An Enchanting Escape

Fergus Bisset travels to the island paradise of Mauritius and discovers a wealth of golfing opportunity, together with a heady mixture of beauty, history and culture

Mauritius has a reputation as a romantic getaway; a favourite with honeymooners or couples celebrating anniversaries. That’s understandable – it’s a very romantic place with its endless palm-lined beaches, bath-tub-warm shallow seas protected by an island circling reef, gorgeous sunsets and an abundance of flowering plants and trees. But Mauritius is far from being a one-dimensional luxury resort destination. The island has a long and interesting history that is evident in its language, architecture and culture.

The Dutch were the first to colonise in 1638 and then the French from 1715. During the Napoleonic Wars, France used Mauritius as a base from which to launch attacks on British commercial ships, so a Royal Navy expedition under Commodore Josias Rowley set out to capture the island. France surrendered Mauritius to the British in 1810 and it remained a British colony until gaining its independence as recently as 1968. The British influence is still strong in

Mauritius. The schools follow the British education system, they drive on the left side and road signs are all of British style. Also inherited from the British, Mauritius is now a real golfing destination with nine championship courses across the island.

CLOUD NUMBER NINE

The Heritage Golf Club in Bel Ombre was designed by Peter Matkovich, a Zimbabwean professional turned architect. The course currently plays host to the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius