Lots of good restaurants, bars and Discos are in the north of the island, mainly in Grand Bay.

Real nightlife is only in Fridays and Saturdays. Try some of the following places: „Les Enfants Terrible” (Pointe aux Canonniers), “Stardance“or “Banana-Café“with its Cocktails.

Or make an effort to spend the evening in a Hotel, there is always animation and don't miss a Sega dance!

GENERAL

Before considering the night scene of Mauritius one should keep in mind that Mauritius and its citizens are more stuck-up than it should be. Fun and pleasure seem to be banned and in some ways it is. Political and religious powers are so strictly linked up that the authorities have a rule of sending everybody to bed at 10 p.m.

On the positive side, there is a permanent uprising of the youth and the scene is now much livelier and independent than it was 10 years ago.

Nightlife in Mauritius is closer to the continental way than to an exotic scene in the sense that in the few regions where “something’s up” it is mainly in restaurants, bars, and discothèques; there are unfortunately neither beach parties nor full-moon parties… at least not formally.

BARS & DISCOTHEQUES

Most bars & discothèques are open every night except Sundays but the evenings that work best are Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Bars get fuller after diner (between 9 and 10 and this lasts only 2 to 3 hours. normally, bar people are not discotheque people; most bars being in open-air venues more suitable to all. The bar people tend to be a bit older (25 to 50) whereas the discothèque crowd is more between 18 and 40.

The liveliest area at night is absolutely Grand Bay; mostly for its restaurants but it has also quite a large amount of bars and discothèques.

Discotheques in Grand Bay

Stardance and Godz discothèque. Royal Road Grand Bay. Technically it is the largest and best discothèque of Grand Bay with excellent sound system. The Stardance is unfortunately like all of the most famous discotheques of the world; purely commercial. It attracts people of all regions and kinds and although there are not so many incidents, this place is not so much of great interest. It has no soul and the music is a mix of commercial and local.

The Banana Café, (bar) Royal Road Grand Bay, is a nicely set-up semi-open bar under trees, quite well known and was the first of its kind. It is the expatriates’ favourite spot. Now partly owned by an American expat fond of live rock and jazz music. Jamming sessions occur every weekend and sustained (sometimes too much) recorded music plays along the rest of the time. The place gets pretty full on weekends as it is of good professional excellence with a good mix of expats and local people. Prices are reasonable.

The Zanzibar (fun bar / discothèque) at Royal Road, Grand Bay. The Zanzibar is situated in the same yard as the Banana; however, the concept is completely different and there is only a small proportion of the Banana clients that move to the Zanzibar afterwards. The Zanzibar is in between a fun bar and a pretty small discothèque. Of all origins, it is often crowded with young people preferring the hip hop and R&B influence to the commercial / tech school. The music and quality of sound is far from the best but does the job. The crowd being generally very young behaved and clean, the Zanzibar remains one of the two acceptable places of Grand Bay.

Le Bamboo nightclub, Chemin Vingt Pieds, Grand Bay. Fairly maintained nightclub where lonely men and couples are welcome. Funny to visit once as its crowd is most “roots.”

Zeclaire nightclub, Chemin Vingt Pieds, Grand Bay. Not really a discotheque… To be avoided.

Les Enfants Terribles. (Discotheque) Royal Road, Pointe aux Canonniers. Les Enfants Terribles counts a medium-sized dance floor indoor and especially a large patio with an open-air bar. Open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, it is a rather traditional nightclub with music of the 80’s, apt to people of all ages, but most appreciated by the 40 to 50’s who particularly enjoy its open-air area making Les Enfants Terribles an hybrid between a bar and a nightclub. Les Enfants Terribles enjoys a clientele of relatively rich people but the success of the place is in offering to this clientele the possibility to watch younger people, and attractive jet-setters having fun. The mood heats up as dawn approaches as many younger people stop by for a last drink. However, it is not the place for the young, up-to-date party animals as the music is really decades away but remains a good address for the “Look-at-me” who likes to watch and be seen.

The Buddha Club (Discotheque) Royal Road, Grand Bay. The name rings a bell of course but the only similarity with the well-known Parisian Buddha Bar is a statue of Buddha which is not as nice and big as the one there.

After a good start as a fun bar, the Buddha was unfortunately transferred into a nightclub. Entry is free of charge like most clubs in Mauritius and the place is crowded. Open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, its clientele is fortunately a minimum selected and except on rare occasions, behaves itself.

The music (mainly House) is fair to good but the sound system could be improved; not only for the dance floor but to save the ears of those who just come to enjoy a drink at the bar.

The Buddha remains the right addresses for the 20 to 30’s who want to dance long nights on up-to-date music and a good address for sexy dancing.

N-Gyone Nightclub is sexy and classy, Ahead of its time! N-Gyone nightclub offers a tropical feel merged with the industrial era in which we are living. The concept is strong, yet subtle, just like the atmosphere inside. The focus is based on musical talent, innovative concepts, friendly atmosphere, big events and a breathtaking decor.

Discotheques Outside Grand Bay

The Saxophone, Royal Road, Beau Bassin. The “Saxo” was the first place for house music in Mauritius, when the worldwide house movement started and was the reference. Since then, it has had ups and downs but managed to stay alive and kicking and made the people livelier and livelier. It maintained a pleasant and faithful clientele that, with their peaceful attitude, help the newcomers in feeling at ease.

Arena, Pasadena Complex, Royal Road, Flic-en-Flac. The Arena nightclub has an outstanding potential, as the core architecture is modern and well designed. The sound system could have been enhanced but is sufficient for the spending of pleasant night. The Arena is a bit irregular as there is very little communication from the management. It’s unfortunate as it turned out to be a good spot for the few times they had organized events with international DJs.

Water Sports in Mauritius

Most of the beachside resort hotels offer water sport services free of charge to their guests. This normally includes water-skiing and windsurfing, as well as kayaks, pedallos and snorkelling. Some have glass-bottom boats and also dinghy sailing. If you're not staying in a beach hotel there is a boathouse, on the Ile aux Cerfs, where utensils can be hired. Diving : Most of the big hotels include diving on their top most lists of sports activities. Diving coaching is also available. Marvelous coral gardens are found at a depth of 25 meters. The waters around Mauritius are home to over a thousand dissimilar species of fish. Spear fishing and the gathering of shells, corals, and fish are strictly banned. With a coral reef that extends right in the region of the island and water that is both warm and crystal clear, Mauritius is a place of attraction for divers from around the world. The majority of those who dive in Mauritius are first timers fascinated to the sport by the safe and near perfect environment that exist on and around the reef, secure in the knowledge that there is skilled training on hand for the novice. Most large hotels in Mauritius have approved instructors on site, many of them members of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) who can help out beginners with the fundamentals of the sport. There is usually some early morning coaching in the hotel swimming pool before novices are allowed to dive in the sea. All trips are accompanied by qualified divers and there are courses and dives for the more experienced, together with (lives on to shipwrecks off the Mauritian coast. Look for the common red and white PADI symbol and check that diving schools are members of the Mauritian Scuba Diving Association (MSDA) based in Beau Bassin, which comprises around 30 centers.

Glass-bottomed boat : For those not drawn to the pleasures of diving, there are two choices of alternatives. Most large hotels operate a glass-bottomed boat that allows visitors to view the marine life on the coastal reef - or visitors can opt for an underwater walk in Grand Baie. This is like diving except that you walk along the bottom wearing something akin to an old diver's head covering over your head and with the oxygen fed by a hose line from the boat.

Wind Surfing : The fame of windsurfing and the supreme conditions for it have resulted in many competitions, together with World Championships, being held in Mauritius. Windsurfing instruction is available and equipment can be hired at beachside boathouses. Water skiing in the sheltered waters of the reef-protected lagoons is also accessible with instruction for beginners. For surfing, the Bay of Tamarin is said to be the best spot to drop in, and the season lasts from around June to August.

Sailing : Circumstances for sailing are usually excellent. The major beach resorts have small sailing dinghies which visitors can use within the waters of the lagoon. Yachts can also be chartered for excursions into the open sea. Some outings mingle sailing with shore excursions to otherwise inaccessible spots. An individual can link a group at a fraction of the cost of a private yacht charter. Sailing regattas are held annually. Grand Baie is the main centre for yachting and the Grand Baie Yacht Club has a temporary membership scheme for guests Sailing cruises are accessible on the schooner Isla Mauritia, a 19th-century 32m-long tall ship, the last existing vessel of her class, operated by Yacht Charters Ltd.

Catamaran : Discover the gorgeous magical islands surrounding Mauritius and be seduced by the crystal clear lagoon, the amazing tropical underwater scenery, multicoloured flora, fauna and sandy stretches.