INDIAN OCEAN MAURITIUS DESTINATIONS RIGHT: Lux Ile des Deux Cocos


private island BELOW:


Port Louis Adventure activities


Ziplining: Premier Holidays recommends the zipline at River Galets for adventurous types wanting to glimpse the rainforest from on high.


E-bike tours: Electrobike Discovery offers cycling tours round the island, giving clients a chance to experience its verdant inclines with a helpful boost.


Water sports: For wannabe windsurfers, suggest St Regis Resort Mauritius in the southwest, which offers lessons for all abilities.


SAMPLE PRODUCT


Fred Olsen Cruise Lines


offers a 28-night Indian Ocean Islands cruise


from £4,999 per person including flights, activities and all meals, with optional excursions in Mauritius including


Pamplemousses Botanical


Gardens and tours of the north and south (cost extra).


fredolsen cruises.com


Hayes & Jarvis offers a week’s half-board at


The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa from £2,249 per person, including return Emirates flights from Gatwick, departing


November 20. hayesand jarvis.co.uk


CASTAWAY ISLANDS Just as spectacular are the islands surrounding the mainland. Among them you’ll find Ile des Deux Cocos, a circular, forested patch of paradise floating off the southeast coast in Blue Bay Marine Park, framed with white- sand shores and towering palms. Home to an opulent, Moorish-style villa built by British governor Sir Hesketh Bell, this remote island was once the setting for raucous, Gatsby-esque parties cut off from the mainland. Today it offers day-trippers a barbecue buffet on the beach plus an open bar offering flavoured rums that let you embrace your inner Jack Sparrow. Lux Resorts offers a day trip here, or the chance to stay overnight. Farther north lies Ile aux Cerfs,


a private island reachable by ferry, which Sovereign recommends for its snorkel-friendly waters and 18-hole, championship golf course. Beyond that you’ll find the likes of Gabriel Island, home to pristine waters and accessed by speedboat, and Ile aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve reachable by catamaran from the mainland, where giant Aldabra tortoises amble in the lush greenery.


w CULTURE TRIP It’s not just natural charm in which Mauritius is rich. For clients looking to explore its cultural side, capital Port Louis makes an excellent starting point. Alongside colonial architecture, key sights here include a historic citadel and the central market – a higgledy-piggledy collection of shoes,


31 May 2018 travelweekly.co.uk 51


The sacred lake of Grand Bassin is surrounded by statues and shrines, with locals gathering on the banks to burn incense


bags, scarves and eclectic handicrafts spilling out from narrow passages, where smells of exotic spices and pungent fish swirl through the air. The city gives a good insight into


the varied cultural influences that make up Mauritius’s diverse heritage – with Indian, Creole and French cuisine


pouring out of its restaurants – but to explore its spiritual side further suggest heading south to the sacred lake of Grand Bassin. The water here is believed to have been brought from the holy Ganges in India and it’s surrounded by colourful statues, shrines and temples. Locals gather at the banks burning incense, monkeys bound around the grounds and Hindu songs chime out from the temple. Several operators feature it as part of tours, including Viator, which adds a visit to La Rhumerie de Chamarel, a Mauritian lunch and other highlights (from £82), and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, which offers passengers a full-day excursion (from £92). Who said Mauritius was just about spas and beaches?


PICTURE: MAURITIUS TOURISM PROMOTION AUTHORITY


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76