After the long but direct British Airways flight from London, the very friendly and efficient reception from the staff at The Oberoi was particularly welcome. As was my garden pavilion, the lowest category of room at this exclusive resort on Mauritius’ north east coast but still wonderfully spacious with large four-poster bed, separate sitting area and sunken marble tub and floor to ceiling windows in the brightly decorated bathroom.
The following day I was driven to the Casela Nature Park to walk with lions – an incredible experience! The guides were extremely informative and it gave me the appetite for a delicious and atmospheric dinner back at the hotel with lots of flickering candles and beautiful guitar music.
Next up was the Four Seasons at Anahita. Stylish, chic and with a wealth of facilities for all the family, this resort really has it all – great sandy beaches, wonderful spa, fantastic water sports and even a championship golf course. Again, my garden villa was spacious with a huge bathroom and a plunge pool in the private garden.
My day of adventure from the Four Seasons was spent quad biking at Domaine de L’Etoile, a wonderful spot where you can also horse ride, hike and kayak. The bikes were enormous fun to drive and I loved every second of the 2-hour round trip through endless fields of sugar cane and up into the mountains from where the views were stunning.
Finally to The Residence for a night of luxury in this colonial, Plantation style resort on the island’s east coast that also boasts an excellent spa and all manner of sporting facilities both off and on the water.
This was my first visit to Mauritius. I was anticipating superb beaches, and they were just that, but I hadn’t appreciated how much more there was to see and to do in this Indian Ocean paradise!