A Mauritius Getaway to Remember

Last year, our family finally made it to Mauritius, a trip we'd been planning for ages. Unfortunately, the euro exchange rate was all over the place, so we had to put our plans on hold for two years. That gave us plenty of time to research and learn everything we could about the island. But, let's be honest, most of what you read online is a bit exaggerated. We ended up booking our flights with Air France for 50,000 RUB return, with a layover in Paris. There were other options, like Emirates and Turkish, but they were way more expensive.

On the beachWe wanted to find a quiet spot near the beach with some basic infrastructure, and then explore the island in our downtime. The tourist areas are all along the coast, while the centre is more industrial and so on. My wife wanted to head north, I wanted to go south, and the kid just wanted to get to the beach ASAP!

In Le MorneWe compromised: we'd spend a week on the southwest coast, and then a week on the north. We booked our apartments through 'Open Mauritius', and they also arranged our transfer with a car. I'd definitely recommend renting a pickup truck for island-hopping - you can get an old one, and it's perfect for getting to some of the more remote and stunning spots! The new apartments with two bedrooms and a pool cost us 60 euros a night, and the pickup truck was 30 euros.

SunsetSo, about 'Open Mauritius'. They're a tourist agency that specializes in Mauritius, and I heard about them from some kitesurfing friends who'd been there through them. They claim to know all the ins and outs of the island and can help you have a hassle-free holiday. And that's exactly what happened. Before we booked, we had a phone call and exchanged emails to discuss the details - I liked that they were always available for questions. We paid a small deposit before booking, which was great, as you don't have to pay the full amount upfront. We paid the rest when we arrived and collected the car - which was a big plus! Everything matched the website and photos - no issues at all. During our trip, we contacted them a few times via WhatsApp for things like excursions and where to find edible sea urchins and so on.

Surfing DayI was so excited to finally arrive at our destination - we packed our bags, passports, money, and insurance, and headed to the airport, barely making it on time. But our flight was delayed, and we made it to the gate just in time. We flew Air France, which had great service, by the way. Our layover at Charles de Gaulle was five hours, and we decided not to venture out to explore Paris, not wanting to tempt fate. We spent the entire layover sitting in the terminal. Our flight to Mauritius was operated by Air Mauritius - the plane was packed. Be prepared for this. In-flight, we were given forms to fill out for customs. We had to write down our address on the island and other details. We arrived in pretty good shape, and even managed to catch a few winks.

In-flight funThe airport was new, and the customs line took around 15 minutes. We were stamped with a 60-day stay permit. Our luggage arrived intact, except for one suitcase that was covered in dust, like it had been sitting in storage for ages. Outside, we were greeted by a man holding a sign with our name - our driver. We loaded our bags into the trunk and headed to our apartment. The drive was almost an hour and a half - the road was stunning, running along the coast. We paid 60 euros for the transfer.

We settled in - it was clean and tidy! We washed up and all crashed at the same time. We woke up to darkness - it gets dark around 6-7 pm on the island. We headed to the Enso restaurant nearby for dinner - I highly recommend their seafood platter. The shops were already closed by then.

The next morning, we made a quick run to the supermarket, grabbing some smoked marlin, Philly cheese, and lychees. Then we headed to the Tamarijn gas station - the road runs along the coast again, just like in the movies. The ocean is to our left, and the green hills are to our right. They sell coconuts and fresh fish along the way. By the way, the fuel prices are pretty steep compared to Russia, but that's to be expected on an island. If you have a diesel, it's the more economical option.

We spent two days lounging on the beach in Le Morne, watching the surfers and kitesurfers nearby. There's a designated area for them, and a beautiful white beach for families and swimming. We snorkeled and saw some fish. I highly recommend trying the paninis with marlin on this beach!

On the third day, we headed to the Rochester waterfall. The water falls into a small lake from about 7-8 meters high. It's hidden away in a sea of reeds. I went for a jump, but my wife and kid decided to sit it out. After that, we headed to the local market in Suzyac - we stocked up on some tropical veggies and fruits. We were stuffed!

On the fourth day, we decided to visit the Casela park. It's an amazing place for kids and adults alike. There are tons of birds and animals, and pavoise everywhere! There are also zebras and lions that you can pet! I highly recommend it!

Heading to Port Louis was a must on our fifth day, and we decided to head north from there. The drive took around an hour, and it was sweltering hot – but the AC in our rental worked like a charm. Port Louis itself is a pretty small port city. It's more like a big market in a town than a capital city, to be honest. There's a casino, a McDonald's, an old post office, and a few other attractions. You can see it all in a couple of hours max. As for the island in general, the air is pretty fresh and clean, but it was stifling hot in Port Louis. From there, it's another 40 minutes to the north of the island. We stopped in Grand Bay, which reminded me of St. Tropez – lots of white yachts and people everywhere. It's a pretty touristy spot, with loads of restaurants and shops. We grabbed a bite to eat and took a breather before heading on to Cap Malheureux – the church with the red roof. It's a beautiful spot, apart from the crowds of Chinese and Korean tourists. There were selfie sticks and people everywhere – around 400 of them, I'd estimate. We decided to skip the northern part of the island, as the beach isn't great, and there's no real place to walk around. It's like a mini-Taiwan, with all the tourists and chaos. If you want to relax and enjoy the beach, it might be worth a visit.

We headed back home and decided to extend our stay on the southwest coast until the end of our trip. We spent the next three days just relaxing in Le Morne – the beach, snorkeling, and reading. One day the weather was a bit rough, but it cleared up by lunchtime. We took a trip to Blue Bay, which is on the southeast coast. It's a small lagoon with white sand – stunning! The only downside is that you can see planes flying overhead, as there's an airport nearby. On the way back, we stopped at Gris-Gris, which is a small national park on the southern tip of the island. The waves are massive and come right up to the shore – it's an incredible sight!

All in all, our trip was a 5-star experience! Thanks to the service 'Open Mauritius' for organizing everything so smoothly. We just need to book our flights now! We're already planning our next trip to the island. The budget was pretty reasonable, even cheaper than our trip to Boracay, and way more interesting. We're planning to go with a big group of two families and rent a villa.