Luxury Holidays to Mauritius 2026/2027

Set in the western Indian Ocean, roughly 1,100 miles east of Madagascar, Mauritius is an island of improbable contrasts. A near-continuous coral reef encircles it, holding back the open sea and leaving lagoons so clear that the sandbanks beneath show through. Inland, the land climbs sharply into basalt peaks, waterfalls and the tea plantations of the central plateau. Centuries of French, British, Indian, African and Chinese settlement have left a culture that is genuinely layered, heard in the Creole spoken on the street and tasted at every roadside stall. Mauritius holidays suit travellers who want ease and substance in equal measure, and Mauritius package holidays here range from reef-fringed retreats to touring itineraries that cross the island.

The island also rewards curiosity. Port Louis keeps its nineteenth-century bustle at the Central Market and the UNESCO-listed Aapravasi Ghat, while Grand Baie trades in boutiques, beach clubs and late dinners. Food is a highlight in its own right: octopus curry, dholl puri from a street cart, rum distilled where the cane is cut. Hikers climb Le Morne Brabant for the view back across the reef; divers and kitesurfers rarely leave the water. For those planning wider Indian Ocean holidays, the island pairs easily with luxury Maldives holidays or a few nights in the Seychelles, making it a natural anchor for a longer journey east.