30 May 2012

I‘ve just had the opportunity to travel to gorgeous Mauritius yet again. A quick 4 hour flight from Johannesburg makes it an easy destination to visit, especially with children. May is a lovely time of the year to visit and the weather is still great. The resorts I visited this time around are Shandrani, Le Preskil & Paradise Beach. Shandrani Resort & Spa 5 Star and is an amazing hotel. Only 10 minutes from the airport, the resort has a full list of activities that will keep you entertained for days on end. Three beautiful beaches to choose from, a sports centre offering tennis, table-tennis, bicycles, gym, a Clarins spa to pamper you, boat club offering various excursions and watersports, a sailing school and Diving Centre. Shandrani is ideal for groups, incentives and conferencing. They have facilities to handle all size groups, and special evening functions can be arranged. Their All Inclusive plan is a truly fantastic value for money, and I found that it’s actually more All-Inclusive than other hotels. Choice of up to 5 restaurants, unlimited wines, spirits & French champagne by the glass, soft drinks, fruit juices & bottled water, snacks & pancakes at between 15:00 - 17:00, mini bar, one complimentary 45 minute massage per adult, free and unlimited access to a 9 hole mashie course. This fully inclusive package is applicable from time of arrival until time of departure, regardless of official check in & check-out times (which are not normally heard of in Mauritius). The Bob Marlin kids club keeps your children entertained with cooking classes, arts and crafts, and excursions. They have a full daily itinerary so you can be rest assured your kids are well looked after and having a great time. The rooms at the Shandrani Hotel are all sea-facing, quite spacious, modern and clean. A soft revamp will be done on the rooms in September 2012. Live entertainment is provided every evening. Le Preskil Beach Resort is 4 Star and is situated on a natural peninsula along the South East Coast of Mauritius only 15 kilometres from the Airport. It offers three idyllic beaches, and borders a lagoon with an exceptional stretch of unique clear blue water which leads to the astonishing marine park of Blue Bay and offers a magnificent view over l'île aux Aigrettes where it nests a unique bird sanctuary. Two swimming pools, one of which has a Jacuzzi and children's pool. Three restaurants, live bands and shows during the evening. Several daily activities such as beach-volley, aqua-gym, treasure trails, waterskiing, windsurfing, glass bottom boats, canoes, pedal boat and snorkelling are also offered. A visit to their wellness centre is a must. There is a kids club for 4-12 years old and babysitting service is available. Alternative excursions such as deep sea fishing, catamaran, speedboat and local sailing boat. The accommodation is in chalet style cottages with a colonial touch and a view over the lagoon, Lion Mountain and l ile aux Aigrettes. All the rooms lead onto a balcony or a terrace. Paradise beach is a “boutique style” Luxury beachfront holiday complex which comprises of 8 luxury apartments and 2 penthouses situated on one of Mauritius Island’s best stretches of white beach which is perfectly safe for swimming due to the sandy sea bed. Located in the South East of Mauritius, it's an ideal place to escape as a family to enjoy the crystal, still waters and unspoiled beaches. Paradise beach offers a large swimming pool, bicycles and kayaks for free use, daily housekeeping. The self-catering “with benefits” concept combines the freedom of quality holiday accommodation with hotel-like services as well as convenient “holiday extras” – ideal for the independent traveller who prefers to live freely. The people in Mauritius are very helpful and friendly. Mauritius is an all year round destination but like anywhere in the world they do have recommended travel dates: Sub-tropical oceanic climate with fairly high temperatures and humidity all year round. Rain falls at all times of the year with the wettest period from Jan-Mar. At this time of the year, tropical cyclones are an occasional hazard with very high winds and torrential rain. Mauritius is a malaria-free area & no vaccinations need to be taken. Visas: No visas are required for SA passport holders; you do however need a valid passport. Having also visited several other properties in Mauritius on previous trips I can recommend which resort will be best suited for you. Look forward to hearing from you soon.

10 April 2010

We travelled extensively throughout Queensland, the “sunshine state”. It has so much to offer. You can be the only soul on a spectacular beach and the next day might see you rediscovering yourself at a mountain top, sampling fresh seafood by the sea, or diving & cruising in the Great Barrier Reef. Everything is within easy reach of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. Here I’d recommend you visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where you can cuddle a koala and get up close to all kinds of Aussie wildlife. Enjoy splendid views of Brisbane City from Mount Coo-tha lookout. You can also dine at the Summit Restaurant amid lovely daytime views or against a magical backdrop of glittering lights at night. A must is a visit to Southbank Parklands. Here you’ll find riverside parklands and tropical gardens with cafes, restaurants, weekend markets, cycle paths, walkways and even a man-made beach with a swimming lagoon. A definite must is a trip to The Gold Coast (about a 45 minute drive from Brisbane). The busiest and best-known stretch of the Gold Coast is Surfers Paradise. It has a perfect swimming beach and is a hive of activity. Surrounded by cafes and shops, it is a favourite of surfers, sunbathers, locals and tourists. If you prefer a quieter beach then head further south to areas such as Rainbow Bay and Burleigh Beach. SeaWorld Gold Coast is where you can get up close to dolphins, seals and polar bears. Don’t miss Shark Bay, the world’s largest shark lagoon! Dreamworld theme park is a wonderland of rides and attractions. Try some of the world’s tallest and fastest thrill rides, cuddle a koala, or get up close to Nickelodeon favourites such as SpongeBob SquarePants. Experience the movie magic at Warner Bros. Movie World, as you cosy up to your favourite superheroes and cartoon characters, including Batman, Wonder Woman and Bugs Bunny. You can also enjoy exciting rides and entertaining shows. Also venture into the lush hinterland of the Gold Coast, just an hour drive from Surfers Paradise, and enjoy the great outdoors. Stroll along a treetop boardwalk or go bird watching at O’Reilleys Rainforest, or explore cosy tearooms and quaint shops at Gallery Walk – Tamborine Mountain. Just an hour North of Brisbane, is Sunshine Coast is one of Queensland’s hidden gems. Its chic coastal towns such as Mooloolaba and Noosa are great beach holiday destinations with many resorts & beachfront apartments making it easy to enjoy the sun, sand and surf. Restaurants and cafes make the most of the lovely climate and the splendid ocean views. In the hinterland, you will find majestic mountain ranges i.e. Glass House Mountains and rolling hills among pineapple and sugar cane farms. Quaint country towns overlook green valleys. Stay in a cozy bed & breakfast cottage and enjoy true country hospitality. The world's largest sand island, Fraser Island, is a World Heritage Listed site that is truly breathtaking. It offers exceptional beauty, pristine white beaches, strikingly coloured sand cliffs, and freshwater lakes. Explore the island, its ancient rainforest, awesome sand dunes and crystal clear creeks. It is the only place in the world where tall rainforests are found growing on sand dunes at elevations of over 200 metres. It is home to all kinds of wildlife including possums, wallabies and dingoes. It offers plenty of activities including fishing, canoeing, ranger-guided tours, sunset champagne cruises and more. We visited the Whitsunday Islands, surrounded by the world’s largest natural wonder, the Great Barrier Reef, known around the world for its superb sailing waterways, breathtaking beauty, blue sea, pristine beaches and magnificent islands. About 66 of the islands are virtually untouched and provide the perfect setting for a day of exploring or simply relaxing on the secluded beaches and coves. One of the most famous spots in the Whitsundays is the beautiful Heart Reef. Fly over the reef in a sea plane or helicopter and marvel at this breathtaking composition of coral that has been formed naturally into the shape of a heart. Another jewel in the Whitsundays’ is Whitehaven Beach, consistently voted as one of the world's best beaches. Don't miss the experience of walking along this 6km stretch of pure white silica sand. Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsundays, a colourful holiday town along the shores of a palm fringed beach overlooking the calm waters of Pioneer Bay dotted with yachts. Queensland truly has so much to offer. Go find out for yourself why it’s Australia’s holiday state!! For more information contact me Regards Lee-Anne

10 January 2010

Mauritius -La Pirogue Hotel A trip to Mauritius is always magical, and to stay at a 4 Star resort like La Pirogue makes it even more special. La Pirogue is situated on the West Coast near Black River. It has a lovely beach ideal for swimming. I would highly recommend this resort for families with children and couples alike. The resort also has excellent wheelchair access. Accommodation is bungalow style set amidst beautiful tropical gardens. All bungalows lead out onto the garden and have their own patio area. The superior bungalows are slightly bigger and closer to the beach. All come equipped with air-conditioning, TV with satellite and children’s channels in English, mini bar, bath / shower. For a family I would recommend the superior bungalows. The Kids Club is fantastic and the staff really goes out of their way to make it special for the children, offering a range of activities such as horse riding, sega dancing and pizza making. It has a jungle gym, cinema area, and children’s meals are prepared. There is a beautiful walk-in swimming pool with Jacuzzi and a slippy slide making it great for both kids and adults. Coco’s Pool bar is open from 10h00 for drinks and cocktails. The buffet at Thatches main restaurant is always great offering a wide selection of foods for breakfast and dinner. Lunch and dinner can also be taken at the pool restaurant- Paul et Virginie. The resort is inclusive of breakfasts and dinners, however I would recommend that you take the all-inclusive option which includes lunches and drinks as well. A nice bonus to this option is that you can have meals and drinks at the adjacent Sugar Beach Hotel at no additional cost on marked menu items. The Tides Restaurant at Sugar Beach for lunch is a must. Every evening there are shows ranging from a Mauritian evening with sega dancing to an Indian evening to live bands. The dress code for dinner is smart casual and men must wear long trousers. The hotel activities include: snorkelling, pedaloes, kayaks, mini-golf, water-skiing, wind-surfing, glass bottom boat, big game fishing, scuba diving and golf nearby. An excursion I would definitely recommend is the catamaran trip (book through La Pirogue’s boat club and not through tour desk at reception – as they offer a better catamaran, price and overall trip!) to the south of the island, Tamarin Bay. You get to visit Coco Island and the volcanic rock, you can snorkel, see dolphins; the trip includes drinks and a seafood lunch. Overall I would say it’s a beautiful resort, well worth the money & I would definitely go back to La Pirogue and Mauritius.

29 April 2009

Miami, being the gateway to South and Central America, was the perfect place for us to visit en-route to Mexico. It is a city full of emotion & colour. It is hot and sexy and has a strong Latin culture. The sunny weather, spicy nightlife and fine dining made it an exciting and exotic destination to visit. Ranging from the big-city, towering skyscrapers of downtown Miami to Little Havana, home to the Cuban community, or to trendy Miami South Beach...it has something for everyone. South Beach is a must with its candy-coloured art deco buildings set against a pure South Florida cloudless sky, dazzling Blue Ocean, white sandy beaches and swaying palm trees. Locals gave us the feeling that nothing could ever be more important than taking a morning run along the beach, sunning oneself or shopping during the afternoon, then having cocktails at The Clevelander and dancing till dawn at Mangos or one of the many celebrity own nightclubs. There were many tours in and around Miami that we could do, such as a the very original Miami Duck City Tour on a Duck Bus which converts into a boat….taking you from a city tour straight into a harbour tour! A day trip to the Everglades National Park was also very interesting. Whilst in Miami, I would definitely recommend a visit to the Keys and in particular, Key West. At every sunset everyone gathers for the never planned, always varied Sunset Celebration on the Mallory Dock. Jugglers, mimes, musicians and street artists move the city to a different beat. The streets, filled with sidewalk cafes, open-air bars, legendary pubs and restaurants come alive. Drama, musicals and comedy appear on the stages. Old town Key West is one of America's true architectural and botanical treasures. On the tiny lanes there are restored old wooden homes with lush tropical trees and flowers. You can also visit Ernest Hemingway’s house where he wrote “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and many of his other famous novels. One of the biggest attractions on the island is a concrete buoy that claims to be the southernmost point of continental USA. The trip itself to Key West was amazing, travelling over a highway that seemed to flow endlessly into the sea, with nothing but sea all around us!! The many tiny islands that we passed along the way were extremely beautiful. I can highly recommend a visit to this part of the world!

22 March 2009

We chose to go to Cancun, Mexico for our honeymoon, and it was one of the best places I’ve visited. There are a thousand and one things there, from the beautiful Caribbean Sea, many romantic waterside restaurants and trendy bars, a full range of water-sports, to championship golf courses. It is a location that will delight the most discerning traveller. Cancun is a short flight from Miami. The best time to go is April/May. I would definitely recommend a holiday there, even as a side-trip when next visiting the USA. It offers some of the best scuba diving, snorkelling and fishing in the world, owing to the Reef just off the coast of Cancun (the second largest reef in the world). You will find everything from traditional Mexican restaurants to ultra-chic bistros. Also within easy reach of Cancun are the Mayan ruins and archaeological sites such as Chichen Itza, Tulum and Coba to mention but a few. We stayed at the Moon Palace Resort situated on Cancun's south shore along an expansive beach. It is 10 minutes from Cancun's airport and 40 minutes from downtown Cancun. The rooms are luxurious with ocean views, balcony/terraces & double Jacuzzi’s. There are 10 restaurants & 2 swim-up bars on the property. It has the biggest swimming pool in Cancun with a collection of intricate waterways, pools and whirlpools. Activities include water-sports, beach & water volley ball, gym / sauna / steam bath, 18 hole mini-golf, and did I mention tequila volleyball? The resort is all-inclusive which is fantastic as it leaves you to worry about nothing but enjoying your holiday. We did a day excursion to island of Cozumel, off the coast of Cancun. I can describe Cozumel as a Mexican heart with Caribbean soul. Famous all over the world for its coral reefs, there are plenty of water-sports such as diving, deep-sea fishing, snorkelling, kayaking, cave dives and swimming with dolphins. To visit Isla Mujeres is to visit the most idyllic spot in the Caribbean. Even though it is incredibly close to Cancun, life on this island remains peaceful and slow-paced. The fun-filled boat ride took us just 20 minutes. Once there, we could choose to either walk around, or alternatively rent a golf cart or ride a bicycle and to explore all the attractions that this five mile long island had to offer. It’s a paradise for both snorkellers and scuba divers alike. And the gorgeous beaches are the perfect advantage point for the most beautiful sunsets you've ever seen. Xpu-ha, on the mainland, is a ‘must-see’. Here we had easy access to the estuary waters for snorkelling & kayaking; we could interact with the onsite animals or just relax by the meandering pool. It’s the ultimate adventure for ecological and nature lovers. We could choose from an Ecological Tour, Jungle and Mangrove Tour or Kayak Adventure Tour. In Cancun, there really is something for everyone. Guaranteed you will always find a friendly face and a warm welcome to make your stay an unforgettable one!