When you are in need of a winter holiday, where do you think about going? Australia? Thailand? Canary Islands? Mexico? Malta? There are quite a few places to choose for some winter sun, but have you ever thought about Mauritius? If you are thinking of going to Mauritius, then have a read of my top 3 things to see in Mauritius.
This past December, my family and I decided on a 7-day break to Mauritius, splitting up the long flight with another 3 days in Dubai. Did you know a direct flight to Mauritius is 12 hours!! I have two little kids, a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old. I couldn’t risk a 12-hour flight with them both, so split up the flight with 7 hours to Dubai and then a further 6 hours from Dubai to Mauritius.
The Booking
I booked my hotels through Kuoni and got an amazing deal. It cost me just under £5k, which included Emirates flights on their A380 (nice and spacious), transfers to and from the airport to the hotel, all-inclusive family suite at The Ravenala Attitude in Mauritius and B&B Sea View room at the JA Ocean View Hotel in Dubai. I wouldn’t have expected to be paying under £5k for 4 people (although one of them was technically free). And the agents at Kuoni did a fantastic job. I told them what I wanted, and they were spot on. I hadn’t used Kuoni before, but I sure will be using them again. They always kept in touch throughout, ensuring I had everything I needed before flying. And when I was there, we met the Kuoni rep who further made sure we were well looked after. A fabulous experience, with a fantastic agent.
The Hotel
And check out this hotel… The Ravenala Attitude was amazing. It was right on the beach, had a variety of swimming pools, 10 different dining outlets from family friendly to adults only, a spa, gym, watersports, tennis court and more.
And if you are looking for an adults only place, this hotel also has Executive Beachfront Adult Suites with its own dedicated beach bar, so you can relax throughout the day without the hassle of children running around you.
So, onto Mauritius, what can I say, this place is just WOW! So much to see, so many amazing beaches, delicious food, friendly people and the sun is shining all year round (well mostly all year).
If you are planning on going to Mauritius anytime soon, here are my top 3 things to see:
1. Beaches, beaches and more beaches
Over the course of the week we saw 2 of the main beaches in Mauritius, not including our own beach, Turtle Bay, which was lovely but had a little too much seaweed for my liking.
Flic en Flac
This long stretch of white sandy beach and shallow water is the best place to catch the sunset before heading back to your hotel for an evening bevy. We hired a car for the day and this beach was our last stop before making our way back to the hotel. What can I say, it was just beautiful. The sand was soft, clean and soooo white and the water, it was like you were in a swimming pool, so warm and clear. As the water is quite shallow and the reef close to the shore, this place would be ideal for learner divers. Unfortunately, we were just there for the sunset, which was spectacular.
Trou aux Biches
Recommended by the hotel and because we had a car, we thought we would make a short trip North of Mauritius to Trou aux Biches. I tell you, when you go to one beach in Mauritius, you would think it couldn’t get any better, but it certainly can. Trou aux Biches was just as lovely as Flic en Flac. A pretty, white sandy beach, shaded by Casuarina Trees, clear shallow water and plenty of food stalls for that bite to eat when you’ve spent the whole day at the beach. There’s plenty to do here, but can be very busy on the weekend, with the locals coming to get a bit of the sun and sea.
These were just 2 of the many beaches Mauritius has, but two of the best, so if you’re stuck for beaches in Mauritius, definitely give these two a visit.
2. Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin)
This amazing lake is a crater lake, located in the mountainous southwest district of Savanne. Set inside the lake, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Hindu gods. The views are just beautiful. As soon as you arrive you are welcomed by two gigantic statues. One of Lord Shiva and the other of Goddess Durga. We parked at the top and made our way down a few steps to the lake.
As you can see from the photos, you can just sit here and be at peace for ages. Well we certainly did as the heavens opened up and the rain came pouring down for nearly an hour!! But you can’t complain when you have such stunning views. Even if you aren’t religious, this place is just something divine. You can come and meditate, read a book, say a prayer or two or just take in the views, there’s something for everyone.
3. The Rhumerie de Chamarel
If you like your rum like me, then you will absolutely love this place. Based in the South West of Mauritius, this gem of a find is one of the only distilleries still producing its own sugarcane. The sugarcane is exclusively created for the production of Chamarel Rums. The distillery runs a guided tour, which you must, must, must do. Their experienced guides will take you behind the scenes explaining the rum making process, and the best part of it all, you get to try the rum!!
Before you leave, you have to also try the food at their restaurant L’Alchimiste, just delicious! And if you haven’t had enough Rum already, the cocktails went perfectly with the food.
So, those were my top 3 things to see in Mauritius, but if you have time, the waterfalls in Chamarel are supposed to be out of this world. Unfortunately, we were too late to the falls as they closed at 5pm and we had to miss out, but if I went back again, I’d definitely add that to my list.
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