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The peculiarities described above, bring to the visitor some advantages and disadvantages. Mauritians are generally pacific, polite and to some extent, respectful unless their deepest values are at risk. It is therefore better not to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and especially with the wrong attitude. There are things that can be done and others that should be avoided. Here are some tips for a better stay in Mauritius.

Although it is a hot tropical place with beaches all around, Mauritius is first of all a country as a whole with towns, offices, highways and laws. It is therefore advisable not to walk or drive in bathing suits in towns, villages or in buses. This is especially true for women as Mauritian women are very conservative and men not used to see flesh in daylight. This is even truer for remote places where only a few tourists pass by.

In most hotels, walking around in surfer shorts or bathing suits after sunset is simply prohibited. On the beach, Mauritian women at the beach wear bikinis at best if not full dresses. It is therefore unusual to the Mauritian men to see nudity or even topless women lying some meters away. For your own comfort and security it is not advisable to practice integral tanning anywhere in Mauritius, while topless tanning should be avoided on public beaches.

Mauritius remains a safe place with a low criminality rate, thanks to the general level of education and high employment rates. However, some places are to be avoided especially at night, as the police's frequent patrols are not sufficient to make all regions 100 % safe. Although generally safe, walking on the streets after hours is not recommended unless in groups; while driving cars scooters or using taxis are perfectly safe anywhere at any time.

If you rent a private bungalow or room, make sure your bag, cameras, travel documents and money are safely locked or hidden and that doors are closed while you are out on the beach or sleeping. The situation is totally different in hotels, which are most safe with trained employees.

Driving in Mauritius can be a lifetime experience; in fact, walking on the streets as well. Although most roads are in good shape, it is the way the Mauritians drive that makes it a bit scary. First of all, the cars are right hand driven but people drive more towards the middle of the road rather than on the left hand side as the streets are often crowded with pedestrians, dogs, hens etc.

However, several of our visitors do rent cars to drive along and they are absolutely right as in fact, it is just another way of driving, the oriental style, where the one looks determined is given priority. It is thus a question of applying a different driving style consisting of driving at approximately the same speed as others, of using the horn and pass lights without hesitation and expect anything. Buses are especially scary as they drive fast on narrow roads trying hard to overtake the competitor ahead. Riding bikes and bicycles in busy towns and villages can be simply dangerous.

Renting a car in Mauritius remains an advantage as, we repeat, there are plenty of interesting things to see in Mauritius for those who want to see them. Driving not only allows the seeing of magnificent sceneries, but also the catching of quick images (often funny) of Mauritius that reveal in a glimpse, the real life in Mauritius which those who stay in hotels will never be able to see. A car allows one to stop at anytime anywhere just for a picture or for buying something on the street side and start a conversation with a local and learn something. Isn't that real travelling?

Car rentals in Mauritius may be a bit expensive as cars and spares are subject to high taxes. International car hire companies are of course the safest way to go but a few of the smaller local car rental companies are performing and offer the possibility to save some money while benefiting from an OK to good service. However, we would recommend NOT renting unofficial cars as they are often in really bad shape and one may face severe troubles in case of accident. Registered cars for hire bear yellow number plates.