Off The Coast of Africa

Visiting Mauritius on a Budget

While Mauritius is often regarded as an expensive destination due to its popularity and location in the Indian Ocean, it is nevertheless quite possible to travel there on a budget. Obviously, travel agencies and tour operators are running a business, which entails them trying to sell you the most expensive package as soon as you inform them of your desire to visit Mauritius. However, Mauritius is in fact a very affordable destination as long as you know what you are doing and take measures to ensure your budget does not spiral out of control.

Choose the off-peak season

It sounds like an obvious advice and one that should never have to made this list but it is still amazing how people overlook the simplest of considerations. Most tourists still want to visit Mauritius during the December festivities or during the months of July to August when everybody is going on holiday. They consequently end up spending a lot on air tickets and accommodation. The off-peak season in Mauritius is from February to May and from September to October, and traveling to the island during these months will allow you to save a lot of money.

Stay clear from all inclusive travel packages

Travel packages that include the air ticket, the accommodation, and various other things important to a holiday in Mauritius are often regarded as a great way to avoid the hassle of looking for each thing separately. However, the fact remains that these packages are often much more expensive than if you booked everything separately.

Unless you get a package that you know is advantageous, it is always cheaper to find your ticket and hotel separately. With so many websites offering tons of information on Mauritius, it's not as if it can be very hard to find out everything you need to know about the famous Indian Ocean island.

Choose a reasonable accommodation

One of the biggest factors that will initially make Mauritius look extremely expensive is the rates charged by the tourist accommodation throughout the island. Due to their popularity, it makes sense for the famous Mauritius hotels and resorts to charge a lot to tourists. A lot of people thus book these without being aware that there are also cheaper options that will nevertheless provide great lodging during their holidays.

In addition to those popular 5 star or even 4 star Mauritius hotels, there exist various types of accommodation perfect for budget travelers. These include smaller boutique hotels such as the Paradise Cove Ile Maurice Spa, self catering villas and guesthouses, lodges, and even apartments that are only five minutes from the beach.

Changing your currency

Changing your currency to Mauritius Rupees in the island when you get there is another method of sticking to a lower budget. All the banks in Mauritius have better exchange rates and changing your currency there before dedicating yourself to your well-earned break is as straightforward as it sounds. In any case, you will save a lot of money if you rely on these banks instead of going to a private agency where the rates will be different.

Visiting Fiji in summer

Fiji is a beautiful chain of islands located in the Pacific Ocean. As far as flight time is concerned, it takes around four hours from Sydney, three hours from Auckland and roughly six hours from Honolulu. Most airlines that fly around the south Pacific area stop in Fiji. This makes finding reasonable ticket prices fairly easy to do, as it is a popular holiday destination. For traveler coming from Australia or New Zealand they will not need visas. However, the passport must be valid up to six months beyond the time they leave Fiji. Everyone else will need to get visas to legally visit Fiji.

Fiji has tropical weather and the seasons can be divided into two parts, a wet season and a dry season. The dry season starts around the month of May and ends in October. Predictably, this is the most popular time to visit and it is also when tickets will be the most expensive. June and July are the peak seasons for visiting Fiji in the summer. Along with tickets, you can expect accommodations to cost more also, during this time frame. Fijian summer happens from December to February and the temperatures can easily reach 30C plus. Most of the visitors are from Australia and New Zealand goes to Fiji at this time, as it coincides with school holidays.

November, February and March are the lowest point of vacation season to these islands and therefore, the cheapest time to visit. Remember, Fiji is not just one island but several islands. The total population is close to a million and most speak English. As far as packing clothes are concerned light clothes and open toe shoes will be enough. If you are from Australia or New Zealand and are planning to take electrical equipment, then electrical plugs from these countries will work in Fiji.

As far as cheap international flights to Fiji are concerned, they should be easy to find it. As mentioned before, Fiji, especially during summer time, is a popular destination. Many travel agencies give package deals on Fiji holidays which you and your family can take advantage of. Once you reach it, there will be plenty of activities to do. If you are staying at a self-catering villa, then buying food from local markets would be the thing to do. Prices will be quite a bit cheaper compared to the food served at resorts. As far as local transportation is concerned, the two main islands of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, is served by local buses.

10 Of The Most Breath Taking Places You Have To Travel Through In The World

Has your summer been a complete washout? Once upon a yesteryear it was easy to distinguish between our quintessentially “British” seasons and the staycation ranked up there with Cannes and Ibiza as a premier holiday option. The era of the staycation may still be in full swing, but the merging of our climate into one long, unpredictable season is still causing most of us to yearn for exotic climes and movie backdrop landscapes – minus the rain-induced mists. Here are ten of the best for your delectation!

Shangrila Resort, Skardu, North Pakistan.

There's a reason Shangrila has been dubbed “Heaven on Earth” by the locals and it's not all down to its isolated beauty amid the mystical Kunlun Mountain range. Set amid a ring of some of the highest peaks on Earth, Shangrila Resort nestles beside a heart-shaped lake, with pine trees fringing its soft sandy shores. At 2,500m above sea level, the purpose-built resort affords spectacular vistas and climbing opportunities, along with luxurious Swiss cottages on the doorstep of Buddhist monk country.

Colorado River Route, Arizona, U.S.A.

A combination of water erosion and volcanic activity over six million years has carved out the angular, rugged landscapes lining the Colorado River. The area more commonly referred to as the Grand Canyon comprises an area of over 277 sq. miles. Hitch a ride with a kayak tour at Vail Springs, Northwestern Colorado and explore the lower depths of the Canyon along the Colorado River, experiencing panoramic views of the soaring peaks that flank the tributary on either side.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Nestled upon the peak of a tableau mountain, the ancient Inca kingdom of Machu Picchu has long been a place of fascination for backpackers. Estimated to be over 600 years old, the town lies at an elevation of 2,430 metres above sea level, overlooking the jagged Urubamba Valley in South Central Peru.

Vienna, Austria

Beauty may be subjective, but few can deny that Austria's capital Vienna packs a punch as soon as you set foot amid the old city walls. Opulent palaces such as the Belvedere and Imperial command a majestic presence, dwarfed by the Gothic spires of St Peter's Church. St Stephen's Cathedral in the central district is one of the few places you can admire three-sixty panoramas of the entire cityscape - well worth the 500-step climb of the tower!

Bohinj Valley, Slovenia

Rarely featuring in the media’s top-ten lists, the Central European Republic of Slovenia hides more than its fair share of out-of-this-world vistas. Bohinj Valley in the North-Western quarter has been tagged “the most beautiful valley on Earth”, down to its peaceful setting and stunning periglacial lake. Mount Triglav – Slovenia's highest mountain, at 9,396 ft - sits to the north of the lake, giving way to a rugged topography of dramatic iced mountains and thick pine forests just waiting to be explored.

Petra, Jordan

Tucked away in the foothills of Mount Hor in the south-western region of Ma'an, Jordan, lies one of UNESCO's most stunning cultural heritage sites. Thought to have been built around the sixth century B.C, the rock-cut palaces, temples and dwelling houses of Petra are a fascinating testament to man's engineering capabilities some 2,000 years ago. The huge, naturally formed gorge shaft al-Siq paves the entrance to Petra and remains one of the most photographed 'doorways' in the world.

Lake Bunyonyi Resort, Uganda, Africa

Africa often appears upon must-see lists for its wilderness safari opportunities and Ancient Egyptian heritage, but rarely do the south-western overlands of Uganda get a mention. An oasis centrally located between the towns of Kabale and Kisoro, Lake Bunyonyi lures with the promise of deserted tranquil lake islands and thick brush landscapes, teeming with exotic wildlife.

Luang Prabang, Laos, South East Asia

Situated along a lush, narrow plateau between the Nam Kahn and Mekong Rivers in Laos lies a city so beautiful it has been added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. Ornate Buddhist temples dating back to the eighth century sit alongside quaint little cafes and grandiose central villas. The stark contrasts in architecture are one of the city's defining attractions!

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Rising like beacons above the forest canopy of Siem Reap, the palatial turrets of Angkor Wat were once Cambodia's best kept secret. Formerly the base for the prolific Khmer Empire around the ninth century, the temple complex is one of the most stunning Asian monuments to have survived the test of time. Nestled beside the mirror-like man-made lake, the photogenic complex remains wholly intact and usually takes an entire afternoon to explore.

The Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Many tourists now forgo the opportunity to explore Spain due to the plethora of party resorts that have emerged in recent years. If you have the chance to venture off the tourism trail, head to the heritage-rich province of Granada, home to the Moorish 14th-century city of Alhambra. Its terracotta palaces, Court of the Myrtles and Royal Complex are some of the finest surviving Muslim structures in Spain, hailing from the Nasrid Dynasty, the last Moorish and Muslim dynasty in Spain. Bounded by thick forests and rugged terrain, Alhambra's elevated walkways yield some truly breathtaking views.

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