Or check out the underwater world on a sub-scooter – a water moped for two covered by a transparent dome filled with compressed air. Blue Safari ( blue-safari.com ) is the only sub-scooter operator in the Indian Ocean. Alternatively, take a piloted submarine 35 metres down to the sea bed to watch the fish dance along the coral while you are served a subaquatic meal – it gives new meaning to the phrase 'eating in a dive'.
Get your motor running
According to locals, the weather on Mauritius can be 'emotional', but the odd torrential tropical rainstorm only adds to a family quad-biking expedition. Slipping, sliding and splattering along muddy mountain paths is manna to any budding Jeremy Clarkson. Domaine de l'Etoile, an all-natural playground on Mauritius' east coast, hosts quad-biking tours that take in gorges and waterfalls, whipping past the best of the island's plant life, including cinnamon, banana and ebony trees. Just keep an eye out for the Javan deer and wild boar that roam here.
Fly high
If the sheer variety of the island's flora hasn't already taken your breath away, zip-wiring high above it will. At the St Felix plantation, visitors can fly over sugar-cane and banana fields, roaring waterfalls and steep-sided ravines while harnessed to a series of 'death wires'. White Sand Tours ( whitesandtours.com ) offers a half-day cable trip with lunch, plus the chance to take a dip in a cooling lagoon afterwards. If it doesn't give you the jitters, it will give you a whole new perspective on the island.
Make room for romance
Mauritius is as romantic as you can get – it's one of the most popular wedding and honeymoon destinations in the world for good reason, with luxurious hotels complementing the idyllic natural surroundings. Le Mauricia ( lemauricia-hotel.com ) has two new rooftop suites with private plunge pools and terraces for balmy evenings sipping complimentary Champagne as the lights of Grand Baie twinkle across the water. At Le Touessrok you can whisper sweet nothings and be sure you won't be overheard as you dine à deux under the stars on a private platform moored off the beach.
Get some history
L'Aventure du Sucre museum tells the story of the island's most famous export. Set in a former mill, it explains the history of sugar production and demonstrates its manufacture from cane to cube. There are plenty of interactive elements and, by the end of your tour, you should know the difference between a demerara and a muscovado. Not far from here are the Pamplemousses botanical gardens, where the giant water lilies are a highlight. At the Natural History Museum in Port Louis, the star turn is a reconstruction of a dodo, the flightless bird unique to the island, which became extinct in the 17th century. The Blue Penny stamp museum is a must for philatelists – on show are the so-called 'Post Office' stamps from 1847 that are among the rarest in the world.
Keep the kids happy
A honeymooner's paradise it may be, but children, too, are in their element in Mauritius, and many resorts have world-class facilities for youngsters. One&Only Le Saint Géran has just opened a KidsOnly club, with a ship-like clubhouse packed with the latest toys, games and gadgets. At the Plantation Resort & Spa ( apavou-hotels.com ) under-12s even get their own sun loungers, sarongs and robes. The Mövenpick Resort & Spa ( moevenpick-hotels.com ) has three splash pools with slides, while luxury newcomer Anahita ( anahita.mu ) lays on a huge range of activities, from dance lessons to golf, and Scott Dunn-trained English nannies offer childcare from the age of eight months.
Pool your resources
The ocean-front Grand Mauritian has the largest pool on the island – but several other resorts make a similar splash. Both the Taj Exotica ( tajhotels.com ) and Four Seasons Anahita offer private plunge pools for every guest, while those staying at the InterContinental Mauritius have the run of a two-tier pool. Le Prince Maurice ( princemaurice.com ) is home to the island's most beautiful infinity pool, while the floating sun decks at the Royal Palm Hotel ( royalpalm-hotel.com ) are great for rolling off when you need a refreshing dip. But Mauritius' coolest water feature may well be Tamarin Falls – a series of seven cascades that empty themselves into a deep, quiet pool. Some boulder-hopping is required to reach them, but die-hard, back-to-nature types won't want to miss the chance to take a refreshing dip here.
