Sat in the beach bar of my heavenly hotel, a bottle of Lazy Dodo rum reclines in its own mini deckchair.
I confess that until I arrived in Mauritius and saw dodo memorabilia everywhere, I had no idea the island was the only home of the peculiar, long-extinct bird. I “did” know the dodo was doomed by its own deliciousness though – hunted out of existence by ravenous 17th-century sailors. Or not.
The waiter puts me right as he glugs out a generous measure of the amber liquor. “The dodo was just a fat pigeon,” he shrugs. “It lazed around all day eating and had no predators until rats arriving on Portuguese ships killed it off. The sailors who did try dodo meat found it tough and bland but with modern cooking methods and spices, it might be OK.”
As scientists are apparently trying to clone the bird from ancient DNA, this raises interesting ethical questions. While Mauritius is a curious mix of exciting and unusual cuisine, the dodo is now a cultural icon – and unlikely to get barbecued again. There’s more to get your teeth into on his appetising island anyway as I found when I stayed at the delicious Veranda Grand Baie Hotel and Spa.
Mauritius lies 700 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and is roughly the size of Tenerife. Tourists discovered its delights in the 1970s and Veranda Grand Baie, on the stunning north coast, was one of its first boutique hotels. To mark its 40th anniversary last year, it underwent an extensive refurbishment and I was one of the first guests to experience its “Creole Chic” vibes.
After a 12-hour Air Mauritius flight from Heathrow and 45-minute transfer, I pulled up at the charming guest house-style entrance and instantly felt at home. A cooling towel and drink accompanied the effortless check-in, then the lovely general manager Giany Bundhooa showed me around.
I gasped as I stood beside the infinity pool, looking out across the private beach to the sweeping bay beyond. Colourful pirogues – long canoes – bobbed on the turquoise water and candyfloss clouds scudded across an azure blue sky. My first snapshot convinced me that Mark Twain was right when he wrote: “Mauritius was made first and then heaven; heaven being copied after Mauritius.”
My gorgeous Comfort Room was one of 95 spilling out into the tropical gardens and there are eight apartments too. The artisan decor encapsulates the “Feel Mauritius, Feel Mauritian” concept with traditional rattan furniture, light-coloured wood, a handwoven bag and sun hat hanging on coat pegs.
The bathroom toiletries are all made with natural ingredients, as Veranda is passionate about sustainability. I headed for the Seven Colours Spa – named after the rainbow-hued volcanic ash in the Chamarel valley – and had an amazing massage. Then I was on to the first of my many sundowners in the achingly chic, all-white beach bar, La Crique.
Dinner beckoned and the food was simply outstanding. A talented team of chefs produce a huge variety of local and international dishes and the smiling staff are endlessly helpful. After dinner there was an impressive display of traditional Sega dancing and ravanne drumming.
Next morning I checked out all the activities available, including sailing, windsurfing, paddleboarding, beach tennis, kayaking and bocce ball (like boules). You can also hire bikes, diving, fishing and kite-surfing equipment as well as going on sightseeing excursions. I had a Creole lesson on the beach, learning phrases in the fascinating patois that mixes French, Malagasy, English, Hindi and Bhojpuri but I soon discovered the only ones I really needed were “an plas” (all good) and “Mo bien kontan” (I’m very pleased.)
I was particularly pleased to find the dozen different home-made rums on sale at the hotel’s Rum Shack. Rum maestro Rohit showed me how he makes the banana variety before letting me taste the others. My favourite was cardamom… or maybe lemongrass, closely followed by chilli, coffee, orange and coconut and then a nice lie down in a darkened room. With such divine treats at the hotel it was tempting to laze around and stuff my face, like that dodo. Yet I was lured away to explore Grand Baie and later the island’s capital, Port Louis, by the promise of even more grub.
I joined two street food tours run by Taste Buddies – brilliant guides who give you a flavour of Mauritius through its fusion foods. Walking around Grand Baie, Adrien explained how the culture reflects centuries of colonisation. There were no indigenous people on Mauritius when Arab sailors discovered it in 975AD. The Portuguese were the first settlers in 1507, followed by the Dutch, who named the island after Maurice, Prince of Orange.
They decimated the ebony forests and grew sugar cane with slaves imported from Madagascar before the French won control in 1715. The British took Mauritius in 1810, making it the largest sugar-producing colony of the Empire. When slavery was abolished, hundreds of thousands of indentured Indian labourers were shipped in to work the fields. So Mauritian food today is a mix of African, European, Indian, Asian and Creole influences. I loved the pani puri – delicate pancake balls filled with flavoured “water”.
There were French pastries, fresh seafood, a Creole salad of smoked marlin with palm hearts, and Mauritian favourite, chilli bites. In Port Louis I had an amazing rothi, packed with butter beans, pumpkin and chilli and tamarind sauce which cost about 40p. The spicy dholl puri made by fifth-generation trader Ahmed, however, proved even tastier.
Before buying any sugar or rum, go and taste some samples after taking a tour of the L’Aventure Du Sucre museum. Based in the heart of a vast 19th-century sugar estate, it shows how this colonial “gold” shaped Mauritius – and how its sweet and forgiving people shook off the chains of slavery and embraced its different cultures and religions.
There’s so much to see and do on this surprising and intoxicating island, from the Machabee Forest to the botanical gardens of Pamplemousses, the giant statue of god Shiva in Ganga Talao to the Crystal Rock on the west coast. Take in the scenery of the Bel Ombre nature reserve, home to the Mauritian kestrel, echo parakeet and pink pigeon.
Visit the Black River Gorges National Park and see how the island would have looked to the first settlers. You can also enjoy kayaking, deep sea fishing, quad-biking, horse-riding, golf and plenty of hiking. Veranda has four other hotels to choose from. I visited the adults-only Veranda Paul et Virginie in the fishing village Grand Gaube. It is perfect for a romantic getaway. If I’ve whetted your appetite but you’re still in two minds about going... well, all I will say is do, do.
Book the holiday
- Flights from London to Mauritius are available from Air Mauritius (Heathrow) and British Airways (Gatwick) starting at £727 return. airmauritius.com, britishairways.com
- Rooms at the Veranda Grand Baie Hotel in Mauritius start at £240 a night half board. veranda-resorts.com
- More info: mymauritius.travel