Holiday Information

How to book

When you have decided on the accommodation you require, contact Onyx International Travel Services Ltd for a quotation. Then, complete and sign the booking form and return it to Onyx with the relevant deposit. Onyx will then check if the services requested are available and, if so, will make a reservation for you and issue a confirmation.

Passports/visas

Full British passports are required. They must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of your stay. Visitors to Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mauritius and Réunion must be in possession of a return or onward ticket. A visitors visa for Mauritius is normally granted for up to one month.

Health

An international vaccination certificate against yellow fever is required if arriving from an infected area. No other vaccinations are compulsory; however, the following are recommended at the time of going to press: Hepatitis A, Polio, Typhoid and Tetanus. Anti-malarial drugs may be recommended for rural areas in Mauritius. As requirements may change at short notice, you are responsible for ensuring you take advice from your GP or specialist vaccination centres. As a general rule, tap water in Réunion and Mauritius is safe but care should be taken immediately following a cyclone or bad cyclonic storm. Tap water in Guadeloupe and Martinique is generally safe except on small islands (e g Ilet Oscar). If in any doubt, reputable brands of bottled water are generally fine.

Climate

Guadeloupe and Martinique are year round destinations with tropical climates, tempered by tradewinds called the “alizés”. Temperatures are ideal, averaging between 19°C and 28°C. The sea is always warm with average temperatures between 20°C and 24°C. The ‘dry’ season is from January to April and the ‘humid’ season between July and November. In the humid season rain and storms are more frequent but do not last long and soon give way to sunshine. Sunrise is about 5 or 6 am and sunset at 6 or 7 pm. Twilight is short lived and night falls quickly. It can rain at any time on both islands. Tropical hurricanes can occur, normally between August and October, although severe storms usually only strike every few years.

Mauritius and Réunion are also year round destinations. They both have just two seasons, Summer and Winter. In Mauritius the average temperature during Summer (November to April) varies from 20-28°C on the central plateau and 25-33°C on the coast. During Winter, the average temperature is 19°C on the central plateau and 5°C higher on the coast. In Réunion, the temperature on the coast averages 21°C in the Winter and 28°C in the Summer. In the mountains the temperature is usually about 8-10°C cooler. It can rain at any time on both islands but the heaviest rainfall is normally from January to March. Tropical cyclones can occur, normally between November and March.

Airport tax and hotel tax

All departure taxes are prepaid and the cost will be included in your tour price. Many hotels charge a local tax which must be paid directly to the hotel at the end of your stay.

Luggage

Baggage allowance on international flights with Air France and Air Mauritius is 1 piece, which must not exceed 23 kgs.  Between islands the allowance is 20 kgs.

Dress code

Lightweight casual clothes are recommended during the day. Some hotels require smart casual clothes during the evenings (collar and long trousers for men). In Réunion light woollens and sweaters may be useful for the cooler months from June to September and in the mountain areas.

Children

Some hotels are obviously more suitable than others for families with young children. Details of facilities and prices on request.

Check-in/out times at hotels

Generally hotel rooms are made available between noon and 3pm and are to be vacated between 10am and noon. If you arrive at a hotel before the normal check-in time your room may not be ready.

Hotel facilities/activities

Many, but not all, hotels in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mauritius and the Saint-Gilles-les-Bains area of Réunion offer activities and watersports. If the provision of a particular activity is important to you, please check before booking as facilities may change. Similarly, hotel services and additional items in rooms (hairdryers, minibars etc) may change, sometimes at short notice. Some hotels offer themed buffets and/or entertainment on some evenings.

Special requests

Please inform Onyx of special requests at the time of booking. Onyx cannot guarantee that special requests will be met and has no liability to you if they are not.

Electricity

Power supply is 220 volts with two pin French-type plugs in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion. Both three pin British-type plugs and two pin French-type plugs are found in Mauritius.

Driving

An International Driving Licence is recommended if you wish to hire a car. Driving is on the right in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion. In Mauritius driving is on the left.

Bonding

Onyx International Travel Services Ltd is a bonded Tour Operator. We hold Air Travel Organiser’s Licence no. 3306, granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Payments for tours which exclude flights will be covered by an insurance policy.

All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our Booking Conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate

Total Payment Protection (topp) Policy cover

In compliance with The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, an insurance policy has been arranged with Travel & General Insurance Services Limited (t&g), to protect customers’ prepayments in the unlikely event of our financial failure, and paid in respect of:

• Non-flight packages sold by the Policyholder as principal to the contract
• for:
• a refund of such prepayments if customers have not yet travelled, or  
• making arrangements to enable the holiday to continue if customers have already travelled
• repatriation of customers as may be applicable, subject to the terms of the insurance policy.

This policy is provided by Travel & General Insurance Services Limited (t&g), registered number 02527363 and underwritten by Accelerant Insurance Europe SA/NV UK Branch (Accelerant), an insurance company which is authorised and regulated by the Prudential Authority (Ref. 940712).