Renting a car gave us the freedom to explore Mauritius at our own pace. But the company we rented from nearly ruined the experience. Here’s everything you need to know about driving in Mauritius and the one rental company you should stay far away from.
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Renting a car in Mauritius was one of the best decisions we made for our trip.
The freedom to drive wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted, is what allowed us to visit places like Chamarel Waterfall, the Seven Coloured Earth, Alexandra Falls, Le Morne, and the Bois Cheri Tea Factory all on our own schedule.
No waiting for tour buses, no being rushed through a stop, no paying someone else to take us where we could easily drive ourselves.
The roads in Mauritius are genuinely smooth and well-maintained. Driving is on the left side (like the UK), and once you adjust to that, getting around the island is pretty straightforward.
But the rental company we chose? That’s a different story entirely. And I need to talk about it because I don’t want anyone else to go through what we did.
TLDR: Do not rent with Mauriconnect for any reason. Details below.
Tips for Driving in Mauritius
Before I get into the rental situation, here’s what you should know about actually driving on the island.
You drive on the left side of the road. If you’re coming from the US or anywhere that drives on the right, this will feel weird at first. Give yourself a few minutes to adjust and keep reminding yourself to stay left, especially at roundabouts.
There are roundabouts everywhere. This is the main way intersections work in Mauritius outside of the cities. They’re well-marked, but remember they go clockwise (opposite of what you’re used to if you drive on the right). Pay attention and follow the flow of traffic.
The roads are surprisingly good. I wasn’t expecting this, but the roads in Mauritius are smooth, well-paved, and clearly marked. It’s not the type of island driving where you’re constantly dodging potholes or navigating dirt roads. The infrastructure is solid.
Speed limits change often. You might be driving at 110 km/h on a highway and then it drops to 60 or even 40 as you enter a town. Pay attention to the signs because there are speed cameras and traffic police throughout the island. Getting a fine on vacation is not the vibe.
Don’t use your phone while driving. This is a legal requirement in Mauritius and they enforce it. Even holding your phone at a red light can result in a fine. Use a phone mount if you need GPS, or have your passenger navigate.
Carry your license and rental documents at all times. Police set up roadblocks and could ask for these. It’s routine and not a big deal, but you need to have everything on you.
Gas is affordable. If you’re driving a small car, fuel costs won’t set you back much. We didn’t think twice about it. We spent less than $40 USD on gas during our 6 days exploring Mauritius.
Parking is easy almost everywhere. Outside of Port Louis, finding parking was never an issue. Most attractions have free or inexpensive parking nearby. Interestingly enough, the car we rented didn’t have a “park” mode. We just had to put it in neutral and pull up the emergency brake. So if your car is missing P (truly never seen this anywhere else with an automatic car) that’s all you need to do.
Why Renting a Car Is Worth It
The biggest pro of having a rental car in Mauritius is freedom.
The island is small enough that you can reach most destinations within an hour or so of driving, which means you can pack a lot into a single day without being locked into anyone else’s itinerary.
Here’s a sample of what we were able to visit just by having our own car:
Chamarel Waterfall and the Seven Coloured Earth. A must-see. Having a car meant we could drive through the scenic roads at our own pace and stop whenever we wanted.
Alexandra Falls Viewpoint. A quick stop with stunning views that many guided tours skip entirely.
Blue Bay and Mahebourg Waterfront. Beautiful coastal areas on the southeastern side.
Le Morne. On the southwestern tip of the island with incredible views.
Flic en Flac. A popular beach area on the west coast. This is actually where we stayed at Hilton Mauritius Resort.
Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin). A sacred Hindu temple and lake in the mountains. Stunning and peaceful.
Bois Cheri Tea Factory. A tea tasting experience tucked into the hills where you can learn all about the tea making process in Mauritius.
Trou aux Cerfs. A dormant volcanic crater in Curepipe with panoramic views of the island. Free to visit and easy to drive to.
All of these were accessible because we had a car.
Some of them would’ve been difficult to reach any other way without paying for an expensive private tour.
If you’re deciding whether to rent, I’d say yes. Just choose your rental company carefully.
Do Not Rent from Mauriconnect
I don’t usually call out businesses by name. But this experience was bad enough that I feel a responsibility to warn you.
Mauriconnect is a car rental company in Mauritius, and I’m asking you to avoid them entirely.
The cheapest option is not always the best value, and we learned that the hard way.
When we returned the car, the staff immediately demanded a cleaning fee before properly inspecting the vehicle. The car was in the same condition we received it in.
Rather than give them any more money, we took it to a local car wash and had it professionally cleaned. They still demanded the fee when we returned.
Multiple staff members got aggressive with us. They told us their job “isn’t to clean cars all day,” which didn’t make sense since we had already cleaned the car.
Then they withheld our airport shuttle (which is supposed to be included with the booking) because we refused to pay a fee we didn’t owe.
We’re not argumentative people. This was our anniversary trip. We just wanted to return the car and catch our flight.
It was clear they had no interest in treating us like customers. We had already paid for this rental, and to this day we don’t understand what more they wanted from us or why.
Do not rent from Mauriconnect. If they’ve changed their name, location, or staff, do your due diligence.
Don’t waste your peace. Don’t waste your money.
How to Find a Better Rental
We can’t promise that every other rental company in Mauritius will be perfect, but we can tell you to avoid Mauriconnect with certainty and to do your homework before booking anywhere.
A good starting point is Discover Cars, which lets you compare prices across multiple rental companies and filter by reviews. Look for companies with consistently high ratings and read what other travelers have said about the return process specifically, because that’s where problems tend to surface.
A few things to look for when choosing a rental in Mauritius:
Check the reviews about the return process. A company can seem great at pickup and then flip the script when you bring the car back, for whatever reason they feel like. Look for reviews that specifically mention the return experience.
Inspect the car before you drive off. Walk around it, take photos and videos of every scratch, dent, and imperfection. Check the interior. Make sure everything works. This could protect you if they try to blame you for pre-existing damage.
Understand what’s included. Insurance, airport transfer, mileage limits, fuel policy. Get everything in writing or confirmed in the booking before you arrive.
Ask about the return process upfront. What condition do they expect the car in? Is there a cleaning fee? What happens if they say it’s not clean enough? What’s considered not clean? Knowing this ahead of time gives you leverage if things go sideways.
Other Ways to Get Around Mauritius
We’d recommend renting a car for most of your trip (obviously not with Mauriconnect!), but there are moments when having a local driver is the better move, especially for airport transfers.
After our experience with Mauriconnect, when they refused to take us to the airport, we were stuck figuring out how to make our flight to Madagascar.
But although the people at Mauriconnect were rotten, it’s not hard to find good people in Mauritius.
We soon met Yudish, an extremely kind driver who agreed to take us to the airport. Along our drive we learned more about him and his family, and we ended our trip on a good note.
Mauriconnect does not represent Mauritius. The people we met throughout the rest of our trip were warm, welcoming, and generous. Don’t let one bad company stop you from renting a car and exploring this incredible island.
Even if your rental experience goes perfectly, having a trusted local driver for airport runs or day trips is a nice option to have in your back pocket. If you’d like Yudish’s contact information for airport transfers or day trips in Mauritius, send us an email at hello@chewstoexplore.com and we’ll happily connect you.
Also, Uber has recently launched in Mauritius, so that can be an option for getting around the island, as well!
