Movenpick and Mauritius

Date of Visit: 27th July to 2nd August
Stay: Movenpick Spa and Resort
Half Board: Breakfast and Dinner included
Room Type: Deluxe Sea View
Holiday Vendor: My Holidays

About Movenpick:

• The welcome drink is tasteless. Its supposedly sugarcane juice with some other juice mixed. Do well to avoid it.
• The location of the resort is superb. Private beach and relaxing beach chairs in plenty.
• The decor of the resort is excellent.
• Very well maintained with lots of trees, natural flora and fauna.
• Rooms are clean but inconvenient. No wardrobes, no wall-clock. The resort does not provide for bathroom slippers or a comb or shaving kit despite being a 4 star accomodation.
• DO NOT take rooms in the 4th block if you want a sea-view from your room. And DO NOT take ground floor rooms.
• The breakfast is the same everyday but with a lot of choices and is very tasty. Particularly the bakery products and yogurt.
• Dinner is pretty average with limited choice in desserts.
• The honeymoon dinner was nothing short of disappointing. Hardly any choice of food. And in very limited quantity.
• Honeymoon freebies (t-shirt, pareo, wine bottle) are good.
• The Spa is nicely decorated but the complimentary massage is nothing of note. The voucher is valid only for the first two days and it is quite difficult to incorporate that in your itinerary since its available only from 11 am to 630 pm and you would be mostly out in the first two days touring the place.
• Sports facilities are great. Lots of options and all free of cost.
• The swimming pool is good but temperature is not controlled.
• Lunch at the beach-side restaurant of Movenpick is reasonable and delicious.
• Service is prompt and polite.

Overall, stay at Movenpick on the 1st or 2nd block and avoid ground floor rooms and the honeymoon dinner (instead ask for the normal course dinner which is much better)

About Mauritius:

• Use Mauritian Rupees. Convert USD or INR to MUR at the airport.
• Water sports at Belle Mare beach is expensive but the parasailing (USD 40 per head) is great. Much better than the one in Goa.
• Under-sea walk (USD 40 per head) is hardly a walk. Avoid that and go for the submarine instead. Or even the subscooter.
• There is a waterfall of 20 feet and its a total letdown but the journey in the speedboat to that is thrilling to say the least. (USD 25 per head)
• The fort at Port Louis is at a splendid location and provides a wonderful view. Entry is free. Gives out the total landscape of Port Louis.
• The Botanical garden is nice and cool. (USD 5 per head)
• The shopping mall and flea market close to Port Louis does not offer much to tourists. Its exactly like any other malls in India. But lunch is a good option here within USD 5 per head. Good food at food court.
• Food is expensive. An average restaurant lunch (a non-veg thali) will cost about 25 USD per head. Ask for cheaper options to the guide.
• The Chamarel or seven coloured earth is the most interesting landscape. Entry free.
• The crater of the dead volcano is quite nice as well.
• The ship-model making factory outlet is mind-blowing. Bargaining works.

Overall, a very beautiful place with no hassles. People are nice. In July and August its very windy and rains intermittently. Pullovers or light sweaters are handy. Better to carry an umbrella. If possible, go for a private car so you have freedom of movement.