Mauritius

Each coast has its own personality, so it’s worth choosing deliberately. The north, around Grand Baie, is the liveliest — restaurants, nightlife, shopping and easy boat trips. The west, at Flic-en-Flac, gives you gorgeous sunsets and morning dolphin swims. The east is quieter and more upmarket, lovely if you want calm and space. The south is wild and dramatic, greener and less built-up. Couples often love the west or east; livelier groups the north. Tell us your mood and we’ll base you where the days feel right.

It’s wonderful for families too — the honeymoon reputation undersells it. Couples get their romantic beaches, catamaran cruises and sunset dinners, yes, but families are just as spoilt: Casela Nature Park with its animals and ziplines, dolphin-watching boat trips, the Pamplemousses botanical gardens and the surreal seven-coloured earths at Chamarel. There’s enough variety that kids, parents and grandparents all find their thing. We routinely plan Mauritius for multi-generation groups from Bangalore, mixing the beach lazing with a few outings so nobody gets restless.

Worth planning around. January to March is the warmer, wetter stretch and carries the cyclone risk — it doesn’t mean a cyclone will hit, but heavy rain and rough seas are more likely then. The sweet spot is May to December, drier and cooler, with calm lagoons ideal for water activities and comfortable sightseeing. If your dates fall in the wetter window we’ll flag it honestly and, where we can, nudge things to a steadier stretch rather than let you gamble a whole holiday on the weather.

Loads, and much of it barely gets you wet. The famous undersea sea-walk lets you stroll the seabed wearing a weighted helmet while you breathe normally — no swimming needed. There’s the Blue Safari submarine, catamaran cruises, and glass-bottom boats that float you over the coral in comfort. The lagoons themselves are shallow and calm behind the reef, so even a paddle feels safe. Between those, a weak swimmer misses almost nothing here — the sea is designed to be enjoyed gently.

Yes, they drive on the left, just like back home, so it feels instantly familiar. The island is small, which means most drives are short — an hour or so gets you across a good chunk of it. Taxis and private drivers are easy to arrange and take the stress out of navigating unfamiliar roads, especially for a family. Self-driving is possible if you’re confident, but many prefer a driver so everyone can look out the window. We usually set up private transfers so your days flow without map-wrangling.