Mauritius on a Budget: How We Did It
I used to believe a holiday to Mauritius was completely out of reach for us. One look at the prices of the beautiful all-inclusive beach resorts and I felt like we would need to take out a second mortgage just to afford a week on the island.
A few years ago, though, I was incredibly lucky to win a trip to Mauritius. It was a half-board stay, meaning breakfast and dinner were included but drinks weren't, at a three-star apartment hotel that had some fairly questionable reviews.
I wasn't expecting much, but I was still absolutely thrilled to be visiting Mauritius for the first time.
Our first Mauritius experience
After a long shared transfer from the airport, we finally arrived at our accommodation late at night. I was expecting the worst, but I was actually pleasantly surprised.
The staff had kept dinner for us and brought it to our room, which was such a welcome surprise after the journey. The room had air conditioning, a comfortable bed and a spacious shower. They had also set up a camp cot for our toddler at no extra charge.
The real surprise came the next morning when we went outside and realised just how close we were to the beach.
It was less than a five-minute walk to Trou aux Biches public beach, which is beautiful, clean and great for swimming. There were also plenty of restaurants nearby, a café next door and a supermarket within walking distance.
The hotel itself had a lovely swimming pool, complete with a swim-up bar, and we ended up having such a wonderful holiday that I knew we would eventually have to come back.
Returning to Mauritius on a budget
Fast forward a few years and I started looking at ways we could return to Mauritius without spending a fortune.
I looked at all sorts of options, including hotels, Airbnbs and self-catering apartments. We also considered whether it would make more sense to hire a car for the duration of the trip or stay somewhere central where we could walk to most things.
In the end, we decided to return to the same apartment hotel we had stayed at previously in Trou aux Biches - Be Cosy Apart Hotel.
The property has since been taken over by a new hotel group, but the individual units are privately owned and managed by the hotel. There are studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments available.
We booked a studio, which was more than big enough for the three of us. There is a sleeper couch, so it can comfortably accommodate two adults and one or two small children.
Our seven-night stay worked out at around R10,000 / €500 for the room. That's for the entire apartment for seven nights, not per person.
For us, that made a huge difference.
There is also an option to add breakfast, and the on-site restaurant, Ava, serves lunch and dinner, so you don't have to cook every meal if you don't want to.
Why we didn't hire a car
One of the biggest ways we kept the cost down was by not hiring a car.
Because we stayed so close to the beach, restaurants and shops, we could walk almost everywhere we needed to go.
For the places that were further away, we simply took a taxi. We visited the Botanical Gardens and La Croisette Mall this way.
Taxis are readily available, and the hotel can also arrange them for you. They charge a fixed rate that you agree on beforehand, rather than using a meter, so make sure you confirm the price before you get in.
You'll also need cash for taxis as there aren't any Ubers available on the island.
One thing we found quite interesting is that almost every taxi driver we met also offered us day tours.
Some even offered boat trips. There are also plenty of tour and boat operators around the tourist areas and on the beach, so you don't necessarily need to book everything in advance.
There are scuba diving options nearby too, as well as massage salons if you're looking for a bit of relaxation.
You don't need to spend a fortune on food and souvenirs
If you're travelling to Mauritius on a budget, my biggest recommendation would be to avoid the tourist traps where you can.
There are plenty of lovely boutique shops and tourist stores, but you can find many of the same things for much less elsewhere.
For example, Chez Popo supermarket, which is about a five-minute walk from the hotel, has a good selection of food and drinks as well as souvenirs.
It's also where we bought some of our snacks and drinks, and they have delicious fresh baguettes, which became a bit of a holiday staple for us.
Some of our top restaurant pics within walking distance are China Palace, La Marmite Mauricienne and Souvenir restaurant.
If you enjoy wine, just be aware that it can be expensive in Mauritius. If you have room in your luggage, you could bring some from home, or buy it at the duty-free shops at the airport.
We also brought some gin with us, knowing that tonic water was easy enough to buy locally.
Of course, you can still enjoy drinks and cocktails at the hotel. The bar had a good selection, but buying a few things from the supermarket meant we could keep our spending down when we wanted to. There is also a restaurant available on-site and you have the option to include breakfast and/or dinner in your package when booking.
What we looked for when choosing accommodation
When I was searching for somewhere to stay, I wasn't looking for luxury.
I was looking for somewhere that was comfortable, clean, well located and had the things that actually matter to us when travelling with a child.
Our non-negotiables were:
Air conditioning
WiFi
A swimming pool or easy access to a really good beach
Restaurants and shops within walking distance
Be Cosy ticked all of those boxes for us.
Being able to walk to the beach, supermarket and restaurants meant we didn't need to spend money on taxis every day or hire a car just to get around.
The language barrier can be a bit of a challenge at times if you don't speak French, but we found the staff to be friendly, helpful and accommodating.
Do you need to hire a car in Mauritius?
For us, no.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't.
If you want to explore lots of different parts of the island and don't mind driving, hiring a car could make sense. You can also hire one closer to your accommodation rather than necessarily collecting one at the airport, which is something worth considering when comparing prices.
For us, staying somewhere central meant we could avoid that extra expense altogether.
I think this is one of the biggest things to consider when booking a budget Mauritius holiday: sometimes paying slightly more for a well-located apartment can actually save you money overall.
Getting to Mauritius from Cape Town
When we travelled, we flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg and then Johannesburg to Mauritius with FlySafair.
Airlink now also offers a direct flight from Cape Town to Mauritius, which makes getting there considerably easier for Capetonians.
Obviously, flight prices can vary hugely depending on when you travel, so this is one area where shopping around and being flexible with your dates can make a big difference.
My biggest tip: don't assume Mauritius has to be expensive
I think Mauritius has a reputation for being a luxury destination, and if you look at the big all-inclusive resorts, it is very easy to see why.
But that's not the only way to experience the island.
You don't have to stay in a five-star resort, eat every meal at the hotel, hire a car for your entire trip or book expensive excursions every day.
For us, choosing a self-catering apartment in a great location made Mauritius much more affordable.
We had the beach practically on our doorstep, restaurants and shops within walking distance, a swimming pool, air conditioning and everything else we needed for a comfortable family holiday.
It wasn't a luxury resort holiday, but that wasn't what we were looking for.
It was a relaxing family holiday in a beautiful part of the world, and that's exactly what we wanted.
And honestly, I think that's the biggest takeaway.
If you've always assumed Mauritius is too expensive, don't write it off before you've looked at the alternatives.
Shop around, compare accommodation options, look at self-catering, consider where you'll actually be spending your time and think about whether you really need a rental car.
You might be surprised at what you can find.
If you need recommendations for travel agents, drivers or restaurants in Mauritius, feel free to send me a message and I'll be happy to share what I can.
A note from me
This is not a sponsored post. In fact, nothing about this trip was sponsored. I deliberately wanted this to be a completely work-free holiday, so I wasn't creating content or working with brands while we were there.
I'm sharing this simply because I know Mauritius can feel completely unaffordable to so many South Africans, and I wanted to show that there are other ways to do it.
It may not be the cheapest holiday you'll ever take, but Mauritius doesn't have to mean an eye-watering resort bill either.
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