Lockdown reminiscing: My educational work trip to Mauritius
Are you lying on your couch during lock-down wishing you were sipping cocktails on a tropical island without a worry in the world? I know I am!
We are on day 8 of South Africa’s lock-down, and I wish I had snuck myself over into Mauritius and been stranded there instead. Which got me thinking about my last trip to Mauritius. I thought I would share with you my favorite hotels I’ve been fortunate enough to experience on the friendliest island in the world. Then when this is all over you can hop on a plane and get to experience you own slice of paradise, while staying at the hotel that’s just right for you!
I have been to Mauritius four times, but my last trip was a jam packed one, filled with visits to 11 hotels in 4 days. When we got some down time, I tried to see how many aspects of the resort I could squeeze into 1 hour. Picture this: 10 minutes swim in the pool, 10 minutes tan on the loungers, 20 minutes trying one of the water sports at the Sports club, 10 minutes to try the other magnificent looking pool (with a cocktail in hand of course) and 10 minutes soaking in the room’s giant bathtubs. Notice I didn’t include a beach walk in that hour? That’s because I was then waking up at 5am to squeeze that in. So no, it was not a relaxing glamorous trip but wow, it was educational (and that’s the whole point, right?)
Here are my top 5 Mauritian resorts that I have experienced
TOP 5: Radisson Blu Azuri 4* Deluxe
I was pleasantly surprised by the Radisson properties. I had a preconceived idea that for a trip to Mauritius it’s better to avoid the big chain resorts. I thought you wouldn’t experience the true essence and flair of the local Mauritian culture. Well, speaking for the Radisson chain, that is not the case in Mauritius. The welcome was warm and friendly and although the interior design had a very modern element, there was no denying you were in Mauritius. In
fact, the modern touches are one of the reasons I loved this property. Here are some aspects that made Azuri stand out above the rest Their heated pool: I know when I mentioned this on my social media page people were really taken aback why that was a cool feature.
Although Mauritius is an all year-round destination, during June to September the temperatures are slightly cooler and if you are wanting a sunset dip, I found a standard temperature pool was just too cold and not pleasant. Whereas diving into a heated pool as the temperatures dropped and watching the sunset, really added a wonderful spin to the end of the day.
They have an incredibly blue lagoon: It’s so blue you feel like you’ve been transported to the Maldives. It’s not right in front of the hotel, which makes this feature really fun, as it feels like you are going on a mini excursion. The resort offers complimentary boat trips out to the lagoon where they have a jetty moored. You can then frolic in the ocean or get the most gorgeous pictures. It is interchangeable with their sister property Radisson Blu Post La Fayette, which is adults only. This means, if you are a family and wanting a date day without the kids you could leave them at the kid’s club and head over to the chic resort and relax in peace and quiet. Or if you are a couple on honeymoon or a romantic trip you could pop on over and get to experience a different restaurant and cuisine.
This property also has a protected reef in front of the hotel so it’s perfect for an amazing snorkel experience There are Nespresso machines in the room: because let’s admit it; starting your day with a cheap, bad cup of coffee is just not how you picture your holiday. Nothing like an espresso in the morning, while lying in between crisp white sheets
TOP 4: Paradise Cover 5* Boutique Hotel
This property oozes romance and appeals to everyone who loves beautiful interior décor. I could not stop taking pictures of this property. From the minute you step foot in the resort your breath is taken away. From the light fixtures, so the couches, to the welcome drinks bar, to the tables and chairs; it’s all just gorgeous! This property has a unique feature which may sound less than ideal, but trust me, when you are there experiencing it for yourself you won’t mind in the least. Because of where it’s situated on the island it doesn’t have its own beach, so they’ve built one in a cove. I know when I’ve mentioned that to clients, they didn’t love the idea of it but if you didn’t know, you may not even notice. The hotel is adults only and their clientele are usually honeymooners or couples wanting a quiet or romantic holiday. Therefore, the property has nooks all over for couples to relax in their own space, which makes the beach, although small, not feel crowded at all. Besides the beach there are two beautiful pools in separate areas with loungers, canopy day beds scattered all around the lagoon or quiet
secluded areas that couples can relax, and the restaurants are spaced out perfectly. And if you are wanting the ocean view, one of the restaurants is situated right along the ocean, so you aren’t missing out at all. It is a boutique hotel so it’s small and intimate and I would recommend it if you are wanting total blissful peace and quiet or a really romantic experience. Click here to view Paradise Cove’s fact sheet
TOP 3: Preskil Island Resort & Spa 4*
Maybe my expectations were low, but I can tell you I’d had about 3 hours sleep, just gotten off our overnight flight from Cape Town, has crusty make up on and hadn’t showered, but I fell in love with this property as soon as I walked in. It’s also on its own little island, within the island of Mauritius, which is pretty snazzy if you ask me! There are so many features I loved about this resort: It’s just been completely renovated so is fresh, bright, clean and modern. It has the most stunning view. Usually Mauritius overlooks endless blue ocean and the horizon but at Preskil there are mountains in the
distance and it really adds to the scenery your eyes get to feast on. The rooms have subtle artist touches of light wood that really work. Simple, but effective. It’s an awesome vibey resort, with singing and dancing in the bar area until midnight and then thereafter you just don’t want to leave, and they don’t make you feel like you need to. And the food, I really enjoyed the food here! And I ate A LOT, so I had a lot to compare it to, and it was mouthwatering each time. A small feature that I really liked, was at the breakfast buffet, all the food options were in clear perspex storage, so it kept the food fresh and you didn’t arrive to see flies sitting on the food selection. I saw this at a lot of other properties, so something so simple really set this property apart.
Since I’ve returned, I’ve sent many clients to this property and every single one has loved it!
It’s a great priced resort, but slightly higher in cost than other 4* properties, but I feel like
it’s worth every cent.
TOP 2: Beachcomber Tou Aux Biches 5*
Ok I didn’t see this property on my trip, it was a separate trip I got to enjoy with my husband for our 1-year anniversary. But I couldn’t have a top 5 without the picturesque Trou Aux Biches on it. This resort is WOW! It has the most pools in one resort, on the entire island. Each cove of hotel rooms has its own pool, plus there is the incredibly large main pool which overlooks the long stretch of beach, the beachfront rooms have their own private pools and if that isn’t enough, all the restaurants are surrounded by pools which gives a feeling of tranquility when you are enjoying your meal there. This is another resort I can rave about their food for days as they really place attention to detail on the cuisine and take you on a foodie adventure. They amerce you in the flavors making you feel as if you’ve travelled to India at their Indian restaurant, Mahiya or Italy in their Italian restaurant, Il Corallo. One thing is for sure, Beachcomber is renowned for ensuring their meals are of the highest standard. The whole property has dark stone tile as their décor feature which makes it feel warm, luxurious, modern but still tropical and Mauritian, they really nailed the brief for how a Mauritius luxurious 5* hotel should feel. This property falls within the top 2 as I can’t fault them on service, cleanliness, quality, food or décor. Click here to view Beachcomber Tou Aux Biches fact sheet
TOP 1: Heritage Le Telfair 5*
It was a tight one between Heritage and Trou Aux Biches (and I know my rep for Beachcomber is not going to love me when she reads this (Love you Kirsty ) The reason I chose this resort as number 1 is perhaps more to do with my age and interests, but if I had to directly compare Heritage to Trou Aux Biches, I found Trou Aux Biches to be a more tranquil setting whereas Heritage had the same element in parts of the property and in other parts they had an awesome vibe, like Preskil. If tranquility and romance that is what you are looking for, I can’t fault Trou Aux Biches AT ALL. But if you are wanting a bit of both (like me) it’s the reason why I decided to put Heritage Le Telfair in the number one place.
Now let me describe this beaut of a resort:
The style is a modern twist on colonial (I am no stylist, so I hope that makes sense or is even a thing) but it is drop dead beautiful! The rooms come with their own butler, how is that to make you feel fancy? It’s interchangeable with its sister property, located next door, Heritage Awali, which means you get a total of 12 restaurants to enjoy. They are situated on the South and the sunsets do not disappoint, the beach has powdery white sand and it stretches for miles, great for fitness enthusiasts wanting a long run on the beach, or the epitome of perfect for a romantic beach stroll. It has an incredibly elegant pool and a separate pool located in another cove, which is heated, and you know I like heated pools.
The food is delicious, and they have this great concept of building your own salad and making your own salad dressing, which I loved. It’s also a huge property but designed in a way that you don’t feel engulfed by it all but it allows you to get to experience the quiet and romance as mentioned or disco dancing and club bangers on the other side, if that is what you are in the mood for. I don’t play golf, but I have to mention it also has a well-manicured golf course. I could go on and on, but I would much rather you go and experience it yourself I hope I managed to take you on a little Mauritius journey while you try make it through another day of lockdown. I know while I typed this it transported me back there and I cannot wait for a time I can send my wonderful clients back to my favorite little island of all time.
Click here to view Heritage Le Telfair’s fact sheet
