By Heaven is a place on earth, and that place is called Mauritius. Google it and the bright technicolour blue sea and succulent greenery looks as though someone has turned the saturation up on pictures, but no, it really is that vivaciously colourful.
A small, but perfectly formed island in the Indian Ocean, known for both the beautiful coral-protected, white sand beaches that run all round the island, lagoons and reefs and its mountainous national parks, rainforests, waterfalls and hiking trails.
We have a cataclysmic explosion 8 million years ago to thank for its luscious fauna and fantastical creatures, although sadly the Dodo bird (endemic to the island of Mauritius) didn't evolve past the Dutch invasion and was last seen alive in 1681 after being hunted to the point of extinction. But invaders aren't the enemies in the history of Mauritius, in fact it's these various sieges which have led to the rich culture, religious holidays and diverse foodie scene heavily present on the island today.
Where to stay
The One&Only Le Saint Géran – an ultra-luxury resort nestled between the Indian Ocean and a sheltered lagoon that offers guests exclusive use of their private Belle Mare beach.
12-hour flight aside, Mauritius is surprisingly easy to get to from the UK, considering the tiny island dotted in the middle of the ocean is roughly the same size as Surrey and often dwarfed by its much larger neighbour, Madagascar. No regional transfers were needed and after stepping off jet-lagged from our direct Heathrow flight to a balm of humidity (we visited in December, the island’s summertime) it was clear what this tropical paradise lacks in size, it more than makes up for with its natural beauty and rare wildlife.
First impressions
Entering the One&Only Le Saint Géran is like stepping onboard a luxury yacht and leaving your metaphorical baggage at the door for the discreet and gracious staff to tend to. But instead of a luxury yacht, it's a miniature village of luscious greenery, divine on-site restaurant offerings, luxury lagoon and beach-view suites and crisp, white sandy shores looking out onto the aquamarine sea. If heaven is a place on earth, I think I've found it here in Mauritius.
I'd heard the word 'ultra luxury' bandied about in the hotel world before, but hadn't previously experienced it first-hand; every staff member greets you by name, with a warm smile and with a Hand-in-Heart salute that's standard practise within One&Only (meant to represent the warmth service of their service).
Throughout the stay it was clear that every single staff member lives and breathes hospitality, no task too small or too challenging and on many occasions our needs were anticipated before even having to ask for them; every detail seamlessly pre-empted.
The rooms
Waking up to such stunning views of the resort’s private peninsula, it’s hard to fully remember anything else. But the plush beige and sky blue furnishings were suitably muted to make way for the piercing blue and green views of the private lagoon and tropical flora awaiting outside. The décor has a hint of art deco and touches like the walk-in dressing room, with lit-up dressing table, welcome bottle of champagne on ice and slick metal light furnishing add to the feeling of luxury the rest of the resort exudes. With five types of luxury rooms to choose from, six regular suites, six family suites and a two-bedroom villa, the resort is hardly short of leg room.
The amenities
On arrival at the resort, the impossibly friendly resort manager whizzed us off in golf buggies to scout out what the resort had to offer. This might sound the height of laziness, but the sheer scale of the ultra-luxury resort begs to differ. We’re shown luxury tennis courts, to compliment the three pools dotted around the resort; one family friendly, one main pool and an adults-only sanctuary at the spa, perfect for a pre or post-treatment dip.
If you’re a dab hand at water-skiing (I, sadly, was not), there’s a range of water sports available for guests to try, just head to the pool house and the adept instructors (who did very well not to laugh at my repeated falling in the water) will arrange them for you. If going in the water doesn’t float your boat, so to speak, you can board an actual boat for a whiz around the harbour and wind down from a hard day on the smooth seas with a massage at the divine hotel spa
The food
The breakfast buffet is a sight to behold. Held at La Terrasse, expect supersized pastries, fresh fruit and Prosecco (no judgement). We also sipped after-dinner cocktails here come nightfall, to the backdrop of a live band against the crashing of waves against the beach.
Lunch is a poolside affair - at La Pointe, your every wish is the waiters’ command and the dish of the day is presented to you in a luxury card envelope. I shall expect all my menu options to be served in such a manner from now on…
Dinner can be enjoyed at any of the five on-site restaurants, but we had the pleasure of experiencing the gastronomical of Prime, the resort’s contemporary cuisine restaurant (think fine dining in a slick atmosphere), and impossibly fresh sushi at Tapasake; the resort’s pioneering pan-asian restaurant, to be found at the end of the pier near the pool house.
For a more casual option try L’Artisan, the on-site deli serving (you guessed it), deli food and the world’s most delicious macaroons – we defy you not to eat them all on your first night.
Experiences
As challenging as it will be to leave the resort itself, we promise it’s worth it. Local foodie tours are run by much-lauded tour operator My Moris cultural tours of Mauritius. If you’re lucky enough to have Shakti Callikan as your tour guide, you’re in for a treat. Akin to a Mauritian Audrey Hepburn in both looks and spirit, Callikan seems to be something of a local legend round the local food markets.
You can expect to spend the afternoon visiting a variety of mixed cuisines (Indian, English, Mauritian and Chinese, to name a few), all happily coinciding side-by-side. Located in everything from a street food stall to a long, thin corridor fashioning itself as a Chinese restaurant and a perma-covered outdoor market - home to bountiful green vegetables, suspicious-looking fruit (margoz are incredibly bitter but produce insulin in the body so a wonder fruit for diabetics) and almost every cuisine known to man.
One of the many incredible things about Mauritius (of which there are many), is that amongst its 1.2 million inhabitants, is a harmonious mosaic of cultures and religions. Each celebrating the other’s religious holidays and festivals, with opposing religious temples and houses of worship cropping up on parallel streets. While the Mauritian rupee is the locally accepted currency, English, French and Creole are the main languages spoken on the island, thanks to its rich history of European settlers.
If you only bring yourself to leave the resort for one morning, the resort’s Shop, Cook, Eat! Cooking experience will be right up your street. Head to the local Flacq food market (open Wednesdays and Thursdays), guided by executive sous-chef Sanjay Raghoobur, who will happily guide you round which vegetables to buy and which incredibly hot chillies not to test. Back at the ranch, Raghoobur shows you how simple, yet tasty dishes like smoked marlin and palm hearts are made, while the hotel’s own sommelier Michael Bongrand perfectly pairs your wine to each dish.
As we said our goodbyes at breakfast on the last morning, we sipped Prosecco before 11am for the last time (this trip, not ever) and dreamily watched dancers perform a traditional sega; a whir of colourful clothing and rhythmic dancing handed down by African ancestors who were brought over to work on the sugar plantations during the 1715 French takeover. All a dream? Perhaps, but at the One&Only Le Saint Géran, they specialise in making dreams a reality.
Rooms at the One&Only Le Saint Géran start from £598 per night, based on 2 people sharing.
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