Flying all the way to Mauritius for the summer break with young children? “It’s far away and it’s winter in the Indian Ocean,” you might say… True! But honestly, what an amazing destination!
We took the plunge with our 3.5-year-old daughter and our baby boy, who turned five months old in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Several months later, we can confirm: Mauritius is a perfect destination for a family trip with young kids. There’s something for everyone… It’s beautiful, exotic, and most hotels are perfectly suited for families with small children.
We spent eight full days on the island—four days in the south around Bel Ombre and Le Morne, and four days in the north with Grand Baie as our base. Eight full days allowed us to balance sightseeing and relaxation without pressure and without ever getting bored.
In this article, we share our day-by-day itinerary and our tips for a successful trip. We also answer the questions we received on Instagram.
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Our Top 5 Things to Do and See in Mauritius
(with young children)
This list is tailored to travel with young kids. If our children had been older, we would have added boat trips, snorkeling, probably some hikes in the national parks, and maybe even a helicopter flight over the island and its famous underwater waterfall.
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The Seven-Coloured Earth and Chamarel Waterfall
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Seeing giant tortoises at Vanilla Nature Park
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L’Aventure du Sucre museum
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Beach time (Le Morne beach is magical)
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Pamplemousses Botanical Garden
Grand Baie
Our Itinerary
The Historic and Wild South
On the map
Bel Ombre > Chamarel > Le Morne > Rivière des Anguilles
Day 1: Bel Ombre
We arrived at the Heritage Le Telfair hotel in Bel Ombre, in the southern part of the island. On the way, we drove through wild areas and local villages untouched by tourism—a glimpse of the authentic Mauritius we really enjoyed. We settled into our beautiful suite and marveled at our first Mauritian sunset on the beach.
First sunset in Bel Ombre
Day 2: Chamarel & Le Morne
With our rental car, we headed early to Black River Gorges National Park. The drive was stunning.
On the itinerary: Chamarel’s waterfall and the Seven-Coloured Earth—a must-see for any first-time visitor.
Note: If you visit during the winter and it has rained, the colors might not be as vibrant. Best to go when it’s dry. There’s a panoramic restaurant there with Mauritian specialties, though we didn’t try it.
Then we headed to Le Morne. I had booked a table at the beach restaurant of LUX Le Morne hotel for lunch. The location was simply idyllic: crystal-clear water, palm trees, white sand, and the iconic Le Morne Brabant mountain as a backdrop. The restaurant was average (slow and full of errors), but the setting made it worth it.
Lux Le Morne
Afternoon: Pool and relaxation.
Day 3 : Château de Bel Ombre
A relaxing day around Bel Ombre. Our daughter had a blast at the Timomo kids club.
The amazing Timomo Kids Club at Heritage Le Telfair
Meanwhile, we took our baby on a long stroll around the château and golf course. It was important for us to connect with the island’s history and experience the authenticity of the south, which is wilder and less developed.
Château de Bel Ombre
We spent the afternoon at the hotel’s beach club. As I said, the perfect balance between discovering the island and relaxing.
Heritage Le Telfair Beach Club
Day 4: Rivières des Anguilles – Vanilla Nature Park
Let’s be honest: meeting the giant tortoises was one of the highlights of our trip for our daughter. She loved walking among the animals and feeding them leaves. Even our baby seemed so impressed! There were also crocodiles, monkeys, and iguanas…
Vanilla Park
Sure, these types of parks get a lot of criticism. I was hesitant to go since I never condone animal exploitation, but I found the negative reviews quite exaggerated and mostly unfounded. We had a great time, and the kids were in awe. It was also a good opportunity to talk to them about species protection and respecting nature.
The lively and paradisiac North
On the map
Port Louis > L’Aventure du Sucre > Jardin Pamplemousses > Cap Malheureux > Grand Baie
Day 5: Driving North – Aventure du Sucre – Cap Malheureux
After checking out, we drove north along the coast. After the traffic jams of Port Louis, we reached Aventure du sucre —a museum/tasting venue that was one of my favorite activity on the island. I can’t praise enough the quality of the work behind this interactive and comprehensive museum. It’s not just about sugar but about all of Mauritius: its history, culture, literature, economy, topography, and geology. A must-see!
We recommend that you plan to spend at least an hour there. Without the kids, I would’ve stayed much longer.
For children: they offer excellent educational materials, including a treasure hunt-style game. Explanations are child-friendly, and the entire visit is designed with their participation in mind. Kids under 6 get in for free.
At the end, you’ll get to taste different types of sugar (and rum, if I recall).
There’s also a restaurant on-site—Le Fangourin. Not haute cuisine, but they handled a small issue with my order very professionally. Recommended if you’re there.
L’Aventure du Sucre
While the kids napped in the car (bliss!), we drove to Cap Malheureux, named because this is where the British arrived. And yes, that made me laugh, a lot! It’s a laid-back spot with a great little snack bar.
Don’t miss the iconic Notre Dame Auxiliatrice church nearby—it reminded me of the little churches in Moorea (French Polynesia) where we spent our honeymoon.
We ended the day on a high note (the highest note in fact) with our arrival at the Royal Palm Beachcomber hotel!
“Mommy, I want to move to l’Ile Maurice” (you don’t say!!!)
Oh, that sunset!
Day 6: Jardins Pamplemousses
A must-see for any first visit to Mauritius: the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, known simply as the Pamplemousses Garden. Famous for its plant diversity—especially the giant water lilies—it’s a lovely outing in the north.
Check out these trees!!!
Days 7 et 8: total and absolute relaxation!
Beach, yoga, naps, pool, cocktails. Repeat! We treated ourselves to two days of pure relaxation before flying back to Paris.
Even baby Lobster (5 months old!) had a great time.
Verdict
We absolutely loved our family trip to Mauritius—between local history, natural beauty, and dream beaches, there’s so much to discover!
Would we go back? Yes, without hesitation. First, because there’s still so much to explore. On my wish list: an aerial tour of the underwater waterfall in the south. But honestly, even without a plan, we’d happily lounge on a Royal Palm sunbed watching the sunset over the Indian Ocean with a cocktail in our hand…
Next time: I’d love to explore the east coast, although it’s apparently quite windy in the winter time. I already have my eye on One&Only Saint Géran (which was sadly under renovation during our stay).
Practical information
Where to stay in Mauritius?
We stayed at two locations from which we explored the western half of the island.
In the South: Heritage Le Telfair. We really enjoyed the stunning colonial charm of this luxury hotel (member of Small Luxury Hotels). The suites are large and pleasant, and the overall vibe is magical. Excellent value for money. The food is good, especially the breakfast buffet.
Disappointment: the “Château” restaurant was not at the level of the fine dining it claimed to be. We also tried the spa, which was great.
Heritage Le Telfair
In terms of activities I tried aqua yoga with an amazing instructor.
But above all, a huge shoutout to the Timomo baby and kids club. Honestly, it ranks among the top 3 best kids clubs we’ve seen in the world. From the welcome gifts to the activities and facilities—outstanding quality indeed.
Timomo Kids Club
In the North: We splurged on one of the best hotels in the world: Royal Palm Beachcomber in Grand Baie. An intimate hotel with understated luxury and a prime location (member of the Leading Hotels of the World). We’re even dedicating a full article to it—it was that exceptional. I’ll say it: probably the best hotel stay of my entire life. Everything was flawless. Outstanding service. Four days of total enchantment…
What’s the weather like in Mauritius in August?
In August, it’s winter in Mauritius. But keep in mind: winter here means around 25°C on average—so it’s actually a great option. Yes, we had one or two showers and a bit of wind in the south, but it was manageable and overall the weather was lovely. We were warned the east coast can be very windy in winter—so passing that tip along. If we had to do it again, we’d still go at the same time—it’s low season, and prices are much better.
How to get there?
Air France and Air Mauritius offer direct flights from Paris. We flew with Air France (night flight) on the way in, and Air Mauritius (day flight) coming back. Having tried both, I preferred Air Mauritius—the crew was lovely and amazing with the kids, who were really pampered.
I had been very nervous about 11 hours of daytime flight with a 5-month-old and a 3-year-old, but it went surprisingly smoothly!
A 11-hour flight with a baby: are you insane?
Okay, not a question—but something we heard a lot. Honestly, I wouldn’t have attempted it if our daughter had been younger or our son a bit older. But at five months, our baby slept a lot (thank you breastfeeding!). And at 3.5, our daughter kept busy with coloring, her Timio (a screen-free audio player I highly recommend), toys, and a little screen time.
Plus, she’s super used to traveling by now. We’ve been going on trips with her since she was 4 month-old.
Between 12 and 18 months? Probably would have been a nightmare.
My little traveler
Is Mauritius Really Kid-Friendly?
Yes—it’s not a myth! Mauritius is a paradise for families. Fantastic kids clubs, Mauritians who adore children, tons of activities for all ages. Check out our detailed article above for all our suggestions.
Car Rental Tips
We rented a car from Hertz—complete disaster. Instead, consider hiring taxis by the day. It’s cheaper and probably better quality, especially if arranged through your hotel.
If you do rent a car, note: they drive on the left! A little British legacy…
What is the local currency?
Mauritian Rupee. 100 MUR ≈ €1.90. We didn’t need any cash—everything was paid by credit card.
What language do they speak?
Their own, plus French plus English. Communicating was never an issue.
August 2024
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