Mauritius or Maldives: which is better?

Mauritius or the Maldives? This question is asked by many tourists who want to go on vacation to some tropical island in the Indian Ocean.

Let's just say that Mauritius and the Maldives are very different from each other, so to make a choice in favor of any one place to stay is very easy. But to do this, you need to have a good understanding of what you expect from the rest.

Where is better: Mauritius or the Maldives? What are the differences between these islands? We decided to compare both of these destinations to help you decide on the question "Mauritius or Maldives?

Airfare

Since the Maldives is noticeably closer to Russia than Mauritius, it is not surprising that the cost of airline tickets to Male airport is noticeably lower than the cost of airline tickets to Mauritius.

And this difference is quite large. For example, at the end of 2019, it was possible to buy charter tickets from Moscow to the Maldives and back for 33 thousand per person, while airline tickets to Mauritius cost about 42 thousand rubles per person.

In addition, it is worth remembering that there are direct flights from Russia to the Maldives, as well as a large number of flights with connections in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Istanbul and other cities. There are currently no direct flights to Mauritius, and the number of flights with connections is not as large as in the case of the Maldives.

Hotels

In the Maldives you can find hotels at very low prices. However, these are not the hotels that you are used to seeing in various brochures. Inexpensive hotels in the Maldives are on large islands with local residents.

For example, this is the island of Maafushi, which has about 50 hotels for every budget. However, this island has only one tourist beach, no alcohol (none at all) and no entertainment besides small bars.

It is unlikely in your mind vacation in the Maldives is associated with a vacation on an island like this. If you want to rest in a typical Maldivian hotel, located on its own small island, then the cost of living will be at best $ 100 a night at the cheapest 3-star hotel.

In Mauritius for the same 100 dollars you can book a room at a fairly good hotel. Moreover, Mauritius has a large selection of inexpensive hotels and hostels at a price of $30 per room per night.

If you go to Mauritius mainly for beach holidays and to explore the island, you can save money on the hotel. In other words, in Mauritius you do not have to choose an expensive hotel, whereas in the Maldives, all hotels on your own island are expensive, and cheap hotels on Maafushi Island and other similar islands are unlikely to match your understanding of vacationing in the Maldives.

Recreation Concept

This is probably the most important point. If your budget is enough for a vacation in both the Maldives and Mauritius, then you need to understand how you see your vacation. Let's say right away that in this case the favorite is Mauritius. Below we will tell you why we think so.

The Maldives is best suited for those tourists who want to relax in a quiet environment on their own small island. But here it is important to consider some nuances.

For example, if you vacation in a cheap 3 or 4-star hotel, your vacation is unlikely to be quiet, because these hotels usually have a lot of rooms and are almost always packed to the brim.

So it will be difficult to hide from the noise, because from your island you can not go anywhere (except for a lot of money you can go to some other island).

In addition, it is worth remembering that the prices of food in the hotels in the Maldives are high, and you will not have an alternative, because you will not find cheap cafes near the hotel. You will have to eat in the hotel restaurant, and this is not a cheap pleasure.

The way out could be an all-inclusive system or at least a full-board system.

In Mauritius, you can find hotels for all tastes.

So if you want quiet, you will get it. Even if you don't have money for a luxury hotel with a quiet atmosphere, you can check into any hotel and periodically go to the deserted beaches.

Fortunately, Mauritius is a very big island compared to the Maldives. If you want to save money on food, you can eat at local cafes and restaurants instead of the hotel.

Only when choosing a hotel in Mauritius, pay attention to where it is located, as some hotels are secluded and there are no cafes near them.

Mauritius also offers many different attractions and activities. While you are likely to get bored in the Maldives, in Mauritius it is hard not to find entertainment to your liking. Our website has a lot of information about all the interesting places and activities in Mauritius.

Weather

It is also important at what time you are going on vacation. The fact is that in Mauritius you can vacation at any time of year (the best time to vacation - October-November), while in the Maldives there is a distinct rainy season from May to October.

In Mauritius, on the contrary, it is the dry season. The general rule is that when the Maldives has bad weather, Mauritius has good weather and vice versa.

But still in Mauritius and the Maldives can rest all year round, just need to be prepared for heavy rains and cyclones when you decide to go on vacation out of season.

What to choose?

To summarize, let's say that, other things being equal, a vacation in the Maldives will cost you less than in Mauritius, only if you vacation on the island of Maafushi or other similar islands.

If you want to live in a more or less decent hotel on your own island, then most likely the holiday in the Maldives will be more expensive. Especially when you consider that you will have no alternative to the hotel restaurants in terms of food.

Although airfare to Mauritius is noticeably more expensive than tickets to the Maldives, on the whole your vacation on this island may be cheaper than in the Maldives.

Mauritius has many inexpensive hotels, which are surrounded by restaurants, cafes, bars and stores, which will save you a lot of money on accommodation and food.

In addition, holidays in Mauritius will be more exciting than in the Maldives, as well as all the entertainment that is in the Maldives, Mauritius adds a lot of other entertainment and a huge number of interesting places.