Feedback on the pros and cons of the island

Hi the Mauritius expat community,

My name is Emily and I am currently living in Greece. I am considering a job opportunity to work in Mauritius. I would love to get some feedback on the pros and cons of the island to get a better insight into the reality of what it is like for a single female expat? I speak English and French and work in the hospitality industry and would probably be based on the west coast area.

- Is it safe?
- Are the people friendly and welcoming?
- I like to use natural products are these easily available?
- Can you have a healthy diet that doesn't cost the world?
- I hear people are very laid back is it hard to get things done?
- How is the day to day traffic on the island?
- Is it easy to find a place to rent?

I look forward to any feedback you can give me that you think might be helpful.

Thank you

Hi Emily,

Welcome to Expat.Com  :)

Please note that i have created a new thread from your post on the Mauritius forum so that you may get some feedback.

You have so many questions ....

Mauritius is safe, yes, no problem for a single female but it can get boring if you don't make friends or don't have a car to move around (public transportation doesn't run till late).

People are friendly but not overly friendly...It depends on you and your attitude as well. If you have a pleasant personality and you are polite you will have no problem  ;) (it applies for Mauritius and everywhere else).

As for healthy diet and natural products, here again it depends, can you list a few products ? Might be higher than average.

- I hear people are very laid back is it hard to get things done?
Administration is slow everywhere. If you have all your documents it shouldn't take longer than needed.

- How is the day to day traffic on the island?
Traffic is and has always been a big issue in the morning around 08:00 - 09:00 and in the afternoon 17:00 - 18:00 (when people leave and come back from work, students as well to and from school). You will need to plan and organise yourself accordingly.

You will have no problem to find accommodation. There are plenty of offers everywhere over internet.

Hopefully other members can shed the light on your few questions...
Bhavna

Hi Bhavna,

Thank you for your response and feedback. I like to use natural as much as I can, some examples are household products for cleaning and things like face creams.....

Another question is how good is the water do you have to buy water or can you drink the water from the tap?

Thanks for your help.

Best regards
Emily

Natural household products for cleaning, i am not so sure. Never seen any, sorry  :(  However, you won't have to worry about face creams or any other beauty products, they are easily available and at different prices (cheap to expensive).

For water, i would strongly suggest you buy a tap filter. Tap water is drinkable but you never know, depending on where you live, state of the pipes and if it has rained heavily, the water might get muddy. You will find tap filter easily as well. At work, i am sure you will have bottled water...

:cheers:
Bhavna

Thanks, Bhavna

Hello

- Is it safe? very
- Are the people friendly and welcoming? very nice and polite
- I like to use natural products are these easily available? available but may be pricey
- Can you have a healthy diet that doesn't cost the world? well you can find healthy product if you buy local but it is not organic otherwise very pricey.
- I hear people are very laid back is it hard to get things done? well it might be true but you can find reliable people as well... just need some time to find the right one by talking with the expat community.
- How is the day to day traffic on the island? depending where you live and work ... must avoid Port Louis and Ebene rush hours...
- Is it easy to find a place to rent? yes quite very easy .. lot of available places for all prices...

Best Pro: outdoor activities (kitesurf, trekking, diving, surfing etc..)
Best Con: Can be very trashy

cheers

Thanks for the feedback it is very helpful. I am looking forward to getting to know the people and the island.