And so to Mauritius and some of its luxury resorts

After two consecutive nights on planes, the gal was more than ecstatic to arrive back at Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita.  The short buggy-ride from the luxury resort’s reception along to villa 160 was through stunning gardens – see a shot, above, a tribute to the 45 gardeners who have made the 4.5-hectare area so pristine it is tempting to ask if it is real.  Along the way, too is the tortoise garden, and one tortoise mum was there with her baby (somehow tortoises do make even world travellers remember a place, say Frégate, and North Island, both in the Seychelles).  The 90 villas here are all beach-set, and #160 turned out to be a particular beauty.

As a Sanctuary Beach Pool Villa, it had its own secluded outside pool –see the video below. I really liked its soft taupe and teal interior colouring, and the easy-pull vertical blinds.  After two airline beds I also appreciated the bed here: the dividing wall between bedroom and bathroom can be pulled open so you can effectively look from the interior bathtub through the bedroom and the sitting room, and on through all-glass doors to the private garden, and beach beyond.  Anyway, thanks to the Four Seasons bed, and a bicycle that took me easily to the LifeFitness gym, I quickly recovered from my travels. Lunch was a splendid, brightly-coloured compose-your-own salad bowl, served in the villa (the hotel deserves a world prize for its room service menu, a highly-professional full-colour book).

It also deserves praise for promoting its food and drink, generally, and what it actually serves. The ‘Program of the week’ diary suggests listening to a live DJ tonight: last night was a winery dinner hosted by South African winemakers Andrew and Rosy Gunn, of Iona, and tomorrow is a Zilwa (‘of the island’) Creole night.  In fact, with hotel GM Michel Volk, a Luxemburger who got to this island by way of Bora Bora and the Four Seasons Tented Camp in northern Thailand, I dined cantilevered over the water at AcquaPazza – in honour of chef Paolo Gionfriddo we toasted mutual friends in a Sicilian wine, Planeta Plumbago Nero d’Avola 2015.

The A4-sized leather-backed menu suggests a daily three-courser, plus signatures and pizzas – I went for a crudo platter that looked like a pointillism painting and, equally tasty, slices of tagiata di Manzo, a wagyu rib eye with parmesan, rocket and black truffle. There were a few Chinese honeymooners but in the main the other diners were Brits and other Europeans, returning as they always do this time for year for the Ernie Els golf, right her at Ananita.  Adding to the lure to get people back again and again is the breakfast. As seems to be a norm on Mauritius, this luxury hotel is half-board, and breakfast here spreads over several rooms.  Go into the dairy for your cheese, and on into the bakery for your croissants – see a video, below.  All too soon the buggy was back, to take me to reception to check out: if you must, without being buggy-sick, check out my ride, below. NOW SEE VIDEOS OF VILLA #160, THE BREAKFAST BUFFET, AND DEPARTURE BY BUGGY