Ok, so you want to plan a trip to Africa—but you kind of want to go there and not at the same time?

Are you looking for stunning beaches, incredible history, and a diverse population? I’m talking so diverse that you might think…wait, you’re from [insert country here]?

Then you’re thinking Mauritius, right?

Sike! I know most of you (considering most of my audience is in the U.S.) have probably not heard of this east-African island nation. I know I hadn’t. I was actually trying to get to the French Island of Reunion (which I managed to squeeze into this trip).

But I did not know there’s a beautiful island that’s almost 4x the size of Guam or almost 1.5x the size of Oahu (Hawaii). Despite its small size, it has had an outsized impact in the geopolitical arena. It’s recently been in the news both for trying to reclaim Diego Garcia (a small island that’s now used as a joint UK/USA base) back from the U.K. and currently getting tariffed.

Politics aside, I will tell you that Mauritius is a country full of surprises with a population that displays amazing hospitality that gives Bali (another region known—also 24 hours from the USA—for its hospitality) a run for its money. This is also a destination that, despite its incredibly far distance—roughly 24 hours flight time from the USA—will make you come back for more. It’s also one that’s frequented by Europeans and others for travel, family vacations, and honeymoons.

Forget the Maldives or Bali—when you can be speaking French and English interchangeably while enjoying incredible cuisine!

Sound like something interesting? See what 5 days looks like. But first, we have to get there.

Flying to Mauritius

Getting to Mauritius is no easy feat. I mean, you may even google “How to get to Mauritius” or “How to get to Mauritius from the US.” and not find much.

And even if you check the Mauritius tourism website, travelers from the United States are not even highlighted. But to give them credit, they say “Mauritius is really well connected, with direct flights from Europe, South Africa, the UAE, Malaysia, India, and Australia.” So that part is true—they are not that connected to the United States.

Flights from the U.S. will require at least two layovers, typically in Europe or the Middle East. You’re looking at about 24 hours of total travel time. From Europe, especially France or Germany, Mauritius is much more accessible with direct flights.

Questions to Ask When Booking Flights to Mauritius

When I book international tickets, especially to off-the-radar destinations like Mauritius, I always run through these three questions:

1. How much does it cost—and is it worth it for the route?
   Flights vary wildly. However, my comfort level is around $1,200–$1,500 USD round-trip for long distance flights from Seattle.
2. Which airline is this on—and can I earn or redeem loyalty points?
   I try to stick with SkyTeam partners when possible. That means primarily Delta, second Air France, third KLM, and fourth Korean Air.
3. Can I turn the layover into a bonus trip?
   I love layovers. It feels like I’m “cheating.” Like you know when you eat that piece of chocolate, but you know you shouldn’t since you’re on a diet for that summer look? This is how it is for travel. I love hacking travel this way. Paris, Barcelona, or Azores. If there’s a layover greater than 8 hours, I’m most likely exploring. Greater than 10+, then I’m getting a hotel.

There are clearly plenty of airlines that go to Mauritius. However, to see more about how I picked how to get there, click here.

5-Day Mauritius Itinerary

So… I will be honest. I did not realize that Mauritius was known as a resort destination. Meaning that the island is dotted with a litany of hotels that can range from very cheap to very expensive. I’m talking like $2,000 USD+ (approximately €1,850+) a night. So that meant I had to kind of play the game.

First, you want to find out where you want to stay. While there are many destinations around the island, I would recommend the North or on the West Coast—especially Flic en Flac.

Flic en Flac will give you a taste of both beautiful beaches and also the chance to explore nearby towns that give you a brief taste of local life.

There is one destination that I will not stay in—despite the fact that it has beautiful resorts. That’s Le Morne—a UNESCO world heritage site. A mountain that’s situated on its own peninsula at the southwest tip of the island has a very sad past, and it’s hard for me to relax and jump in the water knowing the life and sacrifice that many made. There’s also a recent movie that I watched on the Air France flight back to the States that highlighted the struggle in that region called “Ni chaînes ni maîtres” (No Chains No Masters) and was also highlighted by a very knowledgeable tour guide as part of a food tour around Port Louis.

If you want to learn more see here and here. However, do not let my opinion interfere with where and how you spend your money. I just believe that issue should be raised.

Out of deciding where to stay—from the Western to Northern Side and around Le Morne—I settled on the Western side, especially near Flic en Flac. It was close to life since I hate being stuck in just one place aka the hotel, and Port Louis was a short drive up north.

The Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa proved to be an excellent choice that was more on the affordable end, and when paired with the American Express Platinum, you can get Hilton Honors Gold Status—which means you could be eligible to get a room upgrade and additional bonuses like daily breakfast. I received both of these in Mauritius.

Gear Used

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Day 1 | Drive to Hotel & Settle In

• Stop at La Valentina Shopping Mall: Grab Mauritian snacks from LOLO Hyper, get cash from the ATM, and maybe check out McDonald’s (it’s across from the ATM).
• Check out Market in Quatre Bornes

• • Walk 1 min to KFC 
  • Drive to Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa (west coast near Flic-en-Flac)

• Dinner: See if you can stop by PakBo Restaurant (if not, try Marco Polo only for grilled options)
• Desert: Stop by Gelato Heaven for ice cream

Day 2 | Beach Day in Flic-en-Flac

• Breakfast at Hilton
• Lay out on Flic-en-Flac Beach (looking at Le Morne)
• Lunch: Beachfront snacks at Chez Ketty
• Dinner: Pakbo with Phoenix Beer
• Dessert: Ice cream at Flic-en-Flac’s Gelato Heaven

Day 3 | Flic en Flac & Le Morne

• Breakfast at Hilton
• Lay out on Beach (looking at Le Morne)
• Explore Flic en Flac Beach
• Lunch: Eat at Chez Ketty and get Boulettes
  • You can’t go wrong with chouchou or just get them all. The cost is very low

• Drive to the beach at Le Morne beach and take in the beautiful sunset.

• Dinner in Flic en Flac: Skip La Marmite Mauricienne
  • Stopped by La Marmite Mauricienne. Honestly, the food wasn’t bad. But the service was awful, and for that, I just cannot recommend the place. I was situated on the 2nd level, and the server was just impatient. When I was finished selecting my menu item, he just took it and handed it straight to the table next to me.
  • I believe management was aware of the server’s behavior to other patrons, as he asked about the service upstairs and asked additional questions to get a gauge on the situation.
• Grab Ice Cream at Gelato Heaven in Flic en Flac.

Day 4 | Flic en Flac & Moka

• Lay out on Beach
• Get Mine Frite (Fried Noodles) at Chez Ketty

• Explore Bagatelle Mall in Moka: It was actually Eid-al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) in Mauritius—so the mall was highly decorative with many people out, dressed from head to toe.
• Check out Nando’s, which is also in the mall (if you’re lucky with the line)
• Grab Ice Cream at Gelato Heaven in Flic en Flac (because why not?)

Day 5 | Food Tour, Brewery, Bagatelle Mall of Mauritius (Moka), Beau Bassin-Rose Hill

Taste Buddies

• Taste Buddies Tour in Port Louis (€50 per person / approximately $54 USD)
  • This was an amazing experience! I actually first found out about Taste Buddies on the  Dabble and Travel YouTube channel. And luckily enough, we even ran into Ashvin from Taste Buddies who was featured in the video. Plan to come hungry as you try local delicacies and learn about Mauritius’ diverse culture.
  • If you’re parking, then park in this structure. Make sure that you pay BEFORE exiting the facility; otherwise, you will end up holding up the line. It just makes it easier.
  • Plan to spend around 4 hours here. Additionally, you will want to spend extra time around the area to pick up souvenirs, trinkets, paintings, etc. I’d also recommend that you pack a power bank for your devices.
  • This tour was well worth it, and our tour guide Christophe was more than entertaining and was able to heavily leverage his background with geopolitics to help describe the many facets of Mauritius—the culture and other key details. Plus, he even gave me a piment rouge recipe. Can’t say enough positive things about him.

Film Reload

• If you’re like me and need a camera battery since your new Pentax 17 chews through CR2 batteries and you need some extra film, stop by Era Photo right where you were for Taste Buddies.

Take in Sunset at Mont Choisy

• This was recommended by a Mauritian family—along with a litany of other places (including Chai, see below)—and this was well worth it. The beach was beautiful and expansive and not to mention clean.
• If there’s one thing I have to say, it’s that the public bathrooms on Mont Choisy beach are very, very clean. My most favorite place to spend time is Hawaii, especially the overly touristy Waikiki beach, but the bathrooms and the surrounding area are very, very dirty. Piss on the floors and just would probably get a C+ rating for cleanliness. Here, this is like you’re in a mini Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris but on a beach in Mauritius.

Gift Shopping at the Mall – Mauritians love malls

• Stock up on electronics/gifts at Bagatelle Mall: Buy any cables and anything you need here before heading to Reunion, since it’s cheaper. I needed a few extra iPhone charging cables and made sure to stock up here.
• Note: What I found really interesting is that electronic stores will check to make sure the cable you purchase works. In this case, I purchased an iPhone cable (and I doubted if it would work). However, they will use the cable and plug it into your phone to see and demonstrate that it works and can legitimately charge your phone before you purchase (pretty neat).
• Visit the Pop-up Store: I wanted to get some nice gifts that were Made in Mauritius. I found this tore that nearly made me go broke. I mean I re-swiped my card to pick up additional items. Here you can find a lot of local souvenirs and gifts for purchase from soaps, diffusers clothing, and even children’s books.

Check out the Brewery

• Brewery stop: Flying Dodo Brewpub in Moka (attached to Bagatelle Mall) and take a bottle home.
• Tip: When packing beer, wine, or spirits for plane rides, use a travel protector. This one has been pretty useful, and I’ve used it across long-distance flights from Mulhouse, Switzerland, Brisbane, Australia, and Reunion/Mauritius.

Last stop: Chai

• A tea place that also sells deserts was super popular apparently. And I was the only one who didn’t get the message. There were people out and about, despite the fact it was almost midnight! This was also recommended by locals.

Grab gas before returning the vehicle

• In Mauritius, it’s not self-serve, it’s full-serve (kind of like New Jersey).

Mauritius Travel Guide Recap: What I’d Do Differently (and What You Should Know)

Tips, Tricks, and Logistics

• Fly Smart from the U.S.: Flights from the U.S. usually require two layovers—one in Europe or the Middle East and one in Africa or Asia. Prices fluctuate wildly, so aim for ~$1,200 USD round-trip. Use layovers to your advantage: I squeezed in a double-Paris stopover—kind of like a double-patty cheeseburger, but in this case it’s travel. Nvm. It’s late!
• Car Rental: Rent from Hertz or another large rental company at SSR Airport. Remember it’s right-hand drive in Mauritius, full-serve gas stations (like New Jersey), and make sure you have a car charger for your devices, since it’s a long drive to the western side of the island.
• Cash is King (Sort of): Most places take card, but small shops and food stalls run on cash. Make sure your bank refunds ATM fees.
• SIM & Connectivity: Get a My.T SIM at the airport or mall—don’t rely on hotel WiFi or international roaming.
• Respect Le Morne: It’s stunning, but also a site of historical trauma. I felt it even more, even an ominous feeling, after watching Ni chaînes ni maîtres and hearing stories during the food tour.
• Safety: Mauritius is very safe. Locals even leave phones at tables and walk away. Still, stay alert at night and use common sense.

Trip Soundtrack

Because every adventure needs a soundtrack, each of my trips comes with a theme song. And for this trip's anthem? Well, it's...

Day 6 | Head to Airport for Reunion Island

• Return rental car to Hertz at SSR International Airport
• Allow plenty of drive time—especially if departing from Flic-en-Flac.I figured I might hit rush hour traffic. But, I underestimated the drive early in the morning. That loss of time became costly and additive with stalled vehicles along the way.
• Expect traffic-police-guided roundabouts and delays near the airport, so buffer your schedule accordingly. But, of course, I had to get one last breakfast (it’s that sausage!) before heading on the road.
• The good news? Once you arrive, the airport is efficient. Rental car return is close, and security and customs lines are short.