It is unheard of for me to return to the same hotel let alone even the same Country for our holidays - but the kids begged and begged and unusually I agreed. Actually not totally agreed in that I tagged on a 5 day Madagasgar adventure to find Lemurs in their stunning rainforests but that is for another blog!
Beachcombers Le Paradis in Mauritius was spectacular. You can find out why I think Mauritius works SO well for a Luxury Family summer holiday here
Why we went back to Mauritius for our family summer hols
but to be honest with you this is heavily biased to the benefits of Le Paradis and its sister hotel DinaRobin! I even hired a car to scout the island but the stunning setting, west coast sunsets and facilities here are addictive!
So why so good:
Food
Yes of course I'm a foodie. It's delicious - you can also avoid the buffet as including the DinaRobin there are 4 or 5 served restaurants which are included in the half board. It is isolated in so much as there are no local restaurants particularly close but the variety meant we were not bored.
Beach
Heavenly! This was the view form our rooms - Deluxe Beachfront Rooms (only one up from the cheapest although they don't interconnect), which had huge and luxurious bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes.
Indian ocean
That turquoise blue is just amazing, it's shallow, warm and so clear you can snorkel from the beach. Just paddle, swim or enjoy some watersports. The team here have been around for years and are just as enthusiastic as ever. We took some water skiing lesson with Nicolas who was fabulous and skied alongside us; I can't recommend this enough for kids from as young as probably 5 years.
We also hired a boat to see and swim with the dolphins. This is not a Disney swimming pool experience and you can't touch them but trying to keep up with them as they jumped and glided by was unforgettable.
My 14 year old tried diving and loved it too!
Sports
If you or your kids are sporty there are 5 excellent tennis courts at Paradis and 3 at DinaRobin, a fully equipped gym, several fitness classes daily as well as a driving range and spectacular golf course that not only has free unlimited green fees in summer but will also allow children to play. Lessons available in everything at extra cost. In summer nothing is busy so no need to book anything is advance - this is a massive attraction for me.
Kids Club
From 4 years or hire a nanny for 1-2-1 care in the club for younger children. There are lots of activities from bike rides, bouncy castle, T-shirt printing as well as ride on toys and a simple crazy golf as part of the club.
Out and about
The weather can have a few not cold but windier days over our summer so for one of them I hired a car. It was easy to drive and we strolled around Port Louis for a bit and them ventured into the lush and green hills.
We also took bikes (ots of kids bikes) and an easy bike ride takes you to a beach on the South Coast where the wind in the bay is strong - we could have sat all day watching the kitesurfers.
There is so much more too with forest Zip wires, animal parks, rum tasting, quad-biking etc but we could hardly draw ourselves away!
Paradis versus DinaRobin
We actually prefer the Paradis for a bit more bustle and a nicer beach front. Given that all the facilities are shared including all restaurants the real benefit of staying at the DinaRobin (which is more expensive) is a more sophisticated atmosphere, higher staff to guest ratio and it is quieter. Head there is you want to avoid other families. I would guess that might be important in peak season but in July and August there was alsways a quiet spot at the Paradis if you wanted one.
The most important thing is to be on the west coast for the sunsets!
If you want a Luxury Family Holiday for 10 days or more - I don't think it is worth going for less - then do not hesitate. Compared to European 5 star resorts in July and August it is a bargain! The trouble is we are hooked.
Any questions please don't hestitate to ask, hel@familyholidayscompany.comor give me a call on 01279 639600.
Jo MacGregor
