Maurtius - Home away from home...

Tasmin Rootman on 17 May 2012
Once again I was given the opportunity to go to the beautiful island of Mauritius, this time (my 5th time!) for our Annual Travel Counsellors Conference which was held at the 5 Star Shandrani Beach Resort & Spa. The Shandrani Resort and Spa is only 10 minutes from the airport and is a 5 Star All-Inclusive resort. With its 110 superior rooms, 69 superior beach front rooms, 108 deluxe rooms, 36 family apartments, 2 senior suites and 2 family suites, it has something for everyone. It is my 3rd visit to this resort, yet it felt brand new with the warmth of returning to a home away from home. The lobby opens up to the beautiful lagoon and Marine Reserve on which the resort is built. The second beach, where the deluxe rooms are situated, is towards the open sea and those guests are greeted with the waves crashing every morning. Our superior beachfront room was beautiful and had a view from our balcony over the lagoon. With free ADSL connection in the room I was able to keep in touch with my little ones and husband at home. The conference facilities are world class, with seating for up to 180 delegates. With a choice of 5 restaurants any events can be catered for. We had our White Gala Awards and Pirate of the Indian Ocean Island parties at the Le Sirius Restaurant which from its unique position looks out over both the lagoon and the ocean. Being so close to the airport does mean that every 2 hours or so an airplane thunders overhead, drowning out all conversation… but it didn’t bother me… although I suppose it would for some people… A great place for a fun family holiday with a bit of an island vibe, good service and amazing people! I also had the opportunity to visit two other properties – Astroea Beach Hotel and Preskil Beach Resort situation on the east coast. First Astroea: What a little gem! Previously a B&B which has been converted and only been operational since January 2012, the management of Astroea have seen a gap in the market for small families and couples who want to get away from it all, but still enjoy the luxury and comfort of a resort. There are only 16 rooms with a maximum capacity of 35 guests, catering for families (2 bedroom family apartments), couples and honeymooners (beautiful honeymoon suite with uninterrupted view of the sea). The chef has experience in 5 Star resorts and offers a fantastic menu, but will cater to any special request guests may have…. they proudly proclaim to have been able to fulfil every special request since opening in January! Although there is no swimming pool, a beautiful private beach is at your doorstep with a boathouse supplying snorkelling equipment and kayaks free of charge. Astroea guests make use of Preskil Beach Resort & Spa’s facilities (1km down the road) at a nominal charge. The 4 Star Preskil Beach Resort – is a great family resort! A mere 15 minutes from the airport, Preskil has 114 lagoon rooms, 28 prestige cottages and 14 deluxe penthouse rooms. With two swimming pools and three restaurants, I found the vibe here to very lively, with activities taking place in all the entertainment areas. Waterskiing, windsurfing, glass bottom boats, canoes, snorkelling outings, and more… these activities are free of charge. At a charge you can also experience scuba diving, undersea walks, and catamaran trips to L’Ile aux C’erfs.

Preskil Beach Resort owns its own catamaran which they chartered for our group to go out snorkelling in the lagoon for the afternoon. There is a deserted, untouched island in the middle of the lagoon, called Pink Pigeon Island (I can’t remember the French name) and we moored there for the afternoon. The crew kept us entertained with drink, snacks and music making – a great afternoon was had and the sea was so calm that even I, with my ever present motion sickness had not even a hint of nausea! Once again I was reminded that Mauritius has something for everyone. Whether you are a family with little ones, a family with teens (so hard to keep entertained!), a young couple, an older couple or a bunch of friends – Mauritius has an option for each one of you – I have seen it myself! So don’t hesitate – call me now if you think you deserve a break from the city life, work life, and yes, stay-at-home-moms needs a break once in a while too!