Mauritius

Where do I start? This was by far the easiest and most relaxed trip we've had. I also felt the most organized thanks to the discovery of travel cubes! Practice makes perfect:) 

We took advantage of the new at home service Emirates Airlines provides where the pick up your luggage from your home the day before you travel so all you have to do is go through security when you arrive at the airport. Avoiding juggling between luggage trolleys and 3 kids first thing in the morning was AMAZING. 

We flew 6.5 hours to Mauritius and the kids did great. Rayan was glued to the TV and discovered Paw Patrol and Dora The Explorer (and is now obsessed), Riya enjoyed each and every activity and craft that I brought for her, and Reina was happy to bounce around from lap to lap and walk about the plane. I couldn't have asked for a better start (and finish) to our trip. 

We spent 8 nights on the southeast part of this beautiful island. We were also only a 15 minute boat ride away from another, very popular, island Il Aux Cerf. I thought our private beach was gorgeous but when we visited Il Aux Cerf, the water was crystal clear mixed in with a dreamy blue. The sand on these beaches were so nice and soft. I am pretty sure it has been groomed to be that way, not irritating at all, which was a major concern considering Riya has eczema. Another pretty cool thing about this slice of the island was there were no threatening animals that inhabited the area. 

The kids thoroughly enjoyed all the amenities at the hotel, boat rides, beach fun, searching for sea life, and cooking. We did a cooking class together with Riya and Rayan and made ravioli and pizza. YUM. The food there was also so delicious. Fresh seafood mixed in with Asian and Creole French influences made it very hard not to try everything!

The fact that Ram and I actually got some kid free time during the day, made it feel like a real vacation. If you have young kids, you know exactly what I mean. We were getting some much needed R&R and did not want to leave by the end of our stay. The farewell BBQ and Magic show we lined up on our last night was the left ending to our trip. We had a feast! And Riya and the magician magically made candy appear out of a box! The kids loved it. 

I am so happy we got to check out a new country and I cannot wait to go again! I have way too many videos and pictures in my album, so here is a snapshot of our vacay: