Shandrani Resort review: Mauritius

Looking for a family friendly resort, in a strong location in Mauritius; with access to some wonderful water sports, beaches, and pools? Then the Shandrani Resort and Spa is a great place for you!

The resort is located a stones’s throw from the airport in Mauritius. This does mean that there are planes regularly going over the hotel, so if you are looking for complete quiet, without the odd reminder of civilisation, then this hotel may not be for you. However, we stayed there for two weeks, and the plane noise is really one of the few downsides to the hotel. In fact, it’s pretty much the only one. Overall, the resort is perfect for exploring the island in comfort, with plenty to entertain kids as well as the adults.

If you take an exclusive package, there is a lot included, from water sports, to all your drinks and food. Glasses of champagne after 6pm even!

What is the accommodation like in the Shandrani Resort and Spa?

Accommodation with the resort is dotted around the site on the calmer Blue Bay Lagoon side. There are a good number of apartments within the resort, catering for couples and families. However, the layout means that you really don’t feel like the resort is busy at all – very cleverly done, and perfect for a family or a couples break. Our two bedroom apartment was great for a family of four, with plenty of space for us to chill on a balcony, as well as in the lounge are in the master bedroom.

The second bedroom had bunk beds as well as a single bed, so did cater for families with more than two kids.

Each bedroom had its own bathroom, and the Master even included a dressing area. This was often useful after a day at the pool; enabling us to towel down in peace after the kids had knackered us out after a day at the pool 😂😂.

What is the food like at the Shandrani resort?

One of the outstanding features of the Shandrani is the wonderful food; enable the fussiest eater to have what they want, while allowing those with a more adventurous palate to try a few of the local dishes. There are four restaurants onsite:

• Grand Port,
• Sirius,
• Teak Elephant, and
• Pointe Vecchio.

Grand Port

This restaurant is the main one on the resort, and operates as a buffet for all three main meals. Serving starts with a continental breakfast at 6am, switching to include British and American options at 7.30am. It is directly by their stunning reception area, past the fountain and overlooking the gorgeous pool, and really makes you realise just how luxurious your surroundings are…

The food here is nothing short of fabulous; so many choices for every meal that even the most difficult of tastes are catered for. There is everything from cereals, to cooked breakfast, omelettes and fruit in the morning, and pizza, pasta, fish, a special curry and fried sections, and so many different meats fan sauces, everyone is spoiled!

The desserts range from local delicacies with an array of tropical fruit, to beautiful and tantalising cream concoctions that make your mouth water. Dessert selection is one of the hardest choices to make each day 😀.

The location of the restaurant is gorgeous, with a view out to the beach, as well as overlooking the pool. The most amazing place to relax and take in your wonderful surroundings.

In the evening, a glass of wine and a stunning view is definitely enough to help you forget your troubles. And during the day, the sounds of the birds within the trees around the restaurant really help everyone to really let themselves switch off.

Sirius

This restaurant serves international cuisine from a set menu – for all three meals during the day. All are from a set menu.

The food here was more limited in choice, but just as delicious. There is a children’s menu, including chicken nuggets, and fries for the less adventurous.

The stray cats love to watch you eat here, so watch out for their eyes on you while you eat the fish! Simple burgers and Croque Monsieur are worth a try from this menu, as well as the very unusual potato dumpling with asparagus. As with all the restaurants here, if you feel you can, leave room for the puddings. You won’t the disappointed.

Do allow yourself a little extra time here though, as we found that the service can be a little slow at times. But the wait is worth it – and there is always the bread to devour while you wait!

Pointe Vecchio

Fancy a spot of Italian beyond the Pizza in the Grand Port, then stop by here for an evening. The menu includes all the classic EXCEPT Pizza! The steak is succulent, and the pasta beautifully presented, and cooked. If you were feeling up to trying something a little off base – the squid ink risotto is definitely worth a go. And do look out for the Basil Ice Cream starter as well 😂.

Check out the decor here as well – perfect for the bike fanatics in the crowd 😂

Teak Elephant

This restaurant is only for those 12 and over, and is a choice for Thai food lovers. The menu is the most limited of all the restaurants on the resort. We didn’t eat here due to our kids’ tastes but the food and menu did look to be just as gorgeous as the other options.

As you can see, there is a range of options for guests; our only concern was how the hotel dealt with those with specific dietary requirements. For those that are allergic, or vegetarian/vegan, options did seem to be a little more limited. It is definitely worth checking before travelling and making sure the management know well in advance.

What are the facilities like for families at the Shandrani resort and spa?

The facilities within this hotel make it a perfect location for any family wishing to explore Mauritius. There is so much to see and do here you can’t fail to be impressed with it.

Five reasons the Shandrani resort and spa is a great family choice for Mauritius

Mauritius is not a cheap place to visit for families of course; this holiday, all inclusive, was just shy of £10,000 for a family of four people. This DID include all the flights, food and accommodation, as well as a lot of the activities on the resort though. It isn’t a budget destination, but it is definitely worth the money because of the breadth of the activities, the quality of the facilities, and the memories you will be making with your children.

These are the five things we loved about the Shandrani resort for a family visiting the island:

1. Water sports for the family

There are two boat houses within the resort where you can do anything from learning to water ski, to messing about on kayaks and paddles boats. It is even possible to gain a PADI qualification from the Dive Centre on site. All the instructors are amazingly helpful, and if you are all inclusive, all the activities, excluding the diving, are free. There are also paid excursions available too, to Isle aux Cerf (Paradise Island) and Isle Aux Aigrettes; just ask for more info.

2. Snorkelling from the beach

The Shandrani resort offers glass bottom boats trips twice daily, as well as trips out to snorkel as well. Something for those a little more nervous of getting into the water, so you can even see the fish from the safety of a boat. We managed to see a turtle when we went in the boat 🐢😂. Snorkelling is also possible, as long as the tide is high enough, from the beach near the Sirius pool as well. Definitely worth a try though do keep safe from the currents near here. Swim safe 🏊‍♂️

3. Shell hunting on the wild side

The resort is perfectly positioned in the Blue Bay, so that on one side the calm lagoon and on the other a wilder side, which is less suitable for swimming. However, this is excellent for shell hunting – even for teens! 🐚

4. Kids clubs and friends to make

The resort has a Kids Club with a program of activities to entertain the kids as required. This is for up to age 11, but there is so much to do at the resort, with it’s beaches and two pools, that the older kids are bound to make friends too. Managed to read two books: unheard of!

5. Sports for all

If water sports aren’t for you, the resort also has golf, table tennis and tennis on site, as well as a gym. If there isn’t something for you there: you are difficult to please. Costs are limited to buying the balls for tennis and golf, so once it’s done, that’s you sorted for the holiday. Table tennis 🏓 is free – fabulous, but less so when your 12-year old is beating you by the end of the holiday 😂.

As you can tell, there is plenty to keep you entertained onsite, however a bonus for the reasons we liked the Shandrani resort was it was super close to the airport, so you get there pretty much as soon as you land on the island AND it is easy to use it as a base for exploring the rest of the island as well.

Bonus: Grab yourself a hire car and EXPLORE

There are so many places to visit on the Island, it really isn’t all about the beaches here – and having travelled to the island, it is well worth making the time to visit other locations using the Shandrani resort as a base. We recommend a few things to do on Mauritius with kids, including visiting the Isle aux Cerfs (including Crystal Rock), and the local nature reserve at Isle aux Aigrettes, as well as taking a trip to the Botanical Gardens, and the La Vanille Nature Park as well.

What is the Shandrani resort and spa like overall? 5/5

We loved this resort. The faults are small, and the pluses are HUGE!

The resort is a great place to relax, and wind down. So much for the kids to do, and plenty to keep them entertained while the adults relax. If you after a little adventure, the water sports keep you busy, and you could be water ski-ing like an expert by the end of your time there!

The food is glorious, and the staff always happy to help. They can be forgiven from time to time having slightly slow service too.

We would highly recommend staying here if you get the opportunity. Costs for the resort are listed here; we travelled with Tropical Sky who managed our booking well.

If you do go to Mauritius, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! 😀

Thanks so much for coming to see us today – see you soon – we hope!

Helen

Note: We were given NO COMPENSATION for this review, all opinions are our own and we paid for the holiday. And we loved it!

Sharing is caring!