coralreef – Check In Tune Out

Glass bottom boat

Belle Mare beach

Sunset at the pool

Mention the word Mauritius and instantly you think of white sand and blue sea. Head to Belle Mare on the East coast of the island and that is exactly what you will find. A perfect place if you want some time to eat, drink and relax.

Currency: Mauritian rupee
Local time: GMT +4
Language: English, French, Mauritian Creole

Resort: Belle Mare

Belle Mare beach is arguably one of the best on the island. Situated on the East Coast, there is a gentle breeze all year round meaning even on sweltering days it never feels too hot. There are several upmarket resorts to choose from, as well as several more catering to those on a slightly more restricted budget. What I loved about this area though was that walking along the beach, it never felt crowded or busy, or like too many hotels had been crammed in. It was always calm, always peaceful.

At around an hours drive from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International airport, it is worth booking a transfer in advance so that you have someone to greet you in arrivals and whisk you away to your hotel.

Belle Mare Beach

Coral reef

Hotel: Emeraude Beach Attitude

We booked to stay at the Emeraude Beach Attitude hotel as part of a package with British Airways and could not fault the hotel. It is a small, adults only set up and the staff were friendly and attentive throughout our stay. The moment we arrived (after 16 hours of travelling door to door) we were warmly greeted and offered a cold drink and lunch before being checked in, which was hugely appreciated.

Pool area

Sunset at the pool

Pool area

Rooms: The rooms were clean, comfortable and spacious, and mere steps from the swimming pool. With daily maid service and refreshing of towels, plus an inclusive mini-bar we were left wanting for nothing.

The air conditioning was also highly effective (and much needed in 36 degree heat)!

Food: All inclusive hotels can often be hit and miss with their food, but I can honestly say we never had a bad meal here. As the resort is small (just 61 rooms) the food is cooked in small batches and is constantly being cooked/topped up, meaning everything was super fresh and piping hot.

The breakfast options were plentiful and always in buffet style (with a chef station for excellent fresh omelettes).
Lunch could be had from either the buffet restaurant, which always had fresh salad plus several hot and cold options each day, varying from both Western and local cuisine. Taba-J, the Mauritian street food cart on site was an excellent choice for lunch also (or a mid-afternoon snack!), and if eating here, I particularly recommend the chicken roti!
Dinner comes with three options: A buffet meal with self service, à la carte with a set menu at the main restaurant (on rotation basis, roughly every other night) or a special meal at Kot Nou – the hotels signature restaurant. You can dine here with your feet in the sand and traditional food brought to you by smiling waiters.

Lunch

Kot Nou restaurant

Starter at Kot Nou

Breakfast

Taba J

Bar: The bar area is situated between the pool area and the main restaurant, and is open from 11am daily. Serving everything from cold soft drinks and iced coffees through to local wine & spirits and excellent cocktails, you’ll never go thirsty here! The all inclusive package really came into it’s own here as pretty much everything on the menu (bar imported spirits) was included!

Do: Boat trip, water sports, day trip to Port Louis

Although the main aim of most peoples trips to Mauritius is to relax, for those wanting to venture out of their hotel, there are lots of options for those who wish to be a little more energetic.

Our package with Emeraude Beach Attitude hotel included a glass bottom boat trip out to the coral reef, which was an excellent way of exploring the local marine life. There was also the chance to snorkel in the clear waters part way through the trip, and snorkels were provided.

Still on the water theme, there are many watersports options that can be booked on Belle Mare beach. From waterskiing to parasailing, paddleboarding to kitesurfing, the prices were reasonable and the activities ran daily.

If you’re wanting to explore a different part of the island then consider a day trip to Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. It is around an hour each way in the car, and taxis can be arranged by the hotel reception for those wishing to take the trip.

Glass bottom boat

Belle Mare beach

Coral reef

Whether you’re transferring after an action packed safari or heading straight to the island for some serious down time, Zanzibar is an excellent destination when your number one aim is to relax on soft white sand with the crystal clear Indian Ocean lapping at your feet.

Currency: Tanzanian Shilling
Local time: GMT +3
Language: Swahili, Arabic, English

Resort: Bwejuu

Bwejuu Beach has been voted in the top 30 beaches in the world, and is located on the South East coast of the island. This part of Zanzibar is one of the most unspoilt, offering pristine white sand and stunning azure waters, with many untouched coral reefs that can be ventured out to. The transfer time from the airport is around an hour, and I recommend pre-booking a private, air-conditioned car, as arriving at this airport can be fairly overwhelming in terms of the amount of people outside arrivals; many of whom are waiting to offer you a ‘taxi’.

Hotel: Breezes Beach Club

I stayed at Breezes Beach Club & Spa for 5 nights, and wow do I wish it could have been longer! Time seemed to stand still here – my only concerns were which cocktail to choose from the menu and whether to sunbathe by the swimming pool or take a stroll along the gorgeous beach.

The food options on site were brilliant – think themed nights and a la carte meals – and I highly recommend that when booking you choose the Full Board option, as it works out most economical come check out.

With four dining locations, three bars and a chai tea room serving afternoon tea daily, plus shops, a scuba diving centre and a Frangipani spa, this hotel has everything you need for a relaxing break without ever having to leave resort!

Do: Stone Town

I highly recommend visiting Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar while you’re on the island. Whether you choose to stay a night or two before transferring to your chosen beach resort (Stone Town is on the coast, but the luxury resorts are on the other side of the island and the beaches are cleaner and more relaxing there too) or take a day trip from your hotel, you don’t want to miss out on Stone Town.

With its winding streets and alleyways, I almost guarantee that you will get lost at some point in Stone Town, but the locals were very friendly and more than happy to point you in the right direction. A helpful tip I found was to be guided back to the waterfront, as finding our hotel (we stayed at Zanzibar Palace for one night and I highly recommend it!) was very easy from this point.

If you have time, book onto a walking tour of Stone Town, as nobody can show you the city better than a local guide! We got to look around the former slave market, which was a fascinating looking into the darker history of the city, as well as visiting Darajani Market, which I warn you now, is not for those with a delicate stomach or sense of smell. With lots of raw meat and fish, it’s an attack on the senses, but a really interesting look at the daily life of residents of the city.

Make sure you set aside some time to visit Memories gift store to get those all important souvenirs and gifts to take home. We found that once we got to our beach resort, the opportunity to buy gifts was next to zero, so we were very glad we’d picked up what we wanted in Memories.