MAURITIUS LIFESTYLE
“Life in Mauritus really is the island life you have dreamed of. The relaxed stress free mentality makes time feel slower as though we really are living on island time. This can be a blessing and a curse but either way something we all adapt to.
Below I will share some of the perks and possible peeves of the island lifestyle I have experienced. I am not guaranteeing you the same response for yourself. Nevertheless, I cannot recommend what I haven't seen or experienced."
Karen
LAID-BACK LIFESTYLE
On the coasts of the island there is a no shoes no shirt culture where you can walk into beach restaurants in bikinis and shorts and feel very comfortable. Most places do not require a strict dress code and as result I have lived in flip flops for the last 5 years! Except for hiking adventures where trainers are advised.
To me there are areas of the island which feel more focused and busy with day to day life and others which are more laidback and in no rush. These more busy area's being the cyber cities and urban areas in the centre of the island such as Port Louis, Moka, Quartre Bornes and Curepipe. The more relaxed regions and on the coasts.
Other laidback lifestyle areas are the market culture is very laidback with locals allowing friendly price negotiations on products ranging from clothes to toys to food and souvenirs.
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EARLY NIGHTS & MORNINGS
We have gotten into the habit of early to bed early to rise! I think this is due to a combination of things, firstly waking up early beats the heat and gives you a little extra time while it is still cool. It is also very peaceful and the sunrises are stunning.
This is no secret on the island, as they're a nation of early risers with most work and schools starting between 8 and 8.30. Also there are lots of early morning joggers, gym goers and yoga classes e.t.c.
As for early nights, these go hand in hand with early mornings. This does not mean to say there is little in the way of nightlife! Just that our social circle meet for early after work drinks and tend to have more day time gatherings such as BBQ's, beach meets and catamaran trips.
Those having later nights are usually working on European or USA time zones. For the youngsters looking for nightlife there is plenty of it with nightclubs open till the early hours (See Nightlife page for more info). However with Covid-19 the numbers are limited and gathers are consequently smaller and quieter.
WEEKENDS
On weekends we like to keep a healthy balance of staying active, seeing parts of our beautiful island, spending time with friends and relaxing.
We often meet our friends after work at one of our favourite bars (see top 10 bars in Mauritius page) for a drink and a catch up or we bring our own ice box down to the beach for sundowners to watch the sunset.
To get out of the house we will go on walks in Black River Gorge or explore the island to find waterfall (see top 10 hikes and top 10 waterfalls page) Or for a more chilled weekend we will take the dogs to the beach for a walk and a swim or plan a boat trip with friends on a catamaran.
Other weekend we will either stay home and chill by the pool or book a little get away to somewhere new around the island.
A LITTLE OUTDATED
Coming from the UK to a little island in the Indian Ocean you can't expect to have everything. Mauritius is a little behind the times with certain process, rules and regulations.
One of the main examples I can think of is the post office system. When friends and family have sent parcels and letters from the UK they have sometimes taken up to 5 months (if they havn't been lost), not only to arrive but for the post office to notify me. Some parcels depending on the size, weight and content will be held at customs in Port Louis and have to be picked up, opened and check in front of you. In addition you will have to pay for customs services and more often than not import taxes. To avoid this try to order with private delivery services such as DHL and DPD.
For all visa related issues you will have to go on a mission to Port Louis and waste the most part of the day finding the correct building, waiting in line, filling out forms and sweating a lot. Similar processes can be expected for licence issues of any kind.
Other process which take time and often a few attempts are opening a bank account, completing your drivers licence, road worthiness car test and car insurance. The reason for this being most of the system is paper based and hasn't been digitalised yet.
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