Mauritius

Couples ask us for "the Maldives, but with things to do," and Mauritius is the answer we give. The lagoons run the same impossible blue, but behind them rises an actual country — volcanic peaks, tea plantations, waterfalls, a creole food culture with Indian roots — and the entry could not be simpler: Indians walk in visa-free for up to sixty days.

The shape of the trip

The honeymoon standard (6 nights): split coasts. The north (Grand Baie) for restaurants, catamaran cruises and nightlife; the wilder south-west near Le Morne for the postcard lagoon, kite-surfing and the Black River Gorges. Between them: the Chamarel seven-coloured earths, the sacred lake at Ganga Talao, and a catamaran day to Île aux Cerfs with lunch grilled aboard (₹4,500–6,500 per person).

The money

One Mauritian rupee is roughly two Indian — the mental math is kind. This is a resort island: the accommodation line decides everything. Guesthouses and aparthotels run ₹5,000–9,000 a night; proper four-star beach resorts, ₹15,000–25,000; the legendary names, ₹40,000 and beyond, though half-board packages soften them. Street food — dholl puri, gateaux piments — costs pocket change and reflects the island's Bihari heritage; your grandmother would approve.

Worth knowing

Flights from Mumbai run under seven hours direct (₹28,000–45,000 return); book twelve weeks out for honeymoon season. Rent a car for at least two days — the island is small, roads are good, and they drive on the left. And winter visitors should pack a light jacket: 22°C with sea breeze feels cooler than it reads.