Travelling around Mauritius with children is much easier when you can organise the day around your own schedule. Instead of waiting for transfers or following a fixed excursion, having a car rental in Mauritius means you can leave after breakfast, stop when the children need a break and change your plans whenever necessary.
It also opens up more possibilities than simply travelling between your hotel and the beach. Mauritius has several unusual, interactive and adventurous attractions that children can genuinely enjoy.
Here are some family-friendly places worth adding to your itinerary.
1. Curious Mauritius in Chamarel
If your children enjoy puzzles, funny photos and things that don’t quite make sense, Curious Mauritius is an excellent place to start.
Formerly known as Curious Corner of Chamarel, this attraction is built around optical illusions and interactive experiences. Children can explore unusual rooms, visual tricks, puzzles and installations where perspective is deliberately distorted.
Unlike an attraction where children simply walk around and look at things, this is somewhere they can participate in the experience.
Allow around one to two hours for the visit, depending on the children’s ages and how much time your family spends experimenting with the different exhibits.
Another advantage is its location. It is directly opposite the Seven Coloured Earth, making it easy to combine both attractions without spending much of the day driving.
2. Vallé Advenature Park
For children who prefer adventure, Vallé Advenature Park in Chamouny offers a very different family day out.
The large nature and adventure park combines landscapes with outdoor activities. Depending on the children’s ages and the activity requirements, families can choose from experiences including ziplines, buggy or quad rides and other outdoor adventures.
The park is also known for its coloured earth, waterfalls and animals such as deer, tortoises and peacocks.
It is worth allowing plenty of time rather than trying to squeeze the park between several other visits.
Having your own car rental in Mauritius is particularly convenient here because the park is in the south of Mauritius. You can make it the main activity of the day and explore another part of the south before returning to your accommodation.
3. Odysseo Oceanarium in Port Louis
Odysseo oceanarium Mauritius is a good alternative when you want a family activity away from the beach.
Located on the waterfront in Port Louis, the oceanarium introduces children to marine life in a setting designed for observation and learning.
For families, it can also be useful to have an indoor attraction on the itinerary. If the weather isn’t suitable for a full beach day, you don’t necessarily have to spend the day at the hotel.
You can visit the oceanarium and combine it with another short stop in or around Port Louis.
4. Lavilleon Adventure Park in Chamarel
If your children are old enough for outdoor activities and enjoy being active, consider Lavilleon Adventure Park.
Located in the Chamarel area, it offers another opportunity to spend time outdoors rather than simply sightseeing from one viewpoint to another.
A visit to this part of the island can also become a mini road trip. Instead of driving directly to Chamarel and returning by the same route, you can plan several stops according to the children’s energy levels and the weather.
This is where renting a car in Mauritius becomes especially useful: you are not committed to completing a predetermined itinerary.
5. The Giant Tortoises at Chamarel
You don’t necessarily need another full animal park to give children an opportunity to see wildlife.
The Seven Coloured Earth Geopark at Chamarel is home to giant Aldabra tortoises, which can be an entertaining additional stop for younger children. The coloured earth itself also gives them something unusual to see rather than another conventional landscape.
This works particularly well when combined with Curious Mauritius.
You could visit the coloured earth and tortoises first, have lunch and then head to Curious Mauritius for a completely different experience.
Keeping several activities within the same area also avoids spending too much of your family day in the car.
6. Château de Labourdonnais
For a quieter outing in the north, Château de Labourdonnais offers something different from Mauritius’s beaches and adventure parks.
The estate at Mapou gives families the opportunity to explore a historic Mauritian property and its surroundings.
It can be particularly useful as part of a shorter day when you don’t want another long excursion. Families staying in the north can drive there in the morning and still have plenty of time for another activity later in the day.
Alternating bigger adventure days with shorter visits can also prevent younger children from becoming exhausted halfway through the holiday.
7. Take Children to See the Rochester Falls
Not every family outing has to involve an entrance ticket.
Rochester Falls near Souillac gives children the chance to see one of Mauritius’s distinctive waterfalls and the unusual rock formations surrounding it.
The attraction here is partly the sense of discovery. It feels very different from arriving at a large organised tourist park.
However, families should take extra care around natural sites. Paths can be uneven or slippery, particularly after rain, and children should be supervised closely around the water.
For families with very young children or pushchairs, this may not be the easiest choice. For older children who enjoy nature, it can make a memorable stop while exploring the south.
8. Visit the Bois Chéri Tea Estate
Tea may sound like an activity designed for adults, but visiting a tea estate can be surprisingly interesting for older children.
At Bois Chéri, the attraction is seeing where something familiar actually comes from. Instead of tea simply appearing in a box at the supermarket, children can discover the plantation environment and learn more about how tea is produced.
The drive through this part of Mauritius also introduces families to a completely different landscape from the coastal resorts.
It can form part of a day exploring the south rather than being the only reason for the journey.
9. Go Horse Riding in Mauritius
For children who love horses, Mauritius also offers opportunities to go riding.
Depending on the operator and the child’s age and experience, families can find riding experiences in different parts of the island.
This can be particularly memorable for children who have already spent several days swimming and visiting conventional attractions.
Check minimum ages and riding requirements directly with the operator before travelling, particularly when booking for younger children.
10. Plan a Family Treasure-Hunt Style Road Trip
Sometimes you don’t need a major attraction at all.
Turn one of your days with the rental car into a small family road trip.
Give the children a list of things to spot during the journey: a sugarcane field, a mountain, a colourful temple, a waterfall, a fishing boat, a fruit stall or even a Mauritian bus.
Choose three or four stops rather than trying to cross the entire island.
You could stop for a fresh pineapple, find somewhere new for lunch, visit a viewpoint and finish the afternoon at a beach.
For children, the journey becomes part of the activity rather than simply the time spent travelling between attractions.
Choose a car rental in Mauritius for a hassle-free family holiday
When travelling with children, convenience matters.
Keep a small bag in the car with water, sunscreen, hats, wipes, spare clothes and a few snacks. Beach towels and swimming clothes are also worth carrying because you may decide to stop at the coast even when swimming wasn’t originally part of the day’s plan.
If you are travelling with a baby or toddler, remember to consider boot space when choosing your rental vehicle. A pushchair plus suitcases can quickly take up more room than expected.
And don’t plan too much.
One main attraction plus one or two smaller stops is usually more enjoyable than trying to visit half of Mauritius in a single day.
Discover Mauritius With Your Children at Your Own Pace
A family holiday in Mauritius doesn’t have to consist of organised excursions and days at the hotel.
Children can play with optical illusions in Chamarel, discover marine life, see giant tortoises, experience an adventure park, visit a waterfall or simply turn a drive through the island into their own game.
With Hosram Car Rental Mauritius, families have the freedom to organise each day around what they actually want to do.
Choose your destination in the morning, pack what the children need and take your time. If everyone is having fun, stay longer. If plans change, simply choose somewhere else.
That’s one of the biggest advantages of exploring Mauritius with your own rental car.