The Good Family Hotel Guide 7. Le Paradis Hotel, Mauritius

Mood

On a private peninsula in a lush setting with a great mountain backdrop. In typically Mauritian style, Le Paradis is open to the Indian Ocean breezes, is informal, relaxed, very friendly and has high standards of just about everything.

Accommodation

Thatched two-storey cottages; the cheapest overlook the golf course and mountain. If you win the lottery, book one of the three-bedroom villas on the beach that come with a golf buggy, chef and valet.

Beach

Five miles of talcum-powder stuff protected by a reef, with a quiet end and a busy stretch.

Activities

Eighteen-hole golf course and a fleet of six deep-sea fishing boats. The Bob Marlin Club caters for under-13s with shell hunts, glass-bottomed boat trips, tennis and water-ski lessons, and mountain bike trips. Also lots for the sporting family with older children.

Refuelling

The healthy Mauritian diet is a parent's delight, with its emphasis on fruit salads and fish. Four restaurants offer creole, Italian, an open- air buffet and fish dishes. Hamburgers, chips and pizzas are available if you can't wean them off junk food.

Out and about

There's no more than a day's sightseeing to lure you from the sybaritic hotel pleasures. An "undersea walk" and Nessie submarine trip in Grand Baie are popular with children.

Sample prices

A half-board fortnight including flights would cost from around pounds 5,500 for a family of two adults with two children under 12. Contact Beachcomber Tours (01483 533008).

Address

Le Paradis Hotel, Case Noyale, Mauritius. Tel 00 230 401 5050. Fax 00 230 450 5140.