MAURITIUS has been named the safest country in Africa beating the likes of Morocco and Egypt to the top spot.
Tour operator Altezza Travel ranked African countries in terms of safety by analysing factors like indexes on global peace and global terrorism as well as crime, global safety and human development.
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Located in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius climbed to the top of the rankings thanks to its low crime rate, political stability and economic climate.
Ghana took second place in the research, while Zambia came in third.
Meanwhile, Namibia climbed to fourth and Morocco took fifth.
Tunisia came in sixth, with Egypt and Tanzania claiming seventh and eighth positions, respectively.
Mauritius is a true winter sun destination for British holidaymakers, with temperatures in January, February and March averaging 30C.
The African island is encircled by more than 100 miles of white sandy beaches, crystal-clear water and blue lagoons.
Holidaymakers can go on dolphin-spotting and whale-watching excursions.
The best beaches are dotted along the south, west and east coasts.
Belle Mare, which borders a coral-protected lagoon, is one of the longest stretches of sand.
Grand Gaube is the longest beach on the island and is popular with locals who picnic on the sand during the weekends.
Inside Agadir’s White Beach Taghazout Resort
Despite being Mauritius’s longest beach, there are no restaurants on its shores but rather food vendors.
For something a little quieter, there’s Roches Noires Beach, which is only normally visited by fisherman.
Bays like Balaclava and Calodyne on the north of the island are known for watersports like snorkelling and kite-surfing.
Away from its beaches, Mauritius is also home to rainforests, waterfalls and mountain peaks.
Some of the world’s rarest animals like geckos and tropical birds live in Bras d’Eau National Park, which is located near the village of Poste Lafayette on the island.
Bras D’Eau National Park is just one of the island’s national parks, another is Black River Gorges National Park.
Black River Gorges National Park is home to more than 50km of walking trails, including the highest point in Mauritius, Black River Peak.
Located 828m above sea level, the summit has sweeping views across the African island.
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Mauritius is also surrounded by a 150km-long coral reef that’s a good spot for scuba diving.
Grand Baie in the north of the island is often dubbed the island’s culinary capital.
Mahebourg is known for its European influences from its architecture to its street layout.
At the end of last year, tour operator TUI added brand-new hotel RIU Palace Mauritius to its portfolio.
The adults-only property is situated on a palm-fringed beach in the south-west of the island, perfect for some much-needed sun during the cold months.
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There are plenty of other beach resorts, including Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa, Lagoon Attitude Hotel and Anelia Resort & Spa Mauritius.
British Airways operates direct UK flights from London Gatwick Airport to Mauritius, with Sun Online Travel finding one-way fares from £980.
Sun Online Travel have also found TUI package holidays from £1000 per person, with direct flights departing from London Gatwick with Air Mauritius.
Week-long stays are at Grand Bay Suites based on a room-only basis.
Mauritius is four hours ahead of the UK.
The local currency is the Mauritian Rupee, with £10 getting around 569 Mauritian Rupee.
Holidaymakers travelling on a British passport can stay in Mauritius without a visa for 60 days.
Passports will need to have one blank page and must be valid for the duration of a stay.
What’s it like to visit Mauritius?
TRAVEL reporter Ryan Gray visited Mauritius back in 2023, here’s what he thought…
THAT so much natural beauty is crammed into such a tiny country, just 28 miles by and 40 miles, seems unfair.
But I was fortunate enough to enjoy it every time I ventured outside my room.
Its presence even reached inside my room, too, with the calming sound of the Indian Ocean helping me drift off to sleep at night before gently waking me in the morning.
The JW was the first of three Marriott resorts that I stayed at during my visit to Mauritius and it couldn’t have been a better start to the break.
I was taken to my suite by my own butler, who dismissed any ideas I might have had about lifting a finger.
Between my suite and the sea was a row of sunloungers spanning the entire 800-metre stretch of beach.
The ocean here is not only to look at, though — there is plenty of fun to be had in it and on it with snorkelling, kayaking and kite-surfing among the treats on offer.
The landscapes of Le Morne are the best places to enjoy the nature of Mauritius — where the stunning yet endangered, bright-orange Mauritian fody is one of several gloriously colourful native birds nesting in the palms.
Away from the resort, a road up to the Black River Gorges national park winds past the impressive Chamarel waterfall, along narrow country lanes where long-tailed macaques hide beneath the shade of roadside shrubs.
And here are five winter sun destinations you can visit during the February half term for as little as £239 per person.
At the end of last year, the Sun Travel team revealed their best winter sun destinations that are less than six hours from the UK.
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