- Where are you flying?
- Na Mauritius.
- And where is it?
This is the most common reaction I encountered when talking about my future travel plans. In every guidebook you will find a quote from Mark Twain: "God created Mauritius, and then, in its image, he created Paradise" - although I do not consider myself an expert in matters of faith, it is hard to disagree with the American writer.
A green gem in the Indian Ocean. An island with 300 km of white sandy beaches, a beautiful world of flora and fauna with ideal conditions for land and water sports. Both travelers looking for extreme adventures and those longing for sun and relaxation in exotic surroundings will find something for themselves here. A safe destination, free from all tropical diseases, and at the same time the cradle of exclusive hotels.
I fly to the island with Emirates. The flight from Dubai takes about 6 hours and we land in the morning. The slight time difference (2 hours) is an additional advantage of this direction. When in Poland the thermometers show 5 degrees in the morning and it's raining, I wear short sleeves and it's 25 degrees to the car that will take us to the first hotel. Nice, I think to myself. We get in and head towards the Le Morne peninsula.
At first, the island doesn't make that much of an impression on me. The views from the car windows are quite monotonous, but the situation changes once you reach the coast. In the distance you can see waves rising on the edge of the coral reef surrounding the island. Plus the lush greenery of coastal palm trees and white sand on the beaches. After 40 minutes we arrive at the Le Morne peninsula, the driver helps us with our luggage, the concierge brings us a refreshing drink and we do the first check-in. Hotel St. Regis, where I will spend the next few nights, makes a good impression on me right from the entrance gate. It's going to be a great holiday!
The entrance lobby and check-in desk looks like a huge American veranda and is located in the open air. The Concierge Department invites you for a welcome drink at Bar 1904, whose name refers to the year of opening of the first ever St. Regis in New York.
St. Regis is one of the most exclusive hotel brands. The hotels of this chain have always been opened in unique places. In Mauritius, the facility is located on the Le Morne peninsula, where in the past there was a stop on the African slave route, at the foot of the Brabant hill. St. Regis is, in short, colonial style, elegance, intimacy and, in my personal opinion, the best cocktails in this latitude.
The hotel infrastructure is also impressive. The rooms are located in low, two-story buildings arranged in 3 lines along the beach. The paths are decorated with vines of colorful flowers and you can hear birds. Apart from that, peace and quiet. You stop rushing, you slow down... We spent the first three days relaxing - alternating between the swimming pool and the beach - the hard life of a person on vacation.
I find the atmosphere in the hotel quite sleepy. After 3 days of lying upside down, he begins to "carry" us. The first step is to make your childhood dreams come true - swimming with wild dolphins!
The island is surrounded by a coral reef, so no larger predators have access to the shallower waters around the island. This makes it an ideal environment for the dolphins that live here. Every morning, right after sunrise, cruises are organized for people, like me, who dream of swimming with dolphins. After waking up at 5:30 we get on the boat. We are the first at the dolphin meeting site. Harnessed to masks, snorkels and fins, we jump into the water.
Out of shock, I unconsciously let out a cry of joy. It's one of those moments when I'm so overwhelmed with happiness that I can't deal with it silently. I see them below me, in front of me and next to me. They are agile and glide like crazy. It's definitely one of the most beautiful hours of your life.
In the afternoon we went trekking to the Brabant hill. Just take a taxi from the hotel and you will reach the scenic path in 10 minutes. Hiking in full sun, uphill, for people with zero preparation is quite an effort.
The next day we rented a car - it's the best way to get around the island. You can choose to rent a car with a driver or just a car. We decided on the second option - it gave us independence and mobility.
After completing the formalities, we headed towards the Bel Ombre reserve, where we got on quad bikes and explored the entire area of the park.
On the way, we stopped at a beautiful viewpoint, swam in a small waterfall and passed a herd of deer lying in the shade of trees. After such an active morning, we arrived at the Heritage hotel complex, where Charles, the sales manager, showed us around all three facilities and told us about the hotels. There are plenty of opportunities to spend your free time in the complex - bicycles, snorkeling, water skiing, kayaks, quads... there is also a hotel kite surfing school and a private beach about 3 km long!
We ended our visit at the hotel's delicious beach restaurant Heritage Le Telfair, eating pad Thai and king prawns. Nice day, next time I must stay here longer!
During our stay in Mauritius, I celebrated my 29th birthday. I have something extra planned for this day!
We started the day at the crack of dawn and arrived at the meeting point in Tamarind Falls at 07:00 in the morning. It is a set of 7 waterfalls arranged in a cascade, the highest of which rises as much as 300 m above sea level. We are facing an activity called canyoning - crossing canyons and rivers where you encounter rapids in various ways. You can jump from small waterfalls, while others require the use of an appropriate harness and a rope with which the instructor lowers you down.
Let's be honest, our route wasn't extremely demanding, but it was enough to get the adrenaline pumping. There, suspended on a rope at a height of 40 m, I listened to my first happy birthday that day. An amazing adventure and beautiful views.
We changed hotel in the afternoon. The Westin Turtle Bay hotel is located near Bacalava. My dear friend and hotel sales manager, Ludmiła, is waiting for us at the hotel.
I get balloons, a cake, a birthday cocktail and lots of warm wishes. Another birthday cake is waiting for me in the room - this time from the hotel - combined with delicious food in all the hotels I have visited so far, I think that I will enter my 30th year of life a bit "full" - well, apparently holidays don't count...
In the evening, I celebrate my birthday at the hotel's Mystique restaurant, which serves excellent sushi and wine. There is so much wine that within a short time the group grows - other hotel guests join us and together we move to the hotel bar, where the fun is so good that the night turns into morning...
What impressed me most during my stay in Westin was the waterfront line and the sunset. Slow, colorful, deep... and again the man slowed down and stopped. No wonder the hotel is one of the most frequently chosen wedding venues.
Our last stop was a newly opened hotel on the eastern side of the island. The hotel that guests had been waiting for to open, and which the entire island hotel industry was afraid of.
Signed with the slogan "She's back", the hotel itself is treated as "She". And indeed. She's back. Beautiful, modern, sexy, full of space and greenery. Ladies and gentlemen, One & Only Le Saint Geran.
It's hard to say what is most impressive about the hotel. It wouldn't be a lie if I wrote – everything. The buildings are low, so we do not feel like we are in a "hotel" - a very intimate and at the same time relaxed atmosphere. The staff always greets us with a warm smile, but the people show more friendship than humility, as in St. Regis. Rooms decorated minimalistically, with huge beds and a beautiful view of the too green lawns and too turquoise water. I rub my eyes every time I look at this view - just to be sure that the colors I see are not a matter of my vivid imagination. The marble on the floor imitates wood, and in the bathroom combined with a spacious wardrobe, instead of samples, there are full-size cosmetics in glass bottles.
We spend the day at the swimming pool, where we take a huge, soft and comfortable cabana, from which, as soon as it gets too hot, we jump into the water. From time to time, we swim to the pool bar, where we sit waist-deep in water on comfortable chairs, sipping Aperol Spritz, and chatting cheerfully with the bartender.
The day passes unnoticed and evening comes. We manage to make it in time for the sunset, we lie on the hammock in silence, each absorbed in our own thoughts. Music plays softly from the speakers nearby. I drift off for a moment.
The last attraction of the day (but so important!) is dinner. The first thing that impresses me is... the tableware. Another detail, a little thing that makes One & Only stand out. The food is amazing! Both the range of options we have to choose from and the flavors. I see items from Italian, Indian and Chinese cuisine. A little further, chefs at stations prepare a steak or delicious sushi cooked according to the guests' preferences. There are also oysters, seafood, gluten-free and dietary dishes... There is everything. I'm not lying.
So, I don't know when, 12 days passed. Mauritius enchanted me so much that when I left, I said to myself "à bientôt!" - see you soon!
Author: Katarzyna Deptuła
