How to Spend 2 Weeks in Mauritius with Young Kids
- minna
- 10 hours ago
- 19 min read
If you're reading this then chances are you've already booked your trip to Mauritius - and if that's the case then all I can say is lucky you! Mauritius is just as dreamy and paradise-like as it looks with white beaches, palm trees and clear, blue sea - but what surprised me the most was how much more there was to do and see, other than just beaches.
We spent two weeks exploring the island with everything from rainforests, mountains and waterfalls to giant tortoises, dolphins and a safari (and of course, a fair bit of beach time too!). And if you ask our 3-year-old daughter, it was probably her favourite holiday yet!
Below is everything you need to know about visiting Mauritius and my suggested itinerary for two weeks with young kids. Skip to itinerary
When to Go to Mauritius with Kids
Mauritius is in the Southern Hemisphere, which means their seasons are the opposite to the seasons in Europe.
May-September is low season and generally cheaper with fewer crowds, it is also the driest time to go but temperatures are a bit lower (around 20-25°C in the day with slightly cooler in the morning/evening). The hottest months are November-April (up to 33°C), but this is when it rains the most and it's also cyclone season (especially in January and February).
That said, we went at the end of January/start of February and although the weather forecast said it was going to rain every day, it was mostly sunny, and the days it did rain it would only rain for short periods. The sun was very strong when we went, and the humidity meant there were lots of mosquitos, so don't forget to pack both sunscreen and mosquito spray!
How to Get Around Mauritius with Kids
Mauritius is a small island so two weeks time is plenty to see most of the island. The best way to get around is by car, taxi or tours. We did a mix of all three - we had a car for 5 days, and if I went again, I would have rented a car for longer as it gave us so much freedom to explore. Driving in Mauritius was really easy and we had no issue finding places to park, usually for free (and if you're from the UK you'll be pleased to know they drive on the left!).
Taxis are easy to find, but more expensive than we had anticipated (similar prices to the UK). I have seen that Uber is about to be introduced in Mauritius, though when we went in early 2026, it hadn't yet been introduced so we used two different apps: Yugo and DodoGo. At the start, we used mainly Yugo, but there was a minimum spend of about £10 which meant for shorter journeys, it got really expensive very quick. We were then told about DodoGo, which is similar to Uber and was definitely cheaper for shorter trips, but sometimes more expensive for longer ones, so I would recommend checking both apps to get the cheapest fare.
You can also hire drivers for the whole day directly in the apps, which is another option if you want to explore a few different places and have the ease of leaving things in the car. Alternatively, many of the tour operators offer free hotel transfers and most tours include multiple sights/activities.
One thing to bear in mind is that car seats for kids weren't widely available when booking taxis, so it's worth bringing a portable car seat (at least for longer journeys) if you aren't comfortable with having your child on your lap.
Where to stay in Mauritius with Young Kids
As mentioned, Mauritius isn't big so you could easily stay in one place and do day trips to other parts of the island. We decided to move around a bit, as we wanted to explore a few different types of accommodations, and also to get a more local experience in different parts of the island. We stayed in a total of 6 places on our trip and this is where we stayed:
North
The most popular part of the island for tourists, great for beautiful beaches, boat tours to the Northern Isles and plenty of restaurants and bars.
We spent the first three nights of our trip in the north, staying at Mont Choisy Lodge. It's a 2-bedroom apartment with access to a shared pool and a five minute walk to the Mont Choisy Beach. It was the perfect place to start off our trip as it meant we could settle in, cook our own food and take it easy.
South
This is where you find most mountains and hiking trails, as well as the famous Le Morne Beach and La Vanille Nature Park where you can see the giant tortoises.
This is where we headed next and stayed in the eco lodge La Vieille Cheminée. This was one of our favourite stays! It's located in the mountains on a working farm with beautiful views. We had our own fully equipped cabin with access to a swimming pool, and we also booked a tour of the grounds where our daughter got to feed the chickens and rabbits. For older kids (5+) there are also horse rides available.
West
Here you'll find the famous Flic-en-Flac Beach and Casela Nature Park, it's also where a lot of boat tours depart, specifically the dolphin tours.
If you're looking for an all-inclusive which ticks all the boxes, we stayed at the gorgeous Anelia Spa & Resort which had everything we needed for a comfortable stay - 2 swimming pools, all meals included, spa, kids club and beautiful views right next to the sea.
East
Often considered the most beautiful part of the island with highlights like GRSE waterfall, Blue Bay and the island Île aux Cerfs.
We explored a few different places in the east part of the island:
Otentic Eco Tent Experience - another highlight on our trip. It's an eco lodge in the jungle where you sleep in safari tents and the whole experience felt so wholesome (and hands down the best food we had on our trip!). There's a swimming pool, kitchen gardens and activities like archery and kayaking.
Bubble Lodge Île aux Cerfs - this was our splurge night towards the end of our trip and it was worth every penny! You stay in an inflatable "bubble" right next to the beach, and as it's the only place to stay on the island, it means when all the day trippers leave for the day, you get the island completely to yourself!
Laguna Beach Hotel & Spa - a lovely resort right next to the beach with pools, meals included, spa and kids club.we stayed here for our final night and it was the perfect way to round off our trip!
2-Week Itinerary Overview
Day 7: Chill Day at the Resort
Day 10: GRSE Waterfall
Day 11: Île aux Cerfs
Day 13: Blue Bay
Day 1: Arrive in Mauritius and Mont Choisy Beach
You'll probably be tired after the long journey, so you'll want to head straight to your accommodation and take it easy the first day.
We landed early afternoon and got to our apartment Mont Choisy Lodge, near Mont Choisy Beach, around 3pm. After a bit of settling in, we decided to head for the beach to fight the jet lag and to not give into the temptation to have a nap.
Mont Choisy Beach is a lovely calm beach, and it wasn't overly crowded when we were there so it was the perfect place to unwind and let our daughter have some playtime in the sand and the warm water.
We rounded off the day with a tasty creole meal in Grand Baie, before heading back to our apartment and completely passing out.
Day 2: Pereybere Beach, Red Church & Trou-aux-Biches
For our first full day in Mauritius, we kept a slow pace, allowing ourselves to take it easy and slowly adjust to jet lag and the change in temperature. And as it was our first day in tropical Mauritius, what we've longed for the most in the cold winter months, was sun and beach!
So we did exactly that - explored nearby beaches, starting with Pereybere Beach. Pereybere Public Beach is considered by some the most beautiful beach in Mauritius - it's small and edged with palm trees and definitely has that pristine tropical vibe that you picture when you think of Mauritius! The water was shallow and the beach didn't feel overcrowded despite being a small beach, so it was the perfect place to spend a good few hours in the morning swimming, sunbathing and building sandcastles.
As it is located a couple of minutes walk from the main street full of shops and restaurants, we headed straight for lunch afterwards (though we did notice a lot of the restaurants were only open for dinner!).
We wanted to explore a bit more of the north coast, so after some food, we hopped in a taxi and went to Cap Malheureux and the iconic Red Church (Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice de Cap Malheureux), only a 6-minute drive from Pereybere.
The church is free to visit and you can go inside to have a look and explore the waterfront (there was a tree swing right next to the sea so that was obviously where our daughter wanted to spend the majority of the time here!).
There is a small beach, but not really a swim beach - it had some rock pools and a little jetty you could walk out on, and there were also some food places right on the beach (the food did smell lovely but we had just had lunch!).
In the evening, after a rest at our apartment, we headed in the opposite direction to Trou-aux-Biches beach, which we decided to walk to as the walk was only around 30 minutes. We stayed here for a glorious sunset and then headed into the little village for dinner before getting a taxi back home.
Day 3: Full Day Catamaran Tour to the Northern Islands
If you're visiting the Northern part of Mauritius I would highly recommend spending one day exploring the Northern Isles; Gunner's Quoin, Gabriel Island and Flat Island. It's a full day activity, but it was one of our favourite parts of the holiday!
We booked a catamaran tour, and as we weren't sure if it was going to be suitable for our 3-year-old daughter, or myself, being 6 months' pregnant at the time, we contacted the tour operator in advance to confirm and there was no issue whatsoever.
The boat tour started from Grand Baie Public Beach, where we were picked up by a small rubber boat and taken to the catamaran. Once onboard, we were served coffee, tea and homemade cake as the boat set sail for the first island - Gunner's Quoin.
Here we started with a snorkelling stop directly from the boat. The water here is about two metres deep, so me and my husband took it in turns to snorkel while the other person went for a swim next to the ladder with our daughter (she had her life vest on).
Next, we headed for Gabriel Island and Flat Island - two stunning islands right next to one another with shallow water and white sand beaches - pure paradise! We spent some time here snorkelling and swimming, whilst our bbq lunch was being prepared directly on the boat and once we were done, we went back onboard for a delicious lunch of barbecued fish and meat, served with salads, bread and drinks. The food was delicious, especially after a morning spent in the sea, and once we were finished eating, we had a bit more time back on the islands before making our way back to Grand Baie.
This was such a fun day, and our daughter loved it as much as we did, so I can highly recommend this if visiting Mauritius!
Recommended tour: Mauritius: Full-Day Catamaran Cruise to the Northern Isles
Day 4: Black River Gorges National Park, 7 Coloured Earth and Chamarel Waterfall
Today we left the north behind and headed south! We also picked up a car, so over the next few days, we have a bit more freedom.
The day ended up being cloudy with a few small showers in the afternoon, but this was a welcomed change after our first few days of complete sunshine, and some burnt faces and backs despite constantly reapplying SPF 50 sunscreen (so be careful in the sun!).
My initial idea was for us all to go hiking, but I realised quite quickly that being 6 months' pregnant and hiking in the wet season with a toddler was probably a bit ambitious, so instead we decided to see what we could explore with the car. As the route down to our accommodation took us down through the Black River Gorges National Park, we were able to find some good spots to stop along the way that didn't require a huge amount of walking.
We started off with the Black River Gorges Viewpoint, which is just a short walk from the car park and offers scenic views of the mountains.
Next, we headed to the Seven Coloured Earth Geopark - a surreal landscape of sand dunes in seven colours: red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow. It's a geological phenomenon formed by the decomposition of volcanic rock into clay minerals, which then separated into layers of iron and aluminium oxides.
This is one of the most popular natural places to visit in Mauritius, so there are plenty of tours going here if you don't have a car. If you do have a car, you will have to pay a small entry fee to enter the park (550 MUR per adult, around £9). Once parked up, it's a quick pram-friendly walk around the geopark, and there is also a small tortoise park, which is included in the ticket.
The visit is pretty quick and I would say you don't need more than 2 hours max here. Right next to the geopark is the Chamarel Waterfall which is also worth a visit (if you're doing a tour you'll likely stop off at both places). There are two viewpoints for the waterfall - one is next to the car park and the other is short walk up some steps (both very doable with kids in tow).
Our accommodation for the next two nights was only a short drive from here and an absolute gem of a spot - can't recommend this place enough! It's an eco lodge called La Vieille Cheminée, set in the mountains surrounded by nature, and we had a lovely little cabin all to ourselves. The cabin has a fully equipped kitchen, but you can also pre-order dinner if you prefer not to cook. There is a small little shop next to the stables where you can buy things like pasta, canned food and frozen meats (as well as home made frozen gratins which were delicious!) - this is what we did and since we don't eat meat, we were delighted to find some vegan sausages in the freezer!
Day 5: La Vieille Cheminée & La Morne Beach
Today we woke up to horses walking around in our front garden! It was a sunny morning so we enjoyed breakfast outside whilst watching the horses before we went for as tour of the grounds.
We were shown around by Jean-François, who told us the story behind the place and a bit more about the day-to-day workings of the farm. Our daughter got to feed the chickens and collect the eggs for next day's breakfast, and also picked some carrots from the ground that she fed to the rabbits.
We finished of with some fresh herbal tea with herbs from the garden that we got to pick ourselves, and it was such a wholesome experience from start to finish (our daughter loved it so much and still talks about how Jean-François offered her a job on the farm after being so good at feeding the animals!).
We also did a short hike in the hills and enjoyed a quick dip in the pool, before going for a drive to explore a bit more of Southern Mauritius. We first headed to La Morne Beach - a beautiful beach backed by the iconic La Morne mountain. We then drove around the south-western tip of the island, and there were actually some great local beaches just around the corner with no tourists and great views of La Morne - if you have a car I would definitely recommend going for a drive and exploring more of the coast!
We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset with dinner on the beach before the rain hit and we headed back into the mountains to our cabin.
Day 6: La Vanille Nature Park & Flic-en-Flac Beach
Today we started by heading south-east to La Vanille Nature Park. This is where you'll find the giant tortoises and it was one of the things my husband had been looking forward to the most!
We started with a private feeding experience of some of the smaller tortoises, including some babies that we got to hold. Our daughter loved this experience, though we were told to keep an eye on her as the tortoises can bite, so if you're doing this with kids, make sure they're keeping their fingers at a safe distance from the tortoises.
The big tortoises are just roaming around freely and you can buy leaves/branches to feed them with. There was even a sign encouraging kids to sit on the tortoises - I had to ask one of the park keepers to make sure I had read correctly - and he confirmed that this was the case. The tortoises weigh up to 250kg, so they're used to heavy weights on their backs during mating (though only kids are allowed to sit on them, not adults!).
The park also has other animals like reptiles, monkeys and lemurs, as well as a playground and a café. And if you book your tickets online via their website, you get 10% off! It's a small park but definitely worth a visit if you're looking to do something a little different with kids.
After the park, we headed west again to Flic-en-Flac Beach, one of the longest beaches in Mauritius - a beautiful, white sand beach with views of Le Morne in the distance. There's plenty of free parking available at different points of the beach, as well as various restaurants and beach bars, so if the weather is nice, you could definitely spend a fair chunk of time here.
We ended our day by checking into the lovely Anelia Spa & Resort where we were staying for the coming three nights and enjoyed a quiet afternoon and evening chilling by the pool.
Day 7: Chill Day at the Resort
If you're here for 2 weeks, you'll need at least one day of pure relaxation and today was that day for us - we didn't leave the resort once, just spent time by the pool, did some snorkelling in the sea, went for a play in the kids club and took it easy.
Day 8: Swim with Dolphins Tour, Crystal Rock & Bénitiers Island
If the giant tortoises were my husband's bucket list moment then today was mine - we had booked to go swimming with dolphins! The tour included hotel transfer so early in the morning, we were picked up from the hotel and driven to Tamarin Beach.
From there, a small motor boat picked us up and took us out to find the dolphins. As dolphins are wild animals, there is never any guarantee of seeing them, let alone swimming with them, but we were very lucky to find them almost immediately. Ones we'd found them, it was time to quickly put snorkels and flippers on and jump into the water. And it was just as magical as I had hoped! You have to be pretty fast but at one point, I was able to keep up with them for a while and could hear them clicking as they communicated with each other (and maybe me - who knows!).
This wasn't suitable for young kids, but as we had multiple goes to jump in, me and my husband could take it in turns and our daughter got to see the dolphins jumping in and out of the water from the boat, which she enjoyed.
After this we headed in towards the shore where we got stunning views of Le Morne and stopped for a snorkel in the shallow water (this was perfect for my daughter to have a swim too and she was excited to get in the water). We then headed to the famous Crystal Rock, before a BBQ lunch on the beach on Île aux Bénitiers.
We were dropped off back at our hotel around 4pm and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing.
Recommended tour: Île aux Bénitiers: Snorkeling w/Dolphins Boat Tour & Lunch
Day 9: Casela Nature Parks & East Coast
After yesterday's full day boat tour, we decided to do something a little different today and headed to Casela Nature Parks, just a 10-minute drive from Flic-en-Flac.
Casela is Mauritius largest nature and leisure park, spanning over 350 hectares, with plenty of family activities like wildlife safari, animal encounters, rides and playgrounds. It's a full day of fun and it was the perfect break from the beach!
We started off with a safari, which, surprisingly, felt like very much like a real African safari, and not like you were in a large nature park. The ride is about 30 minutes and we saw gracing animals like giraffes, zebras, rhinos, gazelles and wildebeest. Right next to where you board the bus is the giraffe enclosure where you can feed the giraffes - this was one of my daughter's favourite experiences!
There is also the Predator's Kingdom, a toboggan ride (not suitable for pregnant women and my daughter thought it looked scary so we sat that one out while my husband had a go) and a kids area with rides, playgrounds and a petting zoo.
There are regular shuttle buses that take you to the different parts of the park - we did bring a pram, but in hindsight, it probably would have been easier to leave it at the reception.
Once done, we left the west coast behind and headed east to Otentic Eco Tent Experience - another accommodation highlight of this trip! You sleep in safari tents in the jungle, right next to the river, and the place has a real community feel to it.
The food alone here was absolutely incredible, cooked on site with herbs and vegetables from the kitchen gardens. There is a swimming pool and activities like archery, volleyball and kayaking, as well as lots of little nooks where you can relax with a drink or a coffee. In the evening, there was music playing and the place was lit up by fairy lights. Our daughter absolutely loved this place (especially as the lovely kitchen staff kept giving her carrots to snack on!).
Day 10: GRSE Waterfall
Today was our rainiest day so far on the trip with proper tropical downpour, and I have to say, being in the jungle in the rain was actually quite therapeutic! Visiting Mauritius in rainy season means you will inevitably have days of bad weather, but sometimes it can be a welcomed break from the hot sun (especially when you're a bit sunburnt) and a reminder to slow down and do nothing for a while.
So this is exactly what we did for the first half of the day - nothing! In the afternoon, the weather cleared up so we decided to take the kayaks out to the Great River South East (GRSE) Waterfall.
It was the first time we took our daughter kayaking and it was surprisingly easy! The river was really calm and the waterfall is only a 10-15-minute paddle away, so it felt like a good practice run. It's a really beautiful waterfall and definitely worth checking out if you're on the east coast - and if kayaking is not your vibe, there are plenty of boat tours going up the river.
On our way back, we saw a load of monkeys down by the water so we stopped for a bit and watched them, but as a result, we got a little bit close and one large male monkey climbed up in the tree near us and made it very clear we should not get any closer - lesson learned and time to head back again!
Recommended tour: Mauritius: 5 Islands of the East Speedboat Tour with BBQ
Day 11: Île aux Cerfs
After yesterday's rain, we were very happy to see the sun shining today - especially since today we were doing a full day on Île aux Cerfs! Île aux Cerfs is a picturesque island just off the east coast of Mauritius, known for its beautiful sandy beaches and great golfing.
There are plenty of day trips that take you to the island, but if you're looking for something a bit more special, I would highly recommend doing what we did spending the night at Bubble Lodge Île aux Cerfs, the only overnight accommodation on the island! The rooms are inflatable "bubbles" and there are only 4 of them on the island, which means when the day trippers leave around 5pm, you get the island all to yourself! It is a bit of a splurge but it was such a unique experience, and the rate include a private beach, pick up from mainland Mauritius, a 3-course dinner, breakfast and a golf lesson.
We took it easy most of the day, enjoying the beach and picking sea shells from the shore (we did find some sea urchins in the water so be cautious when swimming, especially with kids!). We also got a tour of the island by one of the hotel staff before heading to the clubhouse for our complimentary dinner.
The evening felt like such a treat, walking on the beach at sunset with no one else around. But the most special part was going to bed under the stars at night, hearing nothing but the crickets!
Recommended tour: Mauritius: Ile aux Cerfs Catamaran Cruise with BBQ Lunch
Day 12: Île aux Cerfs & Back to Mauritius
We got picked up for breakfast, and afterwards it was time for my complimentary golf lesson! You do get a complimentary lesson for two, but we thought it wouldn't be great for our daughter, so my husband took my daughter to the beach instead. I had never played before so I can't say I was very good, but it was good fun! (Though being 6 months' pregnant, my back did hurt the next day...)
We decided to make the most of our time on the island and stay until after lunch, exploring the public beach before heading back to Mauritius. This is also where all the boat tours dock for the day so if you're just visiting for the day, this is where you'll go. There are a couple of options for swimming here - there's the long beach on the opposite side to where the boats dock, or there's a shallow lagoon where Île aux Cerfs meets Île Marguerite, which is perfect for swimming with young kids. There is also a bar and a restaurant on the beach, selling food like pizzas and burgers.
In the afternoon, we headed back to mainland Mauritius and to our last accommodation for this trip - the lovely resort Laguna Beach Hotel & Spa. It was the perfect place to unwind for our last night in Mauritius with a large swimming pool, great food, spa and kids club.
Day 13: Blue Bay
Today was our last day in Mauritius but as we weren't flying until later in the day, we decided to make the most of the time left and explore more of the east coast before heading to the airport. As we no longer had our rental car, we decided to hire a driver for the day, which only cost us around £35, including drop off at the airport afterwards. We booked this directly with our taxi driver from the day before, but there is also an option in the Yugo app to request a driver for the full day.
The main area we wanted to explore is Blue Bay Marine Park - a protected marine park known for its colourful coral and great marine biodiversity. The water is really clear and it's a great spot for snorkelling. You can prebook a tour, or there are several tour operators on the beach that will take you through the marine park in a glass-bottom boat and then stop at good spot for snorkelling. We booked with one of the tour operators on the beach, and had a bit of time for a swim at the beach whilst we waited for the boat to pick us up.
The glass-bottom boat was great as my daughter is still a bit young for snorkelling (though they did have kids goggles which we borrowed). This way she got to see the coral and colourful fish, and we even managed to see a turtle. After this, we headed to another part of the marine park for a snorkel, and this was definitely the best snorkelling of the trip! The captain of the boat also threw in the life ring for my daughter so one of us could stay with her in the water and didn't need to stay right next to the boat which was handy.
We still had a bit of time after the tour, so we stayed for a bit on the beach and then headed to a local shopping centre for some last minute shopping before heading to the airport.
Recommended tour: Blue Bay: Half-Day Snorkeling Trip with Creole Picnic Lunch
Final Thoughts
This was a really special bucket list holiday, and Mauritius had the perfect mix of beach relaxation and activities, all within close proximity to one another. I would highly recommend this as a destination for families!
