Where to stay
Choosing between all inclusive hotels in Mauritius is really a choice between four coasts, and the coast decides more about your holiday than the hotel does. This is what each one is actually like, with the transfer time from the airport for every resort area.
Mauritius does all inclusive properly. Unlike some destinations where the phrase means a buffet and a plastic wristband, most all inclusive hotels in Mauritius include multiple restaurants, branded drinks, non motorised watersports and a kids club as standard. The better all inclusive hotels in Mauritius go further still, throwing in a glass bottom boat trip and a round of golf.
The genuinely important decision is not which resort. It is which coast. We drive guests to every one of these hotels, several times a week, in every month of the year, and the pattern is consistent: people who picked the wrong coast for the time of year are the ones who come back to the car disappointed.
So this guide starts with the coasts, then covers five of the best known all inclusive hotels in Mauritius, then gives you the transfer time to every resort area on the island. On the hotels themselves we stick to what we can state accurately: where they are, which coast, and how long it takes to reach them. Rates and room details change constantly and belong on the hotel’s own site, not ours.
There is no legal definition of all inclusive, so the term covers a wide range across the hotels in Mauritius that use it. In practice the all inclusive hotels in Mauritius fall into three tiers, and knowing which one you are booking prevents most of the disappointment.
| Tier | Usually includes | Usually costs extra |
|---|---|---|
| Full board plus | Three meals in the main restaurant, local drinks | Speciality restaurants, branded spirits, all watersports |
| All inclusive | All meals including some speciality restaurants, local and some branded drinks, non motorised watersports, kids club | Motorised watersports, diving, spa, excursions |
| Premium all inclusive | Everything above plus branded spirits, minibar, some speciality dining, sometimes a boat trip or golf | Diving, spa treatments, off site excursions |
Swipe to see the full table
Two things are almost never included anywhere, and both surprise people. Airport transfers are not part of an all inclusive package unless you booked them separately, and neither are excursions off the property. A resort will happily arrange both, usually at a meaningful markup on what the same journey costs booked direct. Neither is a criticism of the all inclusive hotels in Mauritius, it is simply how the model works.
Ask specifically whether motorised watersports are included. Waterskiing, tubing and the glass bottom boat are included at some resorts and charged at others, and it is the single most common line item people are surprised by at checkout. The answer is usually in the fine print of the board basis rather than on the headline page.
This is the part most booking sites will not tell you about hotels in Mauritius, because they are selling rooms rather than holidays. All inclusive hotels in Mauritius cluster on four coasts and the four are genuinely different places.
The most developed and the most sheltered. Shallow calm lagoons, plenty of shade, and the one part of the island where you can walk out of the resort into a town with restaurants, bars and shops. Best for first time visitors, families with young children, and anyone who does not want to be stuck inside the property every evening.
The trade off: it is the busiest coast, and it is the furthest from the airport at around an hour and ten. More all inclusive hotels in Mauritius sit here than on any other coast.
The sunset coast, protected from the trade winds by the mountains, which makes it the most reliably calm water on the island from June to September. Le Morne at the southern end is the most dramatic setting in the country and the kitesurfing centre. Flic en Flac has the longest public beach and the most non resort restaurants outside the north.
The trade off: Le Morne is beautiful and isolated. There is very little within walking distance, so the all inclusive hotels in Mauritius down there really do need to be all inclusive.
The whitest sand and the widest lagoons, and where several of the best known Mauritius resorts sit. This is the coast that fills the brochures and it earns it in the summer months.
The trade off, and it is a real one: from June to September the south east trade winds blow straight onto this shore. The lagoon is choppy and the beach is windy from about eleven in the morning. In a European summer booking, the east coast is the one to think hardest about when comparing all inclusive hotels in Mauritius.
The quietest coast and the closest to the airport, which matters more than people expect on both the arrival and departure days. Blue Bay has the clearest water on the island. Bel Ombre in the far south is greener and more remote, with the national park behind it.
The trade off: fewer resorts, fewer restaurants outside them, and the wildest part of the coast is not swimmable. The all inclusive hotels in Mauritius here are the quietest on the island.
Five of the most frequently asked about all inclusive hotels in Mauritius, and what we can tell you accurately: where each one sits, which coast, and how long the transfer takes. For rates, room categories and exactly what the board basis covers, go to the hotel directly. Those change too often for any third party page to be reliable.
On the south coast at Bel Ombre, inside the Heritage Bel Ombre estate, which also holds a golf course and a nature reserve. The furthest south of the five and the greenest setting: the land rises behind the resort into hills rather than sugar cane. The quietest of the five by some distance.
On the east coast at Belle Mare, on one of the widest and whitest beaches on the island. The lagoon here runs out a long way before it reaches the reef. Best in the summer months from November to April, when the trade winds have dropped.
Also on the east coast, a little south of Belle Mare near Palmar. A large resort on a long stretch of the same white sand, with a more contemporary layout than most on this coast.
On the west coast at Wolmar, at the northern end of the Flic en Flac stretch. Colonial plantation style architecture, and close enough to Flic en Flac to walk or take a five minute taxi to restaurants outside the resort. The west coast sunsets are the best on the island.
On the south coast at Bel Ombre, a more informal and colourful resort than its neighbours and the one most often mentioned for value. Same coast and same transfer time as Heritage Le Telfair.
You will find plenty of pages ranking the all inclusive hotels in Mauritius one to five. We drive guests to all of them and the honest answer is that the ranking depends entirely on who you are and when you are coming. A family with a four year old and a couple on a honeymoon should not book the same resort, and neither should a January visitor and a July one.
Transfer time is the one thing about all inclusive hotels in Mauritius we can measure ourselves, and this is the part of the page we stand behind completely. Every transfer time below is measured on the route in normal traffic, from the arrivals hall at SSR International Airport.
| Resort area | Coast | From the airport | Walkable town | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Bay and Mahebourg | South east | 10 to 15 min | Yes | All year |
| Bel Ombre | South | 45 min | No | All year |
| Belle Mare and Palmar | East | 45 min | Limited | Nov to Apr |
| Trou d'Eau Douce | East | 45 min | Limited | Nov to Apr |
| Flic en Flac and Wolmar | West | 50 min | Yes | All year |
| Le Morne | South west | 60 min | No | All year |
| Tamarin | West | 55 min | Yes | All year |
| Balaclava and Turtle Bay | North west | 1 hr | Limited | All year |
| Trou aux Biches | North | 1 hr 5 | Yes | All year |
| Grand Baie and Pereybere | North | 1 hr 10 | Yes | All year |
| Cap Malheureux | North | 1 hr 20 | Limited | All year |
Swipe to see the full table
Two practical notes. Resort arranged transfers are typically booked through the hotel at a markup, and the shared shuttle some resorts offer waits for every guest on the flight, which can add an hour to a forty five minute drive. Our fixed price transfers are quoted before you land and are on our Mauritius taxi prices page.
An honest answer rather than a sales one. Whether all inclusive hotels in Mauritius are worth the premium depends almost entirely on where you are staying.
On an isolated coast, yes. At Bel Ombre, Le Morne or the quieter parts of the east there is very little within walking distance. You will eat every meal at the resort whether or not you paid for it in advance, so paying in advance is usually cheaper and always simpler.
In the north, think harder. Grand Baie, Pereybere and Trou aux Biches have genuinely good independent restaurants a short walk or a two minute taxi away, and Mauritian food is one of the real pleasures of the island. Booking all inclusive there and then eating out anyway is paying twice.
With children, almost always yes. The kids club, the endless snacks and not having to negotiate three restaurant bills a day with a tired four year old is worth the premium on its own.
The drinks maths. Resort bar prices are high by local standards. If two of you have a few drinks a day, all inclusive usually pays for itself. If you barely drink, it usually does not.
Which of the all inclusive hotels in Mauritius suits you depends more on this than on any star rating.
Families with young children. The north and the sheltered north west. Trou aux Biches and Balaclava have the shallowest, calmest lagoons on the island, plenty of shade, and towns within reach for the days when the resort palls. Avoid the east in the windy months.
Couples and honeymooners. The south and south west. Bel Ombre and Le Morne are quieter, greener and more dramatic, and the adults only properties cluster there. You will need transport to get anywhere, which is a fair trade for the setting.
First timers who want to see the island. The west, around Flic en Flac. It is central enough that the south west attractions are half an hour away, the north is an hour, and Port Louis is forty five minutes. From the far north or the far east, everything is a long drive.
Watersports and kitesurfing. Le Morne from June to September, without question. It is the one coast where the all inclusive hotels in Mauritius are chosen for the wind rather than despite it.
Six questions, in the order they matter, for any of the all inclusive hotels in Mauritius. Ask them before you pay.
1. Which coast, and what month am I coming? The single most important pairing. East coast in July is a different holiday from east coast in February.
2. What exactly does the board basis include? Specifically: speciality restaurants, branded spirits, motorised watersports. Get it in writing.
3. Is the beach in front public? Every beach in Mauritius is legally public, so the answer is always yes. What you are really asking is whether there is public access nearby, which affects how busy your stretch of sand gets.
4. How far is the nearest town? If the answer is more than a short walk, budget for transport or accept that you are staying in.
5. Are transfers included? Almost never. Book them separately and know the price before you fly.
6. What is there to do within thirty minutes? Our what to visit in Mauritius guide gives the drive time from the north, west and airport for every major attraction, which is the fastest way to work out whether your chosen resort is well placed for the things you want to see.
The thing nobody weighs up when comparing all inclusive hotels in Mauritius is how long it takes to get out of them. A resort that is forty minutes from everything you wanted to see costs you two hours of every sightseeing day.
| From your resort | To Chamarel | To Port Louis | To the north beaches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Baie and Pereybere | 1 hr 40 | 50 min | On site |
| Trou aux Biches | 1 hr 35 | 45 min | On site |
| Balaclava | 1 hr 30 | 35 min | 15 min |
| Flic en Flac and Wolmar | 35 min | 45 min | 1 hr |
| Le Morne | 30 min | 1 hr 10 | 1 hr 25 |
| Belle Mare and Palmar | 1 hr 20 | 55 min | 1 hr |
| Bel Ombre | 35 min | 1 hr 10 | 1 hr 30 |
| Blue Bay and Mahebourg | 50 min | 45 min | 1 hr 20 |
Swipe to see the full table
Read the west coast row and then the east coast row. Flic en Flac is thirty five minutes from Chamarel and Belle Mare is an hour and twenty, for the same attraction. If seeing the island matters to you, that difference is worth more than a room upgrade, and it is the least discussed thing about all inclusive hotels in Mauritius.
Our private day tours collect from every one of these resort areas, and the regional routes are built so you are not crossing the island twice in a day.
There is no single answer, and any page that gives you one is guessing. The best of the all inclusive hotels in Mauritius for a family with young children is in the sheltered north. For a honeymoon it is the south or south west. For seeing the island it is the west coast. Pick the coast for who you are and when you are coming, then choose within it.
Almost never. All inclusive covers meals, drinks and on site activities. Transfers are booked separately, either through the hotel at a markup or direct. Our taxi prices page has the fixed rate for every resort area.
For all inclusive hotels in Mauritius: the north for families and convenience, the west for sunsets and central location, the east for the whitest sand from November to April, and the south for quiet and scenery. The east is the one to avoid in the windy months from June to September.
Between ten minutes and about eighty. Blue Bay and Mahebourg are closest, Bel Ombre and the east coast are around forty five minutes, the west is fifty to sixty, and the far north is an hour and ten to an hour and twenty. The full table is above.
For all inclusive hotels in Mauritius on the isolated coasts, yes, because you will eat at the resort regardless. In the north, where Grand Baie and Trou aux Biches have good independent restaurants within walking distance, half board often works out better and the food is more interesting.
At most all inclusive hotels in Mauritius, non motorised watersports such as kayaks, paddleboards, snorkelling gear and sailing are usually included. Motorised ones such as waterskiing and tubing, and anything involving diving, are usually charged separately. Confirm before booking, because it varies by property.
May, June and September are the best value months for all inclusive hotels in Mauritius, outside every major school holiday. The December and New Year fortnight is the most expensive of the year and needs booking six to nine months ahead. Our best time to visit Mauritius guide has the month by month detail.
Yes, and you should. Nothing about all inclusive hotels in Mauritius keeps you on the property. Mauritius is safe, the food outside the resorts is excellent and the interior of the island looks nothing like the coast. Most guests who only see their resort go home having missed the best of the place.
Whichever of the all inclusive hotels in Mauritius you have booked, we will be at arrivals with your name on a board and a fixed price agreed before you fly. No shared shuttle waiting on the rest of the flight, and no resort markup.
See transfer pricesAbout these figures
Transfer times are our own, measured on these routes in normal traffic from SSR International Airport. Hotel entries give location, coast and transfer time only: rates, room categories and board basis details change frequently and should be confirmed with each hotel directly. Coastal wind and season information reflects long term patterns published by the Mauritius Meteorological Services.
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