Mind the gap... Mauritius style
Dan Hipgrave plucks up the courage to tackle a rope bridge over a 250ft ravine – and even dares to look down
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 abyss, while carefully trying to position my feet safely.
The line of cheerful, acrophobic-free tourists trailing 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 that the Dutch thought they had found the Garden of Eden when they first arrived here in 1598, or why author Joseph Conrad described the island as a ‘pearl distilling sweetness on the world’.
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, a refreshing ginger and lime drink, and a cool towel, we were escorted to our junior suite with its large balcony boasting views over the beach.
The hotel’s linear layout creates an intimate feel, meaning you’re never far from the long private beaches lined with comfy sun loungers and the thatched parasols.
In case basking in the sunshine is not enough, the hotel offers a wealth of activities, including golf, tennis, painting, beach games and enough water-sports to keep you busy for at least a month.
Lynsey took part in the outdoor yoga classes and we both made good use of the bikes, cycling to the nearby fishing village of Grand Gaube to enjoy a cold beer in one of the bars.
The food at the hotel was excellent. The Banyan Island Kitchen serves delicious Mauritian streetfood at lunch (go easy on the green chilli paste, would be my advice) and in the evening there are three other great restaurants to choose from, in addition to a lively bar with a lengthy cocktail menu and nightly entertainment.
Grand Gaube is just a short taxi ride from the main tourist hub of Grand Baie. The bustling village is geared up perfectly for tourists thanks to a vast choice of bars and high-end restaurants that hug the pretty crescent-shaped bay.
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 quadbikes.
After a safety briefing, we set off with our guide Sergio up lush green mountains. The bikes certainly packed some power, with no obstacle seemingly too great for the chunky tyres. As we made our way back, a handsome stag momentarily appeared in front of us before quickly shooting back into the safety of the forest.
After checking out of Grand Gaube, we headed south where we would spend the second half of our holiday. On the way, our affable driver Hossen dropped us off at the chaotic La Paix Street, in the heart of the island’s capital, Port Louis.
We made our way past the impressive Jummah mosque, with its imposing carved wooden entrance, towards Central Market, the city’s main attraction.
This indoor market bustles with charm and is the perfect place to get a feel for local life.
Our next hotel, Shanti Maurice, is located near the village of Chemin-Grenier. The word ‘Shanti’ in Hindi means peace, rest, calmness or bliss, all of which describe how Lynsey and I felt from the moment we walked through the wooden gates.
The rustic design and earthy colours help the hotel blend effortlessly into the natural environment, while the ‘desert island’ concept is not only fun but helps promote a relaxed frame of mind away from the order of everyday life.
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 inviting beaches and crystal-clear waters in the other.
Shanti has four restaurants, each offering a unique dining experience and, on our first night, we ate at the Fish Shack, a relaxed lantern-lit beach restaurant.
Afterwards we were treated to a local band playing Mauritian music accompanied by dancers who performed by an open fire. We ate delicious barbecued lobster and enjoyed an ice-cold bottle of chablis while watching the performance.
One of the highlights of the resort is the Rum Shed, a shabbychic bar built from colourful reclaimed wood and furnished with antiques.
There are more than 180 rums to choose from and an awesome bar menu lovingly 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.
The bar feels like a local hangout,
which really appealed to me as I prefer to get away from the usual hotel bar atmosphere.
THEsouthofMauritius is a great base if you like a holiday with some action. We took a 30-minute taxi ride to Grande Riviere Noire for the island’s most exciting water sport activity – sea karting. There are only six of these jetski/ speedboat hybrids in the world and they all belong to local watersports company Fun Adventure Mauritius. The machines are designed to be safe and easy to drive.
‘We tested them in 10ft waves at full throttle and it is impossible to flip them over,’ our guide Nabil assured us as we climbed aboard.
We set off in formation, with Nabil leading the way and, after a tentative initial 10 minutes, I pushed down the throttle and the sheer power of the 110 horse power engine threw us back into our seats.
Amid much shrieking, we zipped around the lagoon. How these fast and furiously fun things have not gone global is a mystery to me.
We also visited the Casela Nature Park, which is perfect for the whole family. The park has a large zoo where you can ‘walk with lions’, you can hike in the mountains, swim in canyons or quadbike through the Yemen Reserve, which is 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 both harrowing and exhilarating and, believe it or not, it ended up being the highlight of my trip.
Hurtling down a zipwire with the wind gushing past you while your legs are dangling over the canopy of a forest is a sure-fire way to disconnect from everyday life.