Twilight saga

There are also guided hikes to Trois Mamelle (also known as the Devil Mountain because the middle peak has a height of 666 metres) in Cascavelle, or La Tourelle Mountain in Tamarin, a stand-alone peak with unrivalled views of the bay.

You do need to be quite fit for these excursions though.

Much more sedate was the street food tour, which started with the fascinating Yemen salt pans, which are among the oldest in Mauritius.

After a brief tour, taking in old and new salt production techniques, it was off to a couple of restaurants to test out some local delicacies.

Fish is, as you might expect, a big thing here and I would quite happily have sat and eaten the entire pot of tuna vindaloo.

Kayaking out in Tamarin Bay to spot the dolphins was a highlight, even though they didn’t turn up as agreed. The expedition turned into a picnic on the Tamarin River, with coffee and a ham-and-cheese croissant that could cure even the most stubborn hangover.

And we got to see plenty of other animals along the way, including flying fish, monkeys, wandering goats and cool-looking lizards as well as all sorts of birdlife.

If you want to go for a wander, there are temples with giant statues, interesting little churches, shopping malls and sparkling waterfront developments. But it was the sunsets that got me. I watched 11 of these bad boys, hooked from the first one.

Sitting on the sand at Tamarin Bay at about 6.30pm with a glass of rum, the sea gently darkening, strange and new stars emerging, and the sky on fire in a range of colours became the unmissable event of the day.

It might take a bit of saving but if you’ve ever dreamed of escaping to a tropical paradise, this is the hotel that can make it happen.

GOLD DUSK Tamarin beach at sunset

BLISS ON A BUDGET Sunbathe in style at the hotel