Mauritius has something to cater to all budgets. At the top end of the market, hotels offer spas, swimming pools and luxury excursions. One of the best in terms of location is Le Cannonnier, in the north. It’s grounds hold a ruined lighthouse!

Sands Resort in Flic en Flac offers luxury without being over the top. It has two good restaurants. Tak Exotica Resort and Spa is one of the most exclusive places to stay on the island, offering private villas in spacious and green grounds.

Rocksheen Villa in the north is a popular little guest-house for those on a tighter budget. An easy walk from the beach with friendly staff makes this a good option.

Apartments for a whole range of prices are available to rent along the entire coast, and are a good way to cut costs. Having your own kitchen also makes it possible to try cooking some of the delicious local foods that can be bought in the markets.

Food in Mauritius is diverse. As well as the delicious, sun-kissed local fruit and vegetables, Mauritius offers some delicious Chinese and Indian food, with African influences. In addition, standard European fare is not hard to find and pizzas are a common snack.

Try octopus curry or lobster if you are a particular seafood lover. The guavas are particularly delicious here, when in season, and can be found, along with other locally grown fruit and vegetables, in the busy and bustling local markets. Try them with salt and chilli, as the locals eat them!

Well, lounging on the beach is the obvious activity here, and in Mauritius, you can lounge on some of the most stunning beaches in the world! Being an island, there are fantastic, picture-perfect beaches wherever you look, and it is difficult to know which one to choose.

Those in the north are some of the most developed, whereas the east offers some of the best beaches untouched by tourism. This is, however, where most of the luxury hotels are to be found, and accommodation is more expensive in this area.

For those of you who fancy trying your hand at catching some marlin, tuna or even various types of shark, most of the hotels on the island are able to organise hiring a boat for some deep-sea fishing. The season runs from about November to April. Real enthusiasts may want to coincide their holiday with the Marlin World Cup, which is hosted by Mauritius in December by La Pirougue Hotel.

Culture vultures will enjoy Port Louis’, which has an excellent market. The Blue Penny Museum offers an interesting insight into the history of the island, China Town is vibrant and the mosque is atmospheric, offering an interesting mix of Indian, Creole and Islamic architectural styles.

The botanical gardens at Pamplemousses in northern Mauritius, offer the opportunity to see a huge variety of local and foreign plant species, and offer a bit of variety from beach-side activities.

Casela offers safari, near the town of Flic en Flac. Quad biking can also be done here, and the diving is some of the best in the island.

For non-divers, there is an excellent aquarium, offering a close-up view of tropical marine life. In addition, Mauritius offers golf, biking, horse riding and boat trips, most of which can be arranged through the hotels.

Mauritius is warm all year round, as it enjoys a tropical climate. It can get extremely humid during their summer (December to April/May), and so the best time to visit is from about May to December. Cyclone season (which rarely affect the island too drastically) is in January and February, and it is recommended that those who want to engage in water sports do not visit during these months.

Christmas and New Year brings many sun-seekers from cold and rainy Europe, which drives up prices a bit. Otherwise, however, Mauritius is fantastic to visit year-round.