ZIPLINES, dolphins and unforgettable food – the island delivers one fine family hol, says Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley.
It’s 8.03am when my phone buzzes on the bedside table with a message that will lead me to one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life.
Dolphins have been spotted nearby, so it’s now my mission to wake my husband and kids and get them all to the boat as soon as possible.
Luckily, from our beachfront family suite at Le Méridien Ile Maurice on Mauritius’ north-west coast, we’re less than a 30-second walk to the golden sands and our waiting skipper (Marriott.com).
It means it’s not long before we’re out on the ocean with everything crossed, and soon enough, we catch our first glimpse of fins.
“Wanna jump in?” shouts the captain, cutting the engine, and I don’t need asking twice.
I’m straight into the water, snorkel gear on, and gasp as I spot a pod of 19 spinner dolphins swimming right below me.
As I follow them, I spy a mother suckling her baby and soak up the sound of their squeaky chatter before they return to the surface, gracefully leaping out of the ocean right in front of me.
Special? The word doesn’t even come close. And it’s £120 well spent.
Winter Wins
Swimming with wild dolphins hadn’t crossed my mind when I booked our flights to Mauritius.
I just knew there were great August deals because of it being the island’s winter.
Winter here, of course, means temperatures in the mid-20ºCs and possible rain showers, but the chances of spotting dolphins where we are staying are actually higher during these off-season months.
Le Méridien Ile Maurice was given a swish makeover three years ago, and spacious, nautical-chic family suites come with freestanding baths and rain showers.
Giant, colourful bean bags are dotted along the beach – water shoes prove handy for the kids as it’s a little rocky – and paddleboard and kayak hire is free on the generous all-inclusive package.
As is waterskiing from the pier which, as my husband Andy finds out, is way harder than it looks.
The main pool still feels a tad tired, but the second family pool, with its giant flamingo inflatables and water hammocks, hits the spot.
As does the excellent cocktail menu.
Each of the three à la carte eateries offers signature creations with interesting ingredients, such as timur berry and tumeric syrup.
Shaking up our own watermelon and rum tipples (mocktails for the kids), while the sun sets and a DJ mixes chilled beats, certainly brings the happy to the Happy Monday sesh at beachside spot Waves.
It also serves up superb seafood, such as red tuna with strawberry gazpacho and sticky rice, while Kumin offers decent Indian cuisine and Jade nails pan-Asian dishes, such as beef lok lak alongside mouth-watering sushi.
One night, we feast at Jade’s teppanyaki table, sipping cocktails of tequila, plum sake, yuzu, chilli and ginger, as chef Edgar crafts a feast of Japanese soup, duck gyoza, lobster, black Angus steak and flambéed pineapple.
Edgar is soon declared “the coolest chef ever” as he throws up a raw egg and catches it in his hat.
But when he then pulls out a wind-up chick as a souvenir of our evening, he’s definitely secured fans for life, and the meal is worthy of the £32 supplement.
A lot to lychee
Of course, there’s a kids’ club, which is handily next to the beach volleyball court, so as the kids get kitted out with braids and henna tattoos, Andy joins fellow dads for a game.
Another day we take a cooking class and learn how to whip up a flavoursome Mauritian curry and rotis, before digging into the fruits of our labour with glasses of very gluggable, locally made lychee wine.
Our visit to Mauritius coincides with the Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi, so we jump in a taxi to the white sands of Mont Choisy beach, 15 minutes away, to enjoy the celebrations.
Locals carry incredible clay idols of the elephant-head god to the turquoise waters and the air is filled with the scent of incense and the beating of huge drums.
The feeling of joy and togetherness is all-encompassing.
Flying high
A few days later, I’m trying to hide my nerves from my six year old, Poppy, as we clip on to a zipline that will hurtle us across a river to the top of a waterfall.
When we land at the crest of the frothy, white water, we realise the only way back to solid ground is ziplining again across the ravine and I fear we may be in trouble.
But her confidence grows on the second ride and she begs to try more.
Sadly, she’s not old enough for many of the adrenalin-filled activities here at Vallé Advenature Park, which includes Mauritius’ longest zipline and the longest suspended bridge in the Indian Ocean, so I guess we’ll have to return one day.
But racing Andy and our son Raffy, four, down the mountain on a luge not long after gets more megawatt smiles from both kids, before we take snaps of the hill of 23 colours, a geological phenomenon of volcanic sands formed over millions of years.
Experiences at Advenature cost from £11 per person (Adventure.vallepark.com).
We can also hardly believe our eyes when we spot the number and size of the giant tortoises at nearby La Vanille Nature Park, and we all adore feeding them their favourite snack, scaevola leaves.
One even mistakes Andy’s leg for a twig and gives him a nip – much to the kids’ delight.
Later, having swung by the lemurs, iguanas and monkeys, the croc-feeding show feels a bit outdated, but there’s no denying the real crocodile nuggets at the cafe make a tasty lunch, £8, with Raffy wolfing them down, just like their chicken counterparts.
Entry costs £17 for adults and £12 for under-13s (Lavanillenaturepark.com).
Meanwhile, one thing is for certain – if I were to ask the kids if they’d like to repeat this adventure, they’d snap up the chance!
