This year, the summer vacations took place in Mauritius, not France. And I did not want to go back to Rodrigues with the kids like last year.
So we booked a hotel stay at the Maritim Crystals Beach in Bellemare, in the east of the island.
I was a little worried about the weather, as it’s winter in Mauritius and it’s quite windy in the east at this time of year.
As the main aim of our vacation was to spend time with the kids, we chose this kids-friendly hotel for its affordable rates and activities dedicated to children.
Note that’s a really big hotel, with lots of people and lots of rooms.
Don’t expect to find yourself in a charming little cocoon on your honeymoon. In fact, this German hotel chain is very popular with German tourists.
To get an idea of the size of this establishment, you can have a virtual tour via this link: here.
1. Aqualand
This hotel is best known for its Aqualand water park with giant slides.
To my knowledge, there are only 2 parks on the island, along with Spash n Fun, also in Bellemare.
Here, you’ll have several pools, 5 slides: 2 giants and 3 slides.
2 children’s pools:
Ideal for big kids and toddlers where you’ll find 2 small pools: one with 3 mini slides and another with water fountains. The kids loved it.
For residents and Mauritians, don’t hesitate to check out the packaqes offered on discount websites: deals.mu or marideal.mu.
In fact, you can come just to enjoy Aqualand without spending a night at the hotel. This gives you access to the buffet in addition to the pool and slides.
For those who don’t want to swim, deckchairs are available next to the pools.
2. Activities for children
Lots of things dedicated for children in addition to the water park, such as:
✶ the pony ride,
✶ the Ti Dodo kids club (from age 3) with their own little pool, open from 9am to 7pm
✶ the playground with its boat/castle
✶ the mini disco from 8pm to 8:30pm, dance session with the entertainers
✶ special children’s buffet (available for dinner only)
✶ high chair, baby cot available…
✶ baby-sitting service (chargeable at RS 600 per hour).
3. Leisure and sports activities
There are also free and paying activities for older children:
Free
✶ pétanque
✶ a giant chessboard
✶ pedal boats
✶ stand-up paddle
✶ kayak
✶ glass bottom boat
✶ aquagym class
✶ ping pong
✶ darts
✶ beach volleyball
✶ 2 tennis courts
Paying activities:
✶ parasailing
✶ snorkeling
✶ water skiing
✶ giant towed buoy
✶ padi diving center
✶ spa
4. All Inclusive
We took the ALL INCLUSIVE option during our stay.
What does it include?
✶ All the free activities listed above.
✶ Aqualand
✶ Unlimited drinks (including some alcoholic beverages)
✶ Meals at the hotel’s various restaurants:
🍴Le Ferney 1650 (main restaurant): Buffet breakfast, lunch, “tea”, dinner
🍴Océan Grill restaurant: lunch and dinner, waterfront restaurant
Meals on reservation for the following restaurants:
🍴Bellevue 1838 – poolside Turkish restaurant surrounded by palm trees
🍴Les Quatre Cocos 1822 – Asian restaurant by the pool and fountains. See the many fish as you dine.
🍴Villebague 1740 – French restaurant. Dinner only.
We only tested the main restaurant, which seemed the most suitable for us with our young children. I invite you to try the other restaurants if you can.
Please note that if the hotel is fully booked, I recommend you come early, or later to avoid the crowd.
You may be asked to wait 15 minutes for a table, or you may find that your table far from the buffet.
5. The beach
Bellemare, what a beach… Crystal-clear waters to lose your eyes to.
Bring your sunglasses, because if it’s sunny, you’ll cry at the sight of this beauty!
6. The room
Our “superior sea view room” was spacious enough for 2 adults and 2 children (0-11 years). There were a few inconveniences though: no hot water in the shower, 2 towels when there were 4 of us, 2 single beds for the children when we had asked for 1 single bed and 1 umbrella bed…
I wasn’t a big fan of the room layout, but apart from moving us to another room/suite, there was nothing they could have done.
Small hassles, but as long as the kids have a good stay, everything’s fine.
Positive points about the room:
✶ Large dressing room
✶ Large bathtub
✶ Room located on the first floor
✶ Sea view
✶ Pleasant terrace
Overall, we are satisfied with this ALL INCLUSIVE stay. It is indeed not a 5-star hotel. For instance, I wouldn’t compare it to the Lux hotels (Grand Gaube and Bellemare) that we’d been able to stay in before because the services and amenities aren’t the same. Still, it’s a fine hotel with friendly staff for the price displayed (currently RS 12,500 per night for 2 adults and 2 children all inclusive in the superior garden view room – Sep 2023 rates).
We’ll definitely come back when the grandparents visit Mauritius.
Do you know of any other family-friendly hotels on the island you would recommend?
