Living in Mauritius

My husband and I are considering retiring to Mauritius. I know holidaying there and living there are completely different so we are coming over in November and will be looking at it differently!! I read with interest five reasons NOT to live in Mauritius on the Forum. It made interesting reading. Admittedly the comments were made from 2012 so things may have changed. I am a little concerned about the slow internet (shall be running our holiday rental business from Mauritius so need good connection); stray cats and dogs; rubbish in streets; crime; customer service etc. Can anyone put my mind at ease. Also if there are any Brits out there who we could meet up with for a chat that would be great. Many thanks.

@susanhilling

my wife and I have been 3 times over the years the problems you describe have got much better over the year broadband is up to 1gbps Mauritius telecom but that would depend on the property you live in. We have a business in the Uk doing holiday let's and we retire to Mauritius in September renting first in royal park balaclava then looking at where we want to settle


would love to meet up for a meal and a chin wag as we are looking to be in the same boat. I'm Paul my wife is penny


hope to hear and see you soon xx

@susanhilling if you rent a property make sure it has a fibre connection, then you can select the connection speed you want at a reasonable cost.


The stray dogs are a problem, my wife and I feed and sterilize stray dogs.


There is litter in areas but I would not let that put you off, The Island is beautiful.


I have not experienced a customer service issue, everyone I have dealt with is friendly and helpful. It will not help you if you lose your temper, it is not accepted either culturally or by law.

@BowcoH Hi Paul. Thanks for your quick reply. It is always great to hear someone else is in the same boat and with a few things in common!! Bob, my husband, and I lived in the Middle East for 20 years plus and are finding it very difficult to accept the cold weather in the UK - even in summer!!! Our intention was always to live somewhere warm after he retired seven years ago then along came COVID! We have crossed a lot of countries off the list but Mauritius is still near the top - weather, cost of living, official language English, driving on the correct side of the road etc!! It would be good to meet up with you and Penny when we are there is November. By then you will have had a few weeks of your new life in Mauritius. Maybe we can email privately. Thanks again for your response.

@Expat Ash thank you for your informative response. The island is indeed beautiful but we were wondering if we would see it in a different light if we lived there. I am sure during our three week stay in November we will have a good idea.

@susanhilling for your 3 week stay try act like you are living here not a tourist. So shop and cook, go to the pharmacy etc.

That is exactly what we plan to do. We have booked self catering accommodation for this very reason. We can test out the shops, markets etc - hopefully we will not have to check out the pharmacy!!

@susanhilling hello,

just a quick reply to your questions.


  • you can have fast internet here
  • stray cats and dogs are not an issue (they are around but I guess it depends from where you live, we have none in our neighbourhood)
  • I am aware there is crime around here but it feels totally safe to go anywhere
  • no rubbish anywhere (where did people get that from?!?)

I lived in Scotland before moving to Mu with my companion a year ago (and yes, climate was a big part of the decision 😅😀). It took us a while to get settled but now is good. Feel free to contact me if you like to meet up in Nov.

@Arty22 thank you for your reply. It is good to hear from someone that has been there a while and settled in. We think we want to be in the Grand Baie area but would like some recommendations of good places to live. It would be good to catch up with you when we are over in October/November.

It will depend where you live. I use hotspot & it is fine. Stray cats & dogs are an issue in local areas. Pretty much impossible to walk a trained dog for fear of a dog fight. Rubbish is a problem in local areas & beaches. Our local beach is often full of plastic & the things people use to do their rituals. Crime is a problem because of drug problem. Customer service is questionable - it will not be the same as you are used to. Every country has its positives & negatives. Positives here outweigh negatives I think - that is why I moved here. It is cheaper, more laid back, more festive & quiet at the same time, life is simpler, weather is awesome.