Where to shop (or not shop) in Mauritius

Top # places to shop (or not to shop) in Mauritius.

Lets get one thing clear. Mauritius is not top of mind when you think shopping destinations. When it comes down to it I somehow have the ability to find a reason to buy something wherever I go. Thanks Mum, all those op-shop trips have truly paid off. Having said that, food shopping is still shopping, and while Mauritius isn’t the world mecca for much I did manage to keep myself amused.

Lets start with supermarkets -

I am obsessed with supermarkets. I love seeing where locals buy food. i love seeing different packets of the same thing from home, especially things like fruit, vegetables and baked goods. i think local produce speaks a lot about the condition of society as a whole. Is it fresh, what cuisines does it cater to…. and the old - WHAT IS THAT!

Supermarkets in Mauritius are no exception. Being an island off of Africa in the middle of the Indian ocean filled with a unique mix of ethnicities, in particular indian, french and african gives a variety of options in terms of what is available on the local shelf. Most of the assortments were packaged goods from either africa or france. If you love pre-packaged long shelf life croissonts you are in luck. Yum Yum (sarcasm). Its interesting that there were so many here as it is something i would typically find in middle eastern convenience stores.

The main difference for me was this supermarket also sold alcohol. and by alcohol i mean Rum. and lots of it. Mauritius is the land of rum. my experience of rum in mauritius is a story in itself, but can i tell you, i have never seen so many different offerings, all local from this tiny island. other produce seemed pretty standard. bread is cheap and fresh veggies not too bad. meat is a bit restrictive so we ended up buying expensive imported bacon from france for breakfast.