THE poor old Dodo. One minute you’re living the dream on a tropical paradise, the next you’ve been wiped out by hungry Dutch sailors.
If extinction wasn’t bad enough, your external legacy is synonymous with naive idiocy. They make Lemmings look like inspirational freethinkers with a penchant for base jumping.
Getty – Contributor
Now history shows we should cut the Dodo some slack. Rats and cats did far more to wipe them out than a sailor’s musket.
Once you’ve visited their island homeland, you get why they never bothered to grow real wings and fly away.
Mauritius is just 40 miles long and 30 miles across, dotted in the Southern Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar.
The mountainous interior is covered in thick forest which leads down to sugar cane plantations overlooking the third largest coral reef in the world.
Getty – Contributor
It’s ringed by 100 miles of flawless white sandy beaches.
The weather is tropical being just south of the equator and perfect for chasing winter sun.
Air Mauritius fly direct overnight from Heathrow. It is just about to upgrade its fleet, too, to the Airbus A330-900neo complete with lie flat beds in business, Wi-Fi and top-notch in-flight entertainment.
Our home for the week was a short taxi ride from the airport, the Veranda Tamarin Hotel in Tamarin Bay.
virginietennant
It reopened this year following a refurb which aims to cement its place a surfer’s paradise. It now boasts two pools, spa and a fitness centre.
The bay has a rich surfing history and some legendary waves. Camper vans and board short wearing types line the seafront from dawn until dusk.
The air-conditioned rooms are refreshingly simple and come with a cool box and beach mats so you’re ready to hit the waves soon as you land.
You can stumble down on to the shore in less than a minute, or park yourself by one of the hotel pools first. We opted for all-inclusive which is good if you want to enjoy yourself without the worry of remortgaging when you get home.
Getty – Contributor
The local Phoenix lager tasted all the sweeter by the rooftop infinity pool.
Mountains to one side, huge fruit bats swooping between the palms and rolling waves beneath the setting sun. It even had a hammock to complete the Instagrammer’s paradise.
The food had all the local magic you’d hope for. Mauritian dry beef curry was anything but dry, with tender beef strips caked in a sticky coating of warming spices.
And if you’re brave, dollop on plenty of the local special sauce, too. Fresh green chilli whizzed up with a bit of garlic.
virginietennant
You’d think the pure chilli would take your face off but it’s tempered just enough to give you a heartbeat skipping hit that keeps you coming back for more. I wanted it on my cereal by the time I left.
The beaches are so beautiful there would be no shame whatsoever in never putting your cocktail down to leave.
But there is a wealth to explore and the hotel run a number of activities you can book on site from spa treatments to excursions.
We tried our hand at paddle boarding, surfing’s more sedate cousin.
Getty – Contributor
Once you’ve mastered the balance, its more laconic pace means you can you explore the local river at your leisure like a tropical punting trip.
The bay is also famed for its dolphins. It means an early morning boat ride but dozens of them swarm around — and if you’re fast you can jump in for a snorkel. Away from the coast you can appreciate how small and vulnerable the island really is.
We took a 20min bike ride with a hotel guide up to the Black River Gorges National Park. Most of the island’s remaining rainforest is here, providing shelter for many endangered native species.
Mercifully, the hills as you approach are gentle and shaded by trees so it’s a great way to take in the scenery.
Once you arrive it’s a ten-minute hike to a mountain pool where you can cool off while you watch the wildlife.
virginie tennant lacoste
We were lucky enough to see a troupe of monkeys with their babies. But watch out — they’ll make a beeline for your backpack.
Taste Buddies run food tours of the capital Port Louis and there’s no better way to sightsee then be fed at every stop. Our guides Dada and Adrien knew every backstreet pit stop from Farata with lima bean curry, “songe” leaves, Creole rougaille and tamarind sauce to Napolitain, a double-layered Mauritian shortbread.
Inspired by the culinary adventure I tried a hand at a cookery lesson at the hotel hosted by their chef Didier. There’s a lot to be said for al fresco cooking — if you can’t stand the heat get under a palm tree.
We made a delicious Mauritian curry from scratch. Lovely and spicy — and it turns out they don’t use chilli for the heat.
If you’ve done enough surfing, Haras Du Morne can take you on a magical horse ride in the ocean.
You think they’d need flippers but they actually doggy paddle through the waves. Local photographers catch the moment for you from the beach, and with the island backdrop it makes a great holiday memory which could bring a dash of Putin to your living room wall.
Back at the hotel, there is a traditional knees-up around the fire pit with local music and dancers, fuelled by some very punchy rum punch.
Manager Dimitri is there and you get to meet all the amiable staff.
Our final evening was a sunset cruise out into the bay to see the “crystal rock”, a chunk of coral that floats above the ocean like a micro island.
It was the perfect picture postcard way to say goodbye to the island.
And just like the Dodo, we never wanted to leave.
GO: MAURITIUS
GETTING THERE: Air Mauritius operates a direct service from Heathrow. Economy return from £729pp. Business class return from £2,189pp. See airmauritius.com or call 020 7434 4375.
STAYING THERE: Comfort double rooms with breakfast from £70pppn. Privilege rooms with breakfast from £125pppn. See veranda-resorts.com/en or call 00 230 483 3100.
MORE INFO: See tourism-mauritius.mu
