John Greer
@Starry Expanse
American expat in Mauritius
Forum posts
64
About me
American
Lives in Flor脙漏al, Plaines Wilhems
Speaks American West Coast English, dude.
Registration: 31 December 2021
Managing mailboxes or PO boxes in Mauritius by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Something as simple as receiving mail can become a whole new experience when you settle in Mauritius as an expat. Mailing management can indeed be different from what you are used to. In order to help other expats and soon-to-be ...
In Quatre-Bornes, your postal code is on a street sign close to your house... if only you could find it.I've lived in a couple of places that had a 24-hour guard station. That's really nice when you need something delivered. It's not their job, but ... Read More
Renewal of Premium Visa by Victoriaearichardson
Hello, I was wondering if anyone has renewed their premium visa and if this is straight forward?
@VictoriaearichardsonTo see a web page that pretends to show the status of your visa application, go here: https://business.edbmauritius.org/wps/portal/business/home/login/Click on the "Your Area" link (in the menu along the top of the page).Click ... Read More
Renewal of Premium Visa by Victoriaearichardson
Hello, I was wondering if anyone has renewed their premium visa and if this is straight forward?
@mail61I am about to renew my Premium Visa for the second time (heading into my third year in Mauritius). Before renewing the first time, I left Mauritius for about a month.I have never seen anything that says we are required to leave temporarily.I ... Read More
Looking for a Reliable Mechanic by Starry Expanse
I have a 2009 Nissan Murano AWD that needs some work.I have not been happy with the various shops I've tried.So I'm looking for someone who can replace the steering rack and motor mounts, do a tune up, oil change, etc.I have all of the required ...
@John CleanerThat was the first place I went. Read More
Looking for a Reliable Mechanic
I have a 2009 Nissan Murano AWD that needs some work.I have not been happy with the various shops I've tried.So I'm looking for someone who can replace the steering rack and motor mounts, do a tune up, oil change, etc.I have all of the required ... Read More
Looking for board games by Starry Expanse
I have a Mauritian friend who is coming to my house for dinner in the near future.My friend speaks English but her mother and sister don't.I'm looking for things that we can do together that don't require conversation.Note:聽 Her sister is ...
@Davidray10 I moved to Flor茅al in June. It's nice. It's a little cooler and I can walk to the Metro station. That lets me go lots of places that were difficult to get to before. Read More
Looking for board games by Starry Expanse
I have a Mauritian friend who is coming to my house for dinner in the near future.My friend speaks English but her mother and sister don't.I'm looking for things that we can do together that don't require conversation.Note:聽 Her sister is ...
I have this 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle:https://www.amazon.com/Clementoni-39748-Collection-Adults-Made-Multi-Coloured/dp/B0BTDH5TV5Come make a party of it. We can drink wine and eat lots of things that are bad for us, and stay up as late as we want. ... Read More
Visa Application Status URL? by Starry Expanse
Somewhere, hidden deep within the catacombs of the Economic Development Board or the Passport and Immigration websites, there is a carefully concealed page that can tell you the status of your Visa application.I know it's there. I've used it. I ...
I found it. More accurately, @Anou86 found it for me about a year ago.Here is a link to the thread: /forum/viewtopic.php?id=988674#5438014 Read More
Visa Application Status URL?
Somewhere, hidden deep within the catacombs of the Economic Development Board or the Passport and Immigration websites, there is a carefully concealed page that can tell you the status of your Visa application.I know it's there. I've used it. I ... Read More
Ice cream van moint choisy ripped off by Laura91
Hi guys,Want to share my experience yesterday and ask you how you deal with a situation like that. So we ordered a ice cream from the ice cream van at moint choisy we have two kids and the seller says 250 mur ok we thought fair enough overpriced but ...
@prospectorland I get taken advantage of by taxi drivers a lot. I know that since I make the same trip frequently and get charged almost double by some.I give a substantial tip to the ones who charge me the least. It doesn't affect my lifestyle any, ... Read More
Looking for a rental by sebastiengouzy24
Hello community,We are a family of four and we are arriving in Mauritius in July.We are looking for a place to rent in the Morne 脿 Tamarin area. A two or three bedroom house would suit us in a quiet environment close to the ocean.Our budget ...
Hi S茅bastien,The best website that I know of for finding rentals in Mauritius is https://www.lexpressproperty.com/en/.It will let you filter by price, etc.I recommend not over-specifying the filters, though. Sometimes the person who posts the ... Read More
Looking for board games by Starry Expanse
I have a Mauritian friend who is coming to my house for dinner in the near future.My friend speaks English but her mother and sister don't.I'm looking for things that we can do together that don't require conversation.Note:聽 Her sister is ...
@Camille_S https://www.facebook.com/LudoBox has quite a collection.Thank you for telling me about it! Read More
Looking for board games by Starry Expanse
I have a Mauritian friend who is coming to my house for dinner in the near future.My friend speaks English but her mother and sister don't.I'm looking for things that we can do together that don't require conversation.Note:聽 Her sister is ...
@prospectorland Chance and Counters looks gorgeous.There is a similar place in the Seattle area called Mox Boarding House: https://www.moxboardinghouse.com/Regarding creating an expat game library:I could provide a place to keep games for people to ... Read More
SAFETY OF NON-BINARIES
@celinaNB I'm going to double down on my previous comment:How you are treated will depend largely on which culture you find yourself in, how much you stand out, and how polite and considerate you are.You have probably heard of "Six Degrees of Kevin ... Read More
SAFETY OF NON-BINARIES
@celinaNB I am cisgender, but I'll put in my two cents worth anyway. I have lived in Mauritius for about a year. It is a peaceful place. There are no guns. There are no gangs roaming the streets. I have never felt threatened even when walking alone ... Read More
Second Hand Furniture by andrew9799
Anyone know of any places that sell second hand, but still ok, furniture. We have rented partially furnished, but not sure how long we will stay there so don't want to spend too much. We need a desk, small table, set of draws and wardrobe for our ...
Here are the places I would look:Facebook Marketplacehttps://www.facebook.com/marketplace/106248356079603/AsterVenderhttps://www.astervender.mu/Jumiahttps://www.jumia.mu/ Read More
Comforter availability and other by traciwoodley
Hi EveryoneWe arrive 28 Feb 2023 on Retirement visa and I am trying to find out if Comforters are freely available to buy in Mauritius or should I bring from UK.The other question is; When renting a property (house/flat/villa) and it is furnished - ...
Flic en FlacI live in Flic en Flac. I am very fond of our little village. It's.... um... quirky.FishingThere is an Ocean Public Access path at Ave des Bretons that leads to a shore full of lava rock and tide pools. There is no barrier reef here, so ... Read More
Free Public Transportation for Retired People
In another post, @traciwoodley said, "Public transport is free for retired person."What qualifies as "retired"? Age? A Retirement Visa? Knowing the bus driver?I am 60 years old (but I don't feel a day over 75). I live here on a Premium Visa. Do I ... Read More
Comforter availability and other by traciwoodley
Hi EveryoneWe arrive 28 Feb 2023 on Retirement visa and I am trying to find out if Comforters are freely available to buy in Mauritius or should I bring from UK.The other question is; When renting a property (house/flat/villa) and it is furnished - ...
I agree with @shirley1421971. Malls in Mauritius: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293816-Activities-c26-t143-Mauritius.htmlI have a thin blanket on my bed and it's always been enough--even when it is horribly cold, like 18掳C / ... Read More
Economic Statistics for Mauritius
Average income?How many cars are registered?GDP?Lots of concrete numbers...https://www.ceicdata.com/en/country/mauritius Read More
Medication that cannot be found in Mauritius by Anne-Lise Mty
Hello guys,We're currently finalizing our PDF Expat Guide for 2023 and I was wondering whether you guys had had trouble finding any medication in Mauritius that might be worth mentioning in the guide? If so, can you let us know which ones and ...
I was able to find Bupropion (Wellbutrin). See my October 4, 2022 post:/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1001239#5514370 Read More
Finding prescription meds that are not commonly available in Mauritius by Starry Expanse
Is there a pharmacy in Mauritius where I can buy Bupropion** (aka Wellbutrin or Zyban).I've tried pharmacies in Flic en Flac, Cascavelle, and at the Super U in Tamarin. No joy.I can probably import it, but it's a hassle (because it is a ...
I found Bupropion by contacting HyperPharm (info@hyperpharm.mu).I subsequently got an email from Nautica Pharmacy in Black River (south of Tamarin) saying they had it in stock.I don't know if they always carry Bupropion, so I recommend contacting ... Read More
Renting furnished VS. shipping all belonging from SA by NanouSA
Hi to all,We are in a conundrum regarding the option we'll opt for when we move. Likely to move for a minimum of 4 years, we are bsuy weighing the shipping the content of our house and car VS. coming with the bare minimum.What is your insight about ...
@tashwilmot Thank you for the kind words.I would love to know more about the places you described are the end of your post. Around here, we tend to find things through the grapevine, like: my wife has a friend who knows a guy who used to work at a ... Read More
Renting furnished VS. shipping all belonging from SA by NanouSA
Hi to all,We are in a conundrum regarding the option we'll opt for when we move. Likely to move for a minimum of 4 years, we are bsuy weighing the shipping the content of our house and car VS. coming with the bare minimum.What is your insight about ...
@NanouSA Since I came with so little, I can't give you any insight about a big shipment of items. I've heard that there are a lot of sketchy companies in that business, though, so take a little time to check the reputation of whoever you choose. Read More
Renting furnished VS. shipping all belonging from SA by NanouSA
Hi to all,We are in a conundrum regarding the option we'll opt for when we move. Likely to move for a minimum of 4 years, we are bsuy weighing the shipping the content of our house and car VS. coming with the bare minimum.What is your insight about ...
@NanouSA Before I came to Mauritius, I sold my house and almost everything I owned. I arrived with one very heavy suitcase and a backpack.I reserved in a cheap Airbnb for three weeks while I looked for a place to rent.I found a "furnished" flat ... Read More
Is the Premium Visa Multiple entry? by zurtle
Has anyone here travelled in and out of Mauritius while being on the premium visa?I've asked EDB(no response yet) and looked at the govt websites but it doesn't specify anywhere that the Visa is multiple entry(Even though logically it should ...
@zurtle I never thought to ask that question. I'm glad you did! Read More
Finding prescription meds that are not commonly available in Mauritius
Is there a pharmacy in Mauritius where I can buy Bupropion** (aka Wellbutrin or Zyban).I've tried pharmacies in Flic en Flac, Cascavelle, and at the Super U in Tamarin. No joy.I can probably import it, but it's a hassle (because it is a ... Read More
Do you get everything in Mauritius? by Novalis1
Although we have been to Mauritius several times, not all questions can be answered on site.Are there things (other than groceries) that are difficult or impossible to get there? Are they orderable in stores?And what about online orders: In Germany ...
Costco is a huge membership-based warehouse store. They sell high quality products for a lot less than everyone else. That's partially because the annual membership fees offset their prices, partially because the keep their profit to about 4% (if I ... Read More
Do you get everything in Mauritius? by Novalis1
Although we have been to Mauritius several times, not all questions can be answered on site.Are there things (other than groceries) that are difficult or impossible to get there? Are they orderable in stores?And what about online orders: In Germany ...
@zurtle When I have shipped packages through FedEx, they get handled by a customs-front end company (?) named Rennel. When Rennel sends me an email that says there are import fees, I have to go to the bank, withdraw cash, fill out one or more ... Read More
Where do people living in Mauritius invest their savings? by zurtle
I was wondering what most people in Mauritius do with their savings.Is it invested in bank fixed deposits?How viable is the Mauritian stock market? (I saw the MUA Insurance stock gave a decent return)Are there high yield govt bonds that can be ...
@zurtle I'm an American expat. I have a heavy investment in NASDAQ stocks. If you want to know what is in my portfolio (and why), send me a private message. Read More
Walking with your dog by Stefanie Parent-Bos
Hi you all!聽Hope you are doing well.聽I have a question about to walk with your dog to the streets. How do you do that? Because a lot of street dogs are very aggressive to other dogs, not all of them of course. We are from the Netherlands, ...
@Stefanie Parent-Bos聽I carry an ultrasonic "dog repeller". I have never been attacked, but I have used it a couple of times when I have felt uncertain.It doesn't hurt the dogs. It just startles them.Here are some videos dog owners should ... Read More
Do you get everything in Mauritius? by Novalis1
Although we have been to Mauritius several times, not all questions can be answered on site.Are there things (other than groceries) that are difficult or impossible to get there? Are they orderable in stores?And what about online orders: In Germany ...
@zurtle聽I tried paying the fees up front this time (using MyUS.com to forward more packages).I wouldn't let me do it. It tried, but聽none of the available carriers (e.g.: FedEx, DHL, Soprano's Delivery Service**) had that capability when ... Read More
Do you get everything in Mauritius? by Novalis1
Although we have been to Mauritius several times, not all questions can be answered on site.Are there things (other than groceries) that are difficult or impossible to get there? Are they orderable in stores?And what about online orders: In Germany ...
@zurtle聽This was my first time shipping anything internationally.MyUS.com had an option of paying a "guaranteed" amount up front, but I got excited and clicked "Go" before I really thought it through.聽聽I vaguely recall reading ... Read More
Do you get everything in Mauritius? by Novalis1
Although we have been to Mauritius several times, not all questions can be answered on site.Are there things (other than groceries) that are difficult or impossible to get there? Are they orderable in stores?And what about online orders: In Germany ...
@zurtleI just used myUS.com to ship $642.96 worth of stuff from the United States.聽It costs about double the value to get it to Mauritius.The actual numbers are below.NOTE:聽 myUS.com has the option of paying the customs fees up front. I ... Read More
Do you get everything in Mauritius? by Novalis1
Although we have been to Mauritius several times, not all questions can be answered on site.Are there things (other than groceries) that are difficult or impossible to get there? Are they orderable in stores?And what about online orders: In Germany ...
@Novalis1聽I'm pretty sure I've watched them all. :-)I'll make some that use Mosquito Dunks and put them around the yard.Thanks! Read More
Do you get everything in Mauritius? by Novalis1
Although we have been to Mauritius several times, not all questions can be answered on site.Are there things (other than groceries) that are difficult or impossible to get there? Are they orderable in stores?And what about online orders: In Germany ...
There are only 1.3 million people in Mauritius. With the notable exception of one particularly popular product in the Health section of the grocery store, you won't find 15 kinds of anything here.I keep a running list of things I want but I can't ... Read More
How much do you guys pay for a long term car rental by zurtle
I'm in Mauritius now and looking for a long term car rental.How much does it usually cost to rent the following cars on a long term basis (>6 months)1. Small Hatchback2. Sedan3. Mid- Sized SUVWould it be possible to get a car for 15k a month? I ...
Here are a couple of creative alternatives that would work in my situation.Option #1: I live in Flic en Flac. I don't have a car. I don't need one most of the time. If you're thinking of a long term car rental but don't need a car full time, ... Read More
How much do you guys pay for a long term car rental by zurtle
I'm in Mauritius now and looking for a long term car rental.How much does it usually cost to rent the following cars on a long term basis (>6 months)1. Small Hatchback2. Sedan3. Mid- Sized SUVWould it be possible to get a car for 15k a month? I ...
@jex2聽You're old buddy Starry Expanse has got you covered!I said "get a narrow car" (not the smallest possible car) and I haven't found myself on any unavoidable dirt roads, but I don't like to be contentious, so I looked for a place to rent a ... Read More
Looking for board games
I have a Mauritian friend who is coming to my house for dinner in the near future.My friend speaks English but her mother and sister don't.I'm looking for things that we can do together that don't require conversation.Note:聽 Her sister is ... Read More
French and Creole lessons by BlueAlila
I'm looking for French lessons to brush up my French, and Creole lessons at beginners level. 聽In the north preferably. Any suggestions?
@BlueAlila聽Here is the best resource I know of for in-depth Mauritian Creole lessons.It is subscription based ($10/month via Patreon.com).Learn Mauritian Creoleyoutube.com/watch?v=FMOpA2dfzQQ Read More
How much do you guys pay for a long term car rental by zurtle
I'm in Mauritius now and looking for a long term car rental.How much does it usually cost to rent the following cars on a long term basis (>6 months)1. Small Hatchback2. Sedan3. Mid- Sized SUVWould it be possible to get a car for 15k a month? I ...
@zurtle聽I'm actively considering a long term car rental.It's "challenging" to do the required research because many of the websites (which are all "the best and the cheapest") are difficult to use, require you ask them for rates, don't have any ... Read More
How to transport an e-bike battery? by Novalis1
Does anyone here have experience transporting an e-bike battery from Europe to Mauritius? - Just like that in the moving container? - On the plane in checked baggage or in hand baggage?
@Novalis1聽I attempted to ship an eBike from the US to Mauritius.It got so complicated (because it's considered "dangerous") and expensive (hundreds and hundreds of dollars because there is a ton of paperwork and special handling involved) that ... Read More
Premium Visa by Starry Expanse
I applied online for a Premium Visa.聽 The received it and asked me for one additional document and acknowledged having received it.One article I read said it usually takes about two business days to get approved.聽聽It's been nearly two ...
Premium Visa Approved!It is 6 July. My Tourist Visa expires on 9 July. If I don't get the Premium Visa today, I will have to book a last minute flight out of the country, find an Airbnb, and book a taxi to the airport. No worries. 馃槱So, it ... Read More
Premium Visa by Starry Expanse
I applied online for a Premium Visa.聽 The received it and asked me for one additional document and acknowledged having received it.One article I read said it usually takes about two business days to get approved.聽聽It's been nearly two ...
Hi @Trent Simpson,I bought my health insurance through Cigna.It costs about US$500 per month.I believe you can buy it for whatever amount of time you need it.聽When you respond to their advertisement, you will get a call from a representative ... Read More
Premium Visa by Starry Expanse
I applied online for a Premium Visa.聽 The received it and asked me for one additional document and acknowledged having received it.One article I read said it usually takes about two business days to get approved.聽聽It's been nearly two ...
@Elen-Rose聽That's helpful to know. Thank you! Read More
Premium Visa by Starry Expanse
I applied online for a Premium Visa.聽 The received it and asked me for one additional document and acknowledged having received it.One article I read said it usually takes about two business days to get approved.聽聽It's been nearly two ...
@Anou86聽Ah ha!聽 Thank you!I followed the link that you gave me (EDB WPS Portal) and logged in.I clicked on the "Your Area" link (in the menu along the top of the page). I clicked on the "New Applications in Progress" tile. In the ... Read More
Premium Visa by Starry Expanse
I applied online for a Premium Visa.聽 The received it and asked me for one additional document and acknowledged having received it.One article I read said it usually takes about two business days to get approved.聽聽It's been nearly two ...
@Anou86 Hi Anoushka, Thank you for your help. Here is how I "resolved" it: I went here: https://www.edbmauritius.org/premium-visaI expanded the "ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?" section, revealing the following message: For any other questions or assistance, ... Read More
Premium Visa
I applied online for a Premium Visa.聽 The received it and asked me for one additional document and acknowledged having received it.One article I read said it usually takes about two business days to get approved.聽聽It's been nearly two ... Read More