As if 3 months travelling around Africa wasn't going to be quite enough of the good life for one trip, I decided to round off the adventure by spending a few nights with Tony in Mauritius. And seeing as 8 weeks of camping was easily going to satisfy any need I might have had to prove that I've still got what it takes to rough it, we decided to stay somewhere nice... and I'm talking 5-star, all-inclusive nice... what a way to end a holiday!
Our room/suite at the Shandrani was enormous, with a huge bathroom complete with separate rain shower and bath, double sinks and swing windows that opened up over the open plan bedroom on the split level below. It also had a fully stocked (and all-inclusive) mini-bar, with a lovely little patio area overlooking one of the three beaches that were part of the resort so you could enjoy the view while making the most of the complimentary wine.
We spent most of our time in Mauritius at the Shandrani, hanging out and catching up while soaking up the sun on the super comfy sun loungers - and hailing the man on the drinks cart each time he drove by. When the relaxing all got too much, we wandered around the resort checking out the golf course, challenging each other to a game of tennis, sampling the delights of the on-site health spa... or relocating to the poolside bar as the sun went down for some pre-dinner bubbly and/or cocktails.
The only thing that really let the place down (and stopped it getting 5 stars in Tony's Trip Advisor review) was the fact that although it had 5 on-site restaurants to choose from, you couldn't get into any of them (except the standard buffet) unless you'd booked ahead, i.e. before you got to the island. That said the buffet did have an amazing spread that seemed to change each night, and on our last night there we managed to grab one of the few tables set on the sand under the stars, so all wasn't completely lost!
On our last full day in Mauritius, deciding it would be a travesty to not even attempt to see at least part of the island, we hired a car and went for a drive. Heading along the south coast towards the Morne Peninsula, we stopped at various south coast beaches and took a detour to check out the giant turtles at Mauritius Zoo and read about the demise of the dodo. Once we got to the Peninsula, we snuck into the Dinarobin Resort and after Tony had bluffed his way past the bouncer and persuaded him to let us stay, we acquainted ourselves with the sun loungers by the enormous pool, with La Morne mountain providing a spectacular backdrop as the sun went down behind us. We had time for one final stop before heading back to the familiarity of the Shandrani (and trying not to get lost in the dark!), and that was at the 7 Coloured Earth of Chamarel. We weren't quite sure what to expect when we rocked up just before closing, but luckily we'd timed our run to perfection as the setting rays of the sun brought out the purples, oranges and reds of the earth beautifully. A good place for a final photo opp when I eventually managed to sort out the self-timer on the camera!
One other thing potentially worth mentioning about Mauritius is that it was the place that Tony first introduced me to "Super Stickmen Golf" - a little iPad app that proved to be ridiculously addictive and had us up until all hours of the night trying to conquer courses with sticky balls, ice balls and hazard swaps. Crazy times!
It was gutting having to say bye to Tony on my final night on the island after such a short but perfect break, but by the time I got to the airport the next morning there was just one thing on my mind - HOME!!! If only he could have been coming with me!
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