The Westin Turtle Bay: Mauritius
12 nights on the beautiful, tropical island of Mauritius – a popular destination for honeymooners and couples looking for a luxury getaway – but what about visiting the island as a family? Would you think about taking your kids on a 13 hour flight to Mauritius? No? Think we are crazy? Let us try and change your mind..
Late afternoon, arriving at the 5 star, Westin Turtle Bay – located just north of the main harbour of the island: Port Louis. Tired from our travels and ready for some serious TLC – and that was delivered to us with charm and abundance. We didn’t have to think about our luggage, it was taken straight off to our room whilst we were greeted at the car with cocktails, fresh orange for the kids and activity packs to keep them amused whilst we had our welcoming meeting.
We immediatley felt relaxed & comfortable in our surroundings – the staff were incredibly helpful, the views were stunning and needless to say, the weather was perfect. Time to explore..
The hotel had their own privately owned beaches, fully equipped with bean bags, hammocks and of course.. the beach bar – where I discovered a particularly satisfying gin cocktail: A Southern Sally. Above all, the exclusivity allowed us to feel extremely safe with the children – they could paddle in the sea, swing on the hammocks and play in the sand without a worry.
The food? Ohhh the food! With a choice of 5 gourmet restaurants, we were spoilt for choice. Our personal favourite; Fusion, which served the most delicious & alluring dishes using produce from the island’s own tropical gardens- the decor and food was just absolutely exquisite.
At lunchtimes we would head up to the beach bar after a morning swim and order cheesy pizzas, grilled chicken & prawns and salty fries – heavenly!
After a few days of living in total serenity we thought we would take a trip off the island, click here to read our blog post about our enchanting boat trip to Ille aux Cerfs. With this holiday being more of a relax & unwind trip, we didn’t leave the resort too many times but with the kids having so much energy and desire to explore we decided to visit the local town for a glass bottom boat trip.
Grand Baie wasn’t the most sophisticated place, but it was so full of character and hidden adventure. It was also fantastic for shopping & souveniers – we were taken by a taxi from the hotel who waited for us for 3 hours, which is apparently the norm, whilst we explored the area – making it incredibly easy to get around the island.
The glass bottom boat was brilliant, for around £45.00 we had a boat all to ourselves which was great. Watching all of the tropical fish and sea creatures through the glass was a wonderful experience for all of us but especially the kids who absolutely loved it. Harry was also able to feed the fish over the side of the boat, he sat with the host and fed them a loaf of bread: a memory he still talks about almost every day.
We spent the rest of our days horse riding on the beach, swimming in the beautiful pool, building sandcastles, eating & drinking far too much and making memories that will last a lifetime.
The Westin Turtle Bay gets 5 stars from us, aside from the perfection of the resort, the gourmet dining, the wonderful beaches. Above all of this for us, was the staff, the staff that made our stay so extra special. I have never been anywhere where my children have been so doted on, we ended up having a small little goodbye party as we set off in our taxi – we made such bonds with all of the staff they were wonderful.
So, have we managed to change your mind? We have to say, this is probably the best trip we have taken as a family so far.
The long distance travelling with the little ones can be tough but it is absolutely WORTH IT. We have memories that will last forever, thanks to the beautiful island of Mauritius.
lots of love,
The Big Dreams Family
P.S. if you want to stay at the Westin Turtle Bay, Mauritius, click here to link through to our affiliate site to book!
