Delicious Mauritius

Brian Telfer on 09 September 2010
I was invited to spend a week at the Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa in Mauritius, as a guest of Francis Longueve, General Manager and it was a fabulous way to spend my birthday.

BA had an offer available, so we booked Club World Class for our night flight out and World Traveller Plus for our return. We’d booked Meteor Meet and Greet for our car and as usual, this worked like clockwork. After a priority check-in, we relaxed in the BA lounge with newspapers and good food and drink. The Club Class beds meant we arrived remarkably fresh and alert after a 12 hour flight. After a private car transfer, we were warmly welcomed at Maradiva and taken to our villa.

In our beach villa, there was a large, private outdoor lounge area with dining table, sofas, coffee table, minibar, CD player and BOSE iPod dock, mirror and a plunge pool with a large day bed. At night, the outdoor area was illuminated, and is a lovely place to sit with a glass of wine and gaze at the stars. Inside, there is a large bedroom, walk-in dressing area, indoor and outdoor showers and bath. Because of the turndown service, the villa was effectively cleaned and tidied twice each day. (The TV showed Premier League football games, as an added bonus). The villa was located close to the beach, but also felt completely private. We had breakfast in the main restaurant Coast2Coast on the terrace. Everything was beautifully cooked and presented and it was a lovely relaxing start to the day. My girlfriend got used to me going off to get fruit juice and then being escorted back to my seat by a waiter carrying the juice on a tray – you were literally not meant to lift a finger. You can also enjoy breakfast at your villa. Bar and food service at pool area and beach was fantastic - we never had to wait more than a few minutes. The Maradiva team was excellent, providing complimentary iced water, cold face towels, fruit and sorbets on the beach. Pre-dinner cocktails in the Breakers bar were a highlight, as again the staff was very professional and engaging, and nothing was too much trouble for them. At dinner, we were always made to feel special - even on the night we opted out of the haute cuisine and asked for a ham and mushroom pizza. Walking back to the villa along the illuminated walkways was so romantic.

The private beach is a long stretch of sand with plenty of trees, so you can have your sun bed in the shade or under the sun. The beach was not crowded. I spent my birthday gazing across the lagoon and listening to the waves. Perfect! There are huge double sunbeds around the fabulous heated infinity pool, providing a great place to chill out, view the lagoon and watch the sunsets. We walked along the beach to Flic en Flac – a walk of about 45 – 60 minutes, passing by other private beaches and also the public beaches. A great way to work on the tan and get some exercise. The Maradiva Spa has wonderful treatments. You can also use the spa’s heated pool, steam and sauna rooms free of charge. It’s a beautiful place in which to relax. At the Sports Centre, we used the tennis court, both gyms and took out the bikes. All of this was complimentary. The boathouse has complimentary activities such as snorkelling and glass-bottom boat rides. The boathouse staff also had good knowledge of other water activities. Day trips recommended to us by other guests are: the Rum factory/Colonial house, the Catamaran trip and Walking with Lions. We met couples who had got married at Maradiva or were spending their honeymoon there and it was obvious that Maradiva was a magical place for them, with champagne breakfasts, spa treatments for two, candlelight dinners on the beach, rose petal baths, and other details making the difference. We also met up with a couple who were there for their anniversary and who were enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the resort, combined with shopping expeditions outside. I am a qualified Mauritius specialist, so if Mauritius is on your list to visit or you dream of having your wedding and honeymoon there, please contact me now on 020 3432 2510 and I'll research & arrange everything for you..