Good Time to Visit
Weather
Mauritius has a warm coastal climate, particularly during summer (November to April), when temperatures are approximately 27°C (80°F). Rainfall and humidity is also high during this period (20 cm monthly rainfall and 70% average humidity). Cyclones occur between January and March.
Winter, from May to October is warm and dry, with average temperatures of 20°C (68°F) and rainfall of 5 cm a month or less. Sea breezes blow all year, especially on the east coast, and the inland central plateau around Curepipe is cooler and rainy year round. (See Climate in Mauritius for more information).
Visitors are advised to bring tropical lightweights, with warmer wear for evenings and winter months (May to October). Rainwear is useful all year round, and trousers and long sleeves will help to prevent insect bites.
Festivals
With origins in three separate continents and with three major religions, there is a great diversity of religious and cultural festivals in Mauritius. Public holidays mark the Chinese New Year, in January/February, as well as the major Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas. Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colour, is celebrated around March, with people enthusiastically throwing paint at each other - all in good spirits. Diwali, around November, is another major Hindu celebration. From the Islamic calendar Ramadan, the month of fasting (dates vary), is a particularly significant time.
Public Holidays
The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in Mauritius:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January/February (variable) | Thaipoosam Cavadee |
| 1-2 January | New Year |
| February/March (variable) | Maha Shivaratri |
| February/March (variable) | Chinese New Year |
| 1 February | Abolition of Slavery Day |
| March (variable) | Ougadi |
| 12 March | National Day |
| 1 May | Labour Day |
| August/September (variable) | Ganesh Chathurthi |
| 15 August | Assumption Day |
| October/November (variable) | Diwali (Festival of Lights) |
| 1 November | All Saints' Day |
| 2 November | First Labourers' Day |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Variable* | Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) |
* Although Muslim holidays always fall on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date they are celebrated on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, due to the fact that the Islamic calendar is lunar whilst the Gregorian calendar is solar. Because this lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Islamic holy days usually shift 11 days earlier each successive solar year. The method used to determine when each Islamic month begins also varies from country to country.