Travel to Mauritius will take a hit when the national carrier withdraws its services next month. Air Mauritius will stop direct flights to Sydney at the end of next month, making it harder for travellers to reach the idyllic destination in the Indian Ocean.
The managing director of Mauritius specialist Beachcomber Tours, Rod Eather, says the withdrawal of the flights is sure to have a negative impact, especially on travellers with limited time.
However, Eather says travellers from Sydney have the option of flying with Virgin Australia to Perth and connecting with twice-weekly Air Mauritius services. ”Air Mauritius have increased their services from Perth and have changed their schedules to ensure smooth connections into and out of Perth,” he says. “Flights from Sydney will depart in the morning, arriving in Mauritius that same evening. The return departs Mauritius late evening and is overnight to Perth with an early morning connection to Sydney.”
Eather says Air Austral, which recently returned to Sydney, also offers two flights a week to Mauritius. ”With the loss of Air Mauritius, they are an excellent replacement,” he says. “There is also an option to fly via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines and Air Mauritius, which is still a popular option.”
This article is an excerpt from Jane E. Fraser’s weekly travel column in The Sun Herald, Sydney.
