Before Christmas quickly comes upon us again I thought I’d write something in between about something a little more summery…my recent holiday to Mauritius.
I’m still suffering from summer blues. I think it’s safe to say that I’m most definitely NOT a fan of the nights drawing in and the cold weather. It was so lovely to get away and soak up some much needed winter sun, although, it does make it much more of an unwelcome shock, when you have to return home in November, and the cold air suddenly hits you. If I could transport myself back into these photos then trust me I would. But I’ll stop moaning as I was lucky enough to spend ten days on the most beautiful island which is literally a paradise built in your dreams. Mauritius. I have been once before but on the other side of the island and, in my opinion, it doesn’t even compare to where I stayed this time. In Le Morne Peninsula. We stayed at the St Regis Mauritius resort.
This blissful getaway is situated on the most southern tip of the island. In this perfect location, the resort backs onto the World Heritage site of Le Morne mountain and adjacent to a turquoise lagoon with open ocean views.
The hotel, rooms and suites are luxuriously decorated in a traditional ivory white colonial style, which I loved. The whole resort is like a beautiful colonial village and everything has so much charm. Our room was beautiful and had a stunning view of the sea, which was only a few steps away.
The resort is orientated to the west so you can watch the impressive sunsets from the beach…and from your room too.
Our mini bar was stocked with cookies & cream Kit Kats (which I may have failed to resist) and lots of other goodies to tempt us too. They also left us amazing fresh fruit which was obviously a much healthier option to go for. I attempted to make my way to the gym a couple of times but found myself at the peaceful spa instead, or on the beach doing yoga (while the sun was setting may I add).
I had to do some form of exercise to ease the guilt of indulging in such delicious food every day. Most days I ordered the catch of the day, which was always incredible and freshly caught. The ruby snapper was my favourite. The best dessert I had was the melting chocolate fondant with cashew nut ice cream (also so good). It was heavenly.
When driving from the airport in Port Louis to the St Regis, we went past many sugar plantations and their factories, as this is the second largest industry in Mauritius, after tourism. Mauritians also have a huge passion for tea and I discovered this through exploring their impressive range of tea on the menu. My favourite was the vanilla tea, which was so good we even had one of the waiters we befriended kindly give us a whole box to take home. I have already gone through this box and just placed my next order for more as I think I’m a little obsessed. The staff were so welcoming and friendly, always wanting to help you with a big smile on their face.
“Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius” – Mark Twain
I think you can agree that nothing beats feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin whilst listening to the sound of the waves crashing in the distance, and feeling the soft sand between your toes. The beach was completely breathtaking and where I spent 99% of my time. It sounds like such a cliché but the sea was crystal clear, and the sand really was completely white. There is a big coral reef surrounding the island, which breaks the waves coming in from the ocean. This means that the water at the shore is really calm and you don’t have to fight your way into the sea, which was also a bonus.
On one of the days we decided to venture off of our sunbeds and go on a glass bottom boat towards the reef. We saw so many colourful fish and coral which encouraged me to go snorkelling when we got back. Once I got my snorkel sorted and mastered the whole breathing concept, without swallowing all of the ocean, it was an amazing experience. So many beautifully coloured fish swam past me and I loved every second of it.
The only difficult part of the holiday was the sad realisation that all good things eventually must come to an end and we had to say our goodbyes. But at least we are left with memories and beautiful photos to look back on… which I hope brought a little bit of sunshine into your day. I most definitely did not hold back on the photo front but can you really blame me? Mark Twain’s quote is completely believable once you’ve visited and experienced the paradise that is Mauritius.
beautyandthetrail 