Mauritius with children: the best hotels and things to do

Mauritius is truly a great place for a family holiday. There are calm lagoons protected by coral reefs, carefully planned infrastructure, kids' clubs, babysitting services, special menus in restaurants and large rooms where everyone has enough space. Where should you go in Mauritius with children and what should you do?

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Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

This is the first eco-resort in Mauritius, and it is truly impressive in size - 35 hectares of tropical gardens. The villas here are literally surrounded by greenery, creating a feeling of complete privacy. The hotel is located in the north-west, where the sea is always calm and the weather is excellent.

Children are looked after here in a special way. In addition to the regular kids' club with a pool and restaurant, the hotel offers a free babysitting service for the youngest guests (from 1 to 3 years old) on weekdays during the day. This is a huge plus for parents of toddlers. Teenagers can also spend time actively: they have their own club with tennis and snorkelling.

There are 6 restaurants in the hotel for every taste - from the Indian palace Mahiya to the Thai Blue Ginger. Activities include a diving centre with the best equipment, a huge choice of free water sports - waterskiing, sailing, glass-bottom boats - and access to two golf courses. There is also a large spa with 20 treatment rooms and treatments in open pavilions.

Where it is located: Trou aux Biches, north-west coast. The drive from the airport takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa

Victoria Beachcomber Resort & Spa

The rooms in this hotel are among the most spacious on the island, and almost all of them face the ocean. Victoria offers an attractive feature: you can use the infrastructure of the partner 4-star hotels Canonnier and Mauricia.

A whole ecosystem has been created here for children and teenagers. The club for little ones aged 3 to 11 is located right on the beach and offers many activities every day. Teenagers have their own activities too - from sports to evening discos. By the way, this hotel has one of the largest sports centres in Mauritius, where you can do anything from yoga to football. And at the local diving school, children can learn to dive from the age of 10.

Near the hotel, you can visit the sugar museum or the botanical garden, and in Grand Baie you can dive in a real submarine.

Where it is located: north-west coast. The drive from the airport takes about 1 hour.

Victoria Beachcomber Resort & Spa

InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort

This beautiful hotel in Balaclava Bay is surrounded by tropical gardens and stands right by the water. The location is very convenient: you stay in a quiet place, but you can drive to the capital Port Louis or Grand Baie in 15-20 minutes. The rooms have large balconies and panoramic views, so the feeling of the ocean stays with you even in your room.

For children, there is the Planet Trekkers club, where professionals look after little guests while parents can relax in one of the two pools overlooking the ocean. There is plenty of entertainment here: from the fitness centre to all kinds of water sports. The spa deserves a special mention. It offers not only a huge choice of treatments, but also a magical view of the surrounding ocean nature.

Where it is located: Balaclava, north-west coast. About 50-60 minutes by car from the airport.

InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort

Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa

The hotel can boast an unusual lagoon-style pool with waterfalls and little islands. Interestingly, there is an underwater sound system in the pool, so music can be heard even while diving. Families will feel comfortable here thanks to the well-designed kids' club for children aged 3 to 12, which has its own playground and pool. Water activities include free glass-bottom boat rides and dolphin cruises. You can also take kayaks or pedal boats and simply explore the coast.

In their free time, parents can visit the spa with traditional treatments based on local ingredients, or go to yoga. Very close by is Casela Park, where you can walk with lions, and the famous coloured sands of Chamarel.

Where it is located: Flic en Flac, west coast. About 1 hour by car from the airport.

Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa

Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort

This prestigious hotel on the south of the island welcomes guests on an all inclusive basis. The rooms are spacious, from 50 square metres, which is important for families. There are three pools, tennis, archery and even a cinema on the beach.

There are entertainment clubs for children of different ages. The youngest guests are taught by the activity staff to catch crabs and take part in various workshops. Adults, meanwhile, are offered a free massage in the huge spa and a game of golf. In the evening, everyone gathers for a barbecue by the fire with traditional dances. Nearby there is a huge UNESCO reserve, where you can go on a family safari by buggy or quad bike.

Where it is located: south coast, next to Heritage Le Telfair in the Bel Ombre estate. About 50 minutes by car from the airport.

Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

The resort occupies a huge area with tropical gardens and mountain views. Instead of regular rooms, there are spacious villas with thatched roofs, private pools and enclosed gardens. For children aged 4 to 9, a whole "Hobbit Village" has been built, with an amphitheatre, bakery and playroom where they can search for treasure.

Meanwhile, adults can play golf on the resort’s famous courses. There are bicycles for everyone on the property, an excellent steakhouse and an Indian restaurant. You can also take a boat to the secluded beach of La Plaz to feel the atmosphere of a deserted island.

Where it is located: east coast, in the Beau Champ area. About 45-50 minutes by car from the airport.

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

What to do with children in Mauritius: parks, reserves and museums

So that you do not spend the whole holiday in the hotel, make a list of several interesting places for a family outing.

La Vanille Nature Park

Who it is for: absolutely for all ages - from toddlers to grandparents.

Where: south of the island, near the village of Rivière des Anguilles.

This is not just a zoo, but a real Jurassic Park surrounded by tropical forest greenery, palm trees and giant bamboo.

The main stars of La Vanille Nature Park are the Nile crocodiles. There are about 2,000 of them here. Do not miss the feeding show, when keepers lower meat on rods into the enclosures, showing the lightning-fast strikes of their powerful jaws. For the bravest, there is a chance to hold a six-month-old baby crocodile. It is completely safe and gives unique impressions.

The second, and no less important, feature of the park is the giant Aldabra tortoises. Hundreds of majestic creatures roam freely across a huge area. You can see tortoises of all ages, from tiny babies to hundred-year-old giants such as the local celebrity Domino, who weighs 275 kg. For a small extra fee, you can enter a special enclosure to feed the tortoises.

Besides that, be sure to visit the Insectarium. Even if you are not an entomologist, the collection of 26,000 species of butterflies and beetles from all over the world will amaze you with its colours and shapes. And for the youngest visitors, the park has a petting zoo where they can meet ponies, donkeys, rabbits and wild boars.

La Vanille Nature Park

Île aux Aigrettes nature reserve

Who it is for: children aged 7 and older.

Where: a small island 800 metres off the south-east coast, with boat departure from Pointe Jérôme.

A visit to Île aux Aigrettes is a real journey back in time, to the Mauritius of 400 years ago. Île aux Aigrettes is a unique nature reserve and research station, where the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation has restored an endemic dry coastal forest, of which only 2% remains on Mauritius itself.

Children will be delighted to see giant tortoises walking freely along the paths in their natural habitat, rare pink pigeons, one of the rarest birds in the world, Mauritian fodies with their fiery red heads, and the tiny olive white-eye.

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The Sugar Adventure museum

Who it is for: children aged 3 and older.

Where: north of the island, Pamplemousses.

This place is a real "Willy Wonka factory", the impressive and very interactive L'Aventure du Sucre, located in the building of an old sugar factory. The history of sugar is closely linked to the history of Mauritius.

Young visitors are guided through the route by two characters - Raj the swallow and Floris the mongoose. There are many interactive elements here: talking tubes, videos, and opening panels with questions. But the nicest part is, of course, the tasting at the end of the tour. While parents try 12 kinds of rum and liqueurs, children are offered 15 kinds of unrefined cane sugar, from dark and sticky muscovado to crunchy demerara, as well as exotic jams and honey.

L' Aventure du Sucre

Frédérica nature reserve

Who it is for: active families with children aged 3-5 and older.

Where: south of the island, in the Bel Ombre estate.

Frédérica Nature Reserve is a reserve covering 1,300 hectares. Here you can go on an exciting safari by quad bike, buggy or 4x4 vehicle.

Teenagers will be delighted by the ride along dirt roads with views of green hills, the turquoise lagoon and picturesque waterfalls. During the trip with a guide, you will see herds of Javan deer and wild boars.

Bel Ombre Nature Reserve

Casela adventure park

Who it is for: for all ages, from toddlers to thrill seekers.

Where: west coast, not far from Flic en Flac.

If you need a guaranteed day of fun that every member of the family will enjoy, head to Casela. It is not just a zoo, but a huge adventure park covering 250 hectares.

Here you can go on a safari by bus or jeep to see zebras, ostriches, white rhinos and antelopes. In the petting zoo, children can feed giraffes and goats, and ride ponies. And for the bravest, there is a unique activity - a walk with lions.

The park offers the longest zipline in the Indian Ocean region - 400 metres - canyon jumps, quad bike trails, buggy tracks and much more. For little ones, there is a separate play area with fishing and the chance to play at being a zoo keeper.

Tip: the park is huge, so it is worth setting aside a whole day for it.

Casela Nature Parks