Since textile is one of the major industries in Mauritius, it is something easily found while shopping. In fact, the island is well known for textile products. Among textile, you will also find tailor made wears, African drums, African sculptures, arts and hand made products. Jewelry is also very popular in Mauritius. The Jewelry traditions come mainly from the Arabian and Indian immigrants. One popular place for jewelry shopping is Floréal, where you will find Cledor Diamonds & Gold Jewelries and also Adamas Diamond Boutique. There are also a number of Jewelry shops in Vacoas and Pout Louis.
You are likely find shopping centers and arcades with a large number of shops in almost any town/ village in Mauritius. Some of the main cities well known for shopping include, Port Louis, Quatre Bornes, Curepipe and Rose Hill.
Usually shops are open everyday. The hours of operation are normally from 9:30-6pm Monday-Saturday, and Sunday from 9:30am-noon. Shopping centers are usually open everyday also. Monday-Thursday usually from 9:30-7 (maybe 8pm). Friday-Saturday from 9:30-9pm and on Sundays and public holidays some are open from 9:30-noon and others are open until 5pm. You will occasionally find a town where shops are closed on Thursday afternoons.
There are plenty of supermarkets in Mauritius. You’ll find them in most towns in villages on the island. This includes mini-supermarkets and bigger sized ones. Some mini-supermarkets are very small. This is where you would find everyday goods. This is what they call “la boutik” in Mauritius. The supermarkets in Mauritius that are well known include Jumbo, Winners, London, Spar and Way.
It is important to plan ahead when it comes to paying for your items on the island. There are a number of banks in Mauritius. Some are local banks and some international. To avoid complications, it may be wise to keep your credit cards handy. Credit cards are easily accepted in Mauritius, with the most common being MasterCard, Visa Dinners Club and American Express. If you would like to make your visit a true Mauritian experience, it might be fun to use Mauritius coins. Or you might just want to take home some coins as souvenirs. The coins of Mauritius are Rs10 (ten rupees coin), Rs5 (5 rupees coin), Rs1 (1 rupee coin), 50 cents (half rupees coin), 20 cents and 5 cents. The Bank of Mauritius issues these coins.
Shopping in Mauritius can be a wonderful and cultural experience. Once you are familiar with the area you are visiting, it should not be hard to find the nearest shopping center.
