Mauritius – Destination Heaven

“Just Married” – your vows are made and you are ready to commence on a life long journey with your partner. Your honeymoon is the perfect opportunity to connect with your sole mate, in a relaxing environment, giving you time to explore and enjoy each others company. For years to come you will be nostalgically thinking of Mauritius honeymoon as “the best time of your life”.

Rated among the top destination for honeymooners in the world, Ile Maurice is indeed a best romantic escape in time to experience intimate moments in perfect harmony.

You (Indians) end up enjoying more as you meet and experience so much of a fusion of India into beautiful culture that has evolved there. That’s apparent given that about 30% of the population is of African descent and the remainder is mostly of Indian descent, both Hindu and Muslim – political allegiances are organized according to class and ethnicity.

Mauritius will enchant you; will uplift your soul, making you feel that you belong to the chosen few. Every visitor enjoys personal attention especially the honeymooners. Every encounter is an opportunity to discover a friendly face. Behind each smile lies the promise of a unique holiday. The contrast of a multitude of colors and tastes, the island, set in its turquoise sea, is an oasis of peace and tranquility. Mauritius, a melting pot where past and present are smoothly blended together, offers an essential beauty that will compel to return to its shores time and time again.

Where?

Mauritius lies in the south-west Indian Ocean region, some 500 miles east of Madagascar. The main island is volcanic in origin and is just within the Tropics at 20° South. The climate is sub-tropical, with average daytime temperatures varying between 26° C and 32° C in coastal regions.

Coral reefs protect the crystal-clear lagoons and the sea ripples gently onto the beaches, edged with coconut palms.

How to go?

That’s the simplest one, just log on to any popular Travel Portal and check the deals offered, there are always several. Choose one that suits you. However I got my best deal from www.myvaluetravel.com, talk to them as well. The guys really did the good job of mix matching and offer the package I needed instead of having me choose from fixed ones they had.

Where to stay?

There are many options listed on travel portals, you can choose the one that suits you.

Beau Rivage

I decided to stay at Beau Rivage and I am really glad I did. Located on a superb beach at Belle Mare in the east of the island, it has a natural class and relaxed elegance, without being ostentatious. I felt at ease there.

The majestic and spacious lobby has a large pool with turquoise mosaics opening onto the delicate lines of the crystal-clear swimming pool and the aquamarine lagoon. Thatched roofs invoke legendary Mauritian hospitality and give all the buildings an authentic charm.

The resort offered lots of choices for the accommodation and I was placed in what they called a junior suit.

The Junior Suites are spacious and airy, with terraces looking out over lush tropical gardens and the sparkling ocean beyond. They feature super king-size beds, separated from the comfortable seating areas by small wooden trellises, in a warm and glowing décor. Each Suite has a small dressing room and spacious bathroom, with a large walk-in shower, two washbasins, a bath and a separated toilet.

The food was another specialty they have mastered. The restaurants were beautifully done to seduce the eaters not only with looks but also with fine aroma perfectly blending to give the most. The staff members were very friendly and it was as if they really enjoyed talking to us probably being Indians trying to ask you about culture while sharing their own.

The food was awesome and it was apparent that chefs had a good world wide experience in culinary with French savoir-faire. In total they had 4 Restaurants and 2 Bars. Rive Gauche is there main restaurant overlooking the pool and ocean beyond. The main restaurant is set under a high, beamed thatched roof, open to the sides, with wonderful views of the lagoon and the swimming pool, absolutely magnificent when it and its palm trees are lit up at night. It is open for breakfast and dinner, when it serves a variety of tables d’hôte, buffets and gala dinners. The themed buffets conjure up all the magic of Asia, Africa and Mauritius.

Private Dinning

Beau Rivage offers a romantic celebration for couple to private dinner on the beach. One such dinner is complimentary for the honeymooners.

Spa

The spa at Beau Rivage a haven of peace, dedicated to beauty and well-being. In a relaxing and refined ambiance, the complex offers a whirlpool, a cold-plunge swimming pool, a sauna and a hammam, a hydrotherapy room (scrubs and wraps), 9 massage rooms in which 2 are double rooms, a vichy shower treatment room, 2 message kiosks, and a hairdressing saloon.

Another special experience is the Traditional Indian Massage, performed with cooling Ayurvedic oil which releases tension, flushes out toxins, tones the body and leaves guests feeling fresh and energized.

Water Sports

Free of Charge: Windsurfing, Pedal Boats, Kayaks, mini-sail, Snorkeling, Glass Bottom Boat Rides and Water-Skiing.

For a fee: Speedboat Rides, “ski tubes”, Scuba Diving, Para Sailing and Big Game Fishing.

What else?

A lot and more.

Grand Bay: Grand Bay was the first area of the island to fully experience the tourist boom. A shopping and leisure paradise, Grand Bay also happens to be the area where Mauritians head for when they want a fun-filled night out (restaurants, bars and discos). Recently renovated, La Cuvette beach is well worth a visit.

Pereybère: The wonderful Pereybere public beach is popular because of its shopping facilities, restaurants and pubs.

Balaclava Ruins: A few metres away from Baie aux Tortues, which 17th century sailors named after the many tortoises in the area, can be found the ruins of the old Balaclava estate. Visitors can see the sea walls, whose initial foundations were laid down by Mahé de Labourdonnais.

The Triolet Shivala: The longest village on the island, Triolet offers an opportunity to visit the biggest Hindu temple, the Maheswarnath, first built in 1819 in honour of the Gods Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, Muruga, Brahma and Ganesha.

Flacq Market: Flacq is one of the most important villages in Mauritius. This meeting point for inhabitants of the East boasts the country’s largest open air market. The extremely colourful market attracts a large number of people.

The Waterpark Leisure Village: Enjoy unforgettable moments sliding on the giant chutes, with family or friends. Relaxation and pleasure guaranteed.

Ile aux Cerfs: Ile aux Cerfs is a paradise for water sports and has the most beautiful beach in Mauritius. You cannot afford to miss this tiny island, delicately poised on the ocean, a real pearl in the Mauritian landscape.

Ile aux Aigrettes: Owing to the remarkable work accomplished by the Mauritius Wildlife Fund, the island has become an international standard for the protection of natural resources and endangered species. A few of the world’s rarest birds, including the kestrel, can be seen there. You can also discover the extremely rare Pink Pigeon, the Green Gecko Phelsuma and the Aldabra giant tortoise.

Blue Bay: Blue Bay beach is one of the most popular bathing spots in the South-East of the island. An ideal spot for windsurfing and sailing.

This is where I ran out of time. There is of course lot more to see and I am definitely going back for that.

Related Post:

Pattaya – You are in for Mega fun

Pattaya: You are in for Mega Fun

It turned out to be a good decision to just pack your bags and leave simply because you feel like it, alone. So just started looking out for the options and Pattaya was on the face of it for various reasons including the snob that I was abroad and there is going to be another visa stamp on my expiring otherwise very sparingly used passport. So few clicks on many travel sites and I was all set to go… thanking web for making my life easy.

Pattaya is nestled along a picturesque bay on the East Coast of the Gulf of Thailand, roughly 170 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. From a fishing village in the 1960’s, Pattaya has emerged as the favorite Southeast Asian vacation center. A fascinating escape where tourists, holiday makers and vacationers from around the world unfold an incomparable array of possibilities to unwind during an exotic holiday beach vacation.

Unlike other beach resorts, where natural surroundings are used as magnets to attract tourists, Pattaya makes an all-out attempt to provide the best of everything. Here, everything means everything a tourist can imagine while on holiday: recreation, entertainment, sports, sightseeing and fun. To put it simply, Pattaya is a paradise for everyone, as it has a variety of attractions suitable for all types of visitors. This is the place where you can fill your day, from dusk to dawn, with endless activities, or you may choose to do nothing at all and relax.

How to Go:

With the new International Airport, Suvarnabhumi, opening in late 2006, getting to Pattaya has never been easier. Most tourists forego Bangkok altogether and head straight for Pattaya regardless of arrival time. After all, it is only 90 minutes away. Why go to Bangkok for the night when you head straight to your final destination.

Located about 50 kilometers south of the old International Airport, Don Muang, Suvarnabhumi is an architectural marvel of steel and glass. The airport is absolutely huge and you will get your first taste of how big it is when you walk from your arrival gate to the Immigration officer to show your passport. It seems like it is miles away.

Fortunately there are numerous Immigration officers to get you through the passport control checkpoint and the luggage carousels are directly behind them. A big electronic board tells your where your luggage is and then you are out the door to a waiting taxi.

Attractions: Now this is the list which is more like never ending. It doesn’t matter what time that you arrive in Pattaya, there will always be something to do. Daytime gives you time for a nap or a walkabout to get the lay of the land. Night time arrival means you head straight out to the nightlife. Even arriving at 3 or 4 in the morning, you will still be able to find some night time activity to occupy your time. Are you surprised? No its not only about GoGo Bars and massage parlors and some water sports… take a look.

Wat Yansangwararam

Situated approximately 15 kilometers south of Pattaya City, the temple, which covers a total area of 146 acres, can be reached by turning left from Sukhumvit Road at Km.160 marker. The temple was built in 1976 to pay respect Somdet Phra Yanasangwon, the present Supreme Patriarch and was later graciously admitted to be under the patronage of His Majesty the King. The temple grounds is comprised of: a mondop (pavilion with four gables) enshrining a replica of the Buddha’s footprints, a large stupa where the relics of the Lord Buddha and his disciples are enshrined, Phra Yanaret Vihan and an international pavilion representing the architecture of several countries.

Underwater World Pattaya

A new tourist attraction in town is the largest and most modern ocean aquarium in Asia, boasting a 100-meter-long, 6.4-centimeter-thick acrylic pedestrian tunnel through an underwater environment filled with dozens of marine species. Located just 200 meters south of Tesco Lotus in South Pattaya, the new theme park covers a total area of 12-rai and is housed in a structure similar to a large circus tent. The aquarium itself houses more than 4,000 marine animals, comprising more than 200 different species from the region as well as some rare creatures from overseas. Top in the Visitors must-see list is the rare shovelnose ray, a hybrid between a shark and a stingray.

Hat Thian Thale

is a new tourist location inside the Navy’s Surface to Air and Coast Department General Headquarters. Thian Thale Beach is a sand beach dotted with small knolls, and is approximately 900 meters long. It has a fantastic scenery from the beach, cliffs in different shapes and offers an opportunity to view beautiful sunsets. It also has a marine research center, kayaks for rent, and restaurant for tourists.

Wong Phrachan beach

Situated on the northern side of Pattaya Bay, this 1-kilometer beach shares the same entrance as the Central Wong Amart Hotel. It is a quiet spot, good for swimming and relaxation.

The World Dog Centre

A little under 3 kilometers on Phonpraphanimit Road off Sukhumvit is a canine training facility. The World Dog Centre has more than 250 different species of dogs and stages daily shows by well-trained police dogs four times daily. Admission fee is 300 baht for adults and 150 baht for children.

The Ripleys believe It or Not Auditorium

This is situated in the Royal Garden Plaza on Beach Road. The auditorium has a large collection of stories of oddities from every corner of the globe. Admission fee is 280 baht for adults and 230 baht for children.

The Pattaya Park

The Pattaya Park at Chomthian features a large water park with giant sliders and a tower with a revolving restaurant, which offers a panoramic view of Pattaya. Visitors can enjoy many instruments, which offer excitement and a great fun.

The Pattaya Cart Speedway

This is a small racing track about 5 kilometers south of Pattaya on Thep Prasit Road. Open daily for both professional and amateur drivers from 9.30 a.m.-6.30 p.m.

The Motion Master Moving Theatre

Situated in the Royal Garden Plaza, the theatre offers hi-tech screening of motions and movements as experienced in real life. Open daily from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

The Monkey Training Centre

Located in Soi Chaiyaphruk, off of Highway No. 3 at Km. 151, the centre brings the best out of the monkeys. Visitors can admire the intelligence of monkeys, which are trained to harvest coconuts and to perform other various activities. Additional performances include cock fighting and a snake show. Five shows are available daily at 9 am., 11 a.m., 12.00 noon, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Admission fee is 250 baht. Call 0 3875 6367, 0 3875 6570 to reserve your seats

The Lakeland Water Cable Ski

This is at Km. 150.5 on Highway No. 3, about 5 kilometers from Pattaya. Cable ski equipment is available for use at its large fresh-water lake. Open daily 10 a.m.-9.00 p.m.

Suan Chaloemphrakiat (Fitness Park)

Located at the foot of Pattaya hill on Phratamnak Road. Covering a large area, the place constructed to commemorate His Majesty the Kings sixtieth birthday on December 5, 1988. The gardens of the park boast a wide variety of flowering plants. There are also multipurpose grounds and winding trails for walking or jogging complete with standard exercise facilities. On any given day, a large number of people will relax, jog, exercise or simple enjoy the scenery of Pattaya in this park.

Sireporn Orchid Farm

Located at 235/14 Mu 5, Tambon Nong Prue, the farm has a wide array of different orchids and visitors may purchase plants or cut flowers. Open daily from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Tel: 0 3842 9013.

Pattaya at Night

The variety of nighttime activities continuing until dawn is so diverse that every person would easily find diversions appealing to individual tastes and moods. Most likely any fantasy can be fulfilled, especially after sunset. After dark, the extension of Beach road in South Pattaya turns into a promenade (disallowed only for public transport), transformed into one of the hottest nightspot. A hunting ground beaming with neon lights and music, where fellow holiday-makers youths & aged alike, find an endless array of dining, shopping or entertainment establishments.

Worthy of notice is the disco in Pattaya. A disco is not just a dance palace, but more of a hi-tech extravaganza filled with flashing lights, trendy music, and fun loving crowds. Pattaya is famous for its incredible nightlife activities, and South Pattaya is the jewel in its crown outshining the rest with an incredible array of things to see and do. One can enjoy Thai-boxing or some glaring erotic shows, a wide variety of fascinating shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, discos and other pleasurable establishments, side-by-side with all kinds of shopping. The only required skill is that of time management, so one can experience all the wonders and be on time for what is next.

Panarak Park

Panarak Park can be reached by proceeding 5 kilometers on Phonprapha Nimit Road off of Highway No. 3 at Km. 145. The park is a nature-based recreational facility with fishing gear for rent that is ideal for relaxation through fishing activities.

Paintball

Paintball ground is located on Thep Prasit Road, about 20 minutes drive from Pattaya city. Paintball is a game played in a model battlefield in an enclosed spacious area to create the atmosphere of a real fight. All players are provided with safety dresses and masks for protection from any bodily harm. Air guns filled with plastic shots driven by the pressure of carbon dioxide inside are used as weapons. A shot will burst into color water when hitting a victim. The players are divided into two teams, each trying to seize the flag of the other team and bringing it back safely to their base first. The game never fails to offer excitement.

Open Eyes Show

Is a great experience offering magic and Spy Zone. Situated on 2nd floor Pattaya Bazaar.

This needs a coverage again. Nightlife.

You ask for it and you get it…

Let’s not be coy , it sells sex. Street after street of gogo bars full of Western men and the girls who work there.There must be thousands of women working in the sex trade as it seems every bar has them spilling out onto the pavement .The bars are interspersed with massage parlours and pharmacies.

For Adults

Tiffany Cabaret Shows
Alcaza Cabaret Shows
Alangkarn Entertainment
is must.

The walk on the streets of Pattaya at night itself will take you where you want to go. Just keep going.

Eating in Pattaya

Breakfast is cheap in Pattaya. You can get basic fare for about 50 to 80 baht which consists of bacon and eggs, toast, juice and coffee. A better deal is the hotel buffet. The Lek Hotel, Apex and Diana Inn on Second Road all have buffets for about 110 Baht. Lots of food but nothing really spectacular.

I prefer to have a big breakfast but one that also tastes good. My favorite is at the Sportsman on Soi 13. They have a full English breakfast for about 240 Baht. This is served on a platter and comes with bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, beans, bubble and squeak, and fried tomatoes. It is all you can do to finish it.

I usually don’t eat lunch after having the big breakfast but for those who get hungry mid-day, there are many, many places to get something to eat. Everything from fast food to street vendor dishes are all over the city. You won’t be able to walk ten feet without someone selling something to eat.

If I am hungry at lunchtime, I usually go to the Royal Garden Shopping Center upstairs to the food court. There you buy a card similar to a credit card and put however much Baht on it as you want. I usually add about 200 Baht and if I have money left over, I can get it refunded.

Then you just walk around to the many vendors and see what you like. Most of the food is Thai and there is everything from soup, to rice dishes to noodles. Beverages and dessert are also available. Most of the meals are in the 30 – 40 Baht range.

For dinner, I usually stop at a street vendor and get some meat and rice. There is a group of street vendors, or an outside food court on Soi Buakhao just north of Soi LK Metro. The northernmost vendor is my favorite. He has boiled chicken, fried pork, and cooked red pork. All dishes come with rice and cost 25-30 Baht. A bottle of water is an additional 10 Baht.

If you get hungry while out on the town in Pattaya, you will be able to get food no matter what time it is. Stationary street vendors and vendors with motorized stalls are everywhere serving soup, bar-b-que, and rice and noodle dishes. You can even get a sampling of Northern Thailand snacks – grasshoppers, silkworms, ants, and beetles.

Eating in Thailand is a way of life and you will find yourself eating 4 to 6 times per day. The meals are small in size and huge in taste. Some of the Thai dishes can be very spicy so be careful with the chili peppers.

And if you only eat pizza, burgers and fries, you can get those dishes all over the city too.

You can even find some of the best steaks and European cuisine in this former fishing village. Seafood is also abundant and you can get lobster or crabs for a small fraction of what you pay at home I can guarantee that you will not go hungry when you are in Pattaya.

Traveling Tips

Travel Light, you really don’t need anything to be in Pattaya and whatever is required can be bought there at much lesser price.

It is a city of light clothing – T shirts, Payjamas, shorts and tops. A good pair of Beach Sandal is a must.

Bargain – Thats what you have to do almost all the times. Always check at various shops before you pick up a bargain at one.

Traveling within the city: Use radio cabs or go ahead and rent a moped or motorcycle. But be careful to check it before you take it for its fitments.
WALKING & BAHT BUS IS BEST option available. The Baht buses circle Pattaya all day and night and it is not difficult to figure out the routes. The worst that can happen is you want to go straight and the Baht bus turns. Just get off, pay your 10 baht, and get on another.

Mai pen rai – never mind.

Also Destination: Mauritius (Ile Maurice)

Anubhav Sharma