While you may think of it as a romantic destination, and it most certainly is, Mauritius isn’t just a honeymoon spot. It has everything needed for a fantastic family holiday. Mauritius caters for all age groups and has a wide range of activities to enjoy as a family. These are 3 top family travel tips to help you plan your perfect family getaway.

1. Where to Stay

There’s a nice family holiday balance between doing things together and still being able to do some things apart. It is more likely to happen when you pick the right spot to have your family vacation. Hotels that are kid-mindful, have onsite activities and organised excursions, provide excellent opportunities to create happy family holiday memories.

Ideally, your hotel also needs to have a kid’s club and a child-minding service. This gives you the opportunity to get dressed up and have a quiet meal with your partner. Or do something that the kids aren’t keen to do, but you’ve always wanted to try, like deep-sea fishing. They’ll have a great time keeping busy doing fun activities, with other kids, and you’ll know they are being looked after. Then at the end of the day, you’ll get to hear about each other’s adventures.

5 Family Friendly Hotels

North West Coast

1. Canonnier Beachcomber (4 Star)

2. Victoria Beachcomber (4 Star)

3. Troux Aux Biches Beachcomber (5 Star)

South East Coast

4. Shandrani Beachcomber (5 Star)

South West Coast

5. Paradis Beachcomber (5 Star)

2. Check for Special Kids’ Rates

Finding ways to save on flights and accommodation, enables you to have a bit more to spend on creating memories. There are plenty of ways you can save and still have a great family vacation. So, it’s well worth doing a bit of asking about things before you make your final decisions.

Usually, kids don’t pay full airfare rates. Discounts can range from 90% to 25% off a ticket depending on how old the child is. Also check if there are any specials running and if your family can take advantage of them.

Likewise, hotels offer discounts. It’s often cheaper to book a family room or suite. Or add a kid’s bed into a room, rather than pay for an additional room. Remember, a Mauritian holiday is going to be spent mostly outside and doing things. So practically everyone having a comfy spot to sleep in, rather than their own room, might be what you want.

3. What to Do

When you holiday in Mauritius, beaches, estuaries, lagoons, volcanic lakes, forests and botanical gardens are all waiting to be explored. Mauritius really does spoil its holiday makers when it comes to activity choices. And many of the kid-friendly activities are ones you’d like to do yourself.

Holidaying in Mauritius gives You the Chance to Cherry Pick what Your Family Most Wants to Do

10 Adventures Waiting for You…

…In Water

There are an endless number of water sports to enjoy while you are in Mauritius. From parasailing, to surfing, water-skiing, snorkelling and diving. Here are 4 family favorites:

1. Cave Sea Kayaking is amongst the easier sea activities. It’ll have you exploring caves, basalt rock gardens and mysterious subtropical island coves.

2. Glass-Bottom Boats are a chance to discover the abundant Mauritian sea life in its marine park. Many include opportunities to snorkel as part of a trip’s package.

3. Submarine Tours take you 32m under the sea to see shipwrecks, coral reefs and a fascinating array of tropical marine life. Enjoy a close up look at moray eels, turtles, brightly coloured fish, sharks and octopus.

4. Underwater Sea Walking is a great way to enjoy the advantages of diving without a licence. It provides your family with an up-close way to explore the ocean’s floor and to see it’s sea creatures.

…On Land

Do you want to explore a gorgeous reserve? Test your limits and try new things? Or mix it up by adding a bit of competitiveness into your family holiday? Here are some options to pick and choose from.

5. La Vallée des Couleurs Nature Park offers a thrilling Zip-Lining Including a 1.5km zip line that’s the 3^rd longest zipline in the world. Depending on the route you choose, you could zip past waterfalls and over the 23-coloured earth geopark as you enjoy the breath-taking scenery.

6. Chamarel Adventure Park offers Canopy Walks through the treetops and a Forest Adventure Course with nets and beams for the more daring.

7. Black River Gorges National Park extends for over 6000 hectares with a dense green Rainforest to Explore. It’s home to unique plants and animals, like the Mauritius flying fox and Mauritius cuckoo-shrike. You can Hike 50kms of trails and enjoy rolling hills with spectacular views. If your family is keen to Climb, Abseil or do some Canyoning then this is a great park to visit.

…With Animals

National parks, forests and beaches all provide opportunities to spot animals. Then there are also dedicated places, where you’re guaranteed a closer encounter with some animals. Here are two of them.

8. La Vanille Nature Park has beady-eyed crocs, giant tortoises and monkeys as well as a host of other fun critters.

9. The Mauritius Aquarium is home to over 150 species of fish, turtles, reef sharks & sea creatures.

…For the Curious

10. The Curious Corner of Chamarel is an interactive experience. Some of its fun is the wonderful world of optical illusions where you can explore a room…upside down! Or laugh at the infinite reflections of each other in a mirror maze. Then take home a family photo in the mind-bending ames room.

Add these Family Travel Tips to Your Holiday Planning & Get Ready to Maximise Fun Times Ahead!

What could be better than a tropical island paradise, surrounded by the warm waters of the south-west Indian Ocean? Add beautiful beaches, staggering natural beauty, great food and you’ve got all the makings of a fantastic holiday.

So, when’s the best time to have your holiday? For the most part Mauritius’s weather is ideal for holiday makers. Depending on what you’re keen to get up to, there are certain times of the year which might suit you best. Here’s the inside scoop on the Mauritius Weather.

Coastal vs Inland Climate

There’s generally about a 5’C difference in temperature between coastal areas and the island’s central plateau region. Coastal areas tend to be warmer with less rain than inland. In contrast, you can expect the central plateau to be cooler and more humid than the coastline. The north and west coasts are warmer as well as drier than the south and east coastlines.

When to Visit Mauritius

One of the many great things about holidaying in Mauritius is the weather. The weather tends to be ideal with the exception of a short stretch of wet season. Even then the wet season has its own appeal. Essentially, this means the timing of your Mauritius holiday can easily accommodate the realities of work schedules and school holidays.

Most people regard May to December as being the best time to visit Mauritius. The weather is comfortably warm and while you may experience some scattered showers, they tend to clear up quickly. The months you’ll want to double-think are January to April. This is when temperatures are inclined to be higher and cyclones may occur. Although most storms tend to miss the island and there are less tourists, which results in some great holiday deals.

Mauritius Summer

During the summer months of November to April, Mauritius’s weather is usually warm and humid. Interior temperatures range average between 20’C to 28’C, and along the coast you can expect it to reach into the 30’s. Peak temperatures can be expected between December and February.

The Wet Season

January through to May is regarded as the Mauritius wet season. It is most noticeable in the central plateau, with fairer conditions along the coastal areas. During this time the south and south-east coastlines are hit by prevailing trade winds. The result is nearly twice as much rainfall compared to the north and north-west coastlines.

However, it’s worth remembering that, in the rainy season, it could be raining where you’re staying but a couple of kms away the sun’s out. So, you might pack an umbrella but you can still head to the beach with your hat, costume and sunscreen.

Cyclone Season

For the most part storms miss the Mauritian islands. However, it is worth noting that January to March is still regarded as the cyclone season.

Gusty Wind

Unless you particularly enjoy gusty winds, it’s best to avoid the east coast in July and August. This is when the wind is at its strongest in this particular area.

Wintering in Mauritius

The winter months of May to October are regarded by many as the best time to visit Mauritius. This is because the temperatures are moderate and range between 20 – 24’C. The lowest temperatures can be expected in August. Which could mean that it drops a little further down from 20’C to 18’C.
During winter it’s particularly lovely to explore Mauritius beaches and nearby islands or go look for wildlife. It’s also a great time for surfing and water sport enthusiasts.

Which months to go if You want to….

Dive and Deep-Sea Fish

If you’re looking for the ideal time to book a diving or deep-sea fishing holiday, then look at going between December and March. This is when the water is clearest.

Go Surfing

There are plenty of tempting surfing spots when it comes to finding a wave to ride in Mauritius. It’s particularly good to surf during the June, July and August months.

Le Morne Beach is known as the ultimate surfing beach in Mauritius. It’s in the shadow of the Le Morne mountains and the beachfront stretches for over 3kms. Many people comment on the especially breath-taking ocean colours along the Le Morne Beach.

If you are learning to surf then head over to Tamarin Bay. As Tamarin bay has less resorts, it’s also a favoured surfing spot amongst more experienced surfers.

Experienced surfers that are looking for good waves can head to Black Rocks or Ilot Sancho. Although, if you do this check with the locals before you paddle out. There are sometimes sharks in at Black Rocks and strong currents off the Ilot Sancho coastline.

As we don’t control the Mauritius Weather
This is a Guideline to help you choose when to Holiday in Mauritius.