5 goods reasons for not choosing Mauritius

Every country has good and bad points, and it seems most people  on the forum think the good far outweigh the bad. I'm thinking of moving to Mauritius myself and already have a positive view --but I Know everything can't be rosy. Now after reading these comments I know  some things that I did not and will not therefore surprise me when I make my "reconnaissance" visit here. Even though I have tried very hard to learn a lot, set up school visits, tour real estate agents, compare food prices with where I live etc, I did not know about barking dogs at night,traffic jams and some others people mention here.

Yes, if people dislike where they are, rather than stand about nd complain, they can better go live somewhere else. Soif you have come to Mauritius to complain more than enjoy and relax with Mauritians, you better not come or just go.

Mauritius is a beautiful resort destination. Living on the island is a different story.

Rude, shallow people everywhere. There is an obsession with money and materialism on this island that makes America look angelic.

Appalling animal cruelty, totally backwards people, systems and processes, terrible roads, no flora or fauna except in the South … I could go on.

If you intend to live and work here ensure that you are comfortable living and working in India because this is basically what you are signing on for. This is NOT the Caribbean.

Everyone speaks French, products are all in French yet English is the official language … like many things on the island this is a con.

I found the people and island incredibly soulless … made me realise how good we have it in a developed country.

I pity people who have to live here ...

I am not surprised that 'Gene 3726' posted anonymously. I do note he is a citizen of America. In my experience Yanks are generally quite friendly , charming and polite. In this instance Mr Gene distances himself from these national  characteristics. To misquote Lynyrd Skynyrd and their song , 'Sweet Home Alabama ' : '...Well I heard Mister Gene sing about her ...Well I heard old Gene put her down...Well, I hope Gene 3726 will remember...A Mauritian man don't need him around anyhow...!'

Most good French chaps realise that poor and rude service is an enormous problem in France, and one they export. !!

I  just spent a week in Mauritius and coming from  East Africa, was pleasantly surprised with what I saw and wondered where on earth some of the negative posters on this forum have ever lived in their lives?

Yes, there is a problem with pi-dogs (as they are known in India) and this needs to be addressed. I did not notice rudeness in service, but then I did not complain at a state bureau or a big bank.  As Mauritius has a lot of French influence, and French service culture is universally known to be practically an oxymoron, then it will take a big shift in mentality.

Internet service was fine. Major roads were in good condition and compared to mainland Africa, brilliant condition. Driving was a bit "Italian" but I did not see an accident in the time I was there - if you have driven in most 3rd World countries, MU will be easy indeed.

The airport needs a refurb... stained worn out carpets, internet plugs broken, etc generally a "refresh" would be good.

Mauritian people I met were friendly and relaxed, and there was no sign of policemen outside of traffic cops.  Alcohol and tobacco were very expensive, car prices quite  high and taxis  need Uber as soon as possible, but food and petrol were reasonable and in fact generally cheaper than in East Africa.

Excellent private schools in English and French curricula, and the fees are reasonable.

If you are determined to live as an ultra-expat, things will be expensive. Using the Big Mac World Index, the price for a double-whopper at the McDonalds was  very high. On the other hand next to it you could get a   Mauritian curry, soft drink and  a dal puri for half of that.

I would certainly recommend Mauritius but if you are the picky,snobby expat type, I hope  you stay away. The Mauritians are trying  and succeeding in creating a good second-world country with low crime, low taxes and  high standards.  Impressive.

Gene3726 wrote:

Mauritius is a beautiful resort destination. Living on the island is a different story.

Rude, shallow people everywhere. There is an obsession with money and materialism on this island that makes America look angelic.

There are rude and shallow people in all countries depending on who you come across and with whom you have to deal. Mauritius is no exception.

Appalling animal cruelty, totally backwards people, systems and processes, terrible roads, no flora or fauna except in the South … I could go on.


If by animal cruelty, you are referring to stray dog situation, then yes, it exists. Work is being done regarding this and it will take time. Yes, roads are bad in some parts of the island. Mauritius is only a developing country.
Also Mauritius is only 2,050 sq.km in area...so how much flora and fauna do you expect to see on a tiny densely populated island?


If you intend to live and work here ensure that you are comfortable living and working in India because this is basically what you are signing on for. This is NOT the Caribbean.

Well, Mauritius is indeed not the Caribbean and it doesn't have to be. And given that almost 65% of the local population of Mauritius are of Indian origin, it makes perfect sense to witness elements and attributes of 'Indianess' on the island. Don't you think?


Everyone speaks French, products are all in French yet English is the official language … like many things on the island this is a con.


Mauritius is a multi-lingual island reflecting its ethnic and cultural diversity. There is no 'official' language in Mauritius. English is only an administrative language. Mauritius has a huge French influence and French is widely spoken. You can't expect to see and hear English everywhere just because it's probably the only language you can manage. 

I found the people and island incredibly soulless … made me realise how good we have it in a developed country.

Depends on your definition of soulless. Yes, it can be soulless for some. Not everyone experiences things the same way.

I pity people who have to live here ...

Almost 1.3 million people live here, including around 100,000 expats from more than 100 countries. And most are not complaining. And why should they? They chose to live in Mauritius.

And tbh, Mauritius is not an expat destination suited for everyone, like if you are an American (going by your profile) and therefore not accustomed to local culture, traditions and way of life. Each destination has its own characteristics and often better fits some specific expat profiles over others. You just have to find yours. Mauritius did not work out, another place will.

I believe that  he is an Aussie not American .

I think this Gene fellow has written  nonsense. So Mauritius is "not the Carribean?"...as if this was an insult or drawback? Thank God it is not, on the evidence of my visit there.

Considering how many tourists and residents get murdered in the most appalling ways, raped, drugged, tortured...and the truly vile crime statistics of many Caribbean destinations, I would say the writer is suffering from cognitive dissonance.

The only thing I was a bit wary of in my visit to Mu, which was for possible residential purposes, was the fact that most expats live in ghettos and the govt is fine with  this and encourages it. So, if I come I will invest in a "ghetto" property, if you get what I mean...and make sure I use the income to rent next to a mixture of Mauritians and expats as neighbours in a more normal setting.

He could be a Venutian but he lacks discernment and is rude and haughty towards Mauritius.

I never met any  problems except an absurd treatment by Customs on entry, where I was given the "Bogota Airport" treatment as if  I was ( at 74 years old) a new  Pablo Escobar...but then the Customs lady, despite  the MU equivalent of Inspector Clouseau who was trying to impress her as her boss and leading a hostile reception of my entry....., silently slipped back into my bag my "highly illegal" cigarette rolling papers I use to repair broken cigars, of which I had brought a box. Won't happen in Europe!

The rest of my stay was fine and compared to equatorial Africa where my family has lived for more than a  century, really very good indeed. Well done Mauritius.

****

Kateyw wrote:

Peterg - you dont even live in Mauritius - why are you posting on this site?

The Mauritius beaches are beautiful but I can relate to what Gene said.

I also find that the island lacks a soul and that there is a bit of an obsession with materialism. A lot of posers wherever you go.

Theres not a lot to do either and there are stray dogs everywhere. As a dog lover I question how people can treat animals in such a manner.

I have to say that Mauritius is not a patch on the BVI, Caymans or Channel Islands.

Everyone has to make up their own  mind though.

One does not have to live in Mauritius to post on this site. Anyone interested in or looking for information about Mauritius or already living here is free to ask questions and post opinions.

Mauritius is not the only country with a stray dog problem. It exists yes and will take time to resolve.

BVI, Caymans or Channel Islands are tiny sparsely populated dependencies of England, a developed country.
Mauritius is an independent and sovereign developing country.
Skewed comparison.

BVI, Caymans or Channel Islands

Oh those tax havens where not every Tom, Dick and  Harry can acquire residency unless they can show patte blanche 

I am posting because I have researched and visited there as a potential place to move to. I am reporting what I saw and felt and observed, compared to where I live in East Africa.  Is there a test?

Thank you...I am reading  odd things here..Mauritius "lacks soul" yet most Mauritians are religious and family minded. But the Channel Islands or any other part of the UK, where everyone is irreligious and where family has been replaced by mass unskilled immigration as a labour source, is spiritual?

I am confused I gess.

***

Comprendre qui pourra. Le mauricien quitte son île pour une vie meilleure, le français à la recherche d'un paradis s'installe à Maurice. Finalement chacun sa route chacun son destin.

I have spent a year researching in great depth moving to Mauritius and then followed that up with a visit where I drove all over the island looking, talking,interviewing and so on. I am a white African from Kenya and the only expat part of me would be if we shifted to Mauritius, which the family is considering.Given two young children and schooling in Mauritius at US5~9k per annum vs Kenya  U$24~40k per annum per child.

I  did not know there were special qualifications for posting on here. And I am sure Mauritius attracts some of the worst sort of expats. And a lot of good people too. I have no intention of spending my time in bored expat enclaves with everyone moaning about how things are not like Hampstead. Or Sandton. Or whatever.

Compared to Kenya, Mauritius has a number of good points and others not so good. The only thing that changed after my visit was that we would probably consider moving for a year to try it out before making a final decision, splitting out time between MU and Kenya in that year.

One place I would not live is Perybere, if you paid me.

Why?

Because I like a lot of visual and geographical space,  like to spend time in a mixed community not one dominated by retired Europeans, higher prices, traffic jams etc. Byt for retiree couples it must be very nice, if that is their taste.

I  spent some days there and then went to the South West which did not give me the claustrophobic expat feeling.

Kateyw wrote:

Yes, I think there are many confused people on this site ... I'm leaving this place thank God.

Peter - you have no right posting on here if you dont even live on the island! What's next ... tourists staying in resorts commenting? The blog is Expat.com??

Re-reading your post I would say you are a snob, a scold and good riddance.

OK that makes sense. Good luck!

There is a difference in VISITING Mauritius and LIVING in Mauritius.  I came to live here from the United Kingdom.  I had been a visitor with my late wife for many years as she was from Mauritius.  So I knew what to expect.  The beauty of the island is that it is different from anywhere else and that's the problem with a lot of people , they want the same as their own country and cannot cope or adapt to the new experience and environment . I have accepted that for some parts of the day the water is turned off , there is no mains gas supply to cook with but I enjoy having a solar water heater and a swimming pool with warm water and many friends who are Mauritian people

That sounds quite positive and as I an from the 3rd World having lived nearly all my life in equatorial Africa, Mauritius second world life I witnessed was a leg up. I am used to no water for a month, 4 electricity blackouts a month minimum, armed robbers around and etc........Mauritius would be a breeze.

Some of the complaints I are strange indeed....a man who was furious because Mauritius wasa con..he came here to take up a job because it was advertised that English if the official language when everyone speaks French..and it's not just a con but anm "Indian con".......goes to show how much online research he did. Actually, everyone speaks Kreol which is surely not French, but I was impressed that most Mauritians are tri-lingual with ease. I never had any problem with English, though I also speak French.

Some complaints on here are so precious, self-centred and fussy...really.

Some people on this thread obviously have a lot of time up their sleeve ... so many posts ...

Someone coming from a third world country can't possibly compare their expectations to somebody else from a first world country and who comes from an intellectual and cultured family at that ...

The US is a paradise compared to Mauritius and I don't appreciate all the false advertising about this place. There are nothing but pictures of resorts and the South.

The expat community is tiny if you work in the North. I'm sure there are many disillusioned expats who didn't know what they were getting themselves into due to all the false advertising about this place. This is the main reason I post. I wrote a letter to the editor of this publication expressing my frustration and annoyance at the misleading and deceptive portrayal of Mauritius in this site.

How about including pictures of how crummy the bars and clubs are, how most people live and some stats - the fact that in reality it seems like the population is 90% Indian, that most people speak Creole, that 85% of the island consists of sugar plantations, only 2% of virgin forest has been preserved, pictures of the grime, dirt and filth in Port Louis etc.

As I said previously, I was sold the idea that Mauritius is like the Cayman Islands which is simply not true. This is an Indian country and the Caymans are British. A waste of time and money for all involved.

There is also no culture or sophistication whatsoever. If your life consists of making money, showing off, getting trashed and spending all day at the beach then you'll have a blast (pretty simple and vacuous). However, some of us have more refined palates that some members of this thread should respect, without trying to constantly have the last word.

There are a lot of South Africans here because they have to ... they have told me many times themselves and I have had many question why anyone who didn't have to be here would.

Goodness me! 

"first world country and who comes from an intellectual and cultured family at that ..."

So much intellect that you did not even take time and efforts to study Mauritius properly  before coming and you based your opinions on a single publication?

Creole is the lingua-franca of Mauritius for over a century, so what did you possibly expect people to speak?

Thing is, you could not adapt to life in Mauritius. This happens to many people, but no need to get bitter about it and blurt our inaccuracies and disparage the people here. And also no need to drag other expats into this. The majority of expats here are happy about their move and doing well.

Mauritius did not suit you, maybe the Cayman islands will.

I'm sorry but compared to other developing countries such as those in South-East Asia I (ME!) found Mauritius soulless and commercial. I've travelled extensively and Mauritius is the worst country I've been to for many reasons. People need to be made aware of this.

***

Please respect my opinion.

Greetings, if we compare Mauritius to any other European countries , we may think that  all above and below reasons are valid.

But what if we take one step backward and look through a Mauritian Eye.

The island is changing at a rapid paste, not everyone has taken the speed yet.
We have fairly new to European standards, local business( who never work with international individual ) are now doing their best to get to those standards.
for sure public gov business are slow even for Mauritian but i have faith in my people.

KeepThePace Mauritius wrote:

Greetings, if we compare Mauritius to any other European countries , we may think that  all above and below reasons are valid.

But what if we take one step backward and look through a Mauritian Eye.

The island is changing at a rapid paste, not everyone has taken the speed yet.
We have fairly new to European standards, local business( who never work with international individual ) are now doing their best to get to those standards.
for sure public gov business are slow even for Mauritian but i have faith in my people.

Compared to Africa where I come from you are progressing at lightning speed. Mauritius however has to throw off the French habit of rude public service and customer approach they inherited--this is going to take a lot of rethinking, but it can be done. I was amazed how British customer service changed in the 80's  from a lazy  one.

Of course your opinion and to each his own. But I am rather amazed...you earlier mentioned Cayman Island or Caribbean in comparison to Mauritius....are those full of opera houses, philosophical cafes and great museums?

Are the expats living in BVI or Caymen founts of culture? It seems a bit weird.   Sounds like an employer sold you a bill of goods or sketched a paradise, and you did not do any research. I did a ton of it and on my recce the only thing that surprised me was how much better it was than I thought it would be, and how pleasant Mauritians were to me, generally.

Indeed Scandinavia or Germany are super developed countries and you will be happier there I think.  Hope you found your niche.

I can respect your opinion but not your sense of insult and superiority complex as it seems everyone is stupid but you. I have a name for people like you which I will not mention here. Coming from a country where 99% of the population do not know that there are other countries and as gastronomic knowledge only have burgers, hot dogs and doughnuts, you are an insult. By the way why are you wanting to run away from such an ideal ??
I hope you find your place somewhere but I'm so glad it will be far from here.
I am Mauritian, born and bred, and I love my country. So good riddance, and please respect your promise to never come back.

I'm amazed by some of the articulate responses and intelligent insights ... truly gentlemen and scholars. 

I only intended to live offshore for a year for career purposes and then to relocate to Switzerland.

You're all right - America is a dump. I'm not debating that but I've spent a lot of time in Germany and Austria (family are from there).

The content of some of the posts are starting to prove all my points about Mauritius and its people! 

@Gene3726

I don't know if you are just trolling or not, but you don't sound like someone who has traveled extensively!
And by the tone of your responses, you don't sound like a cultured person either!

Maybe you are frustrated at your own failure of adapting to life in a new country.

Whatever it is, I hope you find a new destination that will meet your expectations soon.

WinstonH wrote:

@Gene3726

I don't know if you are just trolling or not, but you don't sound like someone who has traveled extensively!
And by the tone of your responses, you don't sound like a cultured person either!

Maybe you are frustrated at your own failure of adapting to life in a new country.

Whatever it is, I hope you find a new destination that will meet your expectations soon.

I am beginning to suspect it is trolling... we are wasting out time.

Gene3726 wrote:

I'm amazed by some of the articulate responses and intelligent insights ... truly gentlemen and scholars. 

I only intended to live offshore for a year for career purposes and then to relocate to Switzerland.

Let's see how eager they will give you that resident permit unless you bribe some mayor  or are living on OPM
You're all right - America is a dump.
What about : The US is a paradise compared to Mauritius ?  Woke up to reality !
SF CAL USA:

I'm not debating  that
Bragging rights went out of the window overnight

but I've spent a lot of time in Germany and Austria (family are from there).

No wonder !

The content of some of the posts are starting to prove all my points about Mauritius and its people! 

Hello,

I went to Mauritius with a one year Premium Visa. Thought of staying there as a digital nomad for a year (work from my computer for my foreign clients and spend in Mauritius) but flew back from there after 2 days. That's how much I hated living in Mauritius. For starters, the locals were like the most unfriendly people, they don't like to help anyone. Very laid back and slow life, the metro doesn't everywhere so the way of transport is taxis that are super expensive. A taxi from the Airport to the my hotel in Port Louis charged me 3000 Mauritian Rupees ($70). Every thing is super expensive there starting from food to transporting to accommodation.  Overall, I hated the place so much that I decided to fly back to my home country after 2 days.

I decided to fly back to my home country after 2 days

Come on, you manage to make an opinion in only 2 days ? You surely then initially took 30 seconds to decide to move here ?

You can't be serious

rudrakhemka wrote:

but flew back from there after 2 days.

I very nearly made that mistake with my first long holiday in a foreign country. I was tired and ready for something to eat and a good sleep, but I found I'd booked a lousy hotel,  saw filthy street food stalls, and the only people who spoke to me were pimps offering me services I didn't want to know.

I had a fully enclosed sleeping bag with me so slept for an insect free night, then made my first job to find a better hotel.
Leaving the next day would have been a massive mistake as the unbelievably great life changes that happened since were all down to that first trip.

You really have to give things a chance before you dump them in the bin.

Where are you from?

In his profil:
I am Rudra from India. I have just graduated high school and looking forward to taking a gap year. It would really great to get a job in the Faroe Islands.