Mauritius

With its tropical climate, stunning scenery and famously friendly people, it's not difficult to see why Mauritius is one of the world's most popular holiday destinations. A tiny but beautiful island perched in the Indian Ocean, if you choose Mauritius for your next holiday, you won't be disappointed.

For such a small island, there is plenty to see and do, so let's take a look at some of its best attractions. A good starting point is certainly the country's capital, Port Louis. Here, you can visit The Blue Penny Museum which is the home of the first colonial stamp ever created. In The Natural History Museum, you'll be able to see a skeleton of the dodo, the legendary (and now extinct) bird.

One of the main tourist hot spots is Grand Baie. Here, you'll have great fun at the Aquarium, where you'll get the opportunity to come face to face with a shark! L'Avenue du Sucre is a fascinating interactive museum which tells the story of the island, and the adults will be able to enjoy some rum tasting.

There are great advantages to renting a car when you are visiting an island of this size, as you'll be able to tour most of the major attractions and cities within a day or so. Why not start off at Port Louis, and drive south to the famous Eureka Mansion? From here, it's a short drive down the coast to get to Casela Nature And Leisure Park, the highlight of which is the amazing bird sanctuary. Keep driving south, and you'll reach the Black River Gorges National Park, where you can climb to the top of Black River Peak, the highest summit on the island. Now you've nearly reached the southern end of the island, it's time to turn east, and drive over to Isle aux Aigrettes, where you'll get the opportunity to experience the incredible sight of giant tortoises. Now, turn back towards the north, and start making way back to your starting point. On the way up, why not stop at Domaine de L'Étoile, and enjoy some quad biking or horse riding? Then, it's onward again, back to Port Louis in the north where you started!

As you can see, Mauritius is a wonderful holiday destination, so get your hotel and flights booked, and don't forget to make the most of your trip by renting a car and seeing the best of what the island has to offer!