Mauritius will remain closed for short-term leisure travel in December, as government decided to extend the quarantine regulations until January 15, 2021. The island is arguably South Africa’s favourite destination to visit.
Le Morne Brabant peninsula, topped by a basalt monolith (worth the hike) and surrounded by lagoons, is a popular tourist spot in the south-west of Mauritius. It’s named after a Dutch East India Company ship, Brabant, which ran aground on the reef in 1793. The peninsula remains a place of local myth and legend.
The island requires visitors to quarantine for 14 days before being able to explore. It is therefore unfeasible for short-term travellers to visit. On average, south Africans visit anywhere between 7 and 10 days, according to Tourism Update.
Guests have to remain in their hotel room, where they are provided meals and hygiene equipment.
Those wanting to visit the island for longer, including children and infants, must possess the following documents:
- A certificate of a negative COVID – 19 PCR test administered between 5 and 7 days prior to the date of boarding at the last point of embarkation.
- A valid air ticket to Mauritius; and
- Proof of purchase of a travel package including accommodation, on a full board basis, at a designated hotel for a mandatory 14-day in-room quarantine.
What travellers need to know:
- Any arriving passenger will have to undergo PCR tests on day of arrival, day 7 and day 14 following arrival: and
- If a PCR test reveals that a person is COVID-19 positive, he shall be transferred to a public medical institution for treatment.
- Non-Mauritians must pay a fee of Rs13,500 (R5,161) per person to their hotel to cover for Ministry of Health costs (including three PCR tests administered in Mauritius) when purchasing their travel package.
Incoming passengers to Mauritius must download and fill out their Public Health COVID-19 Passenger Health Self-Declaration Form and Passenger Locator Form which must be handed over to the Ministry of Health and Wellness counters upon their arrival. These can be accessed here.
Picture: Getaway Gallery
