IGO TRAVEL and World Leisure Holidays Educational

IGO TRAVEL | 9 April 2018

IGO TRAVEL and World Leisure Holidays Educational

Still in awe that I was privileged enough to go on this educational to Mauritius.

After our direct flight from Durban to Mauritius, we arrived quite late at Anelia after being met by our friendly transfer company in the Mauritius Airport.

Day 1: Anelia Resort & Spa
It took approximately an hour to get here and is located along the beautiful Dolphin Bay in sought-after Flic en Flac (west coast of Mauritius). Anelia Resort & Spa is the perfect place to experience all the wonders of Mauritius. Large Reception area and big glass windows to view the beautiful beach outside, which is just a stones throw away; and Sega dancers entertained us. Beautiful beach and swimming bay.

We had a late buffet dinner on the beach and there was live entertainment which is on every Saturday.  There is an American style burger bar and a great welcome cocktail.  The staff are very welcoming and friendly.

Day 2: Anahita Golf and Spa Resort
We stopped to shop en route to Anahita and also drove up the mountain en route (in Black River National Park), to a very high view point where we had a picnic for Lunch.  We were treated to a brand new restaurant called Wapalalapam Island Eatery (Le Morne Brabant) – that was AMAZING!

Then after another approximate 1.5 hour drive we reached our next destination, on the East coast. Located on an exclusive beach on the south-east coast at Beau Champ, Anahita The Resort offers an idyllic island experience perfect for families and couples alike. There is 300m of private beach on Ile aux Cerfs Island, mere minutes away by boat.
Check-in followed by a gorgeous dinner (live cooking stations) and Sega dancers to entertain us! We spent the night at Anahita and were fortunate enough to stay in a 3 bed Villa (just two of us!) with a private pool, kitchen, lounge, dining area and direct access to the garden patio with a stunning view over the bay. A really stunning property, beach, facility and golf course!
Day 3
07h45 Shuttle Transfer to Four Seasons Resort where we were treated to a magnificent Breakfast in one of their restaurants that is built over the lagoon, complete with tropical fish swimming in the crystal clear waters. This property is amazing and there are also private dwellings. It is a HUGE area and the quality of finishing touches, décor, gardens and facilities are second to none. We inspected the area in golf carts and there are also bicycles available to get around on! A myriad of magnificent beaches and swimming areas and a lot of space!

09h30 Transfer back to Anahita and Check-out. We then continued our journey onto Shangri-La’s Le Touessrok, slightly more north-east coast. It has 4 stunning beaches, and also has an adults only section, with pool, restaurant and rooms. Ile de Cerfs is great for active people; as well as the more secluded & private Ile de Mangenie are both accessible & close. Nice Kids Club and facilities.

11h30 The Residence Mauritius. We popped in and visited, in Belle Mare (and were there within 20 mins). This property was refurbished in 2007, it has 3 categories of rooms. There is a lot of history surrounding this hotel, with artefacts and images in frames dotting the public areas –which gives it it’s colonial charm. Very large, quiet and a ‘grand old lady’; I liked the room with its dark wood, classic furnishings; a lovely beach.

12h45 Long Beach: We drove up the coast North for another 10 minutes and had reached the next property called Long Beach.  We had an amazing lunch in their Japanese Fusion restaurant called Chopsticks (they have 3 restaurants) and Following lunch; we went on to look at this hotel’s facilities. IN summary, a large, awesome beach, shops, 4 pools, lawn areas, florist, spa, gym, kids facilities, tennis courts, rock climbing wall. You have 5 categories of rooms to choose from and can stay on half board or all-inclusive.

14h45 Ambre: 10 minutes back to Belle Mare on the East coast and we were at Ambre Resort & Spa for the night. Ambre is an all-inclusive resort and is the perfect private and tranquil setting for couples, friends and singles alike, who are looking for some “time out” in a tropical paradise… So come treat yourself to paradise on earth at the perfect adult getaway. Very attentive staff, nice reception area with shop, gorgeous spa, amazing sandy beach. This is an adults only resort and we had some amazing canape’s and dinner. There have been many proposals here! Great for honeymooners and affordable too. There is a karaoke bar and disco!

Day 4
After a delicious buffet breakfast at Ambre we travelled on to the west coast, 1.5 hours to the Sofitel L’Imperial Hotel & Spa for a quick visit. It is a Balinese / Indonesian feel property and is also large, airy and beautiful. Superb luxury rooms with bathrooms that open onto the rooms which have very comfy beds and views onto the ocean. An amazing spa facility and 4 restaurants. This property is half board.

Half an hour later to the south we travelled to Tamarina Boutique Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa. A championship 18 hole golf course with a 19th Hole restaurant. There are a number of private villas surrounding the golf course. We then drove approximately 10 minutes to the Tamarina Boutique Hotel; which is in a really unique setting and has a beautiful stretch of beach with waves (as there is no reef protecting this area) so a MUST for any surfers! Stylish garden rooms with terraces. Beautiful restaurant setting which is ‘deck like’. There are steps to access this property, so definitely for more able bodied persons.

From here we went onto Shanti Maurice, a 1 hour 15 minutes drive to the South. Shanti Maurice is located on one of the best beaches in Mauritius; this five-star resort offers a haven of idyllic island leisure. Think pristine white sand, colourful coral reefs, gloriously warm water and palm-fringed shores. We were treated like queens and were fortunate enough to be staying overnight in the luxurious Junior suite; which has an amazing HUGE bathroom and finished in very luxurious style.

The whole resort has been built with Feng Shui in mind. The bedrooms are luxurious and they have a private balcony with vistas over the beach and ocean – truly magnificent. We experienced a beautiful ‘family style’ lunch and an awesome dinner at their unique ‘rum shack’ restaurant – A MUST! They also have a beach restaurant called the ‘fish shack’. The beach is powder sand, beautiful and pristine. The Sunsets are amazing and this is a very romantic, unique spot and one which I highly recommend! There is also a garden restaurant with homegrown ingredients. They also have a truly spectacular spa (the largest facility on the island) and staff are attentive. This place truly is a gem and has a private jetty for weddings or proposals! There is free golf that can be played at nearby Avalon. We were fortunate enough to overnight at Shanti Maurice.

Day 5
04h00 Wake-up call (and we were on our way!) We waited in the library with complimentary snacks, coffee, yoghurt and fruit. Before long, our transfer had us all back on the bus for our transfer back to the airport for our flight to Durban. Within 4 hours we were back in SA. A whirlwind visit that was over far too soon. …Mauritius, I will be back.

Written by Amanda, Content Manager at IGO TRAVEL. All images in this blog are also images taken from Amanda on the educational.