Port Louis: What to Know Before You Go

Short answer: visit central Port Louis on a weekday morning or Saturday morning when the markets and Chinatown stalls are in full swing, time your stop at the Blue Penny Museum for the hourly stamp illumination, and carry Mauritian rupee notes for street food vendors.

Why weekday mornings and Saturdays beat Sundays

Unlike Mauritius's resort beaches, Port Louis is a working commercial port and seat of government. From Monday to Friday (and until early afternoon on Saturday), the streets between Le Caudan Waterfront, Place d'Armes, Central Market and Chinatown hum with spice sellers, courthouse barristers in black robes, textile merchants and steaming boulette carts. By late afternoon and all day on Sunday, most central shops, market halls and Chinatown bakeries close their shutters; save Sundays for hiking Le Pouce or strolling Pamplemousses Botanical Garden.

Seeing the original 1847 stamps at the Blue Penny Museum

Port Louis's most famous museum treasure is the pair of original 1847 "Post Office" Mauritius postage stamps (the orange-red One Penny and deep blue Two Pence) housed inside the Blue Penny Museum at Caudan Waterfront. To prevent light damage to the 19th-century ink, the museum displays replica stamps for most of the hour and illuminates the genuine originals in their darkened vault for only ten minutes every hour; ask the reception desk upon arrival when the next lighting slot occurs so you can time your walk through the upper gallery.

Mauritian rupees, languages and walking comfort

The local currency is the Mauritian rupee (MUR). While boutiques and waterfront restaurants at Caudan accept Visa and Mastercard, Central Market stalls, dholl puri stands and the Jummah Mosque courtyard operate on cash. Mauritian Creole and French are spoken everywhere alongside English. Because the harbour basin is sheltered from the trade winds by the Moka mountains, Port Louis is a couple of degrees warmer than the east coast; start your walk early and check where to stay.