:: Sample Holidays - suggestions to whet your appetite

INDIAN OCEAN GEMS exploring the rugged volcanic island of Réunion before enjoying the white sand beaches and luxury of Mauritius

	Overnight flight from London to Réunion via Mauritius. Pick up a hire car and drive to Hotel Saint Alexis for 2 nights, Vieux Cep for 1 night, Palm Hotel for 2 nights and Relais des Cimes for 2 nights. Fly to Mauritius and be transfered by road to Legends Hotel for 5 nights. Fly to London by day. From £2,925 per person sharing for 13 nights
Request Your Itinerary

Your holiday will start on the island of RÉUNION, dominated by an active volcano in the south east and three extinct craters in the centre. The scenery throughout the island is stunning and the route will allow for thorough exploration by car and on foot. If you wish to be really adventurous, rock climbing, canyoning, abseiling, paragliding and helicopter trips can all be enjoyed and, to find places off the beaten track, take a mountain bike into the hills.

Situated on the west coast at SAINT GILLES LES BAINS, on the sandy beach of Boucon Canot, is Hotel Saint Alexis. Using this as a comfortable base for two nights, you can begin your island discovery with a day trip along the western coast.

Your next hotel is the charming Vieux Cep in CILAOS, a small colourful village with magnificient views of the surrounding mountains including the dormant volcano, Point des Neiges. It is just a one hour stroll up to "La Roche Merveilleuse" for a taste of the scenery and longer trails can also be explored.

Take the winding road back down and then drive south just past ST PIERRE to Palm Hotel on the wild southern coast, overlooking the beautiful coral beach of Grand Anse. From here you should take a day trip inland to Le Tampon, Bourg Murat and all the way up to Le Pas de Bellecombe. You will drive through ‘lunar landscapes’ at altitudes higher than 2000m to a hearty lunch at the Mountain Hut. A visit to the MUSEUM OF VOLCANOES in the afternoon is worthwhile and includes an impressive film of the most important eruptions around the world.

Set off early on your sixth day on the island for an action-packed itinerary! Maybe divert off the coastal road to go up to the sugar cane plantations of La Plaine des Gregues where you can learn about the cutting of the cane today and the old practices of the sugar industry. Carry on to the fishing port of SAINT PHILIPPE and walk through the Garden of Spices where the head gardener will explain the endemic plants and spices of Réunion before you try a delicious Creole lunch at the Baril Hotel.

Drive on further in the afternoon, past the Pointe du Tremblet where the latest eruptions of the active PITON DE LA FOURNAISE made the island bigger by another 30 hectares and on to the lava flows of Takamaka. Both will help you appreciate the wonders of this volcanic island, and you will marvel at the ‘Symbiose Pour Volcan et Oiseau’, huge statues carved in volcanic stone by Mayo, a local artist.

And then turn inland to Salazie, the greenest cirque of the island with more than a hundred waterfalls. In the beautiful village of HELLBURG, full of charm and Creole architecture, is a welcoming little hotel Le Relais Des Cimes.

Your last full day on Réunion can be spent up in this beautiful area, perhaps visiting the "Maison Folio", a perfectly restored colonial house and garden, dating from the 19th century, or drive back to Saint Benoit on the east coast to visit the co-operative de Vanille for an insight into the importance of this ‘crop’ to the region. Indian culture is strongly visible in the area and the many Tamil temples add to the colour.

Your circuit of the island is completed as you continue around the north coast back to the airport.

Now fly to the beautiful island of MAURITIUS where, along a stretch of sandy beach on the north east coast is Legends. This lovely hotel was designed along the Feng Shui principle of finding equilibrium in the physical environment to enable positive energy to circulate!

This manifests itself in the feeling of peace that pervades the public areas with the creative use of space, natural or dark brown shades of the décor, the beauty of bamboo, stone walls and the gentle sound of chimes. Further evidence is in the comfort and harmony of the rooms with each category having a design scheme based on colours and materials corresponding to the elements - Water, Earth, Wood, Fire and Metal.

There are plenty of water sports and land based activities to enjoy or why not just relax on the pristine white sandy beach where staff will even clean your sun glasses for you or produce a cooling drink by day or maybe a cocktail for you to enjoy whilst watching the colours of the sunset.

and what about?
	Mauritius boasts some of the world’s top resort and spa hotels, Taj Exotica, Le Prince Maurice, Le Saint Géran, The Residence and Le Touessrok to name a few. It is also a paradise for watersports and there are world class golf courses to be played. Depending on your interests and preferences and the time of year that you wish to travel, we will select the perfect choice for you!

:: Sample Holidays

Beaches of the Seychelles

Visiting Praslin and Desroches, two contrasting, idyllic islands...read more

Tropical Spice

On Zanzibar and in northern Mozambique combining magical, mystical, historical Ibo Island in the Quirimbas Archipelago with a bush and beach luxury retreat...read more

Intimate Botswana & Mauritius

A holiday of two halves with a safari in the remote Okavango Delta and Selinda Reserve followed by a few luxuriously relaxing days beside the Indian Ocean...read more

Southern African Safaris & Sunsets

Combining a safari in South Africa with a hideaway island off the coast of Mozambique...read more