‘Part of my soul belongs here’
The moment Mauritius reopened its doors to visitors, Nicki Grihault booked a flight. So what is it about this Indian Ocean island that draws her back again and again?
You’ve got to marvel at this tiny Indian Ocean isle. With its early lockdown, strict quarantine measures and rapid vaccination rollout, Mauritius remained almost Covid-free throughout the pandemic. Now, with more than 63 per cent of adults doublejabbed (one of the highest in Africa), the country is back on the holiday menu, allowing Britons to enter without quarantining from Oct 1. All you need is a negative PCR result, taken within 72 hours of travel.
Mauritius often gets overshadowed by the more showy Maldives and Seychelles, but it has plenty going for it: exhilarating water sports for starters and safe swimming in the lagoon, plus 10 golf courses to choose from. Then there is its unique cultural fusion – Indian, East African, colonial European – which is reflected in everything from the food to the architecture.
I will never forget my first impressions of Mauritius. I was only 13 when my parents and two older siblings moved there, while my younger brother and I stayed in the UK to attend boarding school. The first time we visited was during the Christmas holidays, when the country is at its most showy. I remember drinking in the flamboyant scarlet trees, lurid bougainvillea and incense wafting from candy-coloured temples on the way to our new island home.
Now I live in the UK, but part of my soul will always belong to Mauritius. So much so that, despite more than 20 previous visits, as soon as Mauritius flung open its doors to vaccinated international travellers, I booked my ticket.
I am excited about revisiting some of my favourite haunts, but also about experiencing new openings. These include the Odysseo (odysseomauritius. com), a state-of-the-art oceanarium in Port Louis harbour, and the LUX* Grand Baie Resort & Residences (luxresorts.com), a boutique-style sanctuary with interiors designed by Kelly Hoppen, which is set to open later this year.
The majority of British visitors come to the island for a swish hotel – and Mauritius does them well, with most now reopened for business. On a talcum powder white beach in the north, the Royal Palm Beachcomber Luxury (beachcomber-hotels.com) is one of the Indian Ocean’s finest, with its newly refurbished spa and à la carte lunches under a badamier tree on the beach.
If you’re looking for even more compelling reasons to visit Mauritius, beyond the sea and sand, here are just a handful.
LOCAL CUISINE
MasterChef’s visit to the island in 2020 put Mauritius on the foodie map. Lunch is the time to eat out, and tasty homemade local food can be found in the humblest of places. A Mauritian menu should feature the four flavours of Creole cuisine: rougaille, curry, vindaye and salmi. They all feature on the gourmet menu at l’Escale Créole (escale creole.net), a mother and daughter restaurant offering delicious, homely dining on a covered terrace cradled by the Moka Mountains.
The capital is one of the planet’s streetfood hotspots, and you can chomp your way through boulettes (dim sum) and gato pima (chilli bites) on a food and culture tour of Port Louis with Explore Nou Zil (explorenouzil.com/en).
WORLD-CLASS WATER SPORTS
Le Morne’s “One Eye” surf break is one of the world’s top five spots for kitesurfing. Steady winds and shallow seas in a protected scenic bay mean beginners can learn year-round. LUX* Le Morne’s kitesurfing club offers a discovery course for small groups from £265pp.
The island’s dive sites are also some of the best in the Indian Ocean, and most dive centres cater for all levels with many offering Padi courses. Blue Water Dive Center (bluewaterdiving center.com/en) in the northwest offers experienced divers an exciting dive into the “shark basin”.
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
The land that was once home to the dodo is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, with rare birds sheltering among centuries of old ebony trees. Take a two-hour guided hike through the native forest of La Vallée de Ferney for a guaranteed sighting of the Mauritius kestrel, Java deer and the odd wild boar. Alternatively, join Yan de Maroussem, the founder of The Dodo Trail (dodotrail.com), on a bird-spotting trek in The Black River Gorges National Park in the heart of the island.
ACTIVITY AND ADVENTURE
Mauritius is the adventure capital of the Indian Ocean. It’s about the size of Surrey, so you can canyon down Tamarind Falls in the morning then scud along the west coast in a Seakart in the afternoon. Electric bike rides head along the coast, and the tour of the highlands includes jamming with a Rastafarian musician. Trekking Mauritius organises tours (trekkingmauritius.com).
Overseas holidays are currently subject to restrictions. See page 3