Shandrani Beachcomber Resort & Spa

Set on a private peninsula in Blue Bay, this is a sizeable seaside resort rather than a small hideaway. The accommodation sits among a luxuriant garden, with three beaches facing the Blue Bay Marine Park and enough on site to keep a non-diving day from becoming a logistical exercise.

You can choose your own pace here. A sun lounger, a pool, a treatment at Spa Beachcomber or a walk down to the white sand all work without leaving the property; families have a Kids' Club for children aged 3 to 11, while couples have adult-only room categories to consider. The place opened in 1991 and carries a four-star classification, but the useful point is simpler: you have sea, food, sport and recovery facilities gathered on one peninsula.

Your address is Blue Bay, Mauritius, at Le Chaland, directly on the seafront. The resort has direct access to a white-sand beach with sun loungers and parasols, and its three separate beach areas are lapped by the waters of Blue Bay Marine Park. That gives you more than a single strip of sand to wander along when the afternoon has gone slack.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport is roughly 8 miles away, around a 12 to 15-minute drive. Mahebourg, the historic village, is about 7.5 miles away; its museum is around 2 miles from the resort and the waterfront about 2.2 miles. La Cambuse Beach is nearby, while Ile Des Deux Cocos Swimcart Beach is roughly 0.3 miles away on foot. You are close enough to reach local sights, but the peninsula keeps the main business of the day by the water.

Every room faces the sea and comes with a balcony or terrace, so your decompression can begin without finding a public viewpoint. Some categories look towards Blue Bay Marine Park, while ground-floor options keep the route outside pleasantly straightforward. The room choice matters more here than the label: couples can look at the adult-only Bay View Room or Beach Room categories, while families have apartments and rooms arranged with sofa beds, single beds or bunk beds.

The standard sleeping set-up is a super-king-size bed, with family categories adding the extra sleeping spaces. The Family Apartment is the practical direction when several people and their belongings need to occupy the same address; the two-bedroom family apartment gives you more separation, with two bathrooms in that category. Honeymoon categories are also available, including a ground-floor deluxe option with a private bathroom.

For the return from a hot, salty day, the useful details are already in place: air conditioning, a minibar, a modern private bathroom with shower and toiletries, a sitting area with a sofa, satellite television and Wi-Fi. An electric kettle is available too. Daily housekeeping keeps the room from becoming a drying room for the day's clothes, while the balcony or terrace gives you somewhere to sit before dinner rather than immediately collapsing on the bed.

You have several in-house restaurants rather than one dining room doing every job. The cuisines named include Italian, Thai and Mauritian gourmet cooking, alongside a restaurant built around Healthy Dining. Breakfast is served as an American-style buffet, and the kitchen covers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Special-diet menus can be requested, which is useful when a week of restaurant meals needs a little steering rather than another heroic dessert.

The pool and beach bars handle the less formal moments, with snacks, drinks and pancakes available between proper meals. There is also a snack bar, a minibar in the rooms and room service, so you can keep the evening simple when dinner out feels like unnecessary exertion. Breakfast can be taken in your room as well.

Half-board is available, but drinks are not included with that arrangement. Dress is smart casual around the resort: swimwear and tank tops stay out of the daytime dining areas, while evening restaurants and bars require casual-smart clothing, with sportswear, beachwear and flip-flops left in the room. Tailored or Bermuda shorts are accepted in the bars and restaurants in the evening.

The easiest non-activity is still properly catered for. You have a pool, a children's pool, sun loungers, beach chairs, pool and beach towels, a sun terrace and a garden. The private peninsula gives you room to move between water and shade without turning relaxation into a full-day outing.

Spa Beachcomber is the more deliberate recovery option, with massages, facials, body scrubs, mud baths, wraps, a hammam, sauna and jacuzzi. A fitness centre is available when your legs need a different sort of work. There is also a beauty service, including manicures, pedicures, hairdressing and waxing, although the massage and spa services are chargeable.

If sitting still becomes difficult, the resort has tennis courts, table tennis, darts, billiards and cycling, along with live music and evening entertainment. On the water, the boat house offers sailing, snorkelling and water-skiing, with windsurfing also available. A 9-hole pitch-and-putt golf course is part of the offer, and trips to Ile aux Aigrettes nature reserve can be organised. Families have a playground, outdoor play equipment, children's meals and babysitting services.

Arrival starts from 14:00 and departure runs until 12:00. You will need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the resort asks you to share your expected arrival time. A 24-hour reception, concierge, luggage storage, currency exchange and a tour desk make the airport-to-room transition reasonably well covered, particularly if your flight lands at an awkward hour.

An airport shuttle is available and can be arranged with the hotel, either privately or as a shared service. Free private parking is available on site, with no reservation needed, and car hire can be arranged. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, while laundry, dry cleaning, packed lunches and room service cover the less glamorous but genuinely useful parts of a longer trip.

Children of any age are welcome, and cots can be requested for younger children; the room category controls what sleeping arrangement is possible. Pets are not allowed. If you choose a honeymoon category, bring the required wedding documentation and check that your travel dates fit the category conditions. The resort also has a daytime and evening dress code, so keep one outfit in the luggage that is not designed for the beach.