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Originally posted a comment on this on the chat thread as wasn’t aware of this part of the forum.
Travelling in a few days to Mauritius from Gatwick in BA club world using a 241 voucher. Initially staying in Le Meridien on points and then moving on to Maradiva booked via Emyr.
Will be hiring a car to travel around the island. Any tips, tricks, knowledge and wisdom would be greatly appreciated thanks.
We went in 2014, loved the trip to the races we booked a private box with food and drink all included.
https://mauritiusattractions.com/horse-racing-mauritius-p-98.htmlDid helicopter trip hotel arranged that , also hired a catamaran for a day trip that was expensive as only my Son and I but we loved that. But there’s loads of party boats if that’s your thing.
Booked speed boat trip through hotel to feed the monkeys, we didn’t know that’s what we were going to do we just fancied a speed boat trip.
My biggest tip is take shoes to wear on beach and sea as it’s surrounded by coral reef and that is sharp!
Son played golf at Shangri-La Le Touessrok Mauritius
We stayed there before it was taken over and green fees were included in room rate.Lovely course and although I don’t play I enjoyed going round in the buggy, didn’t enjoy my Son’s driving so much tho!It was one of our best trips and enjoyed the island immensely.
Have a great time.
Thanks for the suggestions!
A ‘don’t’ would be do not pay for any animal experience such as petting cubs, walking with lions etc etc. I was amazed when I colleague told me he’d done that there but apparently so. All cover for some very unethical, exploititve and shady operations. Also, be kind to stray dogs. The island has a terrible policy over the past few years of rounding them up and beating them to death rather than spaying them.
I know someone who lives there and they said they drug the lions so people can do these walks.
I know someone who lives there and they said they drug the lions so people can do these walks.
That is absolutely true. All sold to gullible tourists under the premise of conservation too. In fact the cubs are part of the canned hunting industry, are taken from their mothers when young enough to be petted for photos or walked with while being drugged. Once they are too old for that they are then taken back to the canned hunting farm, usually in South/Southern Africa where they are easy pray for rich arseholes with guns and the cycle continues.
Not just Mauritius of course, everywhere such experiences operate.
Then there is riding elephants….don’t get me started 🤬- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
“Then there is riding elephants….don’t get me started ”
Think it’s a bit late, you’ve gone on one, as my grandson would say. 🤣
People don’t research or think they just think what a “ cool” insta pic it will make. 😡
“Then there is riding elephants….don’t get me started ”
Think it’s a bit late, you’ve gone on one, as my grandson would say. 🤣
People don’t research or think they just think what a “ cool” insta pic it will make. 😡
Exactly, same with swimming with dolphins and so on. Long as the precious kids want to it must be done. Selfies and Insta trump morals.
I’ve never done a selfie or Insta! GCM, which is supposed to be a first world nation, has a “turtle farm” where they have small tanks of enormous adult turtles literally having to sit on top of one another due to lack of space. Loads of tourists go mad for it though. It gets censured every so often but justifies its existence because it’s a breeding facility (for release into the wild and for meat!)
Originally posted a comment on this on the chat thread as wasn’t aware of this part of the forum.
Travelling in a few days to Mauritius from Gatwick in BA club world using a 241 voucher. Initially staying in Le Meridien on points and then moving on to Maradiva booked via Emyr.
Will be hiring a car to travel around the island. Any tips, tricks, knowledge and wisdom would be greatly appreciated thanks.
we did a nice waterfall walk there one day… you had a private guide who took you on a very short / easy hike down through various cascading waterfalls etc – you had the option of going for a swim in one of the pools too – we were the only people there (you could also no doubt self guide if you wanted)
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
Originally posted a comment on this on the chat thread as wasn’t aware of this part of the forum.
Travelling in a few days to Mauritius from Gatwick in BA club world using a 241 voucher. Initially staying in Le Meridien on points and then moving on to Maradiva booked via Emyr.
Will be hiring a car to travel around the island. Any tips, tricks, knowledge and wisdom would be greatly appreciated thanks.
we did a nice waterfall walk there one day… you had a private guide who took you on a very short / easy hike down through various cascading waterfalls etc – you had the option of going for a swim in one of the pools too – we were the only people there (you could also no doubt self guide if you wanted)
Hi Andy
Do you remember the name of that waterfall/area or where it was?
I was going to go to Casela for the animals but I think I’m going to give it a miss now so thanks for the replies everyone.
Having a car is the best way to explore the island.
Food wise:
Chez Tino (doesn’t look nice from the outside, but the views from the rooftop are really nice and the food is some of the best on the island)
Chamarel distillery for rum tasting
Nearby there is Le Chamarel with stunning views and excellent food
L’Aventure du Sucre has a good restaurant tooBeaches in the north east and east are the nicest with exception of Le Morne, but can be tricky to swim there.
Which is the best area to stay over during December?
I will probably have a rental car but would like to stay close to active area with a lot of family and beach activities if possible.
should I be looking at north of island?We rented a car for our week there in 2017 and explored a good part of the island. Visited a couple of the rum distilleries (Laboudonnais and St Aubin) which were worth the tour. In the south of the island you have Le Morne peninsula and then inland the mountains and coloured rocks which are worth a visit. On the east coast Isle aux Cerfs is beautiful.
We stayed for a few nights in a cheap B&B in Mahebourg and then 5 nights at the Westin.
Weather-wise there isn’t much to avoid in their summer. The winds are more prevalent on the East and South in winter.
If you aren’t going AI then look at Trou aux Biches (Beachcomber) as there is plenty to do near the hotel apropos dining / nighttime activities.
Beachcomber, Lux and Attitude are nice hotels to look at and do differing packages – Lux Belle Mare had a serious fire in the last 48 hours so their other hotels may be filling quicker than usual as the pax from LBM are moved.
Originally posted a comment on this on the chat thread as wasn’t aware of this part of the forum.
Travelling in a few days to Mauritius from Gatwick in BA club world using a 241 voucher. Initially staying in Le Meridien on points and then moving on to Maradiva booked via Emyr.
Will be hiring a car to travel around the island. Any tips, tricks, knowledge and wisdom would be greatly appreciated thanks.
we did a nice waterfall walk there one day… you had a private guide who took you on a very short / easy hike down through various cascading waterfalls etc – you had the option of going for a swim in one of the pools too – we were the only people there (you could also no doubt self guide if you wanted)
Hi Andy
Do you remember the name of that waterfall/area or where it was?
I was going to go to Casela for the animals but I think I’m going to give it a miss now so thanks for the replies everyone.
Apologies – only just saw this… from looking at pics on the internet, I’m 99% confident it was Tamarind Falls 🙂
Weird – we went for a week and didn’t do any of this stuff 🙂
Note that Mauritius is big. It’s not Barbados. Don’t make plans until you’ve got a map out and worked out what is feasible, especially if you have kids who don’t want big drives.
Rhys is popping down there for a week next month to review a few hotels for HfP.
One&Only, post refurb, is very impressive and recommended but do go half board.
We’re going CW in January so any hints and tips are appreciated. We’ve hired a car the whole two weeks and are staying at the mid-range SALT at Palmar and Veranda Tamarin. We like smaller hotels.
Thought I would report back on my trip. Many thanks for all the comments/advice etc
The day we travelled happened to be the second day of rail strikes and flight cancellations but the airport itself wasn’t too chaotic. First time experiencing the BA lounge at Gatwick and was impressed (normally we fly from Manchester and stuck with Escape lounges). Nice and spacious and not crowded at all (out flight departed at 7.30pm) with good views across the tarmac.
The flight was an overnight one on a 777-200 with the old club world seats. I know some people don’t mind these but not a fan…the quicker the refit to club suites the better although I believe BA Gatwick long haul flights aren’t scheduled anytime soon for this.
Having the car made life so much easier. Highly recommended as it is very easy to drive around-traffic isn’t crazy and roads are generally quite good although I wouldn’t advise driving at night. Just driving around on the island is enjoyable as the scenery is beautiful with lots of mountain backdrops and lush sugar cane fields everywhere.
We pre-booked with a company called Mauriconnect via Discover cars. They had a desk not far from exiting the airport where you can also buy a sim card although I learnt afterwards that you get a slightly better deal if you pre-order an Emtel sim card rather than buying on the day. Although everything turned out fine, Mauriconnect were extremely aggressive with the upsell of full cover. The first car they gave had a flat tyre which they didn’t spot. They changed it quickly and the replacement car itself was new and we had no issues with.
We stayed at the newly refurbished Le Meridien at 81k Marriott points for 5 nights which we thought was an excellent deal. The lobby is very impressive with very high ceilings and a large balcony that overlooks the beach. Sunsets from here were amazing.
As lowly Marriott Golds we weren’t offered an upgrade and were told we did not get any F&B discount either when I asked about it. They did give us a 2pm late checkout and welcome gifts including a hat, scarf and some chocolates. We did have a balcony also facing the beach. Generally F&B is quite pricey at the hotel. We didn’t try the spa. The hotel beach unfortunately is not great as it is quite narrow and rocky. Overall though I would recommend staying here.Our second hotel was Maradiva, part of The Leading Hotels of the World group. We booked a 4 for 3 nights deal via Emyr although this deal was available to anyone at the time. All rooms are pool villas here. The hotel is at the bottom of a long road and is quite secluded and private. Cold towels and drinks on arrival but no upgrade. Having a (almost) private stretch of Flic en Flac beach was great as other beaches we visited like Trou Aux Biches when the sun was out were semi-crowded. Dinner at the Indian restaurant here was quite good although I thought the breakfast offering for a hotel of this size and status was abit lacking.
Highlights included visiting Chamarel. Alexandra Falls was nice to view although you get even better views of the country a little further up at the Gorges Viewpoint. Further down from there on some fun roads is Chamarel where the large waterfalls are and the Seven coloured earth attraction. There are also giant tortoises here which was pretty cool to see. I did a Nepalese bridge walk and zip wire which was great fun as well as some archery at Lavilleon adventure park. All these attractions are fairly close together. We also visited the Botanical gardens which is a more relaxed day out. They also have giant tortoises and native deer here too.
Our regrets/oversights is that we didn’t realise sunset during the winter time is around 5:45pm which obviously impacts your beach plans etc, although we did book this randomly at 2 weeks notice so there is that. It was also quite windy on a number of days which meant the seas could be quite rough and certain water activities were not available. Thankfully it didn’t rain until the evening we left but a few days were overcast. You do need to cover up a little at night as it can get nippy. Best time to visit I believe is in October where the temperature is good, sunlight hours are long and rain is not so bad.
Overall though it was a great trip. Beautiful country, great food, hospitable and kind people. Will definitely be returning.
Thanks for the update ‘S’, sounds like you had a great time. We are off in October – not looking forward to the CW flight but 12 hours in the grand scheme of 16 nights away isn’t too bad.
Good summary “S”
Will book Emtel SIM card in advance.
Also got mauri connect car hire booked for next week when I land there.Good summary “S”
Will book Emtel SIM card in advance.
Also got mauri connect car hire booked for next week when I land there.If you want any currency change it at airport when you land, you get a better rate, or you always used to! Currency shops are easy to find in arrivals.
Having had a cancelled trip to Mauritius during covid times, we were looking at a visit in 2023. Contacted Maradiva Villas and they will be closed from mid March to September for renovations.
Thought it worth mentioning as I’ve seen it crop up here as a favourite.
I did get an email from the hotel recently saying all villas will soon have heated pools which may explain the closure. Would definitely have been appreciated by us as the villa pool was too cold for us on the days when we visited!
Just back from MRU and few pieces of advice.
Phone/Data
My.T – Mauritius Telecom – Pay 100 Rs (About £2 for a week’s data plus credit which can be used @15RS per day for additional days) but only from Shops.
May be Airport Shops might do them as well.
I tried both Emtel and My.T and I would suggest to go with Mauritius TelecomCar Rental / Transfer
If you have a lot of luggage get cheap airport transfer (Get Transfer) and hire a car from local company.
Apartment I booked with Booking.com had the host connected me to a local company who offered 1 year old car at far more attractive rates than airport hire.Stay and Trips
Stayed in north near Grand Baie but frequently travelled to south.
Recommend the juice vendor at Alexandra Falls car park.Shopping
Intermart and SuperU.Plenty of options for all sea related activities.
Fantastic destination and nice people who went extra for me and my family.
Nice range of restaurants, activitiess.Best activities for us – Sea and hiking to waterfalls…
Happy to help with any queries.
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