Daring to look down on a 250ft Mauritius ravine
DON’T look down! I will tell you when to step over the gaps,’ shouted my guide Christopher over the roar of the wind.
I was at the midway point of a 100ft-long rope bridge and it was swaying ferociously. Frozen with fear, I couldn’t help but ignore Christopher’s instruction and stare down into the 250ft ravine.
The line of cheerful tourists behind me meant I was past the point of no return. Meanwhile, my wife Lynsey was posing happily for a photographer up ahead, having completed the crossing. This is not how I had envisaged spending a beach holiday in Mauritius.
The island is preposterously beautiful, with lagoons lapping white-sand beaches at almost every turn. It is no wonder the Dutch thought they had found the Garden of Eden when they first arrived here in 1598.
For the first five nights, we stayed at the five-star LUX Grand Gaube hotel in the north of the island. After a warm welcome, we were taken to our Junior Suite with large balcony boasting views over the beach.
The food at the hotel was excellent. The Banyan Island Kitchen serves delicious Mauritian street-food at lunch (go easy on the green chilli paste would be my advice) and in the evening there are three other great restaurants.
One day, we headed to the Domaine de L’Etoile Nature Park for some adventure. The picturesque reserve occupies 5,000 acres of unspoilt terrain – perfect for exploring on quad bikes.
After checking out of Grand Gaube, we headed south where we would spend the second half of our holiday.
Our next hotel, Shanti Maurice, is near the village of Chemin-Grenier. Its rustic design and earthy colours help it blend effortlessly into the natural environment.
The views from the sun deck of our private pool villa were simply magnificent. Ferocious waves crashed against rocks in one direction, while there were great beaches and crystal-clear waters in the other.
One of the highlights of the resort is the Rum Shed, a shabby chic bar built from colourful reclaimed wood and furnished with antiques.
There are more than 180 rums and an awesome menu created by the eccentric and hugely talented Chef Willy. The crispy pork knuckle with wasabi and sweet pineapple, prawn pancakes, and lamb ribs with pickled mango barbecue glaze were all delightful.
It feels like a local hangout, which really appealed to me.
We also visited Casela Nature Park, which is perfect for the whole family.
It has a large zoo where you can ‘walk with lions’, hike in the mountains, swim in canyons or quad bike through the Yemen Reserve, home to deer, wild pigs, fruit bats and monkeys.
It was here that we chose the zipwire course that included the scary rope-bridge crossing.
Walking the bridge was harrowing and exhilarating in equal measure. Believe it or not, it ended up being the highlight of my trip.