When Adam and Tara Short from Sheffield visited Mauritius last November, they didn't expect it to change their lives. But one afternoon on the beach in Grand Baie, they realized this was where they wanted to raise their family. Adam, who runs a car and fishing business, and Tara, who owns a hospitality supply company, wanted a simpler, safer, and more outdoor life for their two sons, Spencer (9) and Xander (4). Just months later, they turned that dream into reality. In this interview, the Short family shares what it's really like to swap the busy streets of Sheffield for island life, from choosing schools and settling in, to discovering their favourite local foods and making Mauritius home.
Can you tell us about yourself and what made you choose Mauritius?
We are the Short family from Sheffield, UK. Adam is 44 (soon to be 45 next week) and has a car and fishing business in the UK. Tara is 38 and has a company supplying the hospitality industry in the UK. Spencer is 9 and loves football and fishing! Xander is 4 and also loves football and swimming.
We wanted a simpler life where our children could grow up in a safer and more outdoor environment.
We were a bit lost and unsure where to settle down. After a few trips to Bali, we didn't feel the same magic we did when we visited Mauritius last November. So, we decided to rent a car and explore the island. One day, we found ourselves in the beautiful Grand Baie, sitting on the beach. And that's when it hit us! This is where we want to live!
How long did it take from that January decision to actually move to Mauritius?
We moved in July this year after deciding in January.
What were the most challenging parts of organizing the move?
Challenges included deciding on a school for the kids and selecting an area to settle in Mauritius. We decided to just get flights and rent a property for a few weeks, but that made the first two weeks quite stressful.
Settling in a new country is definitely different from visiting as a tourist. So what were your first few weeks like on the island?
They were busy, hectic, from viewing properties to rent to visiting the school (Northfields) so the kids could see it, trying to make sure we didn't just treat it as a holiday.
Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
Not really. We absolutely love it here. We love where we live, we love the area and the people, and so far we have no regrets about a single thing.
How did you choose where to live?
The school was the main one; we knew we had to be close to the school so we wouldn't be traveling a lot each day, or we would have been in the same situation as back in the UK. We knew from our holiday in November that Grand Baie and the north had a lot to offer, so we decided to stay here.
How do you cope with work and your new island lifestyle? How easy is it?
Work is a lot easier, actually. The time difference means we can work on our laptops before anybody is even in the office at home. We don't get distracted by people coming into the office asking for help, assistance, etc., and each task we tackle gets done much quicker without any distractions.
What's a typical weekday like for your family now compared to your routine in Sheffield?
Sheffield was mostly about playing football with my kids. They played a lot, then we would go and watch Sheffield United some weeks, but we just had to try and find things to do with the kids; usually, it was a park or a play centre, etc. Now we go to the beach, they play in the pool, and we go to find different markets to do our shopping, which we absolutely love; it makes grocery shopping exciting.
What about your children's integration in Mauritius? Have they made any friends yet?
They have made friends now, yes. They both struggled with school initially, but wouldn't we all? It was a big ask to take them away from their friends and chuck them into a new school and ask them to make new friends. It was a tough month, but now they are settled. We found a 5-star football academy, too. We contacted them, and they are the only English-speaking team in the county. They were so welcoming. It was a relief, as they both love football, so they now play twice a week, training and a match on weekends. A lot of the team goes to the same school, too, so that helped.
How did you find the process of enrolling the children in school?
It was relatively easy. It's a private international school. They spoke to the kids' current teachers at the time in the UK. The eldest had a test to do, but they were pretty good. They kept us up-to-date all the way through the process.
What is their social life like?
They have a great social life, going to the beach on weekends with friends and having sleepovers at friends' houses, where they play in the pool, unlike those in England, where they would all spend time on technology. It is a much more childlike social life now in Mauritius.
What do you enjoy most about the local lifestyle?
We love going everywhere in shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops, going to restaurants relaxed, with no stress of getting all dressed up—just going as we are. We love shopping and big markets, as I mentioned. We absolutely love hunting for different local foods, roti stalls, and anything local. We also love the fact that we can BBQ whenever we want, not like the UK weather. We share everything about that on our TikTok handle, @The_4_Shorts.
You are constantly on the lookout for new local food staples and pastries to try. What are your favorites so far? And what are those you've had a hard time with?
We love most of the food, especially mine bouille and roti's, and Tara is even more addicted to chili now. She eats the "piment" craze like I drink water out here. The kids didn't like the milk initially, but as we don't get the same milk as the UK, they have grown to like it. There isn't anything that Tara and I struggle with.
Do you miss anything from the UK?
Tara misses her friends a lot, but I am of the opinion that if they want to come and visit, there is room for them. All my friends know that. I loved carp fishing in the UK, so I miss that. It's such an enjoyable, relaxing few days. I do miss that, but our life here is what we were searching for: more time with the kids, better time with the kids, sun, sand, food... We don't think too much about what we could possibly miss because this was a dream of ours, and we achieved it, so we can't look back.
Is there any advice you would like to give to anyone considering a move to Mauritius?
Rent your property if you have one where you live; it gives you that peace of mind that you have a fallback plan, just in case. It made the decision a lot easier. Initially, we were hoping to sell, but that would have made things much harder. Plus, if we didn't like the move, we would have to start again in the UK. This way, we were relaxed; we knew that if the kids didn't like it or we didn't like it, we could move home in a year.
Mainly, if you are thinking about it, do it; if it's a real option, try it. We didn't want to get old and look back and wish we had tried it; that would have been awful. So, we plucked up the courage and got the wheels in motion.
