|
The hotels and resorts vary in size and location: whatever the requirements, be they for family, fishing, boating, diving, sailing or golfing, there’s something for every group somewhere on the island. Some resorts have it all in one package of hedonistic delights.
A perfect example is the Paradise Cove Hotel resort in seven acres of gardens on a peninsular near a fishing village in the north of the island about 30 minutes from Port Louis, the capital, and 75 minutes from the airport. Small, chic and intimate in a sublime setting overlooking a private cove, it oozes romance and opulence. It may be the ultimate holiday hide-away.
All 67 rooms face the cove and have private terraces with direct access to the beach. There is no golf in situ but the renowned Belle Mare Plage courses and the Gymkhana Club course are only a short drive away.
On a slightly larger scale, and ideal for those on a family holiday, the Beachcomber group has eight resorts, some with golf, at various points around the coastline. All differ slightly in style and setting (some offer villa accommodation for families, plus a kids’ club) although with no compromise on quality.
Beachcomber hotels also offer everything sporting, particularly to do with the ocean, and a health spa, like the opulence, is standard.
And then there’s golf. The island has five 18-hole courses, four associated with hotels and the Gymkhana Club, a private members’ course where limited access is available by arrangement.
Of the 18 hole courses the most renowned are those at the Belle Mare Plage, one of the Hotels Constance Group, on the eastern coast. Renowned is an understatement: this five star establishment was recently awarded the crown of “Best Golf Resort of the Year 2005” by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators. The criteria was the quality of golf and the degree of service and facilities and when you learn that 165 operators from 32 countries chose from a list of 2,000 golf resorts world-wide you’ll gauge the significance of their decision.
The resort, reclining elegantly on a glorious beach, offers 235 Prestige rooms, Junior suites and Luxury suites and 20 villas, the latter with private pools and butlers. There’s 24-hour room service and a range of sports associated with the ocean, from deep-sea fishing to catamaran cruising, water ski-ing and snorkelling. There’s also tennis, archery, a health spa, yoga, you name it...
And then there are the golf courses, the venue each December for the Mauritius Open. The oldest, named The Legend, measures some 6,600 yards to par 72, a muscular challenge from the back tees for those feeling their oats. The use of this course is complimentary to guests of the hotel but green fees are payable for the new Links course, designed by Rodney Wright and Peter Alliss and a tad shorter to par 71, which opened in November 2002 to coincide with the re-launch of the hotel after a major renovation.
Belle Mare Plage is the premier golf destination but golf is available at various points around the island. There are, for instance, five nine-hole hotel courses of varying standard and challenge that are ideal for family fun.
The Beachcomber group offers a diversity of golf at four resorts. There’s a par 30 pitch and putt course at their Shandrani property in the south east, a nine hole, par 32 course at Trou Aux Biches on the north western coast and a full length 18 holer at the Paradis resort, which is adjacent to their Dinarobin resort on the south western coast.
The latter, on a 150-hectare private peninsular, is their flagship golf property, a par-72 seaside parkland reclining elegantly between the Le Morne mountain and a five mile long beach. There’s a twice-weekly clinic that’s free to hotel guests, competitions are also staged twice weekly and there’s an annual Paradis Amateur Golf Trophy in the first week of March.
All of which means you now face a conundrum: which resort do you choose? Looks like it’s heads or tails time, folks...
For more details view the Mauritius website at www.mauritiustourism.co.uk
*For further information on Belle Mare Plage visit www.bellemareplagehotel.com
******
Page [1], [2], [3]
|
