Mauritius with Club Med
We flew from Heathrow to Mauritius with Air Mauritius. It was a 12 hour flight with two meals which were very good. The outbound flight was on an older aircraft, but still offered a good inflight service and had seat back TVs, on the way back the aircraft was noticeably modern and also had the luxury of on demand movies.
On arrival at Mauritius you immediately sensed the warm welcome and the procedures were very fast and efficient and we were whisked away in a lovely air conditioned minibus to the north island to our first resort: La Pointe aux Canonniers.
The transfer time was approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Mauritius is beautifully green due to its climate and is somewhat diverse everything from crops to Palms.
We were welcomed at La Pointe aux Canonniers with a refreshing flannel and tropical cocktail and very quickly experienced the excellent service and friendliness from the Club Med staff. This 4* resort has a contemporary, cosmopolitan, relaxed feel to it with open-plan architecture. There are approximately 280 rooms located around the tropical garden alongside a white sandy beach. Accommodation ranges from deluxe to club and suite rooms.
Food and wine was of a high standard, very much a French Cuisine experience. There is plenty of fresh fish. Vegetarians are also well catered for with fresh fruit, beans, seeds, spices and vegetables in many shapes and forms. The service from the waiting staff was excellent and very attentive, and one of the simple luxuries is that they would bring a full bottle of wine of your choice which meant you didn't have to keep asking for another glass. The location of the restaurant was also stunning - right on the beach front, which is lovely and relaxing and created a lovely ambience.
At La Pointe aux Canonniers there are plenty of activities to keep you busy, everything from tennis to scuba diving. One of the plus points of this resort is that they also offer motorised water sports from the beach. It also has a Spa with very reasonably priced treatments.
This resort is also excellent for a family holiday as Club Med's child card really does set them apart from your usual family hotels. It has the most amazing crèche facilities and takes children from 4 months to 17 years.
We took a short trip into Grand Baie which has great shopping and the opportunity to pick up some reasonably priced local produce, it also had a very pretty beach. There were a few designer and factory outlets and a couple of beach side cafes. There are also a lot of water sports and excursions from Grand Baie.
We tried as many of the activities as we possibly could during our two night stay and thoroughly enjoyed it. We also loved the dining and entertainment/themed evenings organised with great passion by the resort staff.
On our third day we were taken by boat transfer to La Plantation d'Albion which is located on the west coast of the island (the airport transfer to this resort takes approximately 60 minutes.) It was a lovely way to travel between resorts and is offered to guests at cost if they would like visit or enjoy a two centre holiday.
La Plantation d'Albion immediately is noticeable as an upmarket 5* sister property of the La Pointe aux Canonniers. The resort is a very natural, wooded setting with two white sand beaches protected by a coral reef, one of which is immediately accessible from the resort, has fine, white coral sand. Both beaches are equipped with deck chairs and parasols.
There are just over 260 rooms and suites at this resort all with either terrace or balcony looking out over the ocean or gardens. Again there are lots of activities going on here from water sports, land sports and golf to beach volleyball. We had the opportunity to try as many activities as possible and you really are spoilt for choice here! One of the main attractions here is the flying trapeze academy with circus activities (included in the holiday package)! There is also golf, sailing, tennis and archery as well as beach volleyball, water polo, mini football, a cardio and weights room, kayaking and snorkelling.
There is also a Spa with 12 individual treatments rooms and a Zen Area (adults only, with a beautiful infinity pool looking out to the ocean). This gave the resort a great sense of calmness and tranquillity as well as a sense of purpose for the overall ambience of the hotel.
The evening entertainment was excellent and I have to say it was some of the best hotel entertainment I have ever seen.
The food choice in the restaurants was also sublime, something different every day and the presentation was stunning. They also have a very lovely a la carte restaurant which has an ocean front setting. Another factor that sets this hotel apart are the beautifully appointed Butler Villas!
Never having experienced a Club Med holiday before I went with a very open mind, but I was suitably impressed and would have no hesitation in recommending either of the properties that we stayed at. First Class service, food and entertainment, not forgetting the warmth of the Mauritians.
There is so much on offer for a holiday to the Indian Ocean and Mauritius: from golf and spa resorts to kids clubs and special occasions like honeymoons, anniversaries and of course the complete wedding package tailored made to each and every special couple. One of the main appealing factors is the lack of jet lag with a time difference of + 2 hours in summer and + 3 hours in winter.
Mauritius is not cheap, but definitely one of my top ten destinations and I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to return to this beautiful island. If you would like more information on Mauritius please don't hesitate to contact me.