Take the plunge
Jon Watt dives into the unexpected with a journey to colourful and idyllic Mauritus
Above: Stilted suite at the Prince Maurice resort
Eight million years ago, there was a violent and prolonged volcanic erupted in the Indian Ocean. It lasted so long and spewed forth such considerable amounts of lava and ash that an island formed around the cone. When the eruption finally subsided and the lava cooled, what remained was a new land of harsh, hard, abrasive black volcanic rock. Incredibly, everything we now see and enjoy on the beautiful island of Mauritius can be traced back to these dramatic beginnings.
Being an island which was created (rather than a breakaway part of Africa like neighbouring Madagascar), Mauritius had no indigenous peoples and few animals. Indeed, when Portuguese explorers first landed in 1507 they would have seen only two notable inhabitants: a large fruit-eating bat and a strange flightless bird. As is well-known, the unfortunate Dodo’s existence was short-lived once the rats which arrived with Dutch ships discovered an easy meal could be made of their ground-based eggs. The Dutch were followed by the French and eventually the British, which explains why Mauritians speak French but drive on the left. In time, the British residents imported service staff from nearby India, and so today you find an island which is a mix of those who can trace their ancestry back to India, Africa, Britain and France.
Another product of Mauritius’ geological past is the incredible coral reef which almost rings the island and is the reason it is one of the finest dive sites in the world – in fact, so good are the conditions that the island’s popularity with divers might even rival its popularity with honeymooners someday soon.
The reef sits roughly half a kilometre off-shore and encloses a shallow, three-metre deep, lagoon which offers a tranquil, yet fascinating, location for learning to dive. A first open-water dive is more often than not a nervous affair, but in the safety of the lagoon and with the distraction of the multitude of colourful fish and corals, it’s easy to relax and enjoy the experience.
For more advanced divers who venture outside the reef into the open sea, there are wrecks to be visited and an outstanding, unique variety of tropical sea life. In my five dives outside the reef I was fortunate enough to see a white tipped shark, octopi, clown and sergeant-major fish, leopard moray eel and barracuda, to name but a few. My guide on these marine explorations was Jean Michel Langlois, the owner of Blues Diving and a man of seemingly infinite experience (the son of a diver, he was wearing fins before shoes). Langlois’ assured teaching style, and that of his staff, makes it easy to relax and feel safe while getting used to the strange sensation of breathing and moving underwater.
Blues Diving operates around the island and has a dive centre in the glorious Belle Mare Plage hotel. The hotel is one of two opulent five-star resorts on the east coast of the island, owned by the Constance chain. Belle Mare Plage is a maze of some 256 thatched-roofed rooms set in 15 hectares of tropic garden which stretch for two kilometres along a white sand beach. Hidden in amongst the palm trees and huts are three swimming pools, six restaurants, offering various culinary styles and considerably more staff than residents – resulting in exceptional levels of service. It also offers free water-skiing and complimentary golf on one of its two championship golf courses, crèche and babysitting facilities. There are also tennis courts, a spa and a gym for those looking to keep up the beach body they worked so hard for!
Taking its name from Prince Maurice of Nassau (after whom the island is named), Belle Mare Plage’s sister hotel just along the coast is the Prince Maurice. The resort is situated on an unspoiled peninsula all of its own and enjoys both sunrise and sunset. With just 80 rooms, Prince Maurice is slightly more exclusive than its sister hotel and that’s reflected in the exceptionally striking interior design, the quality of the rooms, their locations and, of course, their prices – a stilted room on the lagoon is an undoubted highlight of the accommodation here. Another highlight is the Le Barachois stilted restaurant. Floating atop the lagoon, the restaurant’s idyllic location is only reached by a moonlit stroll along a boardwalk in the reeds, with fish splashing in the dark on either side and perhaps even the occasional small shark. Such unique accommodation and facilities have attracted the likes of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones – who was apparently so relaxed in the surroundings, she felt compelled to entertain her fellow guests by playing the piano.
Evidence that while Mauritius may have come a long way in eight million years, it’s still true to its spontaneous roots.
Jon Watt travelled to Mauritius with Virgin Holidays (www.virginholidays.com, 0844 5573 861). Seven nights at the Constance Belle Mare Plage starts from £1,299 on a half-board basis based in a prestige room. Seven nights at Constance Le Prince Maurice starts from £1,929 on a half-board basis based in a junior suite. Both prices are based on two adults sharing and include return international flights with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow direct to Mauritius, and return transfers. Prices may be subject to a fuel surcharge and an increase in Air Passenger Duty.
Diving was provided by Blues Diving (www.bluesdiving.net) which runs PADI, CMAS and BSAC courses (£465 for four days).