Time difference Mayotte
Mayotte is one time zone east of mainland France. This means adding two hours in winter and one hour in summer to Paris time. When it's midday in Paris, it's 2pm in Mamoudzou in winter, and 1pm in summer. Madagascar is in the same time zone as Mayotte. Reunion, Mauritius and the Seychelles are one hour ahead, both in summer and winter.
Opening hours Mayotte
To see / To do Mayotte
In Mayotte, as on the islands in general, we live with the sun, so early! As the vast majority of the population is Muslim, working life (and therefore the opening of stores, administrations and offices) follows the rhythm of the prayers. Before dawn, people are busy preparing breakfast, which will not be eaten until after the first prayer at sunrise (between 4 and 6 a.m., depending on the month). Employees generally leave work around 3 or 4pm, or 5pm at the latest. So don't forget to do your shopping during the day, and make sure you have your lunch as early as 11 a.m. so you don't end up in front of empty stalls.
Enjoying yourself Mayotte
Most restaurants only open at lunchtime for workers, especially in Mamoudzou, so always phone ahead if you are going to a remote area. Lunchtime services start early, around 11am, either on the spot or to take away, and there is often not much left after 12.30pm except in the tourist restaurants less frequented by locals. You will notice that at 2pm no one serves you anymore, and the same goes for the evening, try to eat between 6pm and 8pm otherwise you will not have any choice.
Take a break Mayotte
Bakeries, pastry shops and snack bars open early, often around 6 or 7 in the morning, as it is common to have breakfast on the terrace before starting a working day. Consequently, they also close early, around 4 or 5 pm, and very few are open in the evening. Be prepared.
(To) please yourself Mayotte
Shops open early and close early, with the exception of shopping malls, which tend to follow the metropolitan model.
Get out Mayotte
Bars open at 5:30 pm and generally close around 10 pm, the clubs take over. There are not many of them on the island but there are enough to have fun and find an atmosphere that suits you. If the bars are often widely frequented by locals as well as metropolitans settled in Mayotte, the nightclubs are more discreet and intimate. This advice is valid everywhere, but perhaps even more so in Mayotte: girls, avoid going to and leaving nightclubs alone. The roads and parking lots are not very well lit and the night meetings are not always the best.
