If you visit the island Mauritius, you will quickly discover that there are many things to do with kids. From whale watching to exploring the wonders of the Seven Colored Earth geopark, your child will leave Mauritius not only happy and refreshed, but also with lots of new knowledge (for example about dodo birds).
Why is Mauritius prefect for families with kids?
Mauritius is a paradise for families with kids. It’s a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean which provides a safe environment for even the smallest kids. There are no dangerous snakes, crocodiles and similar creatures in Mauritius. This is a peaceful, safe African country which also does not have a risk of malaria.
Weather in Mauritius is beautiful. Even during the hottest months, it’s never dreadfully hot like in certain places (for example, Dubai or Turkey). A nice breeze will make your family’s experience much more enjoyable and the rain will cool things off from time to time.
In my view, winter is especially nice for a family vacation in Mauritius. We stayed there in January and the weather was never above 30C, which was perfect. It fluctuated between 28 and 29 degrees during the day and never fell lower than 25 at night.
Mauritius boasts beautiful beaches where your kids can play all day long. Children will find ample opportunities for snorkeling, dolphin swimming, whale watching, and just playing in the sand with a bucket and shovel. Kids will also enjoy interacting with many lovely birds on the island, small lizards, snails and other creatures.
If you want to learn more about Mauritius, check out my blog post:
Ten Interesting Facts about Mauritius
Top ten things to do in Mauritius with kids
There are many amazing things to do in Mauritius, but some of them are less suitable for kids, while others are more. I will list ten things which we found appropriate for the little ones and the most enjoyable for our family. Hopefully, your kids can experience them as well.
Walk through the magnificent Pamplemousses Botanical Garden
Mauritius has the most extraordinary vegetation, making it a very interesting place to explore. The botanical gardens will provide your family an opportunity to see a lot of marvelous trees and plants in one place and find out their names (there are tags everywhere).
The Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens were founded in 1770. This is the first botanical garden in the southern hemisphere and also the first tropical botanic garden in the world. The name “Pamplemousses” comes from the name of the citrus plant called pamplemoussier which was introduced from Java by the Dutch settlers.
There are 800 species of plants in the botanical garden, among which 80 species of palms. The size of the gardens is 33 hectares. Some of the must see plants in the botanical gardens include the baobab tree, the sausage tree, the fish poison tree (its seeds can kill fish), water lilies, giant lilies, and all of the different types of palm trees (bottle palms, royal palms, and even a talipot palm which blooms every 40 years and then dies!)
There are also some enclosures with animals, including tortoises and deer, as well as many birds. Get ready to take lots of pictures of the stunning views you will see.
The botanical garden is easy to navigate, so it’s very suitable for a visit with kids. As you enter the property, you get a map which shows all the main attractions and avenues where they are located (the gardens have avenues with tags, so you can follow easily). If you have small kids, my advice is to go the main attractions as the gardens are quite large.
Explore the rich marine life of Mauritius
Many families come to Mauritius in order to explore its rich marine life. There are different options depending on the age of your kids and risk tolerance level. You can go on a catamaran cruise to explore various islands and creatures who live below the surface. You will get lunch on board and several snorkeling or diving opportunities. Mauritius also offers great opportunities for swimming with dolphins in a lagoon or going on a whale watching tour. You can pick whatever suits your family best!
Admire the Chamarel Waterfall
Mauritius has several waterfalls. The tallest one is a 100 meter single drop waterfall in Chamarel. It is fed by the waters of the Saint Denis river.
The waterfall is named after Charles Antoine de Chazal de Chamarel who lived in this area in the early 1800’s. Together with his brother, he inherited land in this area and attempted to develop the land by cultivating different crops, such as indigo, sugar cane and coffee. However, life in Africa appeared quite hard. Eventually, Charles Antoine returned to France and land was sold to another family.
Getting to the waterfall is not difficult. Don’t expect any long, tiring hike. The taxi (or bus) will take you right to the viewing point where you can admire the waterfall and take pictures. There is also a slightly higher spot where you can get a better view. For that one, you’ll need to climb some stairs (nothing complicated).
If you have older children, you can also opt for a 3 hour hike through the tropical forest and get closer to the waterfall and possibly swim in it. You’d need to hire a guide for that. I guess with small children it’s not a great idea as they might get tired in the hot and humid weather.
Explore the wonders of the Seven colored Earth
This amazing geological formation which reveals 600 million years of history is located in the south west of the island. It comprises of sand dunes of different colors, including red, purple, brown, green, blue, violet and yellow. These sands formed from the decomposition of volcanic rock into clay. The two main elements of soil are iron (responsible for red color and its variations) and aluminum (responsible for purple and blue color). An interesting fact is that these sands do not seem to erode despite frequent rains.
I’ve seen some pictures of the seven colored earth on internet, but it’s much more impressive close up. If you visit Mauritius, I highly recommend visiting this place, especially if you are visiting the waterfall (these places are close by).
Again, no difficult hikes or anything of that nature, just walking around and admiring the view. So, this excursion is very easy to go with small children.
Right next to the seven colored earth formation, you will find a giant tortoise enclosure with a lot of friendly tortoises (both big and small), so your kids will have an opportunity to interact with them and have a ton of fun. We also found the souvenir shop quite nice (we bought a book about Mauritius flora and fauna there and a few other things).
If you want to see the Seven Colored Earth and other things mentioned in this post, check out a short video my daughter and I put together while visiting Mauritius:
Visit Flic en Flac and spend a day at the beach
Flic en Flac is a small village on the west coast of Mauritius. Its name comes from an old Dutch phrase and means free and flat land. This name was given to the village by the Dutch settlers when they discovered it. I guess this is more or less a correct description! Today, Flic en Flac is a fun place to visit. It has many shops and restaurants and a beach which attracts both tourists and locals.
Many locals told us that the Flic en Flac beach is one of the most beautiful in Mauritius. I tend to agree with that. It’s a long and white beach where there is plenty of space for everyone. The length of the beach is 8 km and it’s reportedly one of the longest in Mauritius. The turquoise water is crystal clear. Because the beach is protected by a coral reef, there are no high waves, making it perfect for small kids. Families can snorkel in the water and see some colorful fish. If you want to go diving, there are plenty of opportunities. The most popular spots are the Snake Reef and Cathedral dive sites.
Visit the Cap Malheureux
This is a very beautiful cape to visit and take pictures. There is some interesting history behind it. This island was held by the French from 1715 till 1810 when the British invaded and took control of the island. The British forces first failed to attack from the south but then they regrouped and took the French by surprise by invading the island on the North where French forces were weak. The cape got the name of Cap Malheureux (Unlucky Cape) because of this unfortunate defeat for the French.
When you get to Cap Malheureux, you can walk around, admire the gorgeous Flamboyant tree which grows there, check out the beaches like La Cuvette (lots of fish in the water, including some huge sting rays) or take a boat to one of the neighboring islands, such as the Flat Island, for snorkeling in the lagoon. There is also a beautiful church, Notre Dame Auxiliatrice, there to visit.
Explore the Blue Penny Museum in Port Louis
If you are visiting Mauritius for the first time, it’s a good idea to visit the capital city Port Louis and explore the renowned Blue Penny museum. It is a must visit place for everyone who wants to know more about Mauritius. This museum, which is not very large and thus suitable for visiting with kids, offers a rare glimpse into Mauritian art and culture. You will find many beautiful paintings, sculptures, maps, postcards and other items reflecting the history of Mauritius.
I particularly enjoy purchasing various books and stationary items which I can later use at home and remember about Mauritius. If you or your kids are interested in philately, pay special attention to the world famous post office stamps collection at the Blue Penny museum.
The museum is open daily from 9:30 am till 4:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Learn about dodo birds
As everyone knows very well, Mauritius used to be home to dodo birds, which became extinct. You can use an opportunity of visiting this island to learn more about dodos, explore their habitat, and buy some toy dodos for your kids. I bought a very interesting book at the Blue Penny museum which tells the history of dodos and studied it together with my daughter. We also had a statue of a dodo at our hotel, La Pirogue, which also provided some facts about these amazing birds.
While you are in Port Louis, you can visit the museum of natural history. It has many interesting exhibitions, including those of butterflies, inspects and seashells, but most importantly, it displays a famous dodo skeleton which was discovered by barber Louis Etienne Thirioux. Entrance to the museum is free.
Play at the Curious Mauritius
We’ve seen similar attractions in some other countries, notably in Uzbekistan where our family is currently based. Essentially, this is a small amusement park which lists certain facts about Mauritius and kids need to guess whether they are fake or true. There are also lots of opportunities to take interesting pictures with your child in an unusual setting. This is not going to be a long visit (about one hour), but little kids seem to enjoy it a lot. It’s also not far away from Chamarel waterfall, so you can visit Curious Mauritius right after the waterfall.
Do some shopping in the local market and buy lots of local souvenirs.
There are so many colorful souvenirs in the local market that your kids will be in seventh heaven. You can buy colorful dresses, bags of all kids, notepads, large shells, photo albums and frames, pens and pencils, you name it. My daughter adored everything we bought for her.
The Final Word
Having visited many interesting destinations with my daughter, I can definitely tell that Mauritius is one of the greatest places to visit with kids. I recommend staying at a resort hotel for your holiday to be unforgettable.
We stayed at La Pirogue and were impressed by the quality of service. Check out my blog post: La Pirogue Mauritius – Hotel Review to learn more.
I will confess that Mauritius is not the easiest place to get to (whether you are based in Europe or in the US), but it’s very much worth it. Long flights are over quickly, but incredible memories will stay with you forever. We had a great time in Mauritius and are looking forward to visiting again.
If you are looking for some other fun places to visit with kids, check out my blog posts which feature such great places as Dubai, Paris, Orlando, Jekyll Island and Sharm el Sheikh:
Top Ten Things to Do with Kids in Dubai
Top Ten Things to Do in Paris with Kids
Seven Day Ultimate Orlando Itinerary for Families
I always hear about Mauritius in terms of a couple’s getaway, but there are so many family friendly activities. The Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens and visits to the waterfall sound like fun!
Indeed, this is an amazing place for families. I did not know myself, but after visiting the island, I am convinced. Great place to bring kids of all ages!
Wonderful post. I would love to have taken my kids there when they were younger (they are grown now). You provided great information!
Thank you! Glad the post was useful.
This is so cool. I went to Mauritius when I was a kid, and have been waiting to go back with kids. Love this guide.
I was also very young when I went to Mauritius first. It was quite surreal to go there with my daughter… I noticed some changes, but many things have not changed. It’s still the same amazing nature and welcoming people.
Great post! Mauritius is on our family’s bucket list and this is a great list of kid-friendly activities. I’ll bookmark it for our future trip.
Glad to hear the post was helpful! Indeed, this is a paradise for families with kids, even very small ones.