05 September 2013

Mauritius still remains one of my favourite destinations. It’s a short 4 hour flight and offers a magical island experience complete with beautiful hotels, sandy beaches, great food and wonderful people – the Mauritians are always so warm, welcoming and friendly. Besides the beach, Mauritius offers a wide variety of different experiences and excursions, so you can choose to do as little or as much as you like on your holiday. It’s a wonderful family/couples/groups or honeymoon destination. In my latest visit (Aug ’13) I had the opportunity to visit the Attitude group of Hotels as well as the beautiful St Regis Resort. I also revisited the Heritage group of Hotels, namely the Heritage Awali, Heritage Le Telfair and Heritage Villas which are 2, 3 and 4 bedroom Private Villas located around the Heritage 18hole championship Golf course. The Attitude Hotels visited included Coin de Mire (3 Star), Emeraude Beach (3 Star), Récif (3 Star Superior) and Le Marina (4 Star). My favourite of the 3 Star hotels is Emeraude Beach Hotel. It’s located on the North East coast, across the road from one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in Mauritius – Belle Mare. It’s a great family hotel and all packages are based on a Soft All Inclusive i.e. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner daily with selected drinks and beach service is included, providing excellent value for money. It’s a small contemporary style hotel, comprising of 61 rooms in total and was completely renovated in 2010. It has complementary Wifi in all public areas, 24hour reception, a kid’s mini-club and a small Spa. Récif Attitude is a superb small 70 room Mediterranean-style 3 Star Superior hotel dressed in white and wood and is located in the North West. It’s easily accessible from both the lively village of Grand Baie and the capital Port-Louis. The West Coast of the island offers the most magnificent sunsets and is more protected from the trade winds that tend to blow from the East during the winter months (June-August). Récif Attitude is the ideal hotel for romantic couples and honeymooners who are on a budget, but it does also cater for families and has its own mini club. It also has a Spa which offers free Hammam to all guests. It’s situated directly on the beach and has a beautiful slate rim-flowing pool. It offers 2 restaurants and bar, with the L'Océan being an à la carte seafood restaurant which has a “bare feet on the beach” approach. Far from the hustle and bustle of certain beaches, you will appreciate the calm and genuineness of this small hotel and the still unspoilt coast of Mauritius. Le Marina, although not a new hotel, is a new addition to the Attitude family. It’s currently undergoing a major refurbishment and will be ready for sale to the South African market from November 2013. It’s a 4 Star hotel located on the North East Coast and faces a huge natural lagoon. It has a wide choice of accommodation: 182 rooms, including 41 located in the new wing called "The Marina Privilege Club" which is exclusively for couples and honeymooners. Packages are sold on an All Inclusive basis which also includes complimentary Wi-Fi in all public areas. The hotel offers a beautiful, well priced Spa which also has two massage kiosks that face the lagoon, a Kids Mini Club, Dive Centre, Kite surfing School and an interactive educational centre called Nauticaz which is dedicated to nature’s treasures in the lagoon. This hotel is great all-rounder hotel and caters for groups, weddings, honeymooners, families and couples. But the highlight of my trip has got to be my stay at the exceptional St. Regis Mauritius Resort & Spa! Situated in the South West on the Le Morne Peninsula, the St. Regis is a 5 Star luxury resort with 172 guest rooms and suites, all come with a private butler service and beautiful sea views. Attention to details is impeccable and definitely adds to the exclusivity of this absolutely beautiful hotel and upholds its theme – “Bespoke Sophistication”. It is part of the Starwood Hotels Group and offers complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the entire resort. This traditional Colonial style hotel has 6 gourmet restaurants and a bar, a magnificent Spa called Iridium and the ultimate in Kids Mini Club. This is the ultimate luxury hotel for Honeymooners and Families alike. With its reputation for excellence, St. Regis Mauritius’ exceptional service and setting is sure to make anyone feel like royalty! I can’t wait for my next trip back to Mauritius to discover more gems on this piece of paradise!

29 May 2012

Having been to Mauritius several times before, I had the opportunity to once again travel back to the beautiful island to attend our annual Travel Counsellors Conference which was held at the lovely Shandrani Resort & Spa. Shandrani is one of Beachcomber’s 5 Star Hotels and is located in the South of the island approximately 10 minutes from the airport and is an All Inclusive resort. It is has 327 rooms which are all sea facing – Deluxe rooms, Superior rooms, Beachfront Superior rooms, Family Apartments, Senior and Family Suites. It has 5 restaurants, a beautiful wellness centre called La Source Spa, two swimming pools and 3 separate beaches – one of which is called “The Wild Beach” where ocean waves reach the beach through a break in the protective coral reef surrounding the island. The two other beaches overlook the calm turquoise lagoon. Shandrani is a fully inclusive hotel which is an added bonus as drinks and meals can be quite expensive, especially when travelling on the SA Rand. You can take advantage of a la carte dining and choose from a huge selection of wines and drinks - including champagne by the glass. Enjoy one free massage (for stays 4 nights or longer), free bicycle hire and take advantage of numerous other free land and water-sports. As part of our Conference program, we had to opportunity to visit to other Mauritian hotels. I chose to visit Astroea Beach Hotel and Le Preskil Resort which are both located in the South approximately 15 minutes from the airport. Astroea is a little gem! For travellers who are on a budget and who do not want the crowds of people that the resorts draw this is a stunning option. Astroea sits in a tropical garden overlooking a stunning stretch of powdery white sandy beach and a glistening turquoise lagoon. It has only 16 rooms which are beautifully decorated in white, taupe and turquoise. All rooms lead onto a terrace or balcony and are equipped with air-con, flat screen TV, mini bar, electronic safe, hair dryer, tea and coffee making facilities. Their Restaurant and Bar are located directly on the beach front. It also has two massage rooms and offers free non-motorized water sports like Canoes, Pedal boats and Snorkelling equipment. Le Preskil is the sister resort to Astroea and is only 2km away – Astroea guests have the option of using the facilities of Le Preskil Resort for a nominal charge. Le Preskil is a good budget 4 Star resort and is great for first time travellers to Mauritius. It is set on a natural private peninsular and has 156 rooms comprising of Lagoon rooms, Prestige Cottage and Deluxe Penthouse rooms. Its facilities include 4 restaurants, 2 swimming pools, Fitness Centre, Aqua gym, a Wellness Centre, a Kids Club and a wide range of complimentary non-motorised land and water sports. Additional services like Catamaran Cruises, Dolphin Watching, Diving, Deep Sea Fishing etc. carry a supplement. Prior to the start of our Conference I extended my Mauritius trip and managed to do my own little reconnaissance mission by visiting a few more hotels in the South West of the island, namely The Heritage Le Telfair, The Heritage Awali and LUX Tamassa Resort. These are all 4 Star hotels and great for families, honeymooners, golfers etc. The Heritage Awali and LUX Tamassa resorts offer an All Inclusive package whilst the Le Telfair offers Half Board and Full Board only. All have their own Spa, Kiddies clubs and have beautiful locations for weddings should you want get married in Mauritius. Each hotel has their own unique selling point but one thing is for sure – they all offer great value for money! Mauritius is an all-year-round destination but like anywhere in the world they do have recommended travel times. They have a sub-tropical oceanic climate with fairly high temperatures and humidity all year round. Rain falls at all times of the year however the wettest months are from Jan-Mar where they can experience tropical cyclones. Overall, Mauritius is a fabulous destination for both the seasoned and first time travellers. It's a short 4 hour flight, no visas are required for SA passport holders and most hotels will accept SA Rands. I would highly recommend Mauritius as a destination for families, incentive & conferencing groups, honeymooners, friends or couples wanting an enjoyable break!

25 October 2009

I had a wonderful opportunity to spend a week in the Caribbean with some of my fellow Travel Counsellors. We were part of a wining incentive competition entitled “Pirates of the Caribbean”. The destination … Trinidad and Tobago! Trinidad and Tobago are two small islands that form the Southern Caribbean, with the closest point of Trinidad only 7miles from Venezuela. Trinidad is the more industrial/commercial of the two islands. Tobago is far more relaxed and the buildings are never higher than the palm trees! “Trinibagons” are known for their carnivals, soca music, “liming and wining” and Brian Lara! But Trinidad and Tobago are also a haven for divers and bird watchers alike. Both islands have untouched rainforests, pristine beaches, rich coral reefs and beautiful sunsets! The locals are warm and friendly and always willing to tell you stories about their heritage. As these two islands lie so far south, they do not fall into the traditional Hurricane Belt. The last hurricane to affect Tobago was in 1963. This is a real selling point for anyone looking at travelling between June and November. The weather is typically hot and humid with the average temperatures being between 26 and 35 degrees Celsius. There’s only two season – wet and dry! Rainy season falls between June and December. There's a wide choice when it comes to accommodation on Tobago ranging from guest houses, self catering apartments, villas to hotels. We stayed at the Turtle Beach Hotel (named so because the giant leatherback turtles come to lay their eggs on their beach from March to July). We also stayed at the The Grand Courlan Hotel and Spa and the Coco Reef Hotel. We visited a number of other hotels but my favourite is the Bacolet Beach Club Boutique Hotel which has a Cuban inspired restaurant on the premises. We spent 7 nights on Tobago with a day trip across to Trinidad. It’s fairly inexpensive to fly between these two islands and takes about 20minutes. Our day trip on Trinidad included a brief tour through the Capital – Port of Spain, where we visited the new trendy 5 Star Boutique hotel The Carlton Savannah for lunch. We also visited the Asa Wright Nature Reserve and Caroni Wetlands. Asa Wright Nature Reserve is located in the Arima Valley and forms part of the Northern Mountain Range. It is home to hundreds of different species of birds, mammals, reptiles and butterflies and is a hiker’s paradise! The Caroni Wetlands in central Trinidad is home to the national bird of Trinidad – the Scarlet Ibis. It’s a beautiful sight to watch at sunset as they flock in a blaze of red to the mangrove trees to roost for the evening. On Tobago we were treated to a guided walk through the Main Ridge Rain Forest Reserve and up to the 3-tiered Argyle waterfalls (wellies and all!!). The rain forest covers 60% of the island. We enjoyed a tour of the capital city, Scarborough. The population is only 17 000 people! Tobago used to be a pirate’s haven and buried treasure has been found in Man O’ War bay in Charlottesville! (Calling Captain Jack Sparrow!) A definite must is a meal at Jemma’s Tree House Restaurant. It is family run and the food is just divine! Two of our days were spent relaxing on the beaches and in the waters of Tobago… The Sun Fun is a glass bottom boat trip which includes a snorkelling trip to Buccoo Coral Reef, a swim in the Nylon Pool and a beach BBQ on No Man’s Land. The Nylon Pool is a shallow white sand bank. Legend has it that a swim in the Nylon Pool will take 10 years off your age! Our last day was spent on the Island Girl catamaran, discovering the very scenic Caribbean coastline. What an awesome experience! We set anchor in Cotton Bay - a beautiful, unspoilt bay accessible only by boat – where we spent hours swimming and snorkelling (equipment provided). Lunch was prepared and served onboard. The menu included grilled fish, local stewed chicken (and goat!), salads, fruit, garlic bread, with coffee or tea and, of course, plenty rum punch! The crew was very professional and ensured a day of total relaxation. In summary it was an amazing trip and Trinidad and Tobago are definitely a must if visiting the Caribbean! It is such a diverse destination that has something for everyone. The locals made us feel truly welcomed. Nothing was too much trouble and they approached everything with a smile!