Mauritius
 

After a lot of back and fourth, we have decided to go to Mauritius in October this year.

Should we stay in the FS or is there any better option? O&O, Le Touessrok or other place? Room/villa and first class service are the most important to us, but I also have some questions about beach, activities and food.

I have understood that the beach at FS is man made and location lagoon, but they do offer free 15 min boat transfer to the beautiful beaches at Ile Aux Cerfs every hour. This island, is, however, (partly??) owned by Le Touessrok and services are to some extent reserved for Le Touessrok guests. Does FS offer any services there or are there services we could use (for a fee?) or will we get there and regret that we do not stay at Le Touessrok instead of at the FS having to put down our towels at some sort of public beach?

I have also seen that FS offers two complimentary snorkel excursions per day. Can anyone tell me more about these?

Does anyone have information about other excursions offered by FS or a partner? What are the must-see-sights at Mauritius?

I am reading at TA that the food at FS is not always perfect. Any nearby restaurants to recommend? Can we visit and eat at the other luxury hotels close by - and how far away are they actually?

I should add that we are two adults and one child age 7. At FS we have a pool villa and the 10=6 offer meaning that we will pay below € 500 per night. I have seen some great villas at other resorts, but they are significantly more expensive as far as I can see.

I went to Mauritius for the first time this year & stayed at the FS, so can only tell you about that resort. We really liked the hotel, although it was not perfect.

Regarding the beach, yes you are correct, it is man made. It's very nice & the water is pretty clear, but nothing special. Being more of a pool person, this was not a big issue for me, but would not be suprise if there are better beaches at other hotels.

There is a boat evety hour to Ile Aux Cerfs, but this was a real let down. The island is owned/run mainly by LeTousserok. The beaches are amazing & the water crystal blue....real paradise stuff, BUT this island is packed with day trippers (anyone with a boat can go there). Lots of guys selling jet ski rides, a few dirty looking bars & hunderds of people! Please do not think for one minute this is some tropical island hideaway as I did, it's not!

Re your other questions, boat trips to go snorkeling are good & the hotel will also arrange any other trips you may wish to do (ie fishing, diving etc). Food was ok in the grill restaurant & at lunch, but just a bit too limited & 'international'. Best meals we had were at Tousserok & Saint Geran (the Vineet Indian place).

If I went again I would still stay at the FS as I love it , but probably eat out every other night as lots of hotels are within a 30 min drive

Thanks, MANCHESTER.

Regarding Ile Aux Cerfs: Is there a separate area with loungers/umbrellas and 5 star beach service reserved for the LeTousserok guests?

Not sure to be honest. Where the FS boat drops you off (along with all the other visiting boats) it's just a free for all regarding beach space. There was one part where you could rent a lounger for a fee........we had a quick dip in the sea as it looked so nice & get back to the FS within the hour!!

I suggest a call to Tousserok.....they may have a different part of the island reserved for their guests.

Musken,

Can't comment on the FS but have stayed twice at Le Tousserok. The second time we took our 7 and 9 year old children with us. Le Tousserok owns 2 islands and provides regular shuttle services by boat. I would strongly recommend the second island Ilot Magenie which is reserved exclusively for hotel guests and is absolutely beautiful.

We used to go each day to the island and the children loved the boat rides. There is a full beach service so beds will be set up for you wherever you wish with towels etc. There was plenty of space and privacy and as it is reserved for hotel guests only it was never crowded. Just make sure that you take swimming shoes for your son or daughter in case of sea urchins.

The other feature of our stay that we really enjoyed was the buffet dinner each evening. I know some people don't like buffets but the food was really lovely with lots and lots of choice and therefore perfect if you have very picky children.

There isn't a huge amount of sightseeing on the island. We hired a taxi for the day and visited the botanical gardens and also visited the Ralph Lauren and Boss factory outlet shops for a few bargains!

Le Touessrok
 

Please, please do not forget that Le Touessrok is no longer owned or managed by One&Only, but is locally owned and managed.

Standards are not what they were, so if you went there during the O&O regime, you cannot compare it with the present day regime.

Thanks.

I am aware that Le Touessrok is not longer O&O, but Le Saint Geran (also close by) is - and FS is very new, so I was looking for comments like yours about the service/rooms etc. that I could get in these hotels compared to the FS.

I do also see that prices at Le T. and O&O Le S.G. are significantly higher than at FS so I was wondering if it could be something very good about the two old hotels that I did not know about.

OK, I understand. In which case, I would also look at The Oberoi Mauritius which is a truly beautiful property. I am not a great fan of le Saint Géran, apart from the Spoon restaurant. I still think they need to spend more on a proper refurbishment, which would include a complete re-do of their 35 year old kitchens. From what I hear this has still not been done.

If you want a genuine high-end Mauritian experience then Le Prince Maurice cannot be bettered, IMHO. It is so unique. After that, I would try The Oberoi, although it is one of the few Mauritian resorts that does not attempt to attract children (maybe not a bad thing as the big suites are perfect).

Regarding Ile Aux Cerfs: Is there a separate area with loungers/umbrellas and 5 star beach service reserved for the LeTousserok guests?


Yes, there is a "separate" island that are only for Le Tousserok guests. There is a nice restaurant there with a full beach service.

Beaches in Mauritius are public property. So in theory anyone can go to Ile Aux Cerfs and enjoy the sand and the view. Just don't expect to be served drinks etc unless you are actually staying at Le Tousserok. In practice of course, Ile Aux Cerfs maintains a somewhat exclusive feel to it.

I still like the rooms and general ambiance of O&O St. Geran but as vuittonofstyle points out, a renovation / refurbishment of certain areas would not be out of place.