A lot of people have been asking if it's possible to take a public bus from the airport. Of course, there's actually 3 different bus lines that run pretty frequently (see table below). Unfortunately, the buses stop running long before the last plane arrives. Be sure to check your flight's arrival time and compare it with the last bus departures. Don't forget you need about 90 minutes to clear immigration and claim your baggage. The buses depart from the middle of the airport parking lot. See the little blue bus icon in the aerial view picture. As you can see, it's not far to walk. Just leave the airport building and then head right.
The buses are running to Port Louis (Line 198), Curepipe (Line 9), Rivière des Gallets (Line 10), and Mahébourg (opposite direction for all three lines). Make sure you enter the bus going in the right direction! Most tourists probably need to switch buses at least once. For example to go to Grand Baie, you would need to take Line 198 to Port Louis and then switch to Line 215. Use the form above to calculate other journeys. The price for a bus ride is very cheap (around 30 Mauritian Rupees), but it's also very slow. It will take 70 minutes just to reach Port Louis. If your accomodation isn't right next to a bus stop, we recommend booking a private airport transfer in advance. It's cheaper than a taxi and saves you the hassle of haggling. Especially at night time – when no buses are running – taxi drivers have been known to charge exorbitant fares. One reputable company that makes booking online really easy is Maki Transfers. Their vehicles range from regular cars and minivans to 22-seater buses. They will only take you and your luggage directly to your accomodation. I actually did a lot of the programming of their website and I can vouch for their business practices.