Reunion & Mauritius are close, but 2 different worlds.
I won't like living in Mauritius (feels like Bollywood). it's one of the most boring places I know.
Remember my first trip (1991 or 92) - hell, I ran away a few days before my scheduled flight. Luckily I took the last flight on Friday evening to Reunion (instead of a flight on Sunday evening) and i am sure I had much more fun over here than inMauritius during the weekend
The night clubs you are talking about were the Pussy Cat (
) and Opera Bastille - I think they've changed names since, but they are still there.
There some more 5-6 night clubs in St.Gilles les Bains, a good place to stay for making party (St.Pierre too, there are also some 4-5 in St.Pierre).
St.Gilles and St.Gilles les Bains is the same stuff.
But there is also St.Gilles les Hauts = a few kms up the mountain.
The place with the "german sounding name" could be Hellbourg, in the cirque of Salazie. There's somewhere a trout farm where you can fish also.
There's also another fish farm, run by a German in St.Louis.
Temperature: St.Gilles and the West coast is quite protected from cold wind in the winter time (les alizées) by the mountains.
That's not the case in Mauritius (no mountains = cold winds don t get stopped)
Yes, we have a relatively high "death rate" among surfers
Somehow 4th or 5th place worldwide in Shark accidents. But it doesn t catch more than 1 or 2 max. a year - though 50% are surfers, 50% divers.
There hadn't been a deadly shark accident now for 2 or 3 years. But I remember 2 (non deadly) accidents some 2 years ago. One of them lost his leg)
Compared to some 80-90 death on the road it's still safer beeing in the water than on the road.
Also: it always happens at the same spots that are known for sharks (but unfortunately also for good waves). But some people love exitement... and don't care.
Always the same conditions too = after heavy rainfalls/troubled water, often a short time after heavy rains or a cyclone or a like had passed along (=that means also great waves for surfing).
I don't know any shark accident at swimming beaches, like Hermitage, Roches Noir or Boucan Canot at St.Gilles for the last 2 decades at least.
Bikes: Yes in Mauritius there's some kind of restrictions on imports of Big Bikes = almost any to find, but those Indian or Chinese 50 cc Scooters.
Here's no import restrictions = 750 cc and up is standard. Scooters (50cc)are free of driving licenses, but most are boosted = running 80-100 km/h.
You can also find a lot of Harley, BMW, KTM, Ducati, and all Japanese makes here.
Don't wonder if you'll see them in a week or 2 also in Mauritius on the streets.
A motorbike club from Reunion will make their yearly trip to there by Dec. 18th or 20th (They go once a year to Mada, or South Africa, or Namibia, or, like this year, to Mauritius)