YOUR GUIDE TO PARADISE FOUND

Chris Bertram explains why the epic JW Marriott Mauritius ticks all the usual Indian Ocean boxes – then creates more of its own

Articles about resorts in Mauritius usually start with flowery descriptions of the ‘powder white sand’ of the beach being lapped by ‘impossibly turquoise water’. That could justifiably be the approach to take here, but there is no time – or rather space – to spend on that. There’s just too much to say about JW Marriott Mauritius.

It is set down on Le Morne Peninsula in the south-west of the island and as you can see, it has an X factor location, set between white sands and the foot of the Le Morne mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I’ve been fortunate to travel to picturepostcard resorts all over the world, from Seychelles to Sicily and Canada to Maldives.

I don’t think any of them top this JW Marriott for brooding, jaw-dropping beauty.

The special nature of its location is illustrated by the fact that just five minutes from the resort is where kite surfers amass to enjoy the world-famous ‘One Eye’ wave.

The hotel maximises its paradise setting by taking guests on free snorkelling trips and offering free clear-bottom kayaks to allow you to go wide-eyed at the hundreds of colourful fish that call these protected coral reefs home. And did we mention that you can also swim with dolphins?

You won’t want to spend all your time in those turquoise waters though, especially because the hotel itself is magnificent. Often at Indian Ocean resorts there is a noticeable dip in wow factor once you move away from the beach. Not here.

There are 172 lavish guest suites set down as well-appointed, one-storey buildings. Each one is beautifully designed and decorated, with delightful individual touches to the different types of suites. The Manor House Spa Suites and the largest, most luxurious villa in the Indian Ocean, the Grand Beachfront Villa, probably top the wish list.

Activities include a world-class gym that would be good enough to satisfy an international rugby union team, a comprehensive and alluring spa, a kids’ club, additional water sports to those mentioned earlier and even a private cinema. Can you understand why we had to get straight into

the key stuff at the start now? We haven’t even mentioned the food or golf yet.

So here’s the food, and we’ll try very hard to do it justice. There are five restaurants fighting for your attention, including the beachside Boathouse Bar & Grill, Le Manoir Dining Room for elegant French-mauritian food, and Thai, Malay and Vietnamese tastes and aromas galore at the Floating Market.

Two special highlights, though, are surely the teppanyaki at Atsuko, where classic favourites such as teriyaki, sashimi and sensationally succulent Wagyu beef are prepared right in front of you by a genius who is part chef, part circus performer. It’s a truly wonderful experience.

And finally, the golf. JW Marriott doesn’t have its own course on site but Tony Johnstone-designed Le Paradis is just five minutes’ away. Even better, the resort has teamed up with one of Mauritius’ top courses to offer an alluring package.

Elsewhere, Tamarina is situated in the idyll between the Rempart Mountain and the crisp blue sea of Tamarin Bay. It’s a course that offers just the right balance of challenge and charm: it won’t beat you up but you also have to work for your pars and birdie putts.

Set across 107 well-presented acres, there are five sets of tees to further enhance its playability for all levels. It boasts several epic carries and risk-reward moments on a course of great variety and highlights.