Every so often my job involves being sent to Mauritius for a week to walk through hotels, taste the restaurants, meet the people who run the resorts, and come home able to tell you which one is actually right for your trip. It is hard, important work and somebody has to do it.
This one was a Thompsons Holidays educational — an industry inspection trip, hosted by Thompsons, for agents who sell their packages. Thirty of us, split into three groups of ten, working our way across the island. It started, like the best of these things do, with a phone call.
The phone call — and a "hell yes" at the worst possible time
One of the reps put my name forward as someone who had sold a fair number of Thompsons packages and knew the product, and might be useful on the trip. The invitation landed at the end of August, in the middle of genuine life chaos: I was moving out of my house that week, sorting the transfer, and had a Bushveld trip already booked.
My response was immediate. Hell yes. One hundred percent. Co-payment made, bags half-packed, everything else could wait.
Quick note on transparency, because it matters: Thompsons hosted this trip. Every opinion below is my own, paid for in early mornings and an aggressive all-inclusive cocktail menu, and I have flagged the one or two things I would tell you to do differently.
Day 1 — Cape Town to Mauritius, via a very long Tuesday
Day one was a 04:00 start to Cape Town International, then Lift GE110 up to Johannesburg, where I killed a few hours before the midday Air Mauritius flight — MK852, wheels up around 13:10 from OR Tambo, landing at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam just after 19:00 Mauritius time.
Thirty general agents landed together, were sorted into our three groups of ten, and by 20:00 I was checking into the first hotel with a drink in my hand. The week was going to be a blur, and it wasted no time getting started.
Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa — the one I can't stop thinking about
5★ · Flic-en-Flac · dinner, bed & breakfast on this stay
We spent the first two nights at the Hilton, and I would go back in a heartbeat. In fact I will — there is no doubt in my mind about that. Two days simply was not enough time to appreciate the full extent of the place.
What struck me first was the feeling — an immediate sense of peace and welcome the moment you arrive. That hospitality filters down from management through every single member of staff, and you feel it everywhere. It may not be the biggest hotel on the island, but that quiet, unhurried calm at the Hilton is on another level. It is one of my go-to recommendations now, full stop.
Dinner at the Ginger Tiger restaurant was superb. The beach at this stretch of Flic-en-Flac is lovely, the grounds are beautifully kept, and the whole thing runs like a resort that has nothing to prove. If you want intimate rather than sprawling, service-led rather than mass-market, this is the one.
Day 3 — the workshop at Le Suffren, and a new hotel by dinner
We checked out of the Hilton at 08:45 and transferred to the 4★ Le Suffren Hotel & Marina for a full-day travel trade workshop — a heavy, worthwhile day meeting many of the key suppliers Thompsons works with: hotels, airline partners, the tourism board.
This is the part of an educational that never makes the photos but does the real work. Sitting across a table from the people who actually run a property, asking the awkward questions, understanding what a resort is good at and what it is quietly not — that is what lets me plan your honeymoon or your family holiday with some confidence rather than a brochure and a hope.
Le Suffren itself is worth knowing about if you travel to Mauritius for business: it is right on the marina, an easy walk into Port Louis, and built for meetings and networking rather than lazing by a pool. Ideal base for a working trip.
By 15:00 we had checked in at the next hotel.
Pearle Beach Resort & Spa — quiet value on the west coast
4★ · Flic-en-Flac · all-inclusive
Pearle Beach was an easy place to relax into. The service levels were, honestly, faultless — I could not fault a thing.
One honest note: the house beach is a little coralline underfoot. But you are only a few minutes' walk from Sugar Beach, which has some of the cleanest, clearest sand on that coast, so it is a non-issue if you are happy to stroll.
In the interest of thorough product testing, I worked my way proudly through the entire all-inclusive cocktail menu — and repeated a couple of the better ones the same evening. A solid achievement. The meals across our stay were fabulous.
We also got out on the water — a dolphin excursion where we saw a pod of bottlenose, and a custom boat run down the coast looking at a string of resorts from the sea, which is a completely different and very useful way to size them up.
And through all of this, clients back home still had to be serviced, held and quoted. The job does not pause because you are on an island. It was a wonderfully busy few days.
Day 5 — Flic en Flac on foot, then south to Le Morne
We checked out of Pearle Beach and did a short walking tour of Flic en Flac — the relaxed heart of the west coast, colourful streets, everyday Mauritian life away from the resort gates. I bought some local rum, which I am fairly sure will not survive the month once I am back in South Africa.
Then we transferred south to Le Morne.
Riu Palace Mauritius — big, adults-only, and built for doing things
4★+ · Le Morne · adults-only · 24-hour all-inclusive
Riu Palace is joined at the hip to the Riu Turquoise next door — effectively one enormous property. Between the two there are around 700 rooms, and it is roughly 1.6 km from the far edge of the Palace to the far edge of the Turquoise. It is a serious chunk of real estate.
It sits on a famously windy stretch near Le Morne, which makes it ideal for kitesurfers and divers — you can see the kites out over the lagoon from the pool deck. The adults-only, 24-hour all-inclusive package is excellent — we were very well fed, with dinners at the Steakhouse and at Kaori, plus La Riviere for the daytime meals. There is a full activity programme if you want it (volleyball, beanbag challenge, aqua gym) and total quiet if you don't.
Riu Palace has always been a stable, easy sell for me, especially for active travellers who want to be kitesurfing or diving rather than lying still. One piece of honest advice, though: booking those activities through the hotel is on the pricey side. A three-hour introductory kitesurfing session runs about €130 per person, minimum two people. I would genuinely recommend doing your introductory course — kite or dive — back home in South Africa at a far more affordable rand rate, so that when you land in Mauritius you can spend your time actually in the clear water in ideal conditions, rather than still learning the ropes.
Day six was billed as "at leisure." In my case that meant a lot of laptop time keeping clients moving — but we still made room for some playtime.
Day 7 — the finale at Preskil Island Resort & Spa
4★ · Mahébourg, south-east coast · all-inclusive
On the last day we checked out of Riu Palace and transferred across to the south-east, where all three groups came back together at Preskil for the finale.
There was not much time to enjoy the resort itself — it was a rushed, lovely evening: a sunset catamaran cruise along the spectacular south-east coastline, followed by a colourful farewell dinner. Then a few hours' sleep before a 05:30 checkout, a 06:00 transfer, and the MK851 home at 08:50, landing back in Johannesburg late morning.
And just like that, a week of my life had evaporated. Well spent — but gone in a blink.
What I actually brought home for you
Stripped of the cocktails, here is the useful part:
- Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa — my pick for couples and honeymooners who want calm, intimate and service-led over big and busy. The atmosphere is the product.
- Riu Palace Mauritius — adults-only, all-inclusive, and best for active travellers who want kitesurfing and diving on the doorstep at Le Morne. Learn the watersport at home first.
- Pearle Beach Resort & Spa — solid all-inclusive value on the west coast; walk to Sugar Beach for the postcard sand.
- Preskil Island Resort & Spa — the quieter south-east, catamaran country, good for a change of scene or a twin-centre stay.
- Timing — the shoulder months are where the value is. I have a full breakdown in Best Time to Visit Mauritius.
This is exactly why we go on these trips: so that when we recommend a resort, it comes from having stood in the lobby and eaten in the restaurant, not from a PDF. If Mauritius is on your list, take a look at our Mauritius holiday packages and the current Beachcomber offers, get a quote, or just get in touch and tell me what you're after. It is also always worth having travel insurance sorted before you fly.
Mauritius is an island I now have to go back to properly — an unhurried, extended stay, no workshop, no laptop. That is happening. One hundred percent. Land of the dodo and the rum.
Frequently asked questions
What is a travel agent "educational" or fam trip?
An educational (also called a familiarisation or "fam" trip) is an industry inspection trip. A tour operator or destination hosts travel agents so they can physically walk through hotels, sample restaurants and excursions, and meet the suppliers they sell. It is a working trip — this one included a full-day supplier workshop — and the point is to send agents home able to give first-hand advice rather than brochure descriptions.
Does Traville actually visit the resorts it recommends?
Yes. This trip covered the Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa, Le Suffren Hotel & Marina, Pearle Beach Resort & Spa, Riu Palace Mauritius and Preskil Island Resort & Spa in eight days, plus a supplier workshop and coastal boat inspections. When we suggest a Mauritius resort, it is generally one we have stayed in or walked through ourselves.
Which Mauritius resort is best for couples and honeymooners?
For an intimate, calm, service-led stay, my pick from this trip is the Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa in Flic-en-Flac — it is not the largest resort on the island, and that is exactly its strength. If you want adults-only and all-inclusive, Riu Palace Mauritius at Le Morne is the stronger option. Tell us your priorities and we will match the resort.
Which Mauritius resort is best for kitesurfing and diving?
The Le Morne area on the south-west coast is the island's watersports hub, and Riu Palace Mauritius sits right on that windy stretch. One tip: introductory kite and dive courses booked through the hotel are expensive (roughly €130 per person for a three-hour intro kite session, minimum two people). Do your beginner course in South Africa at rand rates, then use your Mauritius time for the actual diving and riding.
Is an all-inclusive worth it in Mauritius?
For a beach-focused trip where you are staying put, yes — several of these resorts (Pearle Beach, Riu Palace) run strong all-inclusive packages covering meals, drinks and some activities, which makes budgeting simple. If you plan to tour the island and eat out a lot, a half-board or bed-and-breakfast basis can make more sense. We will advise based on your plans.
When is the best time to visit Mauritius?
The shoulder months — roughly May to June and September to October — give you dry, mild winter weather without peak-season pricing. There is a full month-by-month guide in Best Time to Visit Mauritius.
Do South Africans need a visa for Mauritius?
South African passport holders do not need to arrange a visa in advance for a tourist visit to Mauritius — a free entry permit is issued on arrival for stays of up to 90 days, provided you have a valid passport, return ticket and proof of accommodation. Requirements can change, so confirm the current rules before you travel; our visa information page covers the destinations that do need advance visas.
Planning a Mauritius trip?
Traville Travel arranges Mauritius holidays personally, from flights to the finer details. Tell us what you have in mind and we will build a tailor-made quote, no obligation.
