Mauritius

A single volcanic island ringed almost entirely by reef, which is why the water inside the lagoon is flat nearly everywhere. The north around Grand Baie is the busy end, the west has the sunsets and the dolphins, the east is windier and quieter, and the south is the wild coast where the reef breaks and the cliffs start.

It is the most self-sufficient island here. There is a mountainous interior, a real capital, a food culture drawing on India, China, France and Africa at once, and enough to do that a week of rain would not ruin the trip.

Getting there

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (MRU) in the south-east takes direct flights from Europe, the Gulf, South Africa, India and Réunion. Everything on the island is road from there — an hour to the north, twenty minutes to the south-east coast. Hire a car; the bus network is cheap but slow.

Entry

Tourist visa granted on arrival. Stays of up to 180 days cumulative in a calendar year, granted case by case. Travellers are asked to complete the Mauritius All in One travel form before departure, which produces a QR-coded PDF for health officials; without it you fill an Immigration Disembarkation Card on arrival.