket.
4. Have a valid Port health certificate.
5. Have a Police clearance certificate.
6. Finally, have evidence of accommodation arrangement.
DEPARTING FROM NIGERIA
These are important points to note when departing for Mauritius:
1. Ensure you arrive at the airport early before the airline commences departing procedures. Arriving at the Airport late and engaging in inside talk or playing instead of being on the queue at the airline departure point may lead to refuse departure.
2. As soon as you conclude the checking in procedures and obtain the boarding pass do not involve in any other business other than moving straight to the Immigration departure counters. If you knowingly or unknowingly delayed reaching their counters, definitely be expecting long queues, which could make you miss your flight for the day.
These are avoidable behavioural bad habits which some passengers erroneously shift the blame on Immigration officers stupidly oftentimes.
For more information on this read facts36.com on how to avoid refused departure at Nigeria Airports.
ARRIVING MAURITIUS AIRPORT
Please note the following important points before approaching the Mauritius Immigration and Customs clearance counters:
1. If you’re a first-time traveller be careful about the type of luggage you carry. Having large suitcases could send the wrong signal that you have another mission that a short visit, therefore, the security personnel may deny you entry.
2. Ensure that your passport, health certificate, police clearance certificate, return ticket and basic travelling allowance are in your hand luggage to avoid embarrassment or waiting too long for your clearance at the entry point.
3. Avoid interacting or making friends with a stranger until you leave the arrival hall.
4. Know the exact address of the place you intend to stay, if you’re invited here, know the person’s name and the contact address.
5. Avoid assisting the fellow traveller in carrying luggage no matter their condition, it could be dangerous.
STILL ON TRAVEL TO MAURITIUS FROM NIGERIA STEP BY STEP GUIDE – WELCOME TO MAURITIUS
LEAVING THE ARRIVAL HALL
After the conclusion of the Immigration and Customs arrival formalities, the next step is to move out of the Airport and board a vehicle to your destination.
To reduce cost, try as much as possible to avoid Airport chartered vehicles. Bus transportation is highly recommended if you’re on a budget. There is a daily direct bus leaving the SSR International Airport and arriving at the capital, Saint Louis from time to time. They depart every 15 minutes. They may be slow in some cases, however, they’re cheaper and safer anytime. Above all, they will get you to your destination.
ACCOMMODATION IN MAURITIUS
If you don’t have pre-arranged accommodation, you can choose from over 1300 hotels scattered around Saint Louis. Prices start from USD30 per night.
If you don’t have enough money for hotels, go for hostels, there are many of them very neat with reduced or affordable prices. Their biggest advantage is that making friends is the easiest when you stay in a hostel where you have to mingle and shared facilities. The drawback in choosing a hostel to stay in is that there is no privacy, be ready to share rooms with large numbers of people.
FOOD IN MAURITIUS
Mauritian foods are a combination of Indian, Arabic and Chinese. You can easily get something to eat on the sidewalk, at street stalls and in affordable local restaurants any time. They’re there for you, the prices are affordable and the food is good. When you’re in Mauritius the best way is to eat like the local community. However, if you have a sensitive stomach be very careful of the new food you eat, in order not to be visiting their restroom. We don’t want to recommend any food, the choice is yours.
MAURITIAN CURRENCY
The Mauritian Rupee is the currency of Mauritius. The most popular Mauritius Rupee exchange rate is the US dollar to Mauritian Rupee rate. The current rate us 1MUR is equal to 0.02824.
MAURITIUS ‘S WEATHER
Mauritians are blessed with good weather with bright sunny skies all year round. Unlike in other climes where you have to choose the time to visit, you can decide to come here at any time of the year.
There are two seasons namely: Summertime starts from November to April. Wintertime starts from May to October. However, there are only minor weather changes hence no much difference between the two. The weather conditions are excellent year-round.
FINDING EMPLOYMENT IN MAURITIUS
If you entered Mauritius with a tourist or visiting visa, you may not be qualify to work and the visa is not extendable, therefore, if your intention is to work, before coming here do your research and process a work visa from your country of residence. Using a Tourist Visa to work may be possible for a short period only. Do not say I did not tell you.
That’s all for now on Travel to Mauritius from Nigeria step by step guide.
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