A special island for a special celebration
We normally like to combine lots of sightseeing with some relaxation and Mauritius turned out to be perfect. We chose a quiet corner of the island, Bel Ombre, and stayed at the beautiful Outrigger Beach Resort.
From start to finish we were well and truly spoilt as the hotel provided all sorts of anniversary specials like champagne and fruit in our room on arrival, an anniversary dinner on the beach, free spa treatment and even a special anniversary cake with indoor fireworks! What we liked most about the hotel was its informality, despite a 5* rating. Nothing was too much trouble for the lovely staff who without exception always greeted us with a sunny smile and friendly word. The private beach was perfect and the resort facilities everything we could have wished for.
There are so many high-quality hotels like the Outrigger that offer all-inclusive packages, the temptation might be to spend the whole time on site. However, we like to explore, and Mauritius did not disappoint.
We took a catamaran cruise one day sailing up the stunning East coast, snorkelling in a lagoon, visiting the Grand River South East Waterfall, before a BBQ lunch served on board and then on to the beautiful Ile Aux Cerfs with a swimming stop on the island. We finally headed back towards Bel Ombre and ended up "racing" a couple of other catamarans!
The highlight of our week though was the Wild South West tour with a wonderful guide. We visited the 90m high Chamarel Waterfalls and the stunning Seven-Coloured Earth, sampled rum at the Rhumerie de Chamarel, enjoyed a traditional Mauritian lunch stopped in the Black River Gorges Park, home to most of the island’s flora and fauna. We also visited Grand Bassin, (Ganga Talao), the atmospheric sacred lake for the Hindus, saw the Trou aux Cerfs volcanic crater with a 360-degree view over the island and even visited a model ship workshop where all the models are handcrafted.
We took time to try sea kayaking, took a glass bottomed boat trip over the coral reef near the hotel, went quad biking and rented electric cycles to go exploring.
The island has something for everyone. Would we go back? Definitely. Would we recommend it? Absolutely. It's the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary, honeymoon or landmark birthday.
To find out more why not get in touch about what the island has to offer and some of the many lovely hotels we feature you can choose from. It truly is a special place.