Again at Oberoi and after a fast spruce, we had been whisked to a non-public candlelit dinner on the seaside, and after we returned to our room, rose petals had been strewn throughout our mattress and a candle-lit bubble tub waited within the toilet – a form congratulations from the Oberoi staff on our engagement, and part of our story we’ll always remember.
The ultimate cease on our Mauritian journey was Maradiva, a family-owned, all-villa property about 27 miles additional down the island’s west coast overlooking Tamarin Bay. That is the form of place the place its shoulder-dropping tranquility is felt nearly as quickly as you arrive, with a laidback, intimate environment that may be tough to attain in a top-end luxurious lodge. Our room, one among 64 non-public pool villas, was mild and ethereal, decked out in calming impartial tones, pure woods and pale marble (if price range permits, go for one of many 9 Beachfront Luxurious Suite Pool Villas, that are simply steps away from the seaside).
The lavatory featured an enormous, deep marble bathtub, an indoor rainfall bathe and an outside bathe within the walled backyard. It was all too simple to spend hours whiling away the time on the spacious veranda, studying on the sunloungers and listening to the songbirds flitting between the bushes, intermittently taking a dip within the pool to chill off.
For dinner, we headed to Maradiva’s softly-lit, fine-dining Indian restaurant, Cilantro, the place a creamy, herby lobster curry – mopped up with just-baked chapati and washed down with native Phoenix beer – was among the finest curries I’ve ever had.
Following a breakfast of bircher muesli and native fruits within the lodge’s principal restaurant, Cassine, the following morning we walked half-hour to Flic en Flac seaside (should you do not fancy the stroll, a taxi from the lodge takes lower than 5 minutes), a stretch of white sand bordered by rows of filao pine bushes. Come early, ideally on a weekday, to beat the crowds – we arrived shortly after 9.30am and had the seaside nearly to ourselves, however crowds began to assemble from 11am. For lunch, we popped to Farata AKA Vinoda – one among varied beachside stalls promoting conventional paratha – and picked up some scrumptious, flavour-packed roti full of salmon and veg for 20 and 35 rupees (the equal of round 35p and 60p respectively).
