Belle Mare Holidays

The beach at Belle Mare seems to have missed the less-is-more memo. This east coast town’s an extra-small on the size scale, with most of the action coming from a string of swanky seafront hotels. The beach, on the other hand, is more of an XL, and looks like something from a James Bond flick. A huge slither of vanilla-coloured sand’s edged by all of the major picturesque tick points – a tropical fringe of trees, bright turquoise waters and fishing boats bobbing in the shallows.

None of the hotels in this neck of the woods are lacking when it comes to looks. A handsome appearance is the minimum requirement for setting up shop on the shores of Belle Mare, and top-end facilities come in at a close second. Take the LUX* Belle Mare, for instance. Junior suites come as standard, the decor’s been dreamt up by a top interior designer, and everything from the swimming pools to the Oriental tea house comes with Indian Ocean views.

Getting up close and personal with Mauritius’ natural side couldn’t be easier from here. A 15-minute drive north gets you to the cusp of the Bras D’Eau National Park, where some of the island’s longest-living greenery spouts up. You can see some of the only few remaining giant Mauritian ebony trees here. Tucked-away streams trickle through the exotic woodland, and the locals range from monkeys to multi-coloured lizards.