𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐮𝐬

Nothing quite compensates for the warmth you feel when taking off toward a tropical country. This winter, I left the grey chill of the UK for a brief return to Mauritius, my home country.

As the plane descended, I was reminded why this island will always feel like a sanctuary, for visitors and locals alike.

The light is softer here. Gold-tinted. Generous.The air holds a quiet warmth that wraps around you without asking permission.

This time, I allowed myself the indulgence of rediscovering home through three places that understand elegance not as excess, but as intention.

𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐞If Mauritius had a royal court, Royal Palm would be its palace.Even as a local, stepping inside feels dreamlike.

The staff greet you with a familiarity that is deeply Mauritian, a hospitality that makes even the most refined spaces feel intimate.The lagoon lies still as turquoise glass.

The air carries frangipani.And the room blends island soul with understated luxury.

Mornings began with swims in water so clear it looked painted; afternoons unfolded under filao trees with fresh coconut water.

Evenings at Royal Palm are a quiet ritual, soft jazz, candlelit dining, and the kind of silence that restores you.

A sanctuary of intimacy, exclusivity, and ease.

𝐎𝐧𝐞&𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐆𝐞́𝐫𝐚𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧Le Saint Géran is the Mauritius we place on postcards, the one we locals proudly speak of.

Its long peninsula, palm-lined paths, and effortless service create a sense of time suspended.

Sunshine seems to obey this place.You step onto the sand and immediately feel calmer, taller, unhurried.

Breakfast by the private lagoon is a ceremony of delicate pastries, vanilla, and ripe papaya, a reminder of everything the island does effortlessly well.

Once, I requested a lime.It became a lime-infused mocktail, warm pastries, and a conversation with the chef about childhood flavours.

That is the One&Only effect: refinement delivered with sincerity.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢: 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐮𝐱𝐮𝐫𝐲, 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝There are hotels you stay in, and hotels that recalibrate your entire nervous system.

The Oberoi is the latter.

Quiet here isn’t absence, it is presence.

The wind, the waves, the ylang-ylang drifting through the gardens… all of it whispers slow down.

The villas express a timeless, intentional aesthetic; the architecture blends into the landscape as though it grew there naturally.

I sat by the infinity pool at sunset, the sky dissolving into coral and gold, and thought,“If paradise had coordinates…”

A conversation with a staff member about life abroad and returning home reminded me why The Oberoi feels different, it is luxury with soul.

𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐮𝐬: 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬, 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝 & 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐠𝐚I stood barefoot in warm sand, watching fireworks scatter across the lagoon.

I live in two beautiful worlds, but only one allows you to celebrate the season with salt on your skin and music rising from the beach.

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭If you're thinking of planning a tropical break:🗸 Book early — peak-season rooms fill quickly🗸 January remains warm, with quieter beaches🗸 April is exceptional for UK travellers: perfect temperatures🗸Choose lagoon-protected beaches for serene swimming🗸Pack reef-safe sunscreen

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝: 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 (Affiliate links, at no additional cost to you)

• 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 – Luxury, intimacy, lagoon perfection https://www.shopper.com/p/aZE4/r

• 𝐎𝐧𝐞&𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐆𝐞́𝐫𝐚𝐧 – Iconic, postcard-worthy paradise https://www.shopper.com/p/3FLD/r

• 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 – Quiet luxury, wellness, sunset magic https://www.shopper.com/p/KwxC/r