My services were recommended to Janine and Neal during the pandemic, who wanted to do something special to celebrate their 50th birthdays.
Although initially keen to consider a safari and beach trip similar to their friends' honeymoon, the continuing travel uncertainty at that time steered us to a two-centre option of seven nights in Mauritius followed by three in Dubai.
We opted for the 5* Lux Grand Gaube, where I was able to secure them a room upgrade, followed by my recommended Club room at the JA Oceanview Hotel in Dubai with some excellent extra benefits.
Fortunately, restrictions have eased considerably since they travelled in November 2021, with no need for PCRs at all now for vaccinated travellers.
Janine kindly let me know how their special trip went...
Celebrating our 50th birthdays in 2021 with a special holiday had been something we had talked about for a long time but unfortunately had become increasingly difficult with the Covid restrictions.
We were concerned about the amount of travelling that may be involved and decided to keep things fairly simple in the climate of unpredictability.
Uncertain of what to do and getting nowhere, we sought the advice of an expert to help guide us. Enter Amanda who had some solutions!
Her advice was invaluable and a huge comfort, especially with the pre-travel documentation. I found the build up a little stressful, with concerns of missing some important paperwork, but Amanda's reassurance was appreciated, including helping us book the necessary PCR tests.
Our airport experience was no problem, a bit slower than usual but that was to be expected, and everything went smoothly. Wearing a mask for the flight duration wasn’t too uncomfortable either.
We were super impressed with the efficiency of all the pre-organised transfers and on the way to the hotel in Mauritius our driver even stopped to pick some local flowers for us to smell!
The Lux Grand Gaube was totally fantastic. Everything was extremely well organised with a temperature check and lateral flow test on arrival. The hotel was airy, clean and spacious, as was our fabulous Deluxe room.
Staff were very attentive, always wearing masks, and we felt super safe. Our temperatures were taken on entry into all restaurants and, with Covid restrictions still in place, the delicious buffet was served as opposed to self-service.
We decided not to travel around Mauritius, mainly because of the need for PCR entry to Dubai but also having not had a holiday for two years and the hotel being so lovely, we were happy to make the most of the amenities and just relax. There were lots of water sports and entertainment as well as plenty of food and drink.
The hotel organised our PCR that was required 48 hours before departure to enter Dubai, printing off our certificates so that we could take the paperwork with us.
Dubai was a lot busier. Our transfer was waiting for us at the airport, delivering us to the superbly located JA Oceanview Hotel. The hotel and service were again highly impressive with another superb room.
A fantastic yacht cruise around the marina with just a dozen passengers followed by a BBQ was a perfect end to our holiday.
The hotel was more than happy to assist with printing our required documentation for re-entering the UK and the return went as smoothly as every previous stage.
Although we had originally questioned whether we should go, we are so glad that we did and feel fortunate to have been rewarded with an experience to remember.
Everything was safe, well planned and the whole holiday was a highlight. The two-centre option was the perfect combination of beach relaxation and city break, and breaking up the long journey home is something we would consider again.
I would 100% recommend Amanda. In these uncertain times, it was very reassuring to know that she was there when needed and we will be booking with her again.
Thanks, Amanda.
Janine
