Luxury Holidays to Mauritius

If you’re near a window, look south-eastwards for a moment. There, 6,000 miles over the horizon, deep in the Indian Ocean, lie the blindingly white palm-edged beaches, blue lagoons, coral reefs, emerald sugar-cane fields and purple mountain peaks of Mauritius. Another world? Yes. But in just 12 hours you could be there! 

When it comes to today’s faraway holiday preference, a Luxury All Inclusive holiday to Mauritius is definitely up there with the leaders. Nature has done its bit, of course, with exotic tropical scenes that will etch themselves on your memory. A stylish gallery of world-class resort hotels adds all the essential creature comforts and leisure pursuits. Scattered along the 205-mile coastline and nestling contentedly beside picture-book beaches, each has its own character. You’ll feel instantly at home. That’s what Mauritius does best.

Island Adventure

Mountains, deep ravines and gorges offer short hikes and mountain bike trips (a chance to see some endemic birdlife and wild monkeys) – while, offshore, supervised sea-kayaking excursions can be booked. Exploring by car is a popular way to discover the island’s lush and often lofty interior.  Don’t miss the waterfront at Port Louis and do visit the National Park in the beautiful interior.

Nightlife & Party with Locals

Most larger hotels (and many smaller ones) ensure that their guests can enjoy live band entertainment and dancing on-site, with regular Sega dance events. If you want more options to hand then the liveliest area to stay is Grand Baie, with its restaurants, bars and discos.

Gourmet Cuisine & Dining Out

French, Chinese, Creole, and Indian influences have all gone into the exotic Mauritius culinary pot! Whether your main course leans toward Indian curries or Chinese sweet-and-sour fish, they and a host of exotic new flavours await the jaded palate. A colourful ethnic mix means you can look forward to some wonderful palate, pleasing cuisine. Mauritian cuisine is definitely worth experiencing during your luxury holiday in Mauritius.

World Class Golf Courses

There’s excellent golf to be enjoyed on at least 12 delightful courses adjoining some of the leading hotels – the most acclaimed of which are the Le Touessrok Golf Club on Ile aux Cerfs and the Belle Mare Plage Golf Club.  What could be more pleasant than being on a dream island whilst having the opportunity to improve your golfing skills?

World's Best Scuba Dive Sites

Mauritius is surrounded by a coral reef with a rich marine life – and offers shallow comfortable dive sites for beginners, as well as walls, rock formations, caverns and wrecks for the experienced. Some of the best diving is where the island reef breaks - especially between Souillac and Le Bouchon (south coast) and at Flic en Flac (west coast).

Family Luxury holiday in Mauritius

Mauritius’ hotel beaches are reef-protected in the main and normally ideal for supervised youngsters. Well-organised Children's Clubs are the norm at the majority of resort hotels.  Some hotels and resorts offer babysitting services ensuring a fun holiday experience for the entire family on the tropical island of Mauritius.  Mauritius is the perfect family holiday destination.

Luxury All-Inclusive Holiday to Mauritius

When it comes to all-inclusive holidays options, a Luxury holiday to Mauritius offers you an embarrassment of riches – with packages of varying comprehensiveness available at a range of properties around the island.  Luxury All-inclusive holidays to Mauritius are cost-effective too!

Mauritius’ white-sand Indian Ocean beaches and fabulous watersports may incline you not to travel far from your oceanside resort. Fight that temptation! The island’s lush and often lofty interior, the buzz of its towns and villages and the quality of its many land activities all demand some time. Each coastline has its own character. The north with its long beaches and calm lagoons is home to Grand Baie, the only 'resort' area, while on the east coast is fabulous 6-mile long Belle Mare beach. While the relatively more developed west coast, boasting its own string of perfect beaches.  Exploring by car is a popular way to discover the colourful holiday island of Mauritius.  Don't miss the waterfront at Port Louis and do visit the National park in the beautiful interior.

WHAT TO SEE DURING YOUR LUXURY HOLIDAY TO  MAURITIUS

Port Louis

Mauritius’ busy little capital, set within an amphitheatre of mountains, is a place of character and slightly faded elegance. Named after the French Louis XV, it boasts some fine 18th century French buildings, two cathedrals, a mosque, museums and the fortified Fort Adelaide citadel with splendid views of the town, harbour and racecourse (yes, really! – it was once a French military parade ground). The swirling Central Market – best visited early - will provide a flavour of the island’s exotic ethnic and cultural pedigree. Another ‘must’ is Le Caudan Waterfront, a popular leisure spot.

Royal Botanical Gardens of Pamplemousses

Not far from Port Louis, the famous Pamplemousses Gardens have a fascinating history going back nearly three centuries. Heavy with the fragrance of fruit and spice trees, their 60 acres contain stately palms, ebony, mahogany, pandanus, a 200-years-old Buddha tree and a pool of beautiful Giant Amazon water lilies.

Chamarel

A twisting road in the south-west of the island takes you to the geological phenomenon of the 'Seven Coloured Earths' - an undulating mound of multi-coloured sand, created by the weathering of volcanic rocks. A scenic waterfall located amid jungle vegetation adds to the setting.

Black Gorges National Park

Definitely not to be missed, this beautiful Park fringed by coniferous trees and casuarinas is home to endangered species like the echo parakeet, rare trees like the tambalacoque (dodo) tree – and, of course, many monkeys and deer. Nature-lovers can walk for miles in the Black River Gorge itself. Not far away is Lake Bassin, a volcanic crater and holiest Hindu pilgrimage site on the island.

Casela Bird Park

Casela Bird Park is known to ornithologists around the world, and habitat of the world's rarest pigeon, the pink pigeon.

Curepipe & Trou aux Cerfs

Curepipe is the place to come if you’re interested in model-ship building and/or shopping! If not, the views of the island from the ancient crater of Trou aux Cerfs are unbeatable and worth the climb. In this area are the Tamarind Falls - seven falls tumbling into a deep, quiet pool ideal for swimming.

Grand Baie 

When it’s time to let your hair down and party into the night then the lively north coast beach resort area of Grand Baie is where you’ll want to be. Grand Baie has a host of bars, restaurants and hotels, which between them offer a pretty full programme of entertainment choices.

Moka

Moka lies in the picturesque surroundings of the lush Moka Range Mountains and waterfalls. The 19th century mansions of Le Reduit and Eureka House offer insights into Mauritius’ colonial history – and splendid views.

Mahebourg

A busy commercial centre and former colonial town set on a pretty bay where you can relax and sunbathe. The Naval Museum is a particular attraction, while nearby there are two beautiful nature reserves - the Ile aux Aigrettes and the Domaine du Chasseur.

WHAT TO DO DURING YOUR LUXURY HOLIDAY TO  MAURITIUS

Sports

Without question a Luxury holiday in Mauritius can offer you some of the Indian Ocean’s finest watersports facilities and conditions. Waterskiing, windsurfing, snorkelling, deep-sea or lagoon diving, surfing, sailing and more – name them and they’re probably here! A number are often included in resort packages. The island’s superb underwater landscapes and variety of fish and sea plants make diving highly popular – as is deep-sea fishing (for which Mauritius offers both high-quality equipment and catches of impressive size and variety). Ashore, sport-lovers can take their pick of most major land activities, including golf, tennis, quad-biking, horse riding and trekking. See also the At a Glance section for more information on scuba-diving and golf.

Bird-Watching

Though the only dodo to be seen in Mauritius these days (and a replica at that!) is in a Port Louis museum, the island offers really rewarding bird-watching, including rare endemic species like the echo parakeet and pink pigeon.

Horse-Racing

Mauritius’ historic Champ de Mars racecourse is one of the oldest race courses in the southern hemisphere. Racing is highly popular here - pulling regular crowds of 30,000 people every Saturday afternoon from May to September.

 Shopping

On your Luxury holiday to Mauritius you’ll find both traditional Mauritian Arts and Crafts (look out for those model ships!) products and branded luxury goods in shopping centres in towns and beach resorts alike. A number of attractively priced duty-free shops (for designer clothes, perfumes, jewellery and electronic items) and colourful local markets like those in Port Louis, Grand Baie and Quatre Bornes (where you can practice the national sport of bargaining) provide a complete shopping spectrum. Le Caudan Waterfront’s Arts & Crafts market is well worth a visit. Mauritius is a major textile producer and in factory outlets around the island cashmere sweaters and cardigans are often offered at irresistible prices.

Nightlife

Nightlife tends to focus around the beach resorts (especially the Grand Baie area, which has a host of bars and restaurants) and hotels, which between them offer a pretty full programme of entertainment choices. Mauritius’ traditional and infectious Sega dance features prominently, along with oriental dance performances. Some hotels also have their own casinos. In Port Louis Le Caudan Waterfront offers restaurants, a casino and two cinemas after dark - and you’ll also find casinos at Domaines les Pailles (Port Louis) and in Curepipe.

 Its rich multicultural heritage is one of Mauritius’ many attractive features. So it’s no surprise that the events and festivals in this island nation should celebrate this diversity, and blend in the major attractions of all cultures. Here are some highlights among the many.

January

The New Year's festival of Thai Pongai takes place on the first day of the month of Thai to celebrate the end of the harvest season. Happy painted cows are served delicious rice pudding in a festival of cleansing, purification and thanksgiving.

February

‘Ebony 2007’ at Citadelle (Port Louis) marks the celebration of the Abolition of Slavery – and showcases Mauritian skills in the making of clothes, jewellery and other accessories. This is also the month of Thaipoosam Cavadee, the festival when Tamil worshippers sport anatomy-defying piercings in an amazing display of religious fervour. February also brings Maha Shivaratri, when hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees congregate in a volcanic lake to bathe statuettes of Lord Shiva. The Chinese New Year - also known as the Spring Festival - is a another major February event, as families celebrate the beginning of a new year with vows, fireworks, good food and celebration. Fishing fans can keep an eye on the progress of the Marlin World Cup and the South Indian Ocean Billfish Competition.

March

March 12th is Mauritius’ National Day, celebrated throughout the island. Holika Dahan, or the Festival of Colour, sees Mauritian Hindus celebrating good harvests and the Earth's fertility. Huge bonfires are made on the eve of the festival, while the actual day is marked by loud processions, singing, dancing, traditional songs - and a whole lot more.

April

The Festival D'Art Pyrotechnique is an international firework competition held at Citadelle - and the organisers of the Sydney Fireworks, among others, will be there!

May

The 2007 Reggae Festival features local bands with their songs and live shows, in a style combining elements of reggae, ragga and dancehall with the traditional musical heritage of the Mauritian Sega dance.

September

Pere Laval’s Day sees thousands of devotees flock to the shrine of the 19th century holy missionary Pere Laval, the 'Saint of Mauritius' who fought passionately against slavery.

October

Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the Hindu year, and Hindus all over Mauritius celebrate this event as enthusiastically as they do in India. In the same month is Id-ul-Fitr, the Muslim festival celebrated to mark the end of the fasting period of Ramadan.

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