Among this year’s trends in family travel, the one gaining most ground is the rise of the villa holiday to support the other biggest trend – multi-generational travel.

For groups of friends and families, villa rental offers flexible accommodation, ample living space and the chance to relax on your own terms.

The choice in Mauritius is between renting a villa privately or staying at one of the many luxury hotels and resorts that offer on-site villa rentals alongside their standard range of guest rooms, giving visitors the option of switching between the full-service nature of a hotel and the relaxed privacy of a villa at their whim.

Here are a few things to consider when planning your holiday.

1. Who is going on the holiday?

It sounds obvious but the make-up of your group will most affect the options open to you. Consider the overall layout of the villa, including options for solitude and how noise might travel between rooms.

2. What amenities do you need?

If you intend to spend a lot of time in your villa, amenities such as a kitchen, technological gadgets and private pool or terrace are likely to be important. On the other hand, families planning lots of activities and day trips may want to focus on location, or what the resort can provide in the way of watersports, excursions and cultural offerings.

3. Choosing hotel or private villa

Once you’ve come up with a list of everybody’s needs, it’s time for the fun bit – deciding where to book.

For utter seclusion and family time, the luxury villas at The Oberoi range from a single pavilion to a sprawling three bedroom affair. Most have their own private pool and al fresco dining area, along with wifi, satellite tv, and iPod docking station. Over at the Four Seasons at Anahita there’s a broad range of two to six bedroom villas, all with private pool or plunge pool and accommodating up to 12 people. And the beachfront villas at Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa all feature an outdoor bar and barbecue area, as well as private pool and dining gazebo.

On the other hand, active adults and energetic kids will find plenty to occupy themselves at Heritage The Villas, with its world class championship golf course and spa, kids and teens activities including horse-riding and mountain bike treasure hunts, and access to the 1,300 hectare Frederica Nature Reserve.

If you’re looking for a non-hotel based option, try Villas de Maitre who specialise in luxury standalone Indian Ocean villas, including several in Mauritius. Or check out Owners Direct.

4. When to go?

And finally, think about dates. Family-sized villas do tend to book up early for dates within school holiday periods so be prepared to make a decision up to 9-12 months in advance to secure the property you really want.

Flights to Mauritius

Check availability and book your flights to Mauritius – visit the Air Mauritius website.

Photos: The Oberoi, Heritage the Villas, Four Seasons at Anahita Villas.