DESTINATIONS INDIAN OCEAN |MAURITIUS
3
OF THE BEST
EXCURSIONS
E Take a pirogue or kayaking trip through the Ile d’Ambre’s protected mangrove forests.
E Go out on a sunrise sailing excursion with a local fisherman, enjoying a breakfast of chilli bites and bread and butter on board.
E Cycle from Anse La Raie to cosmopolitan Grand Baie, chancing upon fishing villages tucked away in small creeks and watching the arrival of the day’s catch.
on sustainability. All eight hotels in the Attitude group have eco-consciousness at their heart, with the hope of driving sustainability across Mauritius more generally. But these efforts open up all sorts of conversations, especially in the wake of the pandemic. What does it mean to be sustainable as a property and a destination as a whole – especially one that you have to fly thousands of miles to reach? How far is it possible to be environmentally friendly while delivering the kind of experience that guests expect from an Indian Ocean holiday? And can sustainability and a commitment to the local economy be reconciled with the all-inclusive experience?
LOCAL LIVING The Attitude group is rooted in the island’s community, so getting guests out and about is a big part of its ethos. The Otentik Discovery app, downloadable before you go or on-site, invites you to head out to explore off-the- beaten-track spots, discovering some of the loveliest but least-known landscapes on foot, by bike or by moped. My favourite self-guided outing was a foodie jaunt
through the island capital, Port Louis. It gave us a chance to immerse ourselves in the island’s rich cultural mix (including Malay, Indian and Chinese influences) and meet some of the locals, while taking in the sights and sounds of the markets and sampling the likes of alouda (a traditional drink of basil seeds and agar agar), roti rolls and Chinese sweets. Another delightful Otentik outing was a meal at the
36 15 JULY 2021 TRIED & TESTED
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Marine Discovery Centre, local coral and a recycling workshop, all Lagoon Attitude PICTURES: Jason Goder
MAURITIUS REOPENS From July 15: Vaccinated
travellers will be able to stay in one of 14 designated ‘resort bubbles’ in Mauritius. If they stay 14 days and have a negative PCR test, they can then explore the whole island.
From October 1: Visitors will be allowed entry without restrictions with a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure.
lagoon attitude
With its fresh and funky recycled decor and all-indigenous vegetation, this four-star, adult-only hotel is certified Travelife Gold for its social and environmental sustainability practices. If that all makes it sound too worthy, think again – this is also a place for serious relaxation, with a spa, non-motorised watersports including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and windsurfing, and several restaurants including Kot Nou with its home-style dishes and Taba-J, a beach shack selling Mauritian street food favourites. This is also a resort for those who like to let their hair down, with live music and DJ parties. The group also includes the family-friendly Zilwa Attitude, home to the
island’s first eco spa, as well as a jaw-dropping kids’ club, complete with a real decommissioned boat in which playing pirate takes on new dimensions.
hotels-attitude.com
home of Indian-Mauritian Soveeta, who is operations coordinator at The Ravenala Attitude hotel. Here we helped Soveeta’s mum make spicy gâteaux piments and feasted on dishes including taro leaf curry, pumpkin curry with mustard seeds and a zingy salad of cucumber, carrot and watercress, all eaten out of banana leaves with our hands, in local style. It’s the only Otentik excursion that costs extra, at about £13, but this is incredible value and goes into locals’ pockets. Experiences like these might not be the main reason people come to Mauritius, but they certainly enrich a stay and make it beneficial for locals – which seems like a win-win to me. TW
BOOK IT
Emirates Holidays offers a week’s all-inclusive at Lagoon Attitude from £1,625 per person, based on two sharing with flights from Heathrow on May 8, 2022.
emiratesholidays.com
travelweekly.co.uk
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