OUTRIGGER Mauritius Beach Resort

You stay at OUTRIGGER Mauritius Beach Resort on the south coast of Mauritius, where the building's plantation-style architecture opens onto a private beach. The resort has four pools — one for adults only, one main pool, one for children, and the Plantation Pool — and a spa set beside the sea. Rooms face the water; some have direct beach access, and family rooms connect parents' and children's spaces with bunk beds.

Activities run from morning to evening. You can take cooking classes to learn Mauritian dishes, taste local rum with pairings from the chef, or try kitesurfing on the bay. The Coral Kids Club keeps children busy with crafts and outdoor games while adults visit the spa or join a wine tasting. Three restaurants serve everything from beachside burgers to Eurasian-inspired dinners, and the beach bar pours cocktails by the water.

The resort sits in the Bel Ombre nature reserve, forty-five minutes by road from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. Glass-bottom boats and snorkeling gear are free to use; catamaran trips and scuba diving cost extra. At night, Sega musicians sometimes play by the edge of the sea.