If, as with so many South Africans, your family is part of the great diaspora, Mauritius makes a perfect meeting place for family holidays — and renting a villa instead of a hotel room provides more flexibility and space and the rates can work out a lot easier on the pocket.
It’s a bonus if you can offer your family a five-star villa with all possible amenities on hand at three-star prices. Villas Valriche, a luxury residential development on the south coast of Mauritius, will launch rental villas in February 2010 and is offering discounted rates until October.
Having had the opportunity to see the show house, it is definitely a five-star experience. The villas are kitted out to the highest standard with fully equipped kitchens, gas barbeques and plunge pools. You’re tempted to kick off your shoes, flop on to the chaise longue and stare out at the sea for hours.
The personal space that a villa provides brings to mind the cliché “a home away from home”, but that is exactly how you feel. You don’t have to go to any communal areas to find space to relax — you just sit on your patio or under the gazebo and keep a lookout for whales on the horizon.
The resort is built on a golf course, so if you are inclined to be a bit more active you can play a round, take walks in the nature reserve or drive your allocated golf cart down to the two close-by hotels and beaches where all the amenities available for hotel guests are available to Villas Valriche residents.
The tie-in with the hotels, Le Telfair and Heritage, which are owned by the same group, gives Villa Valriche an edge over its competitors. Available activities include windsurfing, glass-bottomed boat cruises, snorkelling, water skiing and kayaking, to name just a few. There are resident discounts for eating at the hotel and for spa treatments. You can even drop off your kids at the hotels’ children’s club if you want a day with the adults.
Both hotels have luxury spas for family members who would rather not join in on a round of golf. Le Telfair’s Six Senses Spa has some personal and quite gorgeous spaces if you want to spend a few romantic hours with your partner away from the rest of the family. You can even order an in-villa spa treatment.
The resort is based on the cocooning concept that people want to come and relax and have everything on their doorstep. The private golf cart means you don’t need to rent a car as all amenities are within a 5km radius.
Depending on your budget, this can be a fully indulgent holiday where you do not have to lift a finger except to move from the lounge to the pool.
Through the website you can order a starter pack of groceries so all is on hand before you arrive. You can order anything from a basic menu to a full gourmet option.
You can wake up every morning to a fully cooked breakfast prepared and served in your villa, or you can go the whole way and organise your own private chef for the week. If you want to throw a bit of a party one evening, a barman is on hand to turn your patio into a cocktail bar.
One down side is that the villas are not on the beach but surround the golf course. Personally, not being much of a beach bum, this does not distract from the offering, especially as the beaches are close by and easily accessible, but this may be a deal-breaker for some visitors. Another potential problem is that the reason for the discount is that part of the resort is still under construction. Although this should not have a direct impact on the available rental units, it is something to keep in mind.
The discounts are fairly significant. For example, you would normally pay in the region of €800 to €1500 for a three-bedroom unit, but the discounted price is €665 from mid-April 2010 to the end of June. For a group of six people that works out to about R1250 a person a night. An ocean suite at the nearby five-star Le Telfair would set you back €650 for two people.
The villas are available in two-bed, three-bed and four-bed units. The four-bed units have a separate cottage with its own entrance and en-suite bathroom if there are relatives who would prefer a little more privacy. Depending on the size you will be paying between €515 and €800 a night for the opening special. If you are looking for a seriously upmarket holiday that is easy on the bank balance, this is a no-brainer.
Bookings for the launch phase will all be done online. To find out more go to: www.villasvalriche.com