Africa - Anyone hired a car in MRU?

Being a fav holiday route for us FTs, I'm guessin some have hired a car out there.

Do you recommend I book locally or not? Is it easy to navigate given hotels are an hr from the airport?

I'm looking forward to the freedom of exploring the island ^... but I do have to catch the ealry morning BA flight home... so not looking forward to the early morning drive to the airport...:td:

It's been several years but the worst car I have ever been given by a hire company was in Mauritius ... I can't remember which company it was, but it was one of the major international chains .. just arranged it locally .. the car was a Maruti (Indian Build Suzuki) 800cc with over 100,000km on the clock (must be some feat in Mauritius!) and no power steering !

Apart from the awful car hiring was fine .. roads aren't that bad, distances are really small enough, drivers are sane enough and it's a good way to escape the hotel and see a bit of the island ... having a crappy car was part of the adventure I guess too !

I hired a Mini Cooper Convertible via AVIS (AVISBA actually) and it was great. It was very reasonably priced and it made the trip far more fun.

It is very easy to navigate in Mauritius there just aren't that many roads anyway and the island isn't that big. If your hotel is too the North of the island e.g. the Oberoi you can get most of the way on a dual carriageway. Only the West Coast is more painful (e.g. Sofitel, Hilton, Taj at Flic en Flac) as you need to negotiate a sizeable town en route to your destination.

I strongly recommend hiring a car but make sure you get the right car. The AVIS website was a little quirky offering cars which just weren't there, only when I spoke to the local agent was I able to get things resolved.

I've just been to Mauritius, hired a car from AVIS, it was the worst car I have ever been given by any hire company save from rent-a-wreck in the US. And bear in mind that I do rent cars 20+ times a year.

It was an 8 year old Toyota Corolla with over 130,000km on the clock!
The clutch was worn out and was slipping in top gear going uphill.

The only motorway on the island goes straight through the capital, Port Louis, it is not elevated so avoid during rush hour.

There seems to be a theme developing here :)

I too had an awful hire car from Avis in MRU. I wanted a Mini Cooper Convertible, but they didn't have any available, so got a battered old Mitsubishi something-or-other. In the end, we didn't mind, as we blended in a bit more (as much as you can with tourist reg plates on), and I wasn't too worried about if we picked up a knock or scratch or two when driving in Port Louis!

I ordered in advance via AvisBA I recall. Didn't pick up at the airport, but at the hotel (Oberoi) a couple of days into our stay. It was handy to pick up and return direct to the hotel.

I used
http://www.car-hire-mauritius.com/
It worked out cheaper at the time than any "well known brand" and the car was a Yaris Sedan, which is not much of a gift, but it does its trick and get your from Point A to Point B...

Interesting, I am going out on May 27th for a week, wasn't sure about hiring a car as we booked airport transfers via the BA website.

Would like to see some of the island rather than take tours, but these comments have made me think. We are at the Four Seasons, and haven't even checked that they have a car hire desk, but would be surprised if they don't.

Ummm

It was 7 years ago so my memory is not too good. Cannot recall any complaints about the state of the car. Fairly sure it was AVIS so maybe they have not bought any new cars since then ?

My complaint was about the local speed limit (something like 40 mph on their main dual carraige highway even). A bit of an issue getting from the north of the island to the airport for the early morning flight back to London. I have never checked in so late for a flight in my life. Being in F help. In fact, I recall, the whole F cabin was checking at the same time - using all the F , CW desk. All the other pax had checked in earlier.

Driving on the main highway along the coast is fine. Driving on the narrow country roads getting across the island is challenging in terms of lack of signs. Made it an adventure getting to our dinner reservation.

It was 7 years ago so my memory is not too good. Cannot recall any complaints about the state of the car. Fairly sure it was AVIS so maybe they have not bought any new cars since then ?
.

:D probably not



My complaint was about the local speed limit (something like 40 mph on their main dual carraige highway even). A bit of an issue getting from the north of the island to the airport for the early morning flight back to London. [QUOTE]

It is 110 km/h on most parts of it now, but going from the airport speed is reduced here and there because of roadworks.


[QUOTE=KenJohn;16399857]
Driving on the main highway along the coast is fine. Driving on the narrow country roads getting across the island is challenging in terms of lack of signs. Made it an adventure getting to our dinner reservation.

It is indeed very easy to get lost, a GPS would be very useful but I didn't manage to find a map for my Tom Tom, I read somewhere that there are maps for Garmin though?


There's at least 100,000 old Indian Ashok Leyland buses driving around, each one of them pollute more than an average size town in western Europe, and you're likely to be stuck behind one for a lot of time when driving on the narrow roads, or during rush hour in Port Louis or any of the other towns.


Interesting, I am going out on May 27th for a week, wasn't sure about hiring a car as we booked airport transfers via the BA website.

Would like to see some of the island rather than take tours, but these comments have made me think. We are at the Four Seasons, and haven't even checked that they have a car hire desk, but would be surprised if they don't.

Ummm

seems like a lot of people arrange private tours with taxi drivers, no idea how much it cost

seems like a lot of people arrange private tours with taxi drivers, no idea how much it cost

I have been lucky enough to have visited Mauritius three times over the last 4/5years. On the first two holidays we decided not to hire a car but instead hired a taxi for £50 quid approx (for the whole day). That was from the Maritim Hotel in the NW of the island. You can strike a far better deal speaking to the drivers direct who are usually based just outside of the gates of the hotels IIRC. Do not to ask the hotel to arrange it for you as they will charge you about double.

It was great to do it this way they know all the local knowledge and will take you to wherever you want to go. You tell them what you want to see and be quite insistent about this as one we had asked if we wanted to shop at a certain place for which I am sure they get a small fee for.

It was much less stressful than driving about yourself and our drivers/guides have always been very helpful and friendly. You don't have the hassle of parking and you tell them how long you want them to wait. It was a great way to explore the island. One day we did the South/West and North and the next time we explored the east.

The island itself is small only about 42 miles X 29 miles approx and there is an abundunce of info on the tripadvisor site. As someone said avoid Port Louis at rush hour at all costs! Firstclasslad PM me if I can assist/advise any further.

It is indeed very easy to get lost, a GPS would be very useful but I didn't manage to find a map for my Tom Tom, I read somewhere that there are maps for Garmin though?


TomTom maps are available, though you have buy the whole of Africa

I have been lucky enough to have visited Mauritius three times over the last 4/5years..

A bit off topic, but in my world this is not lucky. It's the most boring place on this earth I have ever been. Whilst it's pretty on the eye, the food/entertainment is below par.

The likes of Bali or Barbados beat it hands down (haven't trief Fiji or Maledives yet).

It's on my list of 3 countries I would never visit again.

TomTom maps are available, though you have buy the whole of Africa

I don't think Mugabe would comply.

A bit off topic, but in my world this is not lucky. It's the most boring place on this earth I have ever been. Whilst it's pretty on the eye, the food/entertainment is below par.

The likes of Bali or Barbados beat it hands down (haven't trief Fiji or Maledives yet).

It's on my list of 3 countries I would never visit again.

Its funny how different people see things differently. I'm going to MRU for the first time this summer and really looking forward to it. I've been to Barbados and while I'd not say I'm never go back, its not on my "can't wait to return" list.

I suspect we all sometimes take our own experiences and, at some level, assume others will think the same, but it doesn't really work like that.

A bit off topic, but in my world this is not lucky. It's the most boring place on this earth I have ever been. Whilst it's pretty on the eye, the food/entertainment is below par.

The likes of Bali or Barbados beat it hands down (haven't trief Fiji or Maledives yet).

It's on my list of 3 countries I would never visit again.

Well, once was enough, MRU is all about fancy resorts and luxury tourism rather than spectacular sights.
I'd rather go to Réunion, which has spectacular scenery but no fancy hotels, than re-vist MRU.

A bit off topic, but in my world this is not lucky. It's the most boring place on this earth I have ever been. Whilst it's pretty on the eye, the food/entertainment is below par.

The likes of Bali or Barbados beat it hands down (haven't trief Fiji or Maledives yet).

It's on my list of 3 countries I would never visit again.

Agreed and not just boring because of a lack of entertainment (I hate entertainment in the resort sense) but it is a very boing place altogether. The food is bad because it is (for most people) a 'once in a lifetime destination' for a honeymoon or something and therefore they do not rely on repeat business. High on my never-again-list too and I have been to some hell holes. :)

A bit off topic, but in my world this is not lucky. It's the most boring place on this earth I have ever been. Whilst it's pretty on the eye, the food/entertainment is below par.

The likes of Bali or Barbados beat it hands down (haven't trief Fiji or Maledives yet).

It's on my list of 3 countries I would never visit again.

I suppose it is horses for courses and hardly describe it as the most boring place on earth. Quite an overreaction. If you look and read about Mauritius you will find it steeped in history and quite an interesting place IMO. Bali and Barbados far too over developed but each to their own. What didn't you like about it?

I have met real Mauritians who are the salt of the earth unlike many other places in the world and where tourists get fleeced.

Agreed and not just boring because of a lack of entertainment (I hate entertainment in the resort sense) but it is a very boing place altogether. The food is bad because it is (for most people) a 'once in a lifetime destination' for a honeymoon or something and therefore they do not rely on repeat business. High on my never-again-list too and I have been to some hell holes. :)

I didn't realise you had been to MRU. Where did you stay? Like anywhere sometimes the Hotel can make a holiday a better experience. I enjoy your TR's but some of your holiday types are not mine. I couldn't think of going to India. Too chaotic for me. Mauritius has many repeat visitors so I have to disagree with you on that one but each to their own.

I didn't realise you had been to MRU. Where did you stay? Like anywhere sometimes the Hotel can make a holiday a better experience. I enjoy your TR's but some of your holiday types are not mine. I couldn't think of going to India. Too chaotic for me. Mauritius has many repeat visitors so I have to disagree with you on that one but each to their own.

I went to MRU to pick up my AONE6... :) Not a destination I would have picked otherwise. I stayed at La Piroque (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g488108-d316735-r16766224-La_Pirogue-Wolmar.html#UR16766224). I am sure that I don't like a destination where the hotel is the decisive factor if it is good or not. Also don't like honeymoon destinations.

I travel to India for a living, not for fun. Trust me. Can't stand the place.

I went to MRU to pick up my AONE6... :) Not a destination I would have picked otherwise. I stayed at La Piroque (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g488108-d316735-r16766224-La_Pirogue-Wolmar.html#UR16766224). I am sure that I don't like a destination where the hotel is the decisive factor if it is good or not. Also don't like honeymoon destinations.

I travel to India for a living, not for fun. Trust me. Can't stand the place.

La pirogue is old hat now. Far better hotels, Maritim, Four Seasons, One and Only blah blah. Although it is a small island the different coasts are unique in several ways. East has the best beaches, West and South have different scenery and the North is warmer believe it or not for a small island!!

I read a fair bit and went exploring. Like anywhere it's amazing what you can discover. I'd go back to MRU in a heartbeat. India sounds chaotic and your job sounds glamarous with all that travelling but it must become tiresome.

I'd go back to MRU in a heartbeat. India sounds chaotic and your job sounds glamarous with all that travelling but it must become tiresome.

Horses, courses. India is not a glamorous destination to travel to at all, especially not Bangalore or Chennai. Of course there are people who love it too. I have a love/hate relationship with it. Luckily I am now focused more on BPO which we do mostly in Manila. Like that much better.

Yes, traveling is tiresome sometimes but I don't think I would do very well behind a desk... :)

Maybe I should give MRU a second chance but I'd rather do the Seychelles.

Horses, courses. India is not a glamorous destination to travel to at all, especially not Bangalore or Chennai. Of course there are people who love it too. I have a love/hate relationship with it. Luckily I am now focused more on BPO which we do mostly in Manila. Like that much better.

Yes, traveling is tiresome sometimes but I don't think I would do very well behind a desk... :)

Maybe I should give MRU a second chance but I'd rather do the Seychelles.

India has some nice places it just all seems a bit chaotic for me. Well put re the travelling. I'm not a deskman either. I think you should at some point go back but I agree like yourself there are many other places I want to go before.

The Maldives does look like paradise and the Seychelles looks like a volcanic paradise too. Ahhhh so many choices and not enough holidays...or cash :D

I used Budget (via Expedia) in February and the car was fine. Certainly not a brand new luxury sedan but it was clean enough and it got us where we needed to be. More to the point, it gave us the flexibility that we desperately needed to avoid being stuck on the resort property (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/thewanderingaramean/2011/03/spending-a-day-in-mauritius-part-1/) or paying the exorbitant taxi fares.

I have met real Mauritians who are the salt of the earth unlike many other places in the world and where tourists get fleeced.


I stayed in Grand Baie and have to say my experience go directly differently as yours. Being usually quite savvy about not geting fleeced, for what so ever reason had my guard dropped twice and had the locals get better of me.
Well at least I learned something and don't hold a grudge, but even without those experiences I wouldn't see myself going back.

I stayed in Grand Baie and have to say my experience go directly differently as yours. Being usually quite savvy about not geting fleeced, for what so ever reason had my guard dropped twice and had the locals get better of me.
Well at least I learned something and don't hold a grudge, but even without those experiences I wouldn't see myself going back.

I agree Grand Baie is overrated and the wee market at the back you have to barter. One place on the island I wouldn't go back to or stay.

....On the first two holidays we decided not to hire a car but instead hired a taxi for £50 quid approx (for the whole day)...

This is my fav option PETER01. 1 day tour should be enough.

For this particular trip, I don't want to drive. It's all about relaxation and being pampered.

Thanks all

Agreed and not just boring because of a lack of entertainment (I hate entertainment in the resort sense) but it is a very boing place altogether. The food is bad because it is (for most people) a 'once in a lifetime destination' for a honeymoon or something and therefore they do not rely on repeat business. High on my never-again-list too and I have been to some hell holes. :)
That's a bit of a presumption to make on one trip, to one hotel!

(although to be fair I was warned of La Priogue when looking to make our second by the travel agent, who actually said the meals were a bit of a 'bun fight', compared to where we had stayed previously)

On my 'return' (to same Hotel in end too (Shandrani)) visit I noticed the hotel VIP list and one couple were on their 21st visit and that was to the same hotel! There were many others on their 5th+ visit too.

The food there is great , don't think I'll ever rack up 21 visits! I imagine/ hope to get a 3rd in in the next 5 years or so.

MRU is a great place in my eyes, I do like a week of nothing but relaxation though, I much prefer it to the Caribbean and Kenya on this front, on the beach destination front, although like you to MRU, my visit to the Caribbean has been a sole one, so I'll try to give it another shot at some point. Maldives up next though.

If beach hols aren't your thing, I'd deffo advise folk to steer clear though, there's not much else to do, unless you like tourist trap like excursions, or a bit of Golf. Kenya is a much better option for people who want a bit of action too.

(Kenya as a beach only experience (used to live there and been back on Holiday since) is ruined solely by the beach boys selling you stuff, such a shame as the beaches, esp Diani are otherwise beautiful)

A week at the Four Seasons in MRU should convert anyone who does not rate the country! Wonderful villas, top notch food, very friendly staff, free golf etc.

I would suggest that anyone who does not like this place is in fact not a fan of luxury beach holidays, not MRU specifically. There is a reason why all the top hotels (Saint Geran, Oberoi, FS etc) can charge what they do year in year out

A week at the Four Seasons in MRU should convert anyone who does not rate the country! Wonderful villas, top notch food, very friendly staff, free golf etc.

So you rate a country by a hotel??? Strange way of looking at the world, I'd say...:confused:

[Mauritius] just boring because of a lack of entertainment but it is a very boing place altogether. The food is bad...High on my never-again-list too and I have been to some hell holes. :)

Do you mean the local cuisine or the food offered in the hotels? I haven't sampled the local food, but I imagine due to the available spices from Africa and my own general knowledge of Creole food - I'd disagree.

So you rate a country by a hotel??? Strange way of looking at the world, I'd say

This has gone off off topic, however it's worth mentioning over half of holiday makers who visit places like Mauritius, Maldives, Caribbean and other beach destinations rarely go to the country to explore it. It's for the resort and beach.

Most seek a nice hotel, hot weather, friendly service and a beautiful beach setting, main goal - to relax.

I'm one to talk. The sole reason I've chosen to (re)visit Mauritius is because:

1. it's a desination where I can use BA miles to upgarde to premium flights (bringing us back on topic)
2. I wanted to experience Le Saint Geran Hotel... worth going to MRU in my opinion and pretty nice food so I've heard :D

This was already off topic since it was about car hire, not BA flights. :)

I don't disagree that some hotels are a destination in itself but that does not negate the fact that you can't say "Mauritius is a wonderful country, go look at the 4S....". That argument is so silly that I can't believe someone actually wrote it down.

I disagree that 'most' people just look for a hotel on a beach. Not in my circle of friends at least.

PS: The food in the hotel was bad and there were not many restaurants nearby. The one I ate at outside the resort was OK. I am a fan of creole food by the way.

There are other dining options in Flic en Flac apart from the Pirogue. This is a low end package tour type hotel and not at all the best the country has to offer. You cannot separate the accommodation from the quality of hotels and associated guests, otherwise you judge Spain by spending a weekend in Benidorm do you not?

Immediately next door to the Pirogue the Sugar Beach (whilst in some ways a similar property) is much higher quality. The Hilton next door to that is a great property and you have the Sofitel and Taj close by.

The standard of hotels in a location is probably more important to me than the location itself. I often visit properties in what are (at first appearance) relatively unappealing surroundings, for instance I recently had a wonderful few days in a Pool Villa at the Sheraton Pattaya, which is a great property even though I hate the resort of Pattaya itself in large part.

MRU is not necessarily a vibrant exciting place but it is a fun island to visit. In addition to a high concentration of good hotels, lovely beaches, the right sort of visitors, interesting indigenous cuisine. I would commend it to anyone seeking a high quality destination looking for a relaxing holiday rather than action oriented stay.

Having a hire car definitely helps to break out from the hotels though if you are so inclined. This is especially important I think for the St Geran and Tousserok which are rather remote. There is enough to see around the island to take a trip most days and see something else if you want to. Getting to and from the airport is also much easier in a hire car. The trick with Avis in MRU is to actually call them and see what they have available. I kept getting my requests for a Honda CRV (showing as available online) rejected until I called them personally and we agreed that a Mini Cooper Convertible was available.

On my first visit to MRU I didn't hire a car and whilst it is easy to get an "unofficial" local driver in some dubious vehicle at a reasonable price, driving myself was actually really enjoyable, especially the long stretches by the ocean with the roof down and a good CD on the Stereo. You can strike out in resorts like Flic en Flac by bicycle (most resorts have them available for guests). There is a small "town" with a few restaurants etc. One of the things I liked about the Turtle Bay area was that you had a nice combination of easy airport drive, reasonable beaches and close proximity to Grande Baie for interesting dining options and more mainstream shopping. Port Louis is also an experience but an hour or 2 was more than enough for me. the market is rather fun though.

It is a shame that BA don't offer F on this route anymore, because much as I like MRU nothing is going to tempt me to take a 12 hour+ flight with BA on a 777 in J.

This was already off topic since it was about car hire, not BA flights. :)

I don't disagree that some hotels are a destination in itself but that does not negate the fact that you can't say "Mauritius is a wonderful country, go look at the 4S....". That argument is so silly that I can't believe someone actually wrote it down.

I disagree that 'most' people just look for a hotel on a beach. Not in my circle of friends at least.

PS: The food in the hotel was bad and there were not many restaurants nearby. The one I ate at outside the resort was OK. I am a fan of creole food by the way.


A few points to make re your comments;
1) You judge (or at least I do) on the experience you have. I chose to stay in a top hotel and had a great experience at the hotel and when I went out of the hotel.
2)You chose a cheap hotel with poor restaurants and it tainted your experience. Moral of the story, get your wallet out in certain countries to have a good time I guess.
3) I note you are not a great fan of India either, but I also remember you suggesting a hotel in Mumbai to a poster that looked like a sh*thole to me (Sands or something). I therefore feel there is a link. In countries that charge a lot for 5* hotels, you are not willing to pay the cash and book into 3* hotels. You seem to then not enjoy your stay. I love India, but insist on staying in top hotels, which in turn means I have a good time, tip staff more, buy more off the streets etc.....everyone wins!
4) You state that 'most' people do not look for a hotel on a beach in Mauritius. You are wrong, this is exactly what most people look for, find, and are happy to pay a lot of money for (esp Europeans in the winter).

It's not a bad country, it's just not suited to a backpacker type like you! You and you're friends are clearly not into the luxury beach market, but there are many people who are. When BA flew direct from LHR, it was one of the few luxury beach islands that you could combine F & the CCR with the trip.

P.S The food at the top hotels is very good, but not cheap, so I guess again this is why you didn't experience it ;)

Back on topic (although maybe irrelevant at this point :D ) I rented with Europcar and got an old but perfectly serviceable car. It was a nice way to see the island, since as has been pointed out, it's not really geared for that as much as the luxury beach crowd.

I enjoyed my trips there but wouldn't rate it highly because it's an "in between" destination--better beaches and lodging are available elsewhere on the luxury end, and not enough other type exploration stuff to sustain my going back again and again. But everybody's going to have their own opinion...

A few points to make re your comments;
1) You judge (or at least I do) on the experience you have. I chose to stay in a top hotel and had a great experience at the hotel and when I went out of the hotel.

I was talking about the country as a whole. The hotel (in my case) is only a small part of the experience.

2)You chose a cheap hotel with poor restaurants and it tainted your experience. Moral of the story, get your wallet out in certain countries to have a good time I guess.

La Piroque is not a 'cheap hotel'. If $350 per day (Expedia) is 'cheap' in Mauritius that is just another reason to dislike it. It was (and still is) the best hotel on that part of the island according to TripAdvisor.

#17 of 168 hotels in Mauritius

3) I note you are not a great fan of India either, but I also remember you suggesting a hotel in Mumbai to a poster that looked like a sh*thole to me (Sands or something). I therefore feel there is a link. In countries that charge a lot for 5* hotels, you are not willing to pay the cash and book into 3* hotels. You seem to then not enjoy your stay. I love India, but insist on staying in top hotels, which in turn means I have a good time, tip staff more, buy more off the streets etc.....everyone wins!

I lived in the Leela in Bangalore for a long, long time. 5 star hotel. Same goes for the Oberoi and the West End. I stayed in many, many 5 star hotels in India. That used to be company policy and my only visits to India (bar one) have been on business. So no, my dislike for India has nothing to do with my choice of hotels. They were the oasis of rest and calm.

4) You state that 'most' people do not look for a hotel on a beach in Mauritius. You are wrong, this is exactly what most people look for, find, and are happy to pay a lot of money for (esp Europeans in the winter).

No, I stated that most people I know do not go on holiday to stay in a 5 star resort hotel. They are travelers more than holiday makers. There was no direct link to MRU.

It's not a bad country, it's just not suited to a backpacker type like you! You and you're friends are clearly not into the luxury beach market, but there are many people who are.

A lot of people who know me IRL will have some fun with this. :) However, none of them will pay $1000 per night to stay in the 4S in MRU, no.

P.S The food at the top hotels is very good, but not cheap, so I guess again this is why you didn't experience it ;)

Once again, La Pirogue is rated as a top hotel according to TripAdvisor and by no means a 'cheap' hotel. So that sort of ruins your argument unless you want to tell me that you have to spent >$500 to have a decent hotel in MRU...

Seriously Le Pirogue is in no way shape or form a top hotel in Mauritius, I have visited it briefly having once stayed at both the Sugar Beach next door briefly and the Hilton close by. I cannot imagine they have many guests who reserve direct rather than on package tours so perhaps they do charge a relatively high price for direct bookings. Some of the rooms are directly adjacent to the main road with all the attendant noise. Whilst I understand it has been recently refurbed giving it 4 stars would be generous.

I cannot explain the Trip Advisor rating but strange things happen over at TA in my experience and I always take their ratings with a pinch of salt. The better hotels in Mauritius typically come in at over $700 a night so $350 is at the value end of the accommodation spectrum by local standards. Take a look at the pictures on TA and contrast them with pictures of the Hilton, Tousserok, St Geran, Oberoi, FS, Royal Palm etc.

Other advantages of Mauritius compared to say the Caribbean are a low crime rate and relatively high service standards at the better hotels (which is difficult to achieve in the Caribbean in my experience).

LOM: exactly my point. I did not regard La Pirogue very highly either (as you could have deducted from my review) and since you confirm that you have to spend $700 or more to have a remotely pleasurable experience this strengthens my belief that MRU is not my cup of tea. No way I want to spend my holiday in a place where I need to pay $700 a night to be sheltered from the island and to prevent having a bad time. Thanks for making my point.

On top of that they give you sh!tty hire cars too! :)

LOM: exactly my point. I did not regard La Pirogue very highly either (as you could have deducted from my review) and since you confirm that you have to spend $700 or more to have a remotely pleasurable experience this strengthens my belief that MRU is not my cup of tea. No way I want to spend my holiday in a place where I need to pay $700 a night to be sheltered from the island and to prevent having a bad time. Thanks for making my point.

On top of that they give you sh!tty hire cars too! :)

But I can't think of many places in the world were a top notch luxury beach hotel will come in at much less than $700 this isn't the exclusive preserve of MRU. I consistently paid much more than this in Thailand recently and that was out of season. Compared to the Maldives were you can be paying $2000 a night $700 seems more than reasonable.

I had a great hire car at a rate of under £30 a day all in. You just can't assume that an online reservation will work as it would in the UK or US. Again MRU is not unique here as anyone who has rented a car in Thailand or the Caribbean might know.

But I can't think of many places in the world were a top notch luxury beach hotel will come in at much less than $700

I can think of quite a few places where you can have a very good beach hotel that is in such interesting surroundings that you don't need for the hotel to be the guarantee for a good experience.

You and I are just very different travelers and I guess neither of us would want to trade with the other. Since I travel over 60 days per year on my own dime $700 per night simply isn't justifiable. Also, best experiences I had were in small beach hotels in Thailand that you probably would not even touch with a ten foot pole. :)

Since I travel over 60 days per year on my own dime $700 per night simply isn't justifiable.

I also cover more than 60 nights a year on my own budget but I guess we value different things. I certainly don't see the point in spending lots on a flight to a destination to stay in budget accommodation, it just doesn't make sense to me.

I also cover more than 60 nights a year on my own budget but I guess we value different things. I certainly don't see the point in spending lots on a flight to a destination to stay in budget accommodation, it just doesn't make sense to me.

You do realize that there is something between 'budget accommodation' and spending $700 a night I hope? You are either making all this stuff up or... nope, can't think of an 'or'.

You do realize that there is something between 'budget accommodation' and spending $700 a night I hope? You are either making all this stuff up or... nope, can't think of an 'or'.

I do know there is something between budget accommodation and good quality accommodation that is a ridiculous question. Unfortunately MRU is one of a few destinations I can think of where accommodation options tend to be rather polarised. There is a relatively small independent sector offering cottages and apartments, there are a few choices which would be deemed mid market (3 to 4 star) The Pirogue and Cocoa Beach spring to mind here and then you have the higher end 4.5 to 5 Star properties which make up a disproportionate amount of the local accommodation market. So whilst it is generally true that there is a medium ground between a Travelodge and 5 star hotel, this middle ground is remarkably thin in MRU. I think it is a fair reflection of the local market to describe properties like the Pirogue as in the budget spectrum.

Had you spent any time getting around MRU and truly experiencing it as a destination you may have made this conclusion yourself. MRU is one of those destinations like perhaps the Maldives and French Polynesia where the Government has deliberately eschewed mass package tourism (no charter flights are allowed to MRU), which helps to keep the quality of visitors up and has left a very definite impression upon the nature of local hotel development. If we get right down to it this lack of charter flights and lack of strong competition in the market for scheduled flights makes it relatively expensive to get to MRU. This makes MRU a relatively exclusive destination which is part of it's overall appeal to many (myself included).

A typical BA J flight to MRU costs in the region of £2k even in relatively low season, I wouldn't pay £2k for a flight and then spend less than £200 a night on a hotel, if that hotel put me in the bottom quartile for the quality of those available on the island. So I can get that MRU will not be everyone's cup of tea in the way that the Maldives are not everyone's cup of tea, as it is difficult and expensive to reach and the better accommodation options are considerably more expensive than those in Asia or the Caribbean or the US for instance. However for those prepared to pay the price MRU offers a relatively unique experience in part because of the lack of mass market package tourists and the infrastructure normally created to serve them.

As to the insults and once again accusing me of "making stuff up" because I disagree with you I will leave that to the Mods to address.

When I was there in MAR/APR they were expanding the airport considerably, so I wouldnt be surprised if, sadly, there is a lot more tourist activity their in a few years time.

The problem is that your argument keeps changing. First it was that you could not think of 'anywhere in the world' and now it is just MRU. It is a bit hard to have a meaningful discussion this way.

Once again, we are different travelers perhaps, but your previous suggestion that you cannot find a good beach resort under $700 anywhere in the world is nonsensical.

I agree that this maybe the case in MRU and - if you recall - that was why the place is not my cup of tea. That and the lack of anything outside of the hotels. To each there own though.

You do sometimes make blanket statements that make me wonder if they are really based on experience like this one about >$700 hotels.

Once again, we are different travelers...I disagree that 'most' people just look for a hotel on a beach.

Disagreeing is fine and it's great there are people who experience different holidays from the next person. Sites like FT enable us to share and get inspired from one another.

Not in my circle of friends at least.

I'm sure if you had re-phrased this sentence you might not have come across as someone who looks down on others for their (holiday) preferences. I'm sure this wasn't intended, but worth highlighing to you for future posts.

Once again, we are different travelers perhaps, but your previous suggestion that you cannot find a good beach resort under $700 anywhere in the world is nonsensical.

I agree that this maybe the case iMRU and - if you recall - that was why the place is not my cup of tea. That and the lack of anything outside of the hotels. To each there own though.

You do sometimes make blanket statements that make me wonder if they are really based on the truth like the one about >$700 hotels.

Once again though you selectively quote from replies to suit your own argument. I did not say that you cannot find a "good" beach resort for under $700. I said that "I cannot think of many places in the world where you may find a top notch luxury beach resort for less than $700". See the difference?

There are many places you can find "good" beach resorts for around the $200 mark, there are many fewer places where you will find top notch luxury 5 star deluxe properties for under $700. That is the rub. MRU has a high concentration of such properties and the rates for them do not seem out of the norm when compared against their real international peers. Obviously they seem high when compared to Uncle Somchais Beach Shack in Krabi. Whilst the hypothetical Uncle Somchai's may be a "good beach" resort it wouldn't really be aiming at the top notch luxury crowd would it?

The broad thrust of my comments re: MRU is this. I have stayed in MRU more than once (total about 4 weeks). I have stayed in a range of properties and visited even more. I have visited all the major sites on the island (the majority of which I have been to at least twice). More importantly for the OT of this thread I have successfully hired a great car at a very decent rate and driven all over the island. You have stayed once for a short time at one property at the low end of those available on the island and it appears you didn't explore much beyond your immediate surroundings, yet somehow you think your opinion (even as an opinion) is worth more than mine? I would have to say this it clearly isn't. However ultimately that is a matter for those reading this thread to decide.

Anyone can make anyone else sound inconsistent if they selectively quote and then substitute words which are similar but with a totally different meaning. Then again some of us do not need others to selectively quote and twist those quotes to make others look inconsistent, some of us do this entirely for themselves.

Henkybaby, that facts are the facts! MRU is expensive, $350 is not enough to book into a decent hotel and therefore you had a bad experience because your budget would not allow you to enjoy the island and what it offers. Do not book a hotel based on TA reviews or rankings, they are misleading at best in many instances. Head to the luxury hotel forum on this website...

The simple fact is that top end beach resorts in most countries (including Thailand etc) do cost in excess of $600 per night (Aman, FS, Ritz etc). You have good experiences in modest accomodations, with amazing settings it would seem. Great for you, but just because you will not stump up the cash for MRU, that does not make it a bad destination!

I could have the most amazing setting, but if I was staying in poor accomodation, I would not be happy! A snob? Yes, perhaps but as I dont travel a lot (perhaps 3 times a year for holidays), I am happy to pay for luxury.

I cannot understand how you pay for premium travel, then stop paying for premium hotels? Flights are a matter of hours, hotels a matter of days or weeks