We stayed in Mahebourg for the second half of our vacation, having spent time in Flic en Flac exploring the west coast first. I must say, we preferred this spot. Hiring a car is a must though, because though you're walking distance to the town, you will need it to get to the beaches.
It is a small island so you can cover much of it using this as your base. Make sure you visit La Mourne and the beaches on the south coast are beautiful too, with some good snorkelling. We did the zip lining which was great family fun.
Blue Bay is your closest beach at about 12 minutes' drive and is exactly as the name describes. It's a lovely, safe swimming area with snack vendors and amenities. There is good snorkelling to be had just around the corner at Pointe de Esny and if you head further up the coast, Ile aux Cerfs is a fun party island with restaurants, bars and all the fun water sports. Boat trips are a must too.
Mahebourg itself a bustling market town with plenty of little shops and supermarkets to get supplies and some delicious street food. Try the rotis and puris - great for breakfast or lunch.
The apartments are in a quiet residential area, about 10 minutes walk into town. The set up is basically two spacious apartments, each having a dedicated floor and a large shaded balcony area. The apartments are well set up with three large bedrooms, one en suite, a family bathroom and an extra toilet off the laundry. The washing machine in ours worked well and was handy to have.
There are security bars on all the windows, which means you can open the place up to the breeze while you're out, for plenty of fresh air. All our bedrooms had air con too, if you'd prefer. The kitchen is a good size and was well set up with everything we could need. The showers were hot and strong and the beds comfortable.
Our host, Danny, was friendly and helpful, without being intrusive. He fixed problems quickly and was available if we needed him. We also had a cook come for us, his sister-in-law. She was excellent and able to cook just about anything we asked for as well as making suggestions and introducing us to local favourites. We had kids with us, so she often made kid friendly version alongside a more spicy options to suit all of us.
We were on the ground floor and the apartment above us was only booked for the first and last day of our stay, so we had the place to ourselves. The garden is lovely, with mango trees and a well maintained pool. There is also a rooftop with views of to the ocean and mountains surrounding Mahebourg. It was the dream stop to watch the amazing firework displays coming from every direction at midnight on New Years.
We really enjoyed our stay and would definitely use it as our base next time.