I was recently invited by Beachcomber Tours on an educational to Mauritius, which was a truly amazing experience.

Mauritius lies like a rich green emerald in the turquoise velvet of the Indian Ocean. The ultimate island holiday for those in need of some serious rest and relaxation. 

Accessible by a four-hour flight from South Africa on either South African Airways or Air Mauritius.  South Africans do not require visas to visit Mauritius.

Mauritius' beautiful white, sandy beaches are naturally protected by a coral reef, which almost encircles the entire island. The clear, calm waters are ideal conditions for all sorts of watersports, for example, windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, water-skiing, pedal boats and much more.

Beachcomber has eight properties on the island of Mauritius: 

with the majority situated on the West Coast, where the best climate is to be found.

We visited all of these properties and stayed overnight at four of them. We started our tour on Wednesday 19 May, departing from Johannesburg International Airport on South African Airways.  After a four-hour flight, we arrived at Mahébourg Airport, the only airport in Mauritius, which is situated in the south-eastern part of the island. Mauritius is two hours ahead of South Africa.

The group was transferred by MTTB Mautourco, which is the ground operator that Beachcomber make use of in Mauritius.  Our first stop was for two nights at Le Cannonier, which is a four star hotel. Situated on the north-west coast, approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes from the airport.  Le Cannonier is only 5km from Grand Bay.  We were hosted for dinner by hotel management and spent a wonderful evening enjoying the entertainment the hotel has to offer.

Thursday, 20 May we started off with an early breakfast, and a hotel inspection of Le Cannonier.  From here we transferred to Le Mauricia, for a hotel inspection.  Le Mauricia is a four star hotel situated on the north-west coast, and also approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes from the airport.  It is situated in the heart of Grand Bay.

From Le Mauricia we travelled north to Royal Palm which is a 5 star Exclusive Hotel and Spa and ranked among the top hotels in the Indian Ocean. Royal Palm has one of the most beautiful beaches in Mauritius, an atmosphere of absolute peace and tranquility. We were hosted for lunch by hotel management which was truly spectacular!! 

From here we drove to Sunset Boulevard to board the Le Nessee, which is a semi-submersible. We travelled out past the coral reefs of the bay and watched all the spectacular Marine life seen from the boat down below deck.

Dinner was hosted by hotel management at Le Mauricia, and once again we enjoyed the entertainment offered by this hotel.

Overnight was at Le Cannonier again.

Friday 21 May, our last breakfast at Le Cannonier, and then we transferred to Le Victoria, for a hotel inspection, a four star superior hotel, situated on the north-west, halfway between Grand Bay and Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius.  This hotel is a favourite amongst South Africans, it's main attractions being the beautiful white beaches, stunning sea views and spacious accommodation. Lunch was hosted by hotel management, and enjoyed while we sat with our feet in the sand, looking out at the ocean, at the L'Horizon restaurant.
 

After lunch we transferred to Trou Aux Biches, a five star hotel, also on the north-west coast a short drive from Grand Bay, and definitely the romantic soul of Mauritius. Here we spent one night. The hotel is typical in Mauritian Architecture, with accommodation in bungalow style. Here we spent the afternoon water-skiing and eating pancakes on the beach, a speciality offered by Trou Aux Biches. Dinner was hosted by hotel management, and this evening we visited one of the popular night clubs in Grand Bay, Le Diablo, a vibey, on-the-go club, definitely not for the faint hearted! Saturday 22 May, we had breakfast at Trou Aux Biches, and then drove along the coastal road to Port Louis, where we spent some time at the local market and the Caudan Waterfront. Here you can find all the local arts and crafts made by the Mauritian people.

From here we travelled south to Grand Bassin, sacred lake for the Hindus, we then visited the Seven Coloured Earths - a unique phenomenon of various coloured earth that was formed from the volcanic eruptions.

We then had lunch at Le Chamarel situated high in the mountains, overlooking the Le Morne Peninsula, where Paradis and Dinarobin are situated.

After lunch we drove to Dinarobin, a five star deluxe Hotel and Spa, set on a prime site at the foot of the Le Morne Mountain. This hotel is comprised of suites only, all sea-facing, with uninterrupted views.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, once again hosted by hotel management.

Sunday 23 May, we had breakfast at Dinarobin, and then transferred by golf car to Paradis, which is situated next to Dinarobin on the Le Morne Peninsula. Paradis is a five star superior Hotel and Golf resort, the 18-hole golf course being one of the main attractions at both Dinarobin and Paradis. Here we did a hotel inspection and had lunch. The rest of the afternoon we spent at leisure, to enjoy all the facilities Paradis had to offer.  Later that afternoon we travelled to the Black River Morne Anglers Club for a sunset cruise on the Sheranda, a catamaran.

That evening we enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal at  La Palma restaurant at Paradis. Guests of Dinarobin and Paradis can dine at either of the two hotels restaurants.

Monday 24 May, breakfast again at Dinarobin, and then we transferred to Shandrani via a coastal road.  Shandrani is situated on the south-east coast and is only 6km's from the airport.  It is a five star hotel, and is the largest of the Beachcomber properties. It boasts 3 separate beaches, creating an air of peaceful seclusion.  We spent a very relaxing day at Shandrani exploring the property and all the facilities they offer. This hotel offers something for everyone, it has a very lively atmosphere, a sport and nature programme, sailing lessons and much more. We had another lovely Italian dinner hosted by hotel management.

Tuesday 25 May, we had an early breakfast at Shandrani and spent the remainder of our morning snorkeling and enjoying a ride on a glass-bottomed boat. After catching the last few rays of sun, we all got ready to depart for the airport.

A very tired, but happy group departed from Mauritius on Tuesday afternoon, on South African Airways, and arrived in Johannesburg in the late evening.

We all had a truly amazing experience on the Ile Maurice, I am definitely going back for a second visit in the near future.....

Beachcomber offers Mauritius as a real value for money destination, with many hotels to choose from that will suite any travellers needs. Packages are inclusive of: 

•  Return economy class flights:
         Johannesburg / Mauritius / Johannesburg
•  Return airport transfers
•  Eat-as-much-as-you-like buffet breakfast daily
•  A choice of restaurants for evening meals
•  Cabaret evenings featuring different artists and performances
•  A complete range of watersports including unlimited water-skiing
•  Children's entertainment at specially equipped mini-clubs supervised by professional staff.

So consider Mauritius as your next holiday destination and pay us a visit, so that we can make your Island holiday dream come true!!

Maquida du Preez - Consultant Sure Etnique Travel