Your London Wedding - Jul/Aug 2019 (Issue 66)

THE SPA’S THE STAR Need another reason to honeymoon here? Besides the picture-perfect setting, attentive staff – shout out to Ajay, who looked after us throughout our stay – and huge host of water- sports, it’s got to be Angsana Spa & Wellness. This goes above and beyond any other spa I’ve visited and offers an extensive list of holistic activities, such as yoga, pranayama and meditation. The Asian and ayurvedic spa treatments use local botanical coconut and sugar cane, as well as seaweed and mud. We enjoyed a couple’s massage, tried the Hydro Vitality Jets Experience, and had a consultation with the spa’s in-house Dr Sree, who used our pulse to give a fascinating insight in to our individual health concerns. We also booked up for Watsu therapy after reading about it prior to visiting. Held in the Vitality Jet Pool, an experienced therapist gently cradles, moves and stretches your body in warm water. I can honestly say it’s unbelievably relaxing and you really do feel the stresses and strains of everyday life just melt away… GETTING OUT AND ABOUT As much as we could have happily stayed within the hotel’s grounds for the entirety of our trip, my journalistic duties kicked in, so we booked a full day’s tour with Mauritours (mauritours. mu) and set off to explore the South of the island. First up we headed to Trou aux Cerfs, a dormant volcano with a well- defined cone and crater, before visiting the sacred lake of Grand Bassin. Also known as Ganga Talao by the locals and Indians who make a pilgrimage there every year, it’s considered the most sacred Hindu location on the island. Next on our hit-list was taking in the incredible view at Alexandra Falls, located on the road through the Black River Gorges National Park. After a quick improvised pit-stop to see some macaque monkeys stealing fruit from the tourists, it was on to the Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark, a natural phenomenon where the colours of the earth have evolved through conversion of basaltic lava to clay minerals. We couldn’t, of course, experience a day’s excursion without sampling the Mauritians local tipple; rum. For that we embarked on a guided tour of a working rum factory, the Rhumerie de Chamarel. After a fascinating insight in to how the spirit is made, we were then given a delicious rum-based cocktail before sampling eight different varieties produced there. This may explain why I snored, with my mouth wide open, on the 90-minute trip back to Angsana Balaclava Mauritius, much to my husband’s amusement. After a blissful five nights it was time to leave, and, as much as we’d both missed our boys, we were sad. Not only had we experienced a five-star resort in paradise, but Angsana Balaclava Mauritius takes romance to a new level. BOOK IT Book your honeymoon at Angsana Balaclava Mauritus by visiting angsana.com MAURITIUS: THE FACTS CURRENCY: The Mauritian currency is the rupee, which at the time of writing works out to around 45MUR per £1. Even though you can charge service and sundries to your room at Angsana Balaclava Mauritius, have some cash for tipping staff, such as the maids who clean your room. Get your currency on arrival at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport – we found this to be the best deal. DISTANCE: Mauritius is 6,324 miles from the UK, in the heart of the Indian Ocean and 600 miles off the coast of Madagascar. Angsana Balaclava Mauritius is situated on the scenic North-West coast, on the shores of Turtle Bay. It’s a 15-minute drive from the capital of Port Louis, and a 20-minute drive from the seaside village of Grand Baie. ROADS: Mauritians drive on the left and the roundabouts and signs are identical to those in the UK! The roads are in great condition, and for that reason we imagine hiring a car to tour the island yourself is a great idea. AIR MAURITIUS: FLYING BUSINESS CLASS EDITOR CLAIRE SAYS: “My husband and I were lucky enough to enjoy Air Mauritius business class on our outbound journey. After being escorted to our central two-seat space, we were offered an ice-cold glass of orange juice or champagne. Taking a sip of bubbly while trying to appear like I fly business class all the time, I had a little nose around my personal space for the next 12 hours. The seat offered an extremely comfortable 60” pitch, and I was able to fully-extend the seat to ‘lie-flat’ mode. We even had a Christian Lacroix washbag full of in-flight essentials to keep us comfortable on our journey. “I can’t fault the service and attention to detail throughout the flight. Before we’d even taken off we were asked for our next drinks choice, which was served with a selection of canapes once airborne. For dinner I opted for prawns followed by lamb, all of which was served on proper crockery, which made all the difference. The wine was also free-flowing, and after a couple of glasses I decided against one of the many movies on my own TV. I couldn’t wait to lie- down and sleep comfortably on the overnight flight!” Visit airmauritius.com or call 020 7434 4375 123 HONEYMOONS