Standfirst: Whether you want unique dining experiences, postcard-worthybeaches, or Instagram-friendly resorts, Mauritius has got you covered for apicture-perfect honeymoon. By Diana Ong
Now that the wedding’s been done and dusted and all the thank-you cards have been mailed out, it’s time to start your happily-ever-after with an unforgettable holiday.
Making a speedy ascent to the top of the list for honeymoon destinations. Mauritius is only slightly over seven hours away by air from Singapore via Air Mauritius’ direct flight, available three times weekly.
The tropical island, known for its sugar plantations and rum distilleries, is a holiday paradise with white sandy beaches, colonial houses, botanical gardens and Indian temples. Renowned for their hospitality, Mauritians are mostly made up of Indian, Creole, French and Chinese nationalities who use English as their business language – so getting around is fairly convenient and easy for English speakers.
Another reason to visit: The Mauritian winter, which falls during June to October, has a lovely cool temperature of around 25 degree Celsius. When I visited the island courtesy of Air Mauritius, I could stroll and explore the island easily as if there was ‘natural air-conditioning’ – a welcome escape from Singapore’s rabid humidity! This, and eight other must-dos below!
1. Dine at Le Barachois Floating Restaurant
Start a romantic night at the Le Barachois Floating Bar at Constance Prince Maurice and move on to the Floating Restaurant. This restaurant is located at the natural fish reserve, accessible from the resort via a lantern-lit wooden path that weaves through mangrove trees. Romantically secluded, and offering fabulous sunset views on its 5 floating decks, Le Barachois serves up candlelit feasts of Indian Ocean flavours such as Sino-Mauritian seabass in mirin sauce, lagoon crispy octopus and tuna tartare with coconut-pineapple chutney. Dining here is proudly known as a Constance Moment (one of the Constance Hotels & Resorts’ many draws), and those who are lucky will also get a glimpse of an affectionately-nicknamed shark called Johnny circling their floating deck. Reservations are recommended. Visit https://www.constancehotels.com/ for more detials.
2. SubScooter it to Paradise
Made just for two, this is the perfect way to be in an enclosed space with your love along the seabed of the Indian Ocean. Descend to three metres under the sea in a provided wetsuits and gawk at the pretty fishes behind a bubble-like screen. You don’t even need to know how to swim – the water only comes up to your shoulder. Licensed divers swim alongside you to ensure you get the best viewing spot and stay entirely safe. Hop on to www.blue-safari.com to find out more.
3. Drink Up In The Indian Ocean’s Biggest Wine Cellar
Constance Prince Maurice Wine Cellar is a must-visit for oenophiles with dinner pairings, wine tastings and champagne sabrage – and the chef here can customise the wines to match your menu. Another feather in the cap of Constance Moments, dining here is a cosy yet luxurious affair around a black marble table with bottle-filled walls decorated by wine corks. With 28,000 bottles from 17 countries, you are looking at the biggest wine cellar in the Indian Ocean. The most expensive tipple is a Romanée-Conti, called one of the greatest wines of the wine, worth over 10,000 euros. Interesting tidbit: Roald Dahl once wrote, “To drink Romanée-Conti is equivalent to experiencing an orgasm at once in the mouth and in the nose.” Pashminas are provided if it gets chilly and sommeliers are on hand to pour out fun facts and tidbits of wine history.
4. Stay at the Lux Grand Gaube
Instagram-worthy moments abound in this intimate luxury resort spruced up in retro-chic style by British designer Kelly Hoppen and relaunched with a US$40 million dollar makeover in early 2018. Stroll up to the vintage green Volkswagen Beetle near the Palm Court restaurant, make a free phone call home at the red phone booth beside the cinema, or traipse to the jazzy geometric-tiled hotel bar. Our favourite spot is Turkish restaurant Bodrum Blue, which offers cooling sea winds, shisha, and airy white interiors beneath woven baskets. A perfect spot to shoot the breeze over a sunset cocktail. Swoon over the hotel here: https://www.luxresorts.com/en/hotel-mauritius/luxgrandgaube?utm_source=affilired&utm_content=adn
5. Visit L’Aventure du Sucre
Sugar has an extraordinary existence on this island and is intertwined with its history and identity. The Sugar Museum traces the history of Mauritius, slavery, and its rum trade with informative panels, videos, interactive displays. There’s also an area for traveling exhibitions and another for nutrition facts and hunger. At the end of the visit, you can try over ten varieties of sugar and even indulge in a rum tasting. Pop over to the restaurant Le Fangourin next door if you need to rest your feet after.
6. Stroll in Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden
Also popularly known as the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, the garden was named after the first prime minister of independent Mauritius. Originally meant for the cultivation of medicinal herbs, it has been gained in size (now 37 hectares), animal life (deer and Aldabra giant tortoises) and plant varieties (85 varieties for palm trees alone). Other varieties include the raffia, sugar, and fan. Don’t forget to take a photo at its photo-worthy centrepiece – an enormous pond of giant water lilies called Victoria amazonica, native to South America, and a stunning backdrop for your OOTD shot.
7. Cruise on a Catamaran
Save the highlight of the trip for the catamaran cruises run by Ocean Cruises Mauritius. A full day excursion includes lunch and an open bar. The day-trip to Ile Aux Cerfs departs from Trou d’eau Douce on the East of Mauritius on a luxury 42 ft Catamaran and takes you to crystal blue waters so clear you can see the sea bed and the Grand River Waterfalls before you alight at Ile Aux Cerfs island for some R&R on a picture-perfect beach. On the island, you can lay back at the beach bar with a couple beers, shop at the small stores offering colourful swimwear and kaftans, or wade in the vivid turquoise waters. It’s a memory to savour for honeymooners.
