Mauritius has always been a dream destination for me since I was a child after seeing pictures from this beautiful paradise island. Mauritius is very far from Sweden where we live, but despite this we decided to travel with our three children who, at the time of the trip, were 5, 3 and 1 year old. I can highly recommend travel to Mauritius with children. There are no dangerous animals on the island, and dangerous diseases are very rare. The people of Mauritius are incredibly child-friendly and loved to talk to our children when they got a chance.
The flight to Mauritius with children
A cold and rainy afternoon in March we left Stockholm Arlanda airport with destination Mauritius!
The flight was something that worried us with a 12 hours flight time, how would our young children cope with it? Could we entertain them? Would we get any sleep on the plane?
Entertain children on the plane
Wilhelm and Hjalmar 3 and 5 years old were pretty easy to entertain since they had their own Ipads where we had preloaded many new, exciting games and movies that they hadn’t seen before. All the new games and movies was a big surprise for them and kept them occupied for a long time. Our plane had screens in the flight seats with games and movies, but sometimes you have to pay extra to get access to the full range of movies and games.
In advance we had also wrapped gifts with activity books, color pens and small travel games which our children appreciated a lot. One advice is to surprise your children with a new gift after some time if you have made several gifts, not give everything at the same time.
To Judith, 1 year old, we had bought some new small toys, boxes that she could open and close, mini books, baby snacks. You can read more about things to bring on the plane for children in my article Flying with children
Sleep on the plane
To facilitate sleep on the planet, we purchased two Bedboxes from Jetkids to our boys. A bedbox is a small children’s suitcase on wheels with accompanying mattress that can be laid out in the flight seat. The space for other things is not so big but in addition to the mattress, you also have space for Ipad, headphones and an activity book. Usually a bedbox from Jetkids is ok to bring on the plane. But you should contact your airline company in advance to check if it is okay to use them on board.
Since Judith only was 1 year old she did not have her own seat. There were no bassinett or baby crib on the plane. So she was sleeping in my arms throughout the flight. I didn’t get much sleep as you can understand but it was ok. We were just happy that she finally fall asleep. Just make sure you have a pillow or something soft under your arm so you can relax your arm.
Baby carrier was also very helpful during the flight. Judith had a hard time relaxing and getting to rest since there was a lot of noise and movement on the plane. To cradle her in a quieter part of the plane made her relax.
Food on the plane
When we booked the trip we were able to pre-book food on the plane which we did to all of us. It was absolutely worth it! Even Judith got food in form of a baby food jar and fruit purée.
Transportation from the airport
Early in the morning we landed in Mauritius. The warm climate and the high humidity struck us immediately when we landed, and while we were waiting for our luggage, we switched to airy summer clothes that we had in our hand luggage.
Taxi we had pre-booked ourselves by email contact with the local taxi company in Mauritius, Taxis Mauritius, which was very smooth. However, tell the taxi company in advance if you know that you will have a lot of luggage so they choose a car where the baggage will fit. We booked a minibus to us five, with two booster seats and a baby car seat. The taxi driver was waiting for us in the arrival hall, with a sign with our name on it.
Motion sickness
We have noticed that our children are a bit sensitive to motion sickness when driving abroad. In Mauritius, and in many other countries, the roads are winding and they do not drive as smooth as we do in Sweden. After a long flight, some jerky braking and winding roads both Wilhelm and Hjalmar vomited in the taxi. So be sure to have bags close at hand when you go by car abroad.
Accommodation in Mauritius
In Mauritius you can find everything from super luxury all inclusive resorts to small budget hotels. Renting a car are also very common if you want your own household. Many recommend the host couple Joakim and Veronique who have “The Palms Apartments” at Le Morne cliff. Joakim is Swedish and Veronique is from Mauritius. The property and the host couple are amazing I have heard. Here, however, you need a rental car since there is no supermarket just nearby. Keep in mind that there are left-hand traffic on the island.
Our accommodation – The Ravenala Attitude Hotel
Our trip had the flight and the hotel with all inclusive, included.
We stayed at The Ravenala Attitude. The hotel is beautiful with the lovely pool areas for both children and adults, delicious food from a variety of restaurants at the hotel, and clean designer rooms. The staff was the best, very friendly and helpful.
I have written more about our hotel experience in my article The Ravenala Attitude Hotel
Excursions in Mauritius with children
Most families with children we met at the hotel wanted to enjoy the wonderful hotel and not travel around the whole island with their children, which is understandable. However, we wanted to explore the island and experience the “real” Mauritius. A day trip by taxi went smoothly since there were always several taxis parked at the hotel, it was not so expensive either. If you tell the hotel staff one day before, they can ask the taxi driver to arrange car seats for your children.
Our favorite excursions in Mauritius
Ebony Forest Reserve
Beautiful national park where you walk on paths through the jungle. We went on their Jeep safari and also walked a little bit in the jungle which our children didn’t mind. Our guide showed us the ebony trees and explained about the tree. You will reach the beautiful hill top with an adorable view over Mauritius and the sea. This was our most memorable excursion on the island. I have written more about our excursion here: Ebony Forest Reserve.
Pamplemousses Botanical Garden
A lovely botanical garden, filled with incredibly rich flora. Most famous are the gigantic water lily leaves in the park. Here I have written about our visit to the Pamplemousses Garden.
Beautiful beaches in Mauritius
Mauritius is well-known for its beautiful beaches. Some favorites are Mont Choisy Beach, Le Morne Beach, Flic en Flac, Belle Mare. Here I have listed the best beaches in Mauritius with kids
Northern Mauritius
Beautiful landscape, picturesque church and warm water when we were there in March. In the north there is also the shopping centre Grand Baie La Croisette if you get shopping abstinence.
More excursion in Mauritius
There are many more exciting excursions in Mauritius that we did not have time to do.
The island of Ile Aux Cerf which should be a real paradise island, with white sand and turquoise, shallow water. We planned to go there but the sea was a bit too rough to go there with three young children so we choosed not to go.
Other fun activities for children should be Casela Nature Park and La Vanille Nature Park.
We will certainly go back to Mauritius soon for more adventures on the island.
I have written about various excursions in the article Excursions in Mauritius with children
Weather and climate in Mauritius
Temperatures in Mauritius
We visited Mauritius in March and thought it was perfect. Of course it was warm with a day temperature around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and with high humidity, but we dressed with light clothes and always brought a lot of drinking water wherever we went. The sea had a lovely temperature of 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit), which allowed our children to bathe and splash for a long time.
Cyclones in Mauritius
One month before we visited Mauritius a large Cyclone passed the island. The damage to the island was not as extensive as was first predicted and when we were there we did not see any trace of it. Mauritius has a very well functioning warning system for cyclones so you shouldn’t be afraid to go there during the cyclone season (January-March). A few times during our stay we had short rain showers that quickly switched to sunshine.
In short, Mauritius has two seasons, summer and winter. Their summer lasts from November to April with the warmest temperatures and highest humidity of the year. Winter lasts between May and October with the coolest months of the year and lower humidity.
Read more about Mauritius weather and climate in my article When to visit Mauritius? Weather and climate
Children and sun in Mauritius
The sun is incredibly strong in Mauritius. Protect your children from the sun using uv-clothes, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen.
To put a lot of sunscreen on your child is a discussed topic. If you want to avoid putting sunscreen on large areas of your child’s skin every day your child should wear long sleeved uv t-shirts, bath shorts and a sun hat with fabric that also protected the neck from the sun. On the picture below you can see how Judith was dressed on the beach. Then it was enough to put sunscreen on face and feet. Don’t forget to protect yourself too.
Going to Mauritius with children?
Coming from a cold, wintry Scandinavia to Mauritius in March was of course wonderful. Both we and our children adapted directly to the heat. Mauritius is surprisingly clean and hygienic. We were never sick even though Judith crawled on the ground and probably ate some dirty things.
But as usual when you are abroad, make sure to have a good hand hygiene, wash hands often and bring a small bottle of hand disinfection.
Dare to take you outside the hotel area and experience the “real” Mauritius, it will provide great memories for life, both for you and your children. Mauritius feels very safe for children, with friendly people and harmless animals, you don’t have to worry. Plan your trip well before, both what you should bring and what excursions you want to do. You will have a fantastic experience on this beautiful island. Mauritius with children is great and easy!
If you want to read more about child-friendly excursions, you can read Excursions in Mauritius with children
Comments are closed.