When to travel
Two seasons, four rate bands
India has four seasons. Mauritius has two. The honest answer to “when is the best time to visit?” is: any time. What actually changes across the year is price and availability — so learn the rate calendar, not the weather chart.
| Season | Dates | Temperature | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1 May – 30 Sep | Rarely below 15°C | Cooler, less busy. July and August are the coolest months. Still very comfortable — good for sightseeing and inland exploring. |
| Summer | 1 Oct – 30 Apr | Up to 33°C; 36–37°C on the coast | Hotter and more humid. Best conditions for beach days, snorkelling and catamaran cruises. |
It can be raining in the north while the east is bright and sunny, on the same afternoon. If a guest calls from the hotel complaining about rain, the excursion on the other side of the island may well be running in sunshine. Never cancel a day on the basis of the weather outside one hotel.
The rate calendar — the part that matters
Four bands, not two. This is what drives your costing and your margin.
1 May – 30 Sep
The cheapest hotel rates of the year. Best window for price-sensitive guests and for winning a competitive quote.
1 Oct – 30 Nov
High-season rates apply. Availability starts tightening — hotels begin issuing stop sales.
1 Dec – 20 Dec
Below high season, above low season. Often an easy alternative for a guest fixated on Christmas.
21 Dec – 6 Jan
The most expensive dates of the year. Hotel rates can run at roughly four times the low-season level.
Around the peak window most hotels suspend honeymoon inclusions — cake, decoration, dinner, room upgrade. Even a negotiation through the DMC will usually be refused. If you promise it in December and it doesn’t appear, that is on the seller, not the hotel.
The booking-window problem
By around June, hotels are already loading availability for November and December, and stop sales start appearing. Because the Indian market books late, sellers routinely quote in November for December travel and find nothing left.
Frame it as availability, not discount: “the rooms are already being held by other markets — the price won’t be the problem, the room will be.” That is true, and it converts.
Low season closes nothing. Snorkelling, catamarans, Casela, Île aux Cerfs and every hotel facility run identically all year. Only the rate changes.