ABOUT
When asked the question "what is it like living in Mauritius?" I often use the phrase "Mauritius is Mumbai pretending to be Paris". Now I say this in a very endearing way and in no way is it meant to be taken in a derogatory way.
I do cover the same topic though in the "Worst Things About Mauritius" which can be found here:
Living in Mauritius sometimes feels like you have stepped back in time and I don't mean that in technical terms so must, although the availability of technology is limited and massively expensive. What I mean is how life is in general. I had been traveling to Mauritius on business for a number of years before moving here only staying in either business or holiday hotels for my trips. The first day I arrived on the island when I emigrate here full time was a Sunday and by the time we had got out of the airport and begun driving through urban areas it had become dark around 5:30 - 6:00pm.
What hit me was that nowhere was open, no shop, bar, restaurant, store, or supermarket! I had come from Dubai where everything is open 24/7 and before that the UK where a Sunday is treated like any other day of the week and all the aforementioned would be open.
I soon realised that the same pretty much happens on a Saturday at around 1 pm and most places will close for the day, barring petrol stations and hotels. This at first was a frustration but then I loved the fact that it brought back memories of when I was young and weekends were meant to be spent away from work and with family and friends. Everyone on the island is given the opportunity to enjoy time with loved ones and this is as it should be.
Life is too busy and too demanding in general but here in Mauritius you always have the ability to kick off your shoes and take time out!
