Mesmerising Mauritius

Mauritius Holidays Direct is a fully-bonded award-winning independent luxury tour operator to the beautiful island of Mauritius. With a staggering choice of 57 hotels available to clients in their brochure – the largest selection on offer – and with flights on offer across three major airline services, Mauritius Holidays Direct is honoured to have been recognised as one of the very best specialist operators to this gorgeous republic nation.

The amazing tropical island of Mauritius is situated 1,200 miles off the east coast of Africa and the Seychelles, and sits solitary as a sparkling gem in the shimmering waters of the Indian Ocean. Its glorious beaches, stunning blue lagoons, beautiful coral reefs and superb resorts give any visitor the opportunity to enjoy unparalleled luxury – a holiday experience that would compel anyone to keep coming back to Mauritius for more.

The island’s African, Asian and European heritage, with their respective contrast of cultures, colours and tastes, makes this a fascinating and charming holiday destination, and one that Mauritius Holidays Direct take every enjoyment in offering to its clients. Those who love the outdoors and nature will be enchanted by the magnificence of the mountains, the nature reserves and the wildlife parks that dot the landscape, becoming minor tourist sensations in their own right. Those that love golf will be delighted with the many stunning championship golf courses – even better, golf is mostly a complimentary option for guests when staying at a hotel that has its own golf course. Also, of course, for the romantics, Mauritius has proven itself time and again to be the perfect place for a wedding or honeymoon, with many of its resorts backing out onto white, immaculate beaches framed in palm trees and a stunning backdrop in the sapphire glint of the Indian Ocean – the perfect spot to begin a new chapter of life!

Mauritius would be perfect for weddings, honeymoons, land and water sports enthusiasts, golfers, families and the like. Excellent kids’ clubs, luxurious spas, big-game fishing and world-class scuba diving sites all add to the attractions of this wonderful piece of paradise.

It is in this frame of mind that Mauritius Holidays Direct wish to bring the very best of the island to its guests. Being so passionate about Mauritius, its people and its spirit, the team are there to provide the perfect bespoke Mauritius holiday experience for whoever is in search of it.

“We have built our reputation by providing excellent personal service and outstanding value for money holidays with a best price guarantee policy,” is the company’s official line. “Our aim is to do it better than anyone else and our quality control practice, and our sales consultants will ensure we achieve our objective. Our consultants have first-hand knowledge of the product we offer and are renowned for their tremendous expertise, professionalism and friendliness.”

Although the brochure probably provides the largest selection of hotels in Mauritius, no one brochure
can offer a choice of holidays that will cater for every client’s personal requirements. Being specialists for holidays to Mauritius, the operator has built a hugely successful relationship with a vast number of hotels across the country, including Réunion Island; therefore, in terms of its staff, its passion and its key abilities to negotiate the very best deals for its clients, Mauritius Holidays Direct is perhaps the best-equipped Mauritius holiday company to create individual holidays at very competitive prices. Clients
are further encouraged to propose their own ideas; if they do not see a holiday in the brochure that suits them entirely, a quick call to the operator’s personal travel consultants will give them all the information they require in order to best plan and organise the individual holiday that the client desires.

Mauritius is, in no uncertain terms, an island paradise – Mark Twain once wrote, “Mauritius was made first and then heaven, heaven being… for a glimpse of a Mauritian kestrel soaring on the thermals high above it all.” Mauritius Holidays Direct do, however, realise the cultural differences that exist between what some clients may expect from a holiday there and what is deemed within the realms of social acceptance on the island. As such, the operator makes sure to educate its clients on the various events, public holidays, and the certain restrictions that overseas visitors to Mauritius ought to abide by. Specifically, the occurrence of certain religious events and public holidays might cause some interference with specific plans, but with

adequate planning beforehand, with the guiding hand of an experienced, well-versed representative from Mauritius Holidays Direct, these can be circumvented.

Besides, with Mauritius being such a melting pot of great international cultures and faiths, the religious festivals on the island make for incredible displays of individual identity. The Cavadee Festival, starting at the end of January and going into February, is celebrated mostly by the Tamil-descended Indian population of the island, and is one of the most impressive festivals on the island. After a period of fasting, devotees partake in mesmerising displays of piercing cheeks, tongues and chests with needles – almost in a solipsistic trance all the while, before walking barefoot to the temple whilst carrying upon their backs the eponymous Cavadee, an arc of wood, metal or plastic adorned in flowers that represents the island’s sacred mountains. As a spectator event, this is a ceremony unlike any other, and a definite draw for tourists that attract a year-long appeal to the island.

In addition, Mauritius Holidays Direct takes it upon itself to direct, to some extent, the behaviour of its clients, all in the interests of enhancing their experiences on Mauritius. “In general,” its brochure reads, “your own common sense must prevail… when booking local excursions and tours, please only use the services of our officially appointed local agents, and not of any companies or persons who may approach you otherwise, as these companies or persons may not hold the necessary government permits and licenses to operate excursions and tours.”

This is not to say, however, that the operator leaves its clients especially lacking for options. Quite the opposite, in point of fact – as if a selection of nearly 60 hotels was not enough, there is a veritable host of options presented to clients of Mauritius Holidays Direct should they wish to leave the confines of their resort’s immediate vicinity and venture off into the wider island, to nose around the historical sights of a perfectly preserved Creole mansion, to take in one of the world’s best botanical gardens at Pamplemousses, or to experience the refinement of a catamaran cruise around Grand Baie, a location that the 17th-Century Dutch settlers called the ‘Bay Without End’, a modern hotspot with all of the virtues of beach resorts the world over.

Neither does Mauritius Holidays Direct limit itself to a particular seasonal appeal – rather, the destinations that are featured by the company are available all year round. Some, of course, do have quieter off-peak periods, making them ideal for a romantic liaison where discerning couples might take full advantage of uncrowded beaches and more personal attention from the hotel staff.

Mauritius is, of course, one of the most renowned places in the world for Honeymoon & Wedding holidays. Mauritius Holidays Direct is the specialist in arranging honeymoons and weddings in Mauritius. Most of the hotels featured offer tremendous deals and discounts for these special clients. The sales consultants are experts in finding these clients the perfect spot for their romantic stay, and at the perfect price as they know which hotels offer the finest special deals for these guests for their most romantic holiday. Some resorts are simply ideal for honeymooners and wedding guests because of their affordable luxury and characteristics; resorts such as Shangri-La’s Le Touessrok, Paradise Cove Resort & Spa (an adult’s only hotel), LUX* Grand Gaube, The Residence, The Westin, Outrigger Resort, Sofitel L’Imperial and Maritim Resort & Spa, to name but a few. These hotels are truly popular with Honeymoon and Wedding couples.

In addition, the operator does not shy away from presenting some of the more popular spots on the island, where a greater influx of tourists in the peak seasons of travel make for a lively and exuberant display of Mauritian lifestyle. For example, hotels located in the north are perfectly placed for guests to have easy access to areas such as Grand Baie. Tamassa, an All-Inclusive resort located on the south coast beach at Bel Ombre, surrounded by impressive mountains and lush sugarcane fields is another example. Meandering pathways go around the resort’s three large swimming pools, en route to the long sandy beach. Active families can indulge in the wide-ranging on-site activities and the extensive PLAY and STUDIO 17 club facilities for children, while outgoing couples can enjoy their nights by dancing in the resort’s private nightclub. Nature has created a wonderful serendipity in Tamassa with winding white beaches leading to aqua-hued waters, making for a balanced experience of Mauritius that culminates in the experience of taking in a cinema screening whilst sitting under the mesmerising starlit sky of the Indian Ocean.

“The choice of hotel is crucial to your holiday,” is the Mauritius Holidays Direct approach to this. “The hotels we feature have been selected for their location, their character, or their value…the final selection is, however, entirely up to you”. With an increasing volume of clients on the hunt for a truly indulgent, relaxing escape to the dreamy Indian Ocean, the very last thing that these holidaymakers want to be concerned about is the integrity and security of their financial investment in this enterprise.

This is why Mauritius Holidays Direct take their involvement in maintaining the security of their clients’ finances, with full confidence and complete assurance. Being a fully-bonded tour operator with a licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL), many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays that are on offer are financially protected by the ATOL scheme, under the company’s own ATOL number – ATOL 5744. The firm is also a member of The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA J5618/ W5490) and IATA (91275914).

While ATOL protection does not necessarily apply to all holiday and travel services listed in this brochure, Mauritius Holidays Direct take it upon themselves to address their clients personally, so as to confirm what protection applies to their booking. With a certain level of financial protection guaranteed through the CAA, who will ensure that no customer is stranded abroad should the worst-case scenario ever happen, and with ATOL-protected booking allowing for a swift arrangement to refund any advance bookings.

Website: www.mauritiusholidaysdirect.co.uk