Before you set foot in Mauritius, you may be forgiven for thinking that an island holiday sounds clichéd. Everyone goes there. It’s only four hours, by plane, from Joburg.
“It’s so beautiful”, “the white sandy beaches are magnificent” – this is what visitors to Mauritius tell us on their return. Still, it seems so obvious.
The truth is, however, that those sentiments don’t even begin to describe the beauty the country and its luxury resorts offer tourists.
In a nutshell, it is absolute paradise.
I was with a small group of journalists – some of them had already visited Mauritius – but the veterans and their “been there, done that” chatter couldn’t spoil it for me.
We were hosted by Sun Resorts and stayed at the newly-renovated Sugar Beach Resort on Mauritius’s west coast.
It was night when we arrived at the stunning resort but its charming beauty was evident even in the moonlight.
The elegant yet vibrant five-star resort’s remodelling and renovations cost $22.5 million.
The hotel sits on 12 hectares and comprises 238 guest rooms and suites, of which 92 are “superior grand” ground floor villas.
The resort is plantation-styled splendour infused with contemporary architecture and positions Sugar Beach as a top choice for honeymoon couples and families.
With a variety of architecture on display, the privacy in your room, and the sweet smell of the Indian Ocean, the rooms and villas ensure you get the best of everything.
My room was beautiful. The pale green and beige tones are ever-present throughout. Simply peaceful. It creates a relaxing island feel ambience indoors, which, despite my insomniac tendencies, put me to sleep like clockwork each night.
I am not a veteran traveller so most amenities and luxuries still put a smile on my face. And Sugar Beach didn’t fail in that respect.
The main poolside restaurant, Mon Plaisir, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Its relaxing atmosphere and attentive service – sometimes too attentive – offers a tranquil experience.
Located at the entrance to the restaurant is Mon Plaisir bar with its pavements inspired by France.
It is an ideal meeting place for after-dinner drinks and an expensive cigar, if you are into that sort of thing.
Tides Restaurant is the most spectacular at Sugar Beach. It is located on the beachfront and features seafood cuisine from around the world.
The restaurant’s centrepiece is an elaborate crustacean and seafood counter that appears to float on illuminated ice.
The Tides Bar next door is a modern venue where guests can enjoy exciting, creative cocktails while listening to live music or a local DJ’s choice.
If a quiet romantic dinner is what you’re after, then Citronella – an intimate ocean-side Italian marketplace restaurant – is the place to go. Guests can order lightmeals in a dimmed-down atmosphere.
And no resort is complete without an in-house Spa. Aura Spa offers the best of East and West with treatments from Shiatsu to silk massages.
My trip to the Aura was bittersweet, however.
A gorgeous young lady rubbed me over with strong yet pleasant-melling oils for my back massage. “You’re so tense, what going on your life?” she asked.
I just smiled – but not for long, because that’s when the kneading began.
She had to get rid of knots, she told me, while I lay there and grimaced. I suppose she was right, but I wanted her to stop – I’d rather keep my knots, thanks.
But when she was done, the unending pain of the massage revealed its benefits. I felt like a million bucks. It felt as if the world had been lifted from my knotted shoulders – literally.
The stay had been too short for me. I could have done with a few more nights of paradise, but Sugar Beach has made an impression which will stay with me for a long time.
A fellow journalist did, in fact, extend her stay by a couple of extra nights at Sugar Beach. She needed some rest and a break from the hustle and bustle of Joburg.
Was I jealous? Absolutely!
If You Go...
l The five-star Long Beach resort on the east coast of Mauritius is situated on the longest and widest stretch of white-sand coastline of any Mauritian resort. The focus of the resort’s layout is the urban-style piazza with restaurants, shops and bars. Long Beach is run by Sun Resorts, which also owns and operates Sugar Beach, La Pirogue and Le Touessrok in Mauritius.
Long Beach
Coastal Road, Belle Mare, Mauritius
Telephone: +230 401 1919
Fax: +230 401 1999
Wolmar, Flic en Flac, Mauritius
Telephone: +230 453 9090
Fax: + 230 453 9100
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.sugarbeachresort.com
l World Leisure Holidays offers a range of tailored packages for travel in Mauritius including Long Beach.
Telephone: 0860 954 954
l Air Mauritius operates daily flights from Joburg to Mauritius and twice weekly flights from Cape Town and Durban.
Website: www.airmauritius.com - Saturday Star