The trip
Overview
Mauritius quietly outperforms flashier islands for families: the lagoons are reef-protected and calm, the resorts have been hosting children for two generations and know exactly what they are doing, and beyond the beach there is a real island — waterfalls, tea plantations, colonial gardens and a Creole food culture worth leaving the buffet for. Six hours from Dubai with no time difference worth naming, it is the rare long-haul feel without the long-haul cost in jet lag.
Our seven-night version balances resort and island. Five days belong to the beach — kids' club, glass-bottom boat, waterskiing for teenagers, pedalos for everyone else — and two are spent out: a full-day catamaran sail with snorkelling and a grilled-fish lunch on deck, and a south-west island day taking in the Chamarel waterfall and the coloured earth.
Golf, for parents who want it, is available at several resort courses as an easy add-on — but this is a family holiday first, and we keep it that way.
Highlights
- ✦Beachfront family room or suite on a calm, reef-sheltered lagoon
- ✦Full-day catamaran cruise with snorkelling and lunch on board
- ✦Chamarel waterfall and the Seven Coloured Earth
- ✦Kids' club with a genuine daily programme, ages three to teens
- ✦Creole table d'hôte dinner away from the resort
- ✦Optional round of golf or spa afternoon for parents
Who it suits
- ●Families who want long-haul polish without long-haul jet lag
- ●Multi-generational groups — Mauritius resorts handle three generations gracefully
- ●Parents pairing a family week with a little golf or spa time
Why this journey works
- ✓Around six hours direct from Dubai and effectively no time difference
- ✓Reef-sheltered lagoons mean calm, safe swimming for younger children
- ✓Two excursion days give the week shape without exhausting anyone
- ✓Strong value against comparable Maldives or Seychelles weeks
Day by day
Days 1–3
Settling into the lagoon
An overnight or early flight from Dubai lands you into Mauritius with most of the day intact. Three days to find the family's rhythm: kids' club mornings, glass-bottom boat rides over the coral, first attempts at stand-up paddleboarding on water with no waves to speak of. The resort style we suggest is classic Mauritian family luxury — big pools, shaded beaches, and a teens' zone that buys parents an evening or two.
Day 4
Catamaran day
Out on the lagoon for a full-day sail — typically north to Gabriel or Flat Island, or along the west coast depending on your resort. Snorkelling stops in clear water, a barbecue lunch cooked on board, and dolphins are seen on many west-coast mornings, though the sea makes no promises. Children generally rate this the best day of the week.
Day 5
The island beyond the beach
A private driver-guide day into the south-west: the Chamarel waterfall dropping nearly 100 metres, the Seven Coloured Earth dunes, giant tortoises at a nearby park, and lunch at a Creole table d'hôte where the food is home cooking rather than hotel cooking. The Black River Gorges viewpoint adds monkeys and long green views if energy holds.
Days 6–7
Beach, chosen freely
Two closing days with nothing booked. Waterski lessons, a banana-boat run, a parents' spa session in shifts, or an optional nine or eighteen holes on a nearby championship course. The final evening usually ends with a beach dinner — most family resorts here do them well.
Day 8
Fly home
A morning at the pool if flight times allow, then the direct flight back to the UAE — six hours, minimal time change, school the day after tomorrow.
When to go
Mauritius is mildly tropical rather than fiercely so: May to December is cooler and drier, January to April warmer and more humid with a cyclone season that occasionally interrupts. UAE winter break and Easter both land in good windows; even mid-summer, sea breezes keep it far kinder than a Gulf August.
Planning around seasons, regions and style? Read the full Mauritius destination guide →
What’s included
- ✓Return flights from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Mauritius
- ✓Private airport transfers
- ✓Seven nights in a family room category
- ✓Half board, with all-inclusive quoted as an option
- ✓Full-day catamaran excursion for the family
- ✓PCT travel consultant support before and during travel
Not included
- —Travel insurance
- —Lunches unless on all-inclusive
- —Motorised watersports beyond the resort's included list
- —Green fees unless quoted
- —Personal spending
Ways to extend it
- +Add three nights in a second resort on a different coast
- +Include a swim-with-dolphins morning on the west coast
- +Combine with a short Johannesburg-and-safari opener
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