Mauritius is a piece of paradise – especially when it’s been on your bucket list forever and you’re a guest of Heritage Resorts & Golf in the island’s beautiful south
Words Libby Norman
Mauritius has been on my travel bucket list since I was in my teens and read a glowing article about a paradise isle nestled in the Indian Ocean without even a single poisonous snake. While the travel writer possibly suffered from ophidiophobia, I don’t. Nonetheless, that fascinating fact, plus the photos of tree-lined beaches and turquoise waters, stuck. I put Mauritius right at the top of my ‘must see’ list. Decades on I’m finally going – and in grand style with a stay at Heritage Resorts & Golf.
Mauritius lies some 1,000 nautical miles from the East African coast in that sweetspot around the Tropic of Capricorn where distinct flora and fauna blossomed. Fact checking before I go, I find that the travel writer was spot on. The island has no deadly vipers, not even a single poisonous scorpion or spider. Sadly, its unique and iconic dodo lives on only in sketches and souvenirs, but the rich natural environment offers many treasures for travellers.
Heritage Resorts offer an irresistible base, with prime beachfront locations in Bel Ombre, an enclave of wild beauty on the south coast. Two very different five-star resorts – Heritage Awali and Heritage Le Telfair – sit side by side facing a beach where the water is an impossibly pure turquoise. Awali (a Swahili name referencing beginnings) is all thatched buildings and soft woody tones, designed to reflect Mauritian and African cultures.
We are staying next door at Le Telfair, a chic resort with a French plantation flavour. It is named after Charles Telfair, the 19th-century Northern Irish doctor whose estate this once was. He is remembered fondly locally for building a hospital and school (where his wife Annabella taught) and for his significant contributions to botany and species preservation.
First impressions of Le Telfair are of a calm retreat, with high ceilings and white shutters designed to catch the sea breeze and soften the bright tropical sunshine. The lofty lobby and reception are cool, showcasing both the winding river through the property and the beautiful blue sea beyond. Our ground floor Garden View Suite looks out over a lush green lawn and palm trees, with the beach just beyond. There’s also a perfectly proportioned terrace with cosy armchairs for enjoying our view.
The suite is delightful – all restful neutrals and soft lime accents. These form the backdrop for a standout Christian Lacroix artwork. The bed is large, super comfy and comes with a view, while the huge bathroom beyond has thoughtfully placed shutters so you can opt for privacy or enjoy a soak in the bathtub also looking out over lush greenery.
We can stroll straight from our terrace to access the ocean or turn right to head to the laidback C Beach Club, where all-day dining and tranquil laps of the pool are order of the day. There are plenty of other spots for sunning and snoozing, with the smart new adults-only wing with butler service offering an adult-only pool. There’s an even larger pool with plenty more cabanas for family time.
Of course, then there’s the wide expanse of soft sand beach – with plenty of shadier spots and a great coconut shack for healthy refreshment after a swim (and bar close by for something stronger).
The delightful formal gardens behind the family pool are a popular place to sit and chat, – one of many nods to the strong French influence in Mauritius. Fresh pastries and a plethora of continental cheeses make every breakfast at Annabella’s Restaurant a pleasure (and its seafood bar at dinner is magnifique). Indeed, there is everything to love about the food choices here, with a multitude of restaurants to savour a culinary approach that blends bold African, Indian and European flavours.
“We drink sundowners on the balcony – after that, a perfectly balanced and flavourful haute cuisine meal, Mauritian style”
Of course, Mauritius has great ingredients in the local fish, fruit and vegetables. We love our seafood and salad lunches in Le Palmier, right on the beach, and have an exceptional dinner at the pan-Asian restaurant Gin’ja. The concierges here can extend the culinary pleasures by booking you in at Awali’s many excellent restaurants and pop-ups, plus there are superb steaks (among other crowd pleasers) at La Réserve Golf Links Clubhouse.
With too many memorable meals to count, our standout dinner has to be Le Château de bel Ombre. The former home of the Telfairs was modelled on a French country house. Now an integral part of Heritage Resorts, it can be experienced by diners (you can even stay for a night). Our evening begins with an atmospheric golf buggy ride down a wooded path.
First site of the Château is spectacular – a slice of France surrounded by formal gardens and overlooking the two superb championship golf courses that draw keen golfers in from around the globe. We begin our evening with a private wine tasting hosted by our personal sommelier (the wine collection here is world-class). Then we drink sundowners on the balcony, watching fruit bats swooping home to their treetops. After that, a perfectly balanced and flavourful haute cuisine meal, Mauritian style.
While it’s tempting to stay on resort, we want to explore so the concierge team put together an itinerary. We visit World of Seashells, the largest shell collection in all Africa. I’m impressed as much by the hallowed collectors’ names (Linnaeus et al) as the beauty of the shells.
We journey into hill country for lunch with a view at Le Chamarel, a Creole restaurant 260-metres above sea level. It feels like we’re on top of the world. At Chamarel 7 Colored Earth Geopark we view a rainbow of sands, while the scientists at the Heritage Marine Centre right by C Beach Club tell us about their good work to restore island waterways and thus preserve precious marine environments.
Most thrilling of all is our 4×4 safari around Bel Ombre Nature Reserve. Our guide talks us through the challenges of conserving Mauritius’ flora and fauna. While we see some interlopers, including the receding tail of a cheeky macaque, we get up close to treasures such as Mauritius’ unique black ebony trees. Midway through the tour, our guide suddenly pulls up.
We’ve struck gold with a Mauritius Kestrel, the national bird. Close to extinction in the 1970s, this is considered among the great bird restoration successes globally although it remains on the UN endangered list. There has been a sharp shower and our fabulous falcon sits resplendent on a post fluffing its wings to dry them.
Enjoying aperitifs on our last night at Le Telfair, I realise that the problem with travel bucket lists comes when you discover that one trip is not enough. We will have to return to explore more of this captivating island. So, for now, Mauritius is still right up there on my list.
Heritage Le Telfair, from £264 per night for 2 in adult-only Deluxe Seaview Suite, B&B. heritageresorts.mu
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