Janine’s family holiday in Mauritius
Being adventurous travellers, my husband and I always said that we would wait until having a child before we visited Mauritius. In our eyes Mauritius has always been one of those destinations for the ‘all inclusive resort’ package holiday traveller. We have never travelled this way because we really enjoy the freedom of being independent and travelling from one destination to another within a country, whether by self-drive, or local transport. But having a child this year made us realise that the type of holidays that we usually choose would not work when travelling with a baby, and it was now time to try out a resort package holiday. And what better destination to try it out than Mauritius known for its hundreds of world class package resorts offering amazing food, 5* service, and located on some of the most beautiful beaches in the Indian Ocean!
We chose the resort hotel Le Canonnier, located in the north west of the island a few kilometers south of Grand Baie, one of the main tourist hubs. Le Canonnier Hotel is a 4* hotel that is perfect for families offering a range of activities for the kids at the dedicated kids club (for kids from 3 yrs); baby-sitting facilities for toddlers and babies; family rooms; and plenty of land & water sports for the older kids from tennis to pool tables, waterskiing to snorkelling. The hotel has a large pool with an adjoining kiddie’s pool, and the ocean is flat and crystal clear making it very safe for swimming for kids of all ages.
Our days in Mauritius were spent lazing on the deck chairs by the beach, swimming, snorkelling, water skiing, and windsurfing. Each day the hotel arranges three snorkelling trips to the nearby reef and I was quite surprised at how plentiful the fish life is. We also tried out the glass bottom boat trip…which didn’t quite compare to snorkelling….but is a great option for those who don’t swim well, or those with small kids. Waterskiing and windsurfing were new experiences for us as we had never tried these before. We both managed to get up onto the skis after a couple of turns…with a bit if coaching from the water sports centre staff. But we were not quite as successful at windsurfing, both of us managing to sail all the way to the reef, but not being able to turn back! Needless to say the boat had to collect us and take us back to shore, windsurfer in tow!
Of course after all the activities we did plenty of eating and drinking! The big advantage of booking a fully inclusive package is that we could indulge in the buffet breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks; and enjoy all of the delicious cocktails without having to worry about any additional costs. Food and drinks are expensive at the hotel so it is well-worth choosing the fully inclusive option.
We had such a fantastic week in Mauritius and will not hesitate to go back. So for anyone that thinks that an inclusive resort package holiday is not for them, think again!
