Mauritius With Kids: Our Honest Take After 2 Trips
We travelled to Mauritius for the second time in September 2026, this time with our two kids, aged 10 and 4. Our first trip was way back in 2017, when our firstborn was turning one! Nearly a decade later, we returned with two kids in tow - and surprisingly, this trip felt completely different.
Not necessarily because Mauritius had changed.
We had.
This time, we were travelling as a family with 2 kids under 10. We wanted a slower holiday, fewer rushed sightseeing days, more time in the water, plenty of beaches, good local food and activities that all four of us could enjoy.
We stayed for seven nights, rented a car, split our time between Flic-en-Flac and the Black River area, and deliberately left some days relatively unplanned.
And honestly, we think we enjoyed Mauritius more this time.
Not because we saw more.
In fact, we probably saw less.
We just relaxed more, did more of what felt like fun on a particular day.
So if you're planning Mauritius with kids and want to know what we genuinely loved, what we would skip, where we found the best snorkelling, which beaches worked for our family and what we'd do differently next time, here is our honest take after visiting Mauritius twice.
→ Planning your Mauritius trip? If you're looking for the practical side of planning a Mauritius trip, we've got you covered there too.
You can read our 5-Day Mauritius Itinerary for Indian Families with Kids for a day-by-day plan, or our Things to Know Before Visiting Mauritius for the practical details we wish we'd known before our trips. We also have a detailed Mauritius Packing List which makes your packing a breeze, especially when travelling with kids.
Our Mauritius Trip at a Glance
Trip Details | Our Trip |
Travelled | September 2026 |
Trip length | 7 nights |
Kids | 10 and 4 years old |
Transport | Rental car |
Where we stayed | Flic-en-Flac + Black River area |
Travel style | Slow, relaxed family holiday |
Main focus | Beaches, snorkelling, local food and kid-friendly activities |
Our Second Mauritius Trip Was Much More Relaxed
Our first Mauritius trip in 2017 was very different.This time, with a 10-year-old and a 4-year-old, we had no interest in trying to tick every box on the island.
We didn't want to spend every day driving for hours to see another attraction.
We wanted to swim.
We wanted to snorkel.
We wanted the kids to play on the beach.
We wanted to eat local food.
And we wanted enough downtime that nobody needed a holiday after the holiday!
That slower approach turned out to be one of the best things about this trip.
If you're travelling to Mauritius with young children, you really don't need to see everything.
Getting Through Immigration Was Surprisingly Easy
We had already filled out and printed our health declaration form before boarding our flight, which made our arrival much smoother. Immigration took just a few minutes, and we were at the baggage belt soon after. Our immigration officer was particularly pleasant and even spoke to us in Hindi, which was such a warm and unexpected welcome to Mauritius!
When you're travelling with a four-year-old, every little bit of saved time at the airport helps!
We are keeping the detailed IndiGo flight experience and our tips for surviving the flight with kids for a separate article, because there is enough to say about that experience on its own.
Renting a Car in Mauritius: Our Experience With NAD Rentals
For this trip, we decided to rent a car for the entire seven days. We booked with NAD Rentals, owned by Mr. Shareef, and our experience was excellent from beginning to end.
We contacted him through WhatsApp and received a quote almost immediately.
We paid approximately ₹28,000 for seven days, which included cleaning, basic insurance and a car seat.
Mr. Shareef speaks Hindi, which made communication very easy for us. He met us at the arrivals area and handed over the car himself.
Before we drove away, he did a walk-around of the vehicle with us and made sure we were all on the same page regarding the existing damages.
He even waived the security deposit that we had initially agreed upon.
The car was clean and well maintained, and we had absolutely no issues with it throughout our trip.
Another thing we appreciated was that Mr. Shareef accepted payment in Indian currency. That saved us the hassle - and some of the potential loss - involved in currency conversion.
Would we recommend NAD Rentals? Yes, absolutely.
And just to be completely transparent - this was not a sponsored experience.
We booked and paid for the car ourselves. We are recommending NAD Rentals because our experience was genuinely personal, professional and completely hassle-free.
For a family travelling with young kids, that peace of mind matters.
Where We Stayed in Mauritius
This time, we stayed in Airbnbs in two different regions - Flic-en-Flac and the Black River area.Both stays were excellent, and I'll leave the links to the exact places we stayed here.
But if I had to choose one favourite, the Flic-en-Flac Airbnb has my heart.
And I think the location played a huge role in how relaxed this holiday felt.
We could walk to the beach, find food easily and spend an evening outside without getting back into the car.
With young children, that convenience is underrated.
You don't want every ice cream, beach visit or dinner to become a driving expedition.
Flic-en-Flac: Our Favourite Family Beach
If you ask us which beach we liked the most for a family holiday, Flic-en-Flac would be right at the top of our list.
And it's not just because it's beautiful.
It's practical.
There is plenty of shade, toilets, food options and enough space to actually settle down for a few hours. You can put down your towel, let the kids play, go for a swim, eat something, get an ice cream and simply stay there. That is exactly the kind of beach experience we wanted on this trip. And the snorkelling is surprisingly good. Flic-en-Flac was also one of our favourite places to snorkel with the kids.
The water can be shallow, calm and clear, making it much easier when you're introducing younger children to snorkelling. One spot we particularly enjoyed was around the buoys near the food trucks. From the beach, head towards the buoys and then continue towards the right. We found a surprisingly large variety of fish there. The conditions we experienced were particularly good in the mornings around low tide, when the water was calm and clear.
For us, this was a winning combination:
Easy snorkelling + beautiful beach + food + shade + toilets + convenience.
When travelling with kids, sometimes that matters more than having the "most beautiful" beach on the island.
Flic-en-Flac Food: Noodles, Parathas and Ice Cream
One of the things we loved about staying around Flic-en-Flac was how easy it was to eat local food. We don't need fancy restaurants every day. Give us good, affordable food after a day at the beach and we're happy. We particularly liked Gloria Fast Food for noodles and baguette sandwiches. And then there was the Whippy ice cream. Their Royal Cone, with all the toppings, became a daily affair. At some point, going there was simply part of our holiday routine! For parathas, we also tried Farrat aka Vinodha.The vegetarian option didn't impress me particularly, but our kids really liked the wrap-style chicken option, and it was very affordable.We also made a point of trying local food wherever we could — fried noodles, paninis, sandwiches, wraps and fresh fruit.
Black River Gorges National Park and Alexandra Falls
We spent a day exploring the Black River Gorges National Park, and luckily it turned out to be a cool day. We visited Alexandra Falls, which was an easy and picturesque walk.
The views that day were exceptionally clear, and the combination of the waterfall, greenery and distant ocean views made it a beautiful stop. This was exactly the kind of outing we enjoyed with the kids - outdoors, scenic and interesting without being exhausting.
Le Morne Beach: Beautiful Water and Great Snorkelling
Le Morne Beach was another highlight. One thing we really appreciated about Mauritius is that you don't necessarily need to stay at a resort to enjoy some of the island's beautiful beaches. The water at Le Morne was an incredible shade of blue and wonderfully clear.
We spotted plenty of fish while snorkelling. The current was stronger here, though, so be careful, particularly if you're travelling with children or weaker swimmers. Sea turtles can sometimes be spotted in this area too, but unfortunately, we weren't lucky enough to see any on this trip.
Blue Bay: The Star of Our Trip
If there was one place that stood out above everything else on this trip, it was Blue Bay.
For us, this was the best snorkelling experience in Mauritius.
And there are actually two very different ways to experience it.
1. Glass-Bottom Boat + Snorkelling
Blue Bay is relatively close to the airport, so it can also be useful to keep in mind for the beginning or end of a trip, depending on your flight timings. We recommend going early, when the water is calmer and clearer. One option is to take a glass-bottom boat to an area where the boat anchors and you can snorkel. The coral in this area has suffered, but the reef structure is still massive and the marine life is impressive. We saw huge schools of fish and some much larger varieties than we had seen at Flic-en-Flac or Le Morne. And then came one of our favourite underwater sightings of the trip — a whole shoal of unicornfish!
If you don't want to get into the water, you can simply stay on the glass-bottom boat and enjoy the marine life from above.
We booked directly from the beach and paid around MUR 2,500 for a private boat, approximately ₹5,000 for all four of us.
2. Snorkelling From the Beach
You don't have to take a boat to enjoy Blue Bay. When you're standing facing the beach, walk towards the left along the pavement. Around the coastline near the first resort, we found some fantastic snorkelling. There was a large variety of fish and colourful coral, and we really enjoyed this spot. Again, though, be mindful of the current, particularly with children.For families who enjoy being in the water, Blue Bay deserves a place on your list.
Catamaran Trip
Another highlight was our catamaran trip from Trou d'Eau Douce. This was one of those activities where everyone in the family had fun.
We booked directly with Tino Boats and paid approximately ₹15,000 for all four of us for the full-day trip, including food and drinks.
The snorkelling stop was excellent, and the whole day was simply enjoyable.
We spent time on the water, snorkelled, ate, relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.
For us, this was much more appealing than trying to squeeze another long list of sightseeing stops into the day. If you're travelling with kids, I'd definitely consider a full-day boat trip like this. Tino Boats currently operates from Trou d'Eau Douce and offers catamaran trips that include stops such as the GRSE waterfall, snorkelling and Ile aux Cerfs, with lunch and drinks included depending on the package. Again , this was not a sponsored trip, we booked and paid for the trip ourselves.
Casela: This Time, the highlight was the Roller Coaster!
We had visited Casela on our previous trip too, and our kids had a great time here again. The Aldabra tortoise experience was definitely one of the highlights. The safari was another favourite - we got to see zebras, giraffes and ostriches, which was exciting for both the kids and us.
Giraffe feeding was not available when we visited this time, so we skipped it. This time, we decided to skip the big-cat experiences. Instead, we kept things simple and focused on the experiences the kids were actually enjoying. We also went on the roller coaster a couple of times, and honestly, that was just as much fun!
This is another example of how differently we travelled this time.
We weren't trying to experience every attraction at Casela.
We simply picked the activity our family enjoyed and made the most of it.
La Preneuse Beach: Our Hidden Gem
La Preneuse was probably our favourite unexpected discovery of this trip.
Go in the late afternoon, preferably before sunset.
Find a spot on the narrow beach.
Take a book.
Get yourself a drink.
Let the kids build sandcastles.
And then sit back and watch the sunset with Le Morne in the distance.
We loved it so much that we went three times.
And every single time, it felt special.
This was probably my favourite example of what this second Mauritius trip was really about.
Sometimes the best holiday memories don't come from the biggest attractions.
They come from sitting on a beach with your kids, doing absolutely nothing.
What We Skipped This Time
We deliberately skipped quite a few popular Mauritius experiences.
We didn't go dolphin or whale watching.
We skipped most water sports.
We skipped Port Louis.
And honestly?
We didn't miss them.
This trip wasn't about packing as much as possible into seven days.
We wanted to relax, snorkel, eat local food and enjoy the beaches.
And that slower pace suited us much better.
What About the North of Mauritius?
We did explore the north, including Mont Choisy.
Mont Choisy Beach was beautiful — soft sand, shade and a sheltered lagoon.
It is definitely a lovely beach for families. But we didn't find the snorkelling particularly exciting there.
Trou aux Biches was another place we visited, but it felt much more crowded than we expected, and parking was difficult. For us, it wasn't worth making a long drive north just to visit Trou aux Biches. If you're already staying in the north, that's a different story.
But if you're basing yourself around Flic-en-Flac or the Black River area, we wouldn't make a special trip there just for this beach.
Mauritius Is Bigger Than It Looks
This is something we noticed much more clearly this time.
Driving from the west towards the north or east can take a significant amount of time, and traffic can add considerably to the journey.When you're travelling without kids, you might not think twice about driving for a couple of hours for an attraction.
With a four-year-old in the back seat, it's a different story.
This is another reason why we loved staying around Flic-en-Flac and the Black River area.
We could explore plenty without spending our entire holiday in the car.
Food in Mauritius
One thing that made travelling with kids in Mauritius quite easy was how simple it was to find familiar food in the supermarkets. If you're staying in an Airbnb or apartment with a kitchen, you don't have to depend entirely on restaurants or spend a lot of time cooking.
Frozen parathas are easily available in supermarkets, along with frozen vegetables, paneer and even ready-to-use paneer gravies such as makhani and palak paneer. For a quick breakfast, you can pick up bread, eggs, cheese, jam, butter and yoghurt and put together something in minutes. We also liked the flexibility this gave us. You can have breakfast at your own pace, pack a picnic lunch if you're heading out for the day, or simply eat when the kids are ready rather than planning your day around restaurant timings.
For most of our lunches and dinners this time, though, we chose to try local food and takeaways rather than cook. That was part of the fun of travelling for us.
Can You Carry Food From India to Mauritius?
If you're particular about food, travelling with young children or have dietary restrictions, it's worth carrying some essentials from home. Mauritius does not generally restrict travellers from bringing all types of food. For vegetarian families especially, having a few familiar staples from home can make the trip much easier, even if you plan to eat out most of the time.
Supermarkets Are Great for Snacks and Breakfasts
We spent quite a bit of time browsing the supermarkets and found them useful for stocking up for the kids. We particularly enjoyed the pain au chocolat from Super U. We tried the cheaper ones from Winners as well, but personally, we preferred the Super U ones.
We didn't experiment with a lot of fresh bakery food this time. There are local bakeries where you can find freshly baked breads and other goodies, but with everything else we wanted to do, we simply didn't get around to exploring them properly. That's definitely something we'd like to do on another visit.
And if you're wondering about drinks, beer and liquor are available in supermarkets. Phoenix and Thirsty Fox are local beer brands you'll commonly come across. Mauritius is also well known for its rum, and you'll find plenty of local options in supermarkets.
For us, the biggest advantage of having a kitchen wasn't that we wanted to cook elaborate meals. It was simply having the option to make a quick breakfast, prepare something familiar for the kids or keep food in the fridge for those days when everyone was tired and hungry at different times. With kids, that little bit of flexibility can make a surprisingly big difference.
Don't Forget Super U for Souvenirs
We picked up some souvenirs and holiday essentials from Super U, including the one in Tamarin. The beach bags were particularly nice, and we also found snorkelling gear at reasonable prices. If you need basic holiday essentials, it's worth checking the supermarkets rather than buying everything from tourist shops.
What We Loved Most About Mauritius With Kids
Looking back at the trip, our highlights weren't necessarily the things we had expected.
They were:
Snorkelling at Blue Bay
Easy, family-friendly snorkelling at Flic-en-Flac
The beautiful water at Le Morne
Our catamaran day with Tino Boats
The roller coaster at Casela
Watching sunsets at La Preneuse
Eating simple local food
Daily ice creams
Having the freedom of a rental car
And, most importantly, not rushing
So, Is Mauritius Worth Visiting With Kids?
Absolutely.
But we would recommend doing it differently from the way you might initially imagine.
Our first Mauritius trip was about seeing the island.
Our second trip was about experiencing it.
And with kids, I think the second approach works beautifully.
You don't need to wake up every morning and drive to the other side of the island.
You don't need to do every excursion.
You don't need to stay in a luxury resort to enjoy Mauritius.
And you definitely don't need to fill every single day with activities.
Some of our favourite memories from this trip were incredibly simple — snorkelling with the kids at Flic-en-Flac, eating noodles and sandwiches, getting ice cream every day, spending an afternoon at La Preneuse, watching the sunset at Le Morne and simply letting the kids play on the beach.
If We Were Doing Mauritius With Kids Again
If we were planning another family trip to Mauritius, we'd do almost exactly what we did this time.
Base ourselves around Flic-en-Flac.
Rent a car.
Keep the itinerary relaxed.
Prioritise snorkelling.
Spend plenty of time at Flic-en-Flac, Blue Bay and Le Morne.
Do a catamaran trip.
Keep a day for Casela if the kids want it.
Watch the sunset at La Preneuse.
Eat local food.
And, most importantly, leave some days completely unplanned.
Because after visiting Mauritius twice, this is probably our biggest takeaway:
Mauritius Doesn't Need to Be Rushed
It is a destination where slowing down can actually make the holiday better -
especially when you're travelling with kids.
You don't have to see everything.
You just have to find the things your family loves and give yourselves enough time to enjoy them.
And for us, that meant less sightseeing, more swimming, more snorkelling, more ice cream and a lot more time simply being together.
That was our Mauritius the second time around.
And honestly?
We'd do it again.
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