For those who wish to luxuriate even further there is a beautiful spa. It is one of the most magnificent and visually stunning gardens I have ever seen. You enter along a tiny path through a small parade of palms into a boutique lobby and lo and behold there is a fabulous paradise. Decorative wooden bridges span a shallow pool meandering around a beautiful island, dominated by a magnificent palm. The edges of the pool curve this way and that revealing wonderful open air huts available for the beauty treatments. The Spa is worth visiting just for the architecture and decoration alone as it is a masterpiece of design and form.


Mauritius is culturally intoxicating because everyone there speaks three languages fluently, English, French and Creole, often employing words from each in a single sentence. I grew up in France and England speaking both languages as required, so it was a particular pleasure to find a whole country that did the same. The island was originally settled by the Portuguese, followed by the French, until the English took over in 1810. Today Mauritius is made up of mostly indians, with a smattering of French, English and Africans. A wonderfully successful melting pot that makes it a cultural


delight for travellers. Mauritians take great pleasure in helping people get the best from their island and are proud of their history and heritage.


We rented a car at the resort and set off in the morning heading for La Vanille Reserve, famous for its crocodiles and giant tortoises. The nature park is in the South of Mauritius, only a couple of hours drive from the hotel. The entire area is unspoilt and still has that feeling of old Mauritius, with many beautiful little villages dotted along the way. Each town has its own unique character, with multicoloured markets selling fruit, vegetables and gloriously loud saris. Everyone is dressed in a mix of jeans, saris and t-shirts, flashing colours everywhere, meandering along the roads past low buildings in various ramshackle states stacked together higgledy- piggledy. Temples appear frequently, spires rising from crenelated walls, highly decorated arches festooned with bright ribbons and statues depicting the various gods. Apart from the ubiquitous mobile phone shops, the towns look much as they did a hundred years ago, in contrast to the more modern feel in the north of the island.


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