Back in 2020, Holidaysplease, in conjunction with specialists Beachcomber Tours, had planned a reward adventure for us to magical Mauritius.
I was delighted to recently join over 100 colleagues on the long-awaited four-night action-packed trip to the Shandrani Beachcomber Resort and Spa, located on the island’s south coast.
I joined the group flying direct from Heathrow with Air Mauritius, who will soon be moving to Gatwick to offer a daily service. It was my first time flying with the airline - it was an excellent experience that I can highly recommend.
The 12-hour flight, both to and from Mauritius, is overnight and I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable my aisle seat was, with plenty of legroom. The onboard food was delicious and the crew extremely attentive, coming round regularly with drinks and top-ups.
Having first seen the Shandrani on a site inspection 17 years ago, I was very excited to be returning and this time to be staying.
The resort is only four miles from the airport, so the transfer is very short, and you can of course see the planes clearly from the hotel. Flights, however, are infrequent - with the main times being early morning and late evening - and it is a spectacular sight as they pass and quickly disappear within seconds.
70 acres of gardens and the Blue Bay Marine Park surround the hotel, which comprises 327 spacious rooms - the Superior ones are 50sqm. My four nights here were spent in a lovely 60sqm Deluxe room, which you can see in the video below, which would comfortably house a family of four. For larger groups, there are two-bedroom apartments and Deluxe Family Apartments and suites.
The Shandrani has a huge amount to offer, including three very different beaches; lots of complimentary land and water sports, such as a nine-hole pitch and putt golf course, tennis courts, a gym, snorkeling and a water-skiing school; a fabulous spa; and no less than six restaurants.
The Teak Elephant and Le Sirius were my favourites, with the former providing a mouth-watering Thai fine dining taster menu and the latter hosting our spectacular gala night, at which we were treated to fire dancers on the beach and fireworks over the Indian Ocean.
I should add that this is also a wonderful setting and facility for a wedding party - the service, food and decorations were all outstanding.
Beachcomber have eight fantastic resorts on the island and I spent a day visiting a couple of them.
I had the pleasure of staying at Victoria on the northwest coast as part of my holiday at the end of 2021 and it will always hold a special place in my heart as the first Mauritian hotel I stayed at 17 years ago, even more so now with the recently added Victoria for 2 adult-only wing, appealing to honeymooners and couples wanting to simply relax and enjoy beautiful contemporary rooms.
The main hotel is a fantastic family option with its large rooms, great facilities, long stretch of beach and varied choice of restaurants.
Trou aux Biches is an understated luxurious hotel with an impressive choice of accommodation, including Junior Suites, Beachfront Suites with plunge pools and fantastic two- and three-bedroom pool villas, where you can have a served breakfast and for an additional charge, a traditional Mauritian dinner experience.
Like all the Beachcomber Hotels there is something for everyone, including great kids and teens clubs, numerous complimentary land and water sports, and for golfers, reduced green fees at the nearby Mont Choisy Le Golf.
The spa is in an idyllic setting, tucked in the tropical gardens and resplendent with rustic thatched cabins. The birds provide the soundtrack to your treatment before some relaxation by the pool under the shade of the frangipani trees. Inside, there are air-conditioned pavilions as well as dry steam and wet baths – blissful would be a pretty accurate summary.
Beachcomber were keen to show that there is so much more to Mauritius than beautiful beaches and stunning sunsets by kindly providing us with a fantastic choice of excursions that included pirate and speed boat trips, zip wiring, cycling, walking, quad bike tours - and the one I chose, entitled 'A Walk in the Park'.
This was a beautifully coordinated full-day cultural trip around the south of the island with various stops a short time apart, that started with a real goosebump experience at a sacred Hindu Lake, a calm spiritual haven with sounds of 'om' echoing all around.
Next, we visited a tea plantation, observing the process from picking to the final product before participating in a tasting session.
Lunch was provided in a beautiful colonial mansion, followed by a visit to a rum distillery and an opportunity to make our own flavoured rum. I added pineapple and vanilla to mine, which is still distilling nicely, and I can’t wait to try it!
The day’s highlight though was a visit to La Vanille Nature Park where we got to spend time with the giant tortoises. These guys are huge!
This was a fantastic, relaxing day that I really appreciated and that showcased the island perfectly.
Although our schedule was busy and informative, I did still manage to enjoy the Shandrani’s three beaches, swim in the stunning Indian Ocean, sip some cocktails and savour the beautiful sunrise on my first morning and a mesmerising sunset on my final night before heading north to round my trip off with a couple of days with colleagues.
Massive thanks to the terrific staff at Shandrani for their hospitality and to Beachcomber and Holidaysplease for the opportunity to experience more of this charming island.
I am happy to share further details upon request about any of the Beachcomber properties, where I regularly send clients to, and am now able to provide offers throughout 2024 and even into 2025.
