Sarah and John

Who booked your honeymoon?
My husband.

If your husband booked the honeymoon, did he keep it a surprise from you?
No, we decided together where we'd like to go and which hotel to stay in.

How long after your wedding did you leave for your honeymoon?
The wedding was on Saturday and we left home Monday afternoon in a huge white limo to go to London Heathrow, complete with champagne. The limo was a wonderful suprise from my husband!



Where did you go?
Mauritius, a region called Bel Ombre which is on the south west corner of the island. We stayed in a wonderful hotel called Le Telfair. It's only two years old but very well designed and the staff were very helpful.


How long were you away?
12 days. We flew out Monday 17th and came home Sunday 30th July.


How much did it cost and what sort of holiday was it (e.g. package, all-inclusive etc)?
The whole honeymoon cost around £4K and was half board. We stayed in a Deluxe Sea View room which had a huge linen draped four poster bed, a massive bathroom and great views of the sea. We also flew out business class too just to make sure we started the honeymoon the right way.

Did you spend the entire holiday in one place or did you travel around?
We stayed in the same hotel but did a number of day trips to see the rest of the island.


What did you do?
We went on a mini-submarine and saw lot's of fish - including Nemo! We went to Trou Aux Cerfs to see the island's volcano crater. We also went to Charmarel (the seven coloured earths) and Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens. Plus everything under the 'Best Bits' section.
We also spent some days sitting on the beach drinking cocktails and having a very lazy time.


What was a typical day like?
On days we didn't have day trips/excursions...
Breakfast was a huge buffet of fruits, cold meat and cheeses, breads, pastries, cereals and various hot cooked food. One of our favourites was smoked marlin and smoked salmon with scrambled egg - yum!
We'd spend the rest of the morning relaxing on the beach, reading and chatting.
If we were hungry, we'd have lunch at the poolbar. I particularly liked their salads and a cocktail called Sunlight.
The rest of the afternoon we'd swim in the pool or take a double kayak out and explore the coral reef which encompasses the island. Then we'd watch the beautiful sunset whilst walking along the beach.
Later we'd head back to our room to relax and maybe watch a bit of news. Then Shower and get dressed for dinner.
Dinner at Annabellas was great. It was like eating in a posh restaurant every night. The food was wonderful and the staff were friendly and helpful too.
Afterwards, we go to the Cavendish Bar for a couple of drinks or a spiced rum coffee! There was normally a singer or band playing and we particularly liked the Sega dancing (national dance).
Then back to our huge four poster bed!


How did you and your partner get on?
Fantastically, as usual. It was great to spend some time on our own as we'd both had a very hectic time on the run up to the wedding.


What were the best bits?
The Blue Safari Submarine where you can explore the coral and the see the numerous fish in the mini-submarine.
The 'Couples Massage' in the Honeymoon Suite of the Hotel Spa - great massage together then flower petal bath with exotic fruit cocktails and walking around the completely secluded garden naked!
Quad Biking around the Valriche Nature Reserve was fantastic and great fun.
Candlelit lobster dinner on our room veranda, the staff even laid the table with real flower petals - very romantic!
Oh, and the rum cocktails!


Were there any worst bits?
Not really. It rained occasionally but not enough to put a damper on things. Everything was wonderful!

What advice would you give other honeymooners-to-be?
Take the time to have long lazy lie-ins and late nights as well as day trips to explore a different country. Just spend lots of time enjoying each other's company and don't worry about the cost of things - after all you only go on honeymoon once!


Any other detail/advice/help/stories you would like to share:
Research your hotel and the area well. Also with Mauritius pick which side of the island you want to go to, depending on the time of year. In winter (when we went) the East is quite wet and cold, whereas the West is drier and warmer. Also the North is very touristy, with lots of hotels and things to do as the South is quieter and has a more countryside feel to it. Also the flights from the UK take 12 hours and it's better if you can get an overnight flight and arrive just in time for breakfast!