The first thing that struck me about Mauritius was the humidity: it enveloped me.
Then I noticed the lush vegetation, especially the coconut palms, the white sandy beaches dotted with basalt rock and, beyond, the mesmerising ocean.
And that was just on the 50-minute drive from the airport to Le Touessrok on the east coast, on a road winding next to the sea.
Le Touessrok was crowned the island's top hotel in the Europe and Africa Property Awards 2009 and, more recently, named the best incentive hotel by an international conference market magazine.
Well known to South Africans as a romantic resort, it is a favourite of wedding parties and honeymooners, including Prince Andrew and Fergie in the eighties. In its 30 years, it has hosted many royals, celebrities and tycoons.
It's a spectacular hotel with a spectacular entrance. Visitors are greeted by an ancient and enormous banyan tree, its gnarly roots above ground, which is adorned with wooden bird-cage lanterns.
The architecture is Mediterranean-inspired, with cream stucco walls and palm-thatched rooftops covering 200 sea-facing suites and rooms across Coral Beach, Frangipani Island and Hibiscus Beach.
Frangipani trees in numerous courtyards play off decorative timber awnings, travertine tiled floors and brown wicker furniture.
Most suites overlook a bay called Trou d'Eau Douce. My suite was one of the few on Frangipani Island, which is connected to the mainland hotel by two wooden bridges.
Le Touessrok is hotel grandeur at its best. Butlers and hotel personnel dressed in brilliant white deliver service of the highest order 24 hours a day.
The attention to detail is extraordinary. For example, at the resort's six restaurants, citronella-scented towelettes are handed to you before and after each meal, and the napkins are deftly replaced with freshly rolled ones each time you leave the table.
Mauritian cuisine boasts a rich history, and all the restaurants reflect French, Indian, British and African influences, with dishes artistically presented.
The suites come with the latest technology. There is a TV with a DVD player (DVDs are available from the hotel library), complimentary Wi-Fi and a studio desk holds different plugs to enable you to use your gadgets with ease.
The bar fridge may be standard, but the espresso machine was a pleasant surprise. But it is the bathroom, with its sliding doors opening to the suite and an ocean view, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, black granite counters, wooden walk-in cupboards, a hidden shower and a cream egg-shaped bathtub in the centre that is the suite's highlight.
Some master suites connect to junior suites, ideal for families which are able to use a 12-hour childcare facility for children aged 4-11. At the Robin Hood-themed T-Club, there is a jungle gym, stage arena for concerts and plays, a tree house, and a mini restaurant where dinner is served, or where children learn to make pizza.
The kids are taught to play the ravanne (a large tambourine-like instrument) and djembe (a cup-shaped hand drum), learn karate moves and golf and go on torch-lit night walks on the beach to look for crabs.
Older children can join the Teen Club where they take part in watersports activities, go on bicycle rides, attend organised discos, go deep-sea fishing and more.
Visitors can practise their game of golf on the Bernhard Langer championship course on Ile aux Cerfs, which is reached by boat.
On the other side of this island is a beach where guests can swim or participate in a variety of watersports, from sea kayaking to parasailing.
If privacy and romance is what you desire, head to 206lot Mangenie, where couples like to tie the knot, according to hotel wedding planner, Karen Joorun. On this private island, you can dine on authentic Mauritian fare such as palm heart salad and sacrechien fish, have sips of rhum arrangé, a rum flavoured with vanilla, pineapple, passionfruit, orange or coconut, and learn to dance to sega music.
Both islands are reached via a complimentary boat service that takes between 10-15 minutes.
There are many activities to enjoy, from walking under the sea to being pampered at the Givenchy Spa. Rent a bike to discover the surroundings - on my ride through the Trou d'Eau Douce community, I caught glimpses of a soccer culture - or go and explore the interior.
On another day, I took a taxi with a group from the hotel to Flacq, the island's meeting place, where we boarded a bus for an hour-long journey to the capital, Port Louis, and thereafter another short trip to Grand Baie, the main tourist centre on the northern tip of Mauritius.
The narrow Port Louis streets overflow with vendors selling their wares, people traversing on bicycles and motorbikes, and colourful marketplaces. I enjoyed bargaining with the merchants and feasting my eyes on oversized vegetables - one pumpkin had slices as long as my arm.
In Grand Baie, I found a touch of home with The Beach House offering boerewors and karoo lamb on its menu, and a Spur restaurant faced the cyan sea.
If you have time, visit the River Gorges National Park where you can admire the tropical birdlife and scenery, or go horse riding at Belle Mare.
With such beauty around you, once in Mauritius, you will wish you could stay.
FLIGHT SPECIALS
Air Mauritius has a four-hour flight from Joburg to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport six days a week. Call 011 262 7100/7101 for more information.
It is offering a special fare of R2 990 for a return flight to Mauritius from Joburg from January 10 to March 14, 2010. Taxes are not included. (Ed's note - this article previously said that that fare included taxes. The error is regretted).
And, until December 3, the airline is also offering all-inclusive R5 000 special fares to Bangalore/ Chennai/Delhi/Mumbai/ Kuala Lumpur/Singapore.
Additional packages with a Le Touessrok stay can be organised through World Leisure Holidays.
LE TOUESSROK SPECIALS
An article about Mauritius in yesterday's Verve contained an error in a special fare offer from Air Mauritius.
The article stated that the special offer of R2 990 for return flights from Joburg to Mauritius was "tax-free". However, Air Mauritius had stressed in its communications that the price did not include airport taxes.
We wish to apologise to our readers and Air Mauritius for any inconvenience caused by this error.
The Air Mauritius offers are as follows:
These offers are valid only on flights from Joburg.
