Choosing a meal plan
Meal plans in Mauritius are fairly mixed: many beach resorts default to half board (HB) or offer all-inclusive (AI) as an option, while bed and breakfast (BB) is common at smaller hotels and in areas with many restaurants such as Grand Baie and Flic en Flac. Resorts on the south and east coasts and at Le Morne are often more isolated, so the resort’s own dining matters more. Dining prices are generally high at resorts, so the wrong tier means either paying for perks you will not use or eating à la carte every day and wincing at the bill. This page explains the common tiers and gives a way to decide.
BB · Bed & Breakfast
Includes: Breakfast (usually buffet)
Lunch and dinner are on you — common in Grand Baie, Flic en Flac and other areas with many restaurants and street food, where it can be good value. Good if you like to plan your own meals; remember resort restaurant prices are not low.
HB · Half Board
Includes: Breakfast · Dinner
Lunch is extra; dinner is usually a buffet or set menu at one or two designated restaurants, with drinks mostly separate. The default at many beach resorts, and good if you are out touring or on excursions by day and just want a settled dinner.
FB · Full Board
Includes: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Usually still limited to designated restaurants at set times, with drinks extra. Better value for families and older relatives on regular meal schedules, or at a resort far from other places to eat.
AI · All Inclusive
Includes: Three meals · Some snacks · Soft drinks and local drinks within a set range
A very common option in Mauritius, often including some non-motorised water sports and activities. A basic AI plan often serves only at the main restaurant at set times, with specialty restaurants, premium drinks, motorised water sports, diving and excursions extra. Confirm exactly what is covered.
- · At a resort with few restaurants nearby (much of the east, south and Le Morne) → HB, FB or AI is easiest; confirm which drinks and activities are covered
- · In an area with plenty of restaurants (Grand Baie, Flic en Flac and similar) → BB or HB, and eat out to try local food
- · Children or older relatives on regular meal schedules → FB or AI, to cut the effort of ordering each meal
- · Lots of touring and days away from the hotel → BB or HB; AI is likely wasted
- · You do not drink → look for a tier without drinks, and do not pay a drinks premium
- · Price gaps vary widely by resort and season — go by the actual quote, not by differences from another destination
Assuming every resort is all-inclusive
Mauritius is not uniformly all-inclusive: some resorts are HB by default and others BB with AI as an upgrade. Confirm which plan the quoted price is for before you compare resorts.
“All-inclusive” does not mean everything is free
Drink brands, specialty restaurants, motorised water sports, diving, excursions and spa usually have limits on scope or number; read the inclusions line by line before booking rather than taking the label literally.
Booking AI and then eating out every night
Many coasts have plenty of good local restaurants and markets. If you plan to tour and try Creole and Indian-influenced food, HB or BB is often better value than paying for AI you will not use.
Even on all-inclusive, excursions and diving are essentially never covered — go to Water sports & diving costs to see how much to budget for that.