The island of Mauritius is known for its diversity. Here live Indian, 
Chinese, Creole, African, European and Malagasy populations. They all 
live in a perfect harmony, and they all respect each other’s 
traditions. The inhabitants of the island are friendly and hospitable. 
They believe that their success is due to this fact, how they treat 
their tourists. All this, including the variety of religions, make the 
island of Mauritius one of the most visited touristic places. The 
multi-ethnic characteristics of Mauritius make it a multi-lingual 
country with ethnic languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Urdu, 
Mandarin and Cantonese being commonly used. But the true language 
spoken in the island is Creole, which resulted from mixing French with 
the language of the African slaves.Among the festivals celebrated in Mauritius, there are :Yaum un Nabi January ( Day of death of prophet Mohammed for the 
Muslims)Spring Festival February (The Chinese New Year is celebrated each year 
on a different date, owing to the differences between the lunar and 
the solar calendars)Eid-Ul-Fitr February (The Id-El-Fitr festival signals the end of the 
Ramadan - the fasting period for Muslim people)Independence Day 12 March (Republic Day)Divali September / October (The Festival of Lights is celebrated in a 
spirit of pure joy, in the month of October or November. Small clay 
lamps line the walls, balconies and yards for Hindu people).Mauritian Sega – the traditional dance…The Sega is the national dance as well as a musical genre met only in 
the island of Mauritius. Introduce in the island by the African 
slaves, the sega is a passionant dance, exotic, but it can become 
erotic also. In general it is danced by women dressed with large, 
colorful dresses. Among the songs, the best known are “Li tourne, li 
tourne” by Alan Ramanisum, “Le Morne” by Cassyia, and “Let me fly” by 
King. All these are emotional songs, which they hide true stories.Mauritian Cuisine…Mauritius is a paradise known not only for its views, but also for 
food. Each religion has a specific type of food. Culinary traditions 
from France, India, China and Africa, the best-known and appreciated 
cuisines in the world, have been passed on through generations. The 
combination of curries and rougailles along with white rice and other 
beans is popular with the locals and is generally included in their 
everyday food. The unique interblending of spices with vegetables, 
meat and fish is what lends that distinctive, unique charm to the food 
of Mauritius. Among the Mauritian dishes there are dholl purri, 
farata, gâteaux piment and samosas. Mauritius food includes also sea 
food, like the “Millionaire’s salad” comprising of oysters, shrimps, 
crayfish and crabs. It is said that to get the taste of real Mauritian 
food, you must have a dholl puri with a large glass of Alouda or 
tamarind juice.Mauritian Beer…Mauritius produces a wide range of cane rum. It is very cheap and is a 
nice drink when mixed with cola and ice. While drinking it, you must 
put coconut water with a dash of lime and a splash of local rum over 
ice. The local beer Phoenix is considered to be one of the best in the 
world.