Why I Want to Visit Mauritius

Mauritius

This is a very unusual post for me. It’s literally the only thing on my website that isn’t based on personal experience. But for years, I’ve visited with Mauritius reps at ITB in Berlin, and I’ve saved Mauritius posts on Instagram, and I’ve had the island at the top of my travel wish list. When Mauritius Tourism and iExplore reached out and asked me to write a post about why I’ve wanted to visit, I agreed. This is basically my research for when I visit – hopefully very soon! So why is Mauritius at the top of my list?

Mauritius! Photo credit: Girish Poonyth

It’s a Stunning Island

We’ve always been an island-oriented family, and Mauritius is gorgeous. Beaches everywhere? Check. Palm trees? Of course. The world’s third-largest coral reef? Yep, it has that too. Then add in colorful markets, cobblestoned streets, tea plantations, waterfalls and the volcanic 7-Colored Earth of Chamarel.

Photo Credit: Daniel Malinowski

The capital of Port Louis. Photo credit: Grey Hutton

The 7-colored earth of Chamarel Photo Credit: Ly Hoang Long

So much tea! Photo Credit: Ly Hoang Long

Animals

My kids love seeing animals wherever we go. Given Mauritius’ location, there are a lot of animals endemic to the island, meaning they can’t be found anywhere else in the world. High on my kids’ list: unique butterflies, skinks, bats (Mauritian flying foxes), and birds (especially the Mauritius grey white-eye and the Mauritius Kestrel). Plus, there are giant tortoises and dolphins right offshore.

Photo Credit: Daniel Malinowski

Amazing Resorts

If we’re going to fly halfway around the world, we want to stay at a spectacular, unique, kid-friendly resort. Luxury isn’t a requirement, but typically the coolest all-around places to stay fall into the luxury category. Looking at TripAdvisor’s top Mauritius hotels/resorts, there’s a wide price range — anywhere from $170/night to $747/night. So there’s a trip, and a stay, for any budget.

Photo credit: Grey Hutton

Water Sports

We can’t wait to snorkel, kayak, and stand up paddleboard in Mauritius’ warm, turquoise waters. My kids love parasailing and have been asking to go again. What better place to do it? The diving is great as well, but we’re not divers. Snorkeling will suffice!

Photo credit: Bamba Sourang

Amazing diving! Photo Credit: Pascal Kobeh

The Food

Everywhere we go, we visit local markets, sample the local specialties and take cooking classes. That’s even more fun on a truly unique island — basically Europe, Asia, India and China combined. The street food is supposed to be amazing!

The People

I’ve always found it fascinating how diverse Mauritius is, and it has its own music and dance (Sega). That’s why I travel: to see and interact with cultures like this in person!

Photo Credit: Ly Hoang Long

Its Size

Mauritius is 790 square miles or a little over 2,000 square kilometers. That means that it’s big enough that there’s a lot to see and explore for a week, but small enough that everything can be a day trip from your resort. It takes roughly an hour and 20 minutes to go from the southern tip to the northernmost point without stopping, but I plan on stopping!

Mauritius is the perfect size! Photo Credit: Ly Hoang Long

Have you been to Mauritius? What else should I have on my list? And if you have resort recommendations, please let me know below!

Note: This post was sponsored by Mauritius Tourism. All text is mine.