Cheaper thrills
Keir Mudie finds that in Mauritius, heaven needn’t cost the earth
Twenty years ago, give or take, I had a ticket to Mauritius. Due to a combination of events too painful and legally dubious to go into here, I never went.
Since then, I’d filed it under a list of destinations that I’d dreamed of going to but probably never would… Vegas (too much fun), Timbuktu (too dangerous), Australia (too many crocodiles/relatives).
Mauritius I put down as too expensive, a luxury destination, somewhere I would only get to if I won The Price Is Right.
But, here’s the thing – I was wrong.
Yes, it takes a bit of saving up, but a trip out here is affordable if you pick the right hotel, and is worth every penny.
The flight is almost 12 hours, but long-haul is easy these days.
Think of it as three films, two meals and a little snooze.
I hadn’t left the UK for two-and-a-half years and it took a little adjustment. You need sunscreen as a matter of urgency, plus something to keep the mosquitos at bay. (I’d forgotten that, and the things came at me like they’d just had a
Nando’s delivered.)
To make my Mauritius-on-a-budget trip possible, I started with a stay at the three-star Veranda Tamarin, one of the more affordable options on the gorgeous west coast.
A legendary surfing hotel in the 1970s, it’s a very cool, boho-chic abode with thatched roofs and crafted interiors. It faces the surf spot of Tamarin Bay, making it an idyllic escape for water sports lovers and adventure seekers.