In the undiscovered south, this 5-star eco-focused sanctuary has a newly-refreshed spa
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sanctuary → have → spa
The island nation of Mauritius sits off the coast of Africa, east of Madagascar, a dot in the Indian Ocean.
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nation → sit → Ocean
Once a huge volcano, this coral reef-ringed idyll hasn’t experienced an eruption in 700,000 years.
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idyll → ring → years
Today it’s a safe and serene picture-postcard location with a central plateau, a rim of jagged basalt peaks and shoreside plains edged with white-sand beaches.
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it → ’ → beaches
My stay was on the unspoilt and verdant south-west coast in the Domaine de Bel Ombre where gentle trade winds diffuse the heat.
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winds → diffuse → heat
A former sprawling sugar cane estate has been transformed into eco-conscious luxury resorts with world-class golf courses and soothing spas.
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estate → sprawl → courses
Bel Ombre even has its own original 19th-century chateau and 3,200-acre nature reserve.
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Ombre → have → chateau
Departing from Gatwick on a direct flight with Air Mauritius, my journey got off to a good start with quality refreshments in the No1 Lounge.
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journey → depart → Lounge
This trip, with a friend, was about total relaxation and we headed to our boarding gate feeling very unstressed.
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we → head → gate
Roshan, the friendly Heritage Awali driver who collected us at the airport, is of Indian heritage.
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who → collect → heritage
His grandparents arrived in Mauritius as contract labourers, when sugar was the backbone of the economy.
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sugar → arrive → economy
Now, because of a long colonial history – ending with independence in 1968 – Mauritians are impressively multi-lingual, speaking English, French, Mauritian Creole and Hindi.
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Mauritians → end → English
Our twin room, a Deluxe Seaview Suite at the all-inclusive Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort, has air conditioning, a ceiling fan, flat-screen TV, bathtub and rainfall shower, amazing view of the ocean lagoon and a kettle to make vanilla black tea, a Mauritian favourite.
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room → have → tea
The contemporary African-inspired style blends sleek wooden furniture with natural textures in neutral creams and biscuit tones.
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style → inspire → creams
A 45-minute back massage was part of my package so I booked in right away.
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I → book → package
The airy Heritage Spa is newly renovated and I sipped a chilled tamarind juice before the appointment.
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I → renovate → appointment
The thatched complex of cottages are designed in traditional Mauritian style, the reed roofs creating natural insulation, cooling and ventilation.
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roofs → design → insulation
There’s a bridal room for wedding preparations and private couple kiosks for honeymooners who like to share everything.
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who → ’ → everything
I chose to have my massage ‘strong’ – and alone – to ease any work tension away.
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massage → choose → tension
It seems a fantastic idea to me to let golf-loving partners tee off on the fairway while you lay supine under a cascading Vichy shower or gently steam in the hammam.
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you → seem → hammam
That’s perfect togetherness – separate satisfaction.
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That → ’ → ?
Food and drink
Heritage Awali All-Inclusive guests can eat at the excellent Savana buffet or dine at a choice of on-site restaurants.
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guests → eat → restaurants
Other nearby Bel Ombre venues, including sister resort Heritage Le Telfair, Le Chateau and Heritage Golf Club, have additional options, many items within the menu credit allowance or available with a small supplement.
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venues → include → supplement
I loved freshly-prepared pancakes with maple syrup and coconut for breakfast at Savana, with tropical fruit and yoghurt.
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I → love → fruit
For dinner, ‘Catch of the Day’ dorado (also known as mahi-mahi) at Heritage Awali’s Infinity Blue was steamed with lemongrass, garlic and lemon butter sauce.
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dorado → know → lemongrass
The mango ginger spritz mocktail is a reviving way to stay hydrated and even more invigorating after sunset with a tot of Mauritian rum.
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mocktail → revive → rum
Out and about
Le Chateau de Bel Ombre, a short shuttle ride from Heritage Awali, is an original 1810 plantation house, built in Anglo-Indian colonial style.
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Ombre → build → style
The carefully preserved historical landmark, filled with period furniture, has a spectacular formal French garden and is definitely worth visiting.
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landmark → preserve → garden
If you choose to book a gourmet meal here, venison is often on the menu as Java deer were brought to Mauritius in 1639 by Dutch settlers.
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deer → choose → settlers
Herds now roam within the forested Bel Ombre Nature Reserve, a wilderness popular for hiking, 4x4 safaris and guided quad bike rides.
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Herds → roam → hiking
Bel Ombre’s historic sugar mill buildings have been retained as the Place du Moulin cultural hub, housing the World of Seashells Museum with Africa's largest collection of rare and beautiful marine specimens.
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buildings → retain → specimens
Luminous Mother of Pearl, sourced from local waters and harvested from saltwater pearl oysters, has been used in jewellery-making for centuries.
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Mother → source → centuries
The central highlands of Mauritius are perfect for coffee growing and once a major cash crop, coffee has been revived at the Chamarel Coffee Plantation, a half hour drive north of.
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coffee → revive → .
Here, despite cheeky macaque monkeys feasting on the fleshy coffee cherries, the farm’s Arabica coffee trees thrive in the mineral-rich soil.
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trees → feast → soil
They grow alongside cocoa, bananas and endemic species to support local biodiversity.
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They → grow → biodiversity
I took a plantation walk, learnt about harvesting, fermentation and roasting and identified the subtle aromas of toffee, caramel and toast in a freshly-brewed coffee cup.
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I → take → cup
Ten minutes away, Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth Geopark has the tallest single-drop waterfall in Mauritius, with a powerful rush that plunges 100 metres.
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that → have → metres
The Geopark also has a weird and wonderful landscape of volcanic rock and clay, the rolling folds ranging from iron oxide red to violet and blue with aluminium particles.
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Geopark → have → particles
These solid ‘dunes’ were carved and compacted by time and weather from mineral layers, formed millions of years ago.
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dunes → carve → years
For an unbeatable view of the coast from this elevated region, Le Chamarel Panoramic Restaurant has open balcony terrace tables.
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Restaurant → have → tables
…and 11 more, not listed.
