When I finally visited Mauritius earlier this year, after many years spent at the top of my travel bucket list, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. White-sand beaches and bright blue waters teeming with marine life; a renowned cuisine influenced by the island's many cultures; rolling forests and towering mountains steeped in history, begging to be explored.
What I didn't expect was that Mauritius would also be the place where I got engaged.
We had 10 days, and we knew we wanted to split the stay into three parts, spending three nights at three different hotels, to experience different parts of the island. It wasn't a tall order, Mauritius is a very small island. 790 square miles to be precise; small enough to drive its entire circumference in five hours. We wanted to see as much as possible of this tiny oasis floating in the Indian Ocean while also soaking up its laidback atmosphere, sipping locally-distilled rum cocktails on powder-white sand.
Our first three days were spent on the east coast of the island. We checked into One&Only Le Saint Géran, a legendary resort perched on its own private peninsula fringed by a mile of pristine beach dotted with swaying palms and thatched beach parasols. This was the island's first luxury hotel, built in 1975 and beautifully dolled up during a multimillion-dollar face lift in 2017. The 142 slick, white-washed rooms and villas, complete with marble-clad bathrooms, overlook either the ocean on one side of the hotel, or a lagoon framed by mountains on the other.
After a 12-hour flight, our first port of call – after a freshen up and a quick lie down on the cloud-like king bed – was sustenance. We headed to beachside restaurant La Pointe for island daiquiris made with local white rum, guava juice and banana liqueur; and a tuna crudo topped with crunchy corn, avocado cream and wasabi mayo that was so good I had to order it again the next day. Dinner that night coincided with Eid Al Fitr celebrations, and a decadent Arabian-style buffet was served at La Terrasse, the hotel's main poolside restaurant.
Breakfast on day two was served on our private balcony overlooking the lagoon, its blue waters calm and quiet in the soft morning light. We tucked into a platter of tropical fruit with homemade granola and plates of scrambled eggs with toast before strolling over to the boat house. Here, we kayaked through the hotel's peaceful mangroves, spotting wild fish, birds and learning about the delicate ecosystem from our knowledgeable guide, Perville.
After some time relaxing on the beach with some fresh coconut water (which may or may not have been followed by a frozen piña colada), we headed to the hotel's ESPA spa for a holistic wellness treatment involving sound wave therapy and a hot stone massage. That evening, we had dinner at Tapasake, a Pan-Asian restaurant perched on stilts over the lagoon, where melt-in-the-mouth yellowfin tuna and black cod marinated with yuzu miso were particular highlights.
The next morning, I was told the plan had changed – we weren't going snorkelling, we were going on a private speedboat tour. Within minutes, we were surrounded by a playful pod of dolphins, dipping in and out of the turquoise sea, fins breaking the water in unison. Then it was onto the Grand River South East waterfall, at the mouth of the longest river in Mauritius, where curious macaques leapt between the trees and played on the dark grey rocks lining the riverbed. After some time sunbathing and paddling in the translucent water on the ludicrously pretty island of Île aux Cerfs, we were whisked back the boat. I asked where we were going next, but was simply met with an ambiguous shrug. Call me Poirot, but this is when I started to get a little bit suspicious.
Moments later, we began docking in a quiet bay of the island, a secluded spot of white sand backed by grass and tall palm trees, with no company except a bright red fishing boat bobbing on the water nearby. A white blanket lay on the sand with a picnic hamper full of fresh tropical fruits, salads and sandwiches. We spent some time eating lunch and taking in the beautiful setting, listening to the waves lap at the shore in front of us. Then my boyfriend got down on one knee, and out of his pocket, pulled a dark blue box with my great-grandmother's ruby and diamond ring inside, and asked me to be his wife. I said yes, we embraced, and then we burst into laughter at the sheer splendour of it all. The fishermen from the bright red boat cheered and clapped as we popped the cork on a bottle of champagne. It was totally, ridiculously, repulsively romantic – and it was one of the best days of my life.
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Back at One&Only, we were welcomed by the hotel team – including Gregory, one of the hotel directors who had been secretly planning the trip with my partner since we checked in – with the type of warm, heartfelt congratulations you'd expect from lifelong friends. That night, we had a barbecue on the beach, choosing from different stations serving catch of the day, skewers of juicy grilled prawns, and an enormous pan of delicious seafood paella.
After bidding a fond farewell to Gregory and the rest of the wonderful One&Only team, we headed an hour west to check into The Oberoi Beach Resort, set within 20 acres of verdant botanical grounds where a waterfall cascades into a lake lined with water lilies on entrance, and each terracotta-stoned pathway is scented by fragrant frangipani trees.
The hotel overlooks Turtle Bay in the north-west Balaclava district, but our thatched villa – one of 71 luxury villas and pavilions – felt like our own secluded tropical sanctuary. A ludicrously comfy four-poster bed and enormous marble sunken bath made the inside particularly luxurious, while outside, a private garden lined with bougainvillea and hibiscus featured a heated private pool and a raised thatched pavilion offering views of the sea. Through the garden, our own private entrance led straight to the beach and the hotel's restaurants.
Besides unwinding on the hotel's private stretch of white-sand beach or in your private pool (which we did, a lot), there's plenty to keep you occupied at Oberoi. A complementary Touching Senses programme offers guests various activities, including hatha yoga and tai chi, meditation, stargazing, henna painting, rum tasting, nature walks, and visits to the nearby Maheswarnath Hindu temple, while watersports like scuba diving and water skiing are offered at the boathouse. A visit to the temple-like Oberoi spa, one of Mauritius's finest, is also an absolute must – our glorious couples' massage smoothed out any muscle tension and left us feeling feather-light.
For dinner, head to beachside restaurant On The Rocks (I had the Indian Ocean lobster with garlic butter served with coconut rice and sautéed local greens, while my fiancé had the pork belly with smoky barbecue sauce), or The Restaurant, where a fusion of Creole, Indian and European flavours sing in dishes like roasted coconut-crusted prawns with spicy grilled pineapple and tapioca gnocchi; and fragrant vegetable curries with paneer makhni and jeera rice.
The next day, we decided to take advantage of Oberoi's prime position to explore the island's northernmost attractions. We kindly got picked up by a couple of family friends who live locally, but the staff at Oberoi can easily organise taxis. We visited the small fishing village of Cap Malheureux to see Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice, a Catholic church just steps from the shore, famed for its bright red roof which contrasts against the blue sky and sea. Built in 1938, the church is said to mark the point where the British landed on the island in 1810 to attack the French, who had occupied since 1710 (Mauritius gained independence in 1968).
After pulling over to buy some fresh coconuts from a roadside stall, we stopped at some of le nord's best beaches. Our friends suggested we skip Grand Baie – a small and busy beach of the eponymous popular tourist resort – and instead pitched up on Pointe aux Canonniers, a peaceful hidden gem and favourite amongst locals. Nearby Mont Choisy and La Cuvette are equally gorgeous.
Back at Oberoi and after a quick spruce, we were whisked to a private candlelit dinner on the beach, and when we returned to our room, rose petals were strewn across our bed and a candle-lit bubble bath waited in the bathroom – a kind congratulations from the Oberoi team on our engagement, and a part of our story we'll never forget.
The final stop on our Mauritian adventure was Maradiva, a family-owned, all-villa property about 27 miles further down the island's west coast overlooking Tamarin Bay. This is the sort of place where its shoulder-dropping tranquility is felt almost as soon as you arrive, with a laidback, intimate atmosphere that can be difficult to achieve in a top-end luxury hotel. Our room, one of 64 private pool villas, was light and airy, decked out in calming neutral tones, natural woods and pale marble (if budget allows, opt for one of the nine Beachfront Luxury Suite Pool Villas, which are just steps away from the beach).
The bathroom featured a huge, deep marble bathtub, an indoor rainfall shower and an outdoor shower in the walled garden. It was all too easy to spend hours whiling away the time on the spacious veranda, reading on the sunloungers and listening to the songbirds flitting between the trees, intermittently taking a dip in the pool to cool off.
For dinner, we headed to Maradiva's softly-lit, fine-dining Indian restaurant, Cilantro, where a creamy, herby lobster curry – mopped up with just-baked chapati and washed down with local Phoenix beer – was one of the best curries I've ever had.
Following a breakfast of bircher muesli and local fruits in the hotel's main restaurant, Cassine, the next morning we walked 30 minutes to Flic en Flac beach (if you don't fancy the walk, a taxi from the hotel takes less than five minutes), a stretch of white sand bordered by rows of filao pine trees. Come early, ideally on a weekday, to beat the crowds – we arrived shortly after 9.30am and had the beach virtually to ourselves, but crowds started to gather from 11am. For lunch, we popped to Farata AKA Vinoda – one of various beachside stalls selling traditional paratha – and picked up some delicious, flavour-packed roti stuffed with salmon and veg for 20 and 35 rupees (the equivalent of around 35p and 60p respectively).
No visit to Mauritius is complete without exploring the natural wonders found in its southwest corner, which is how we spent our final full day. Arrange for a tour company to pick you up at around 5am to hike Le Morne mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which, as you ascend, offers magnificent panoramic views of the glittering sea and emerald fields below. The hike itself is moderate and took us just under four hours. The start of the trail is a steady incline, but as you near the summit you'll have to scramble, using your hands to climb up the steep, rocky terrain. But trust me, the views from the top are undeniably worth it.
Make sure you book a local guide who will not only keep you on the right path, which can sometimes be unclear, but will teach you about the history of the mountain as you climb. Translating to ‘the mournful one’, the mountain was a refuge for escaped African and Indian slaves, ‘the maroons’, in the 18th and 19th century. When slavery was abolished in 1835, it's said that police were sent to the mountain to inform the men and women that they were free. On seeing the police and thinking they were about to be recaptured, many leapt from the top of Le Morne to their deaths. A large metal cross at the summit pays tribute to their lives.
Next, it was onto Black River Gorges National Park, Mauritius's biggest national park occupying around 2% of its surface. There are plenty of resplendent trails here that are worth hiking separately to Le Morne – from the Black River Peak to the Macchabée Forest Trail – or if you're short on time, a stroll around the Gorges Viewpoint overlooking the Black River Canyon is accessible through a small carpark where locals sell handmade goods. The view was so stunning that we both bemoaned the fact we didn't have an extra day to explore the park fully. “Up for another four-hour hike?” my fiancé quipped. We returned to the carpark and bought ice cream instead.
Afterwards, stop off at Chamarel Earth of Seven Colours, a geopark where you can see the multicoloured sands resulting from iron and aluminium oxides in the earth, before making a stop at the nearby Grand Bassin Sacred Lake, the island's most sacred Hindu site with temples dotted around the lake.
We arrived back to our room at Maradiva and flopped onto the bed, exhausted but hearts full. “Reckon we should come back here for our honeymoon?”, my fiancé said. I think he might've been on to something.
British Airways Holidays offers 7 nights at One&Only Le Saint Geran, from £2529pp, travelling on selected dates between 1 July - 31 July 2025, including flights from London Gatwick, 1 checked bag and accommodation on Half Board basis. Includes 30% hotel discount. Book by 6 January 2025. For reservations visit britishairways.com.
British Airways Holidays offers 7 nights at The Oberoi Beach Resort Mauritius, from £1889pp, travelling on selected dates between 1 July - 31 July 2025 inclusive, including flights from London Gatwick, 1 checked bag and accommodation with breakfast. Book by 6 January 2025. For reservations visit britishairways.com.
Rooms at Maradiva start from £900 per night.
Pricing is accurate at time of submission and subject to change and availability.
