On the island of Mauritius, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Heritage Awali Golf and Spa Resort might be a luxury hotel, but it’s all about enjoying the natural environment.  Aaron Taylor explains …  

First Impressions

The tone is immediately set for your stay at the Heritage Awali, with welcoming drinks and African drums introducing you to their relaxed and friendly vibe. The Awali, which in Swahili means ‘origin’, has strong African influences in its architecture, décor, and ambience. This genuine oasis offers a perfect blend of luxury, simplicity, and warmth to suit any traveller looking for a relaxing or activity based five star break.

The Hotel

The rooms follow the rich, elegant designs of the hotel with large spacious bathrooms and high quality furnishings throughout. There is a complimentary mini-bar which is topped up everyday and there are also plenty of options on the TV if there was ever a need to spend any more time in your room.

The Restaurant

There is a plethora of restaurants to choose from including the Balafon’s buffet offering a huge variety of international cuisines to suit even the fussiest of pallets, The Amafrooty offering bar style comfort food throughout the day, Infinity Blue situated on the seafront serving delicious seafood and carnivorous dishes and Boma if you’re looking for something with a little spice, and then if you’d still like more choice you can make your way down the beach to the C Club offering Italian-style cuisine and live music!  If you’re looking for five star fine dining experience, head to the Chateaux, only a two minute shuttle from the hotel and still part of the all-inclusive rate (apart from drinks). This opulent manor house is situated overlooking the golf course and offers some of the best views in the area not to mention a range of wines.

The Location

The Awali is situated on the South side of Mauritius, generally accepted as the most beautiful and tropical side, and is only a 45-minute taxi ride from the airport. The stand-out part of the whole experience is the beach and crystal clear water that stretches the entire length of the resort. Protected by a coral reef, the water is perfectly calm and ideal for anyone looking to take advantage of the free water sports included in the package. It is also a famous hot spot for kite-surfing (away from the hotel so as to not disturb the peace) which makes for a truly spectacular site when they are whizzing about in the strong crosswind.

The Spa

The activities available at the Awali are endless! For example, there are two outdoor tennis courts, table tennis, a fully equipped gym, archery, a pool, water skiing, beach volleyball, pedalos, kayaks, yoga, wind-surfing, golf, snorkelling, glass bottom boats … and everything is free!  If you want to be a little more adventurous you can try deep sea fishing which I would highly recommend; it is very reasonably priced if there are few of you wanting to do it.  The holiday gets even better with an hour’s spa treatment thrown in for free as well. The spa is a tranquil and serene experience with everything focussed around the concept of wellbeing, and embracing the balance of the energies and colours that pervade the body of each individual. It’s well worth booking another treatment later in the holiday as well to ensure you release any tension that you might have built up with all the activities!

The Verdict

Overall I would highly recommend this place and would definitely put this above the vast majority of resorts in the Indian Ocean. For a five star all-inclusive resort it is remarkably good value and you will not have to spend a penny whilst you’re there which means you can leave all your worries at home! If you would like a more colonial feel then the sister hotel, The Telfair, situated next door, offers more grandeur and is better suited to more mature couples and families

Top Tips

– Book the Infinity Blue and Chateaux restaurants in advance as these are the best dining experiences.

– Book a deep-sea fishing trip.

– Try all the water sports and check when they start each day so you can make the most of them.