Smart villas Mauritius
If you want to bring back a little souvenir of your holidays in the Indian Ocean with a label ‘Made in Mauritius’, you will certainly find your happiness in the many shops of the island, famous for their products made locally. Whether it’s a cashmere pashmina, an assortment of spices or different cane sugars, a brightly colored braided basket or a unique jewel, you will have a diverse choice in the various shops or shopping centers of the island.
Many objects such as audiovisual equipment and accessories, watches and clocks, paintings, engravings, antiques, glasses, leather clothing and jewelery are bought tax free in Mauritius. For any other object or taxable product, any visitor returning home after a stay on the island may request the refund of VAT at the airport with receipts in support.
Mauritius became years ago specialist in manufacturing of model ships and in replicas of modern boats and old ships particularly. During your trip to Mauritius, visit the Historic Marine workshop and the local craftsmen ‘savoir-faire’ in Goodlands. You will discover through different stages the manufacture of boat models. More than 30 mauritian cabinet makers with an average of 26 years of experience in the trade, work from precise, original plans and carefully selected materials.
The workshop opens its doors to the public 7 days a week for a guided tour to discover all stages of models manufacturing.
We definitely recommend the following addresses for a shopping in the North :
• ‘Michel Abad’ boutique on the royal road of Grand Baie, which proposes tunics, ladies’cachemire, linen avec hand embroidery, ‘art de la table’ etc.
• ‘Kuky’ boutique on Sunset Boulevard, in Grand Baie for tunics and fashion wear.
• ‘Haron i Lili boutique on Sunset Boulevard, for hand-made bags and jewelry.
• ‘Mademoiselle’ boutique on the Grand Baie royal road, with a choice of ladies clothes and accessories, where you will find the Poupette des Iles ‘world with bags and small hand bags, and lots of local made accessories.
• ‘La boutique’ with 2 shops ‘White Mischief’ & ‘Tafta Too’, on the Grand Baie royal road, romantic style boutique and vintage bobo chic with bags and ladies accessories.
Of course, the shops of the Chateau de Labourdonnais in Mapou, such as La Corbeille, and the one of Aventure du Sucre in Beau Plan, are a must for those who wish to bring back local souvenirs and sweet treats like fruit pastes, unique cane sugars and spices of all kinds.
In Beau Plan is also the sumptuous Patrick Mavros showroom, which is an African family business of watchmaking and jewelery, whose parent company is in Mauritius. You will find beautiful original jewelry in a truly unique setting.
Le Caudan Waterfront, located on the harbour front near the effusive capital, is the most ancient touristic commercial centre of Mauritius, but also the most vibrant and multicultural which consists of 2 malls, Caudan 1 and Caudan 2, with about 150 shops, 25 restaurants, cafés bars/fast food. It is also a place where artists exhibit and local artisans offer their expertise.
In Moka, the new shopping mall Bagatelle Mall of Mauritius has got 130 shops, cinéma, many restaurants, cafés and tea rooms.
In the centre of the island, Phoenix city, famous for its beer, houses the famous ‘Mauritius Glass Gallery’ where you will discover the transformation of recycled glass into handmade artworks by their team of glassblowers. An exciting experience for children and adults alike. The Hands of Fame Museum offers a unique exhibition of 100% recycled glass casts from international and local celebrities.
Phoenix also houses 2 shopping malls, Phoenix Les Halles and Jumbo Phoenix with many boutiques, shops and supermarket on the same place.
On the east of the island, Flacq village proposes many shops and boutiques. It is also well known for its many indian clothes shops.
Flic-En-Flac village located along the west coast of Mauritius offers many beach and sea style clothes and accessories. The main shopping mall of Flic en Flac is ‘Village Centre Pasadena’ composed of shops and restaurants. Flic en Flac offers also some street shops, many stands selling clothing and local souvenirs.
Located between land and sea, the Cascavelle mall open 7 days a week, is dominated by a factory chimney that pays tributes to the sugar industry. The centre brings together a set of shops, both local and international, ‘cafés’, grocery store, bookstores and restaurants.
Black River is located along the South-West coast of Mauritius. The shopping mall of the village is Ruisseau Créole which offers a large choice of boutiques, local or international brand shops, restaurants and ‘cafés’. When heading to Case Noyale along the Black River road, you will find some little fashion shops such as ‘Belle et Toile’ and ‘Blue Moon’ selling beach clothing and accessories.
The markets are an integral part of the Mauritian culture and visitors can enjoy mixing with the locals, tasting the famous street food, such as Indian ‘rotis’, samosas, ‘gateaux piments’ etc … while buying some local souvenirs.
Also known as Port Louis Bazar, it is one of the most visited of the island, the best place to buy local products and popular meeting point of the locals and tourists.
Open every day from 9am to 3pm, only in the morning on Sunday.
Quatre-Bornes, city of flowers, holds its market on Thursday and Sunday, all day long. ient son marché les jeudi et dimanche toute la journée. Its colorful shops spread over a long distance, offering a variety of clothing and textiles at prices that can vary from one stall to another. Do not forget to negotiate.
Flacq market is one of most open air market of Mauritius open on Wednesday and Sunday. This very colorful market attracts a lot of people. You will find clothing, fruits and local vegetables, fresh fish, seafood, vanilla tea and herbal, which are two of the local specialities of the region of Flacq.
Mahébourg market is a unique one, open only once a week, on Mondays. That day, the entire area around Mahébourg’s waterfront turns into a huge (outdoor) flea market where you can find local crafts and fantastic souvenirs from Mauritius.
The Mahébourg market has a section where you are sure to find: Biryani, Dholl Puri, Chinese noodles and many Creole dishes.
Goodlands market
Open on Tuesday and Friday, the Goodlands market is located in the North of the island and has got clothing stalls, local and handmade products, and also local fruits and vegetables.
Located in the heart of the touristic village in the North of the island, this small hand crafted market is open from Monday to Saturday and offers local souvenirs, colorful wicker baskets, various textile products and the unmissable stalls of typical local food.
Some tips to avoid any unpleasant surprice :
Shop around the stalls and compare the prices.
Watch out for pickpockets, be careful.
Do not forget to negociate prices !