Unexpected Beauty
“Bliss” is the perfect word to describe Susan McKee’s trip to the Oberoi Resort on Mauritius as she depicts in her article, ”Delicious Mauritius: Sugar Plums and Coconut Therapy.” The perfect get-away for the ladies and relieve some stress. As McKee mentions, this trip will help you escape from reality, thanks to the atmosphere and location.
It must have been the coconut. After the most delicious massage I’ve ever enjoyed, I awoke covered with curly white aromatic shavings like a giant macaroon.I had fallen asleep as my petite masseuse administered the “paillasson” at the spa in the Oberoi Resort on Mauritius. The therapy involved the entire coconut — first, a full body scrub with the husk, then a peeling with the soft, white interior and finally, a rub with scented oil.
Mauritius is all about retreating from reality. First of all, it’s an island nation — one of those places that will cause your friends to stare at you blankly as they try to place it on the globe. (Hint: look for a small island that’s south of the equator and east of Africa.) Nobody from back home is likely to run across you accidentally when you’re surrounded by the Indian Ocean!
Flowers are everywhere on the island: frangipani, bougainvillea, jacaranda, orchids, hibiscus, anthurium. Every time I returned to my room at the Oberoi Resort, the maid had rearranged the towels and folded the clothing I’d discarded on the rattan couch — then carefully placed fresh flower blossoms in the folds.
Expeditions around the island are many and varied. I enjoyed an afternoon at Pamplemousses gardens, had lunch barbecued by my captain on a boat trip to a picturesque cove, drove a bit along the Tea Route, visited a sugar plantation and took an underwater trip on a mini submarine. The island is volcanic, so the topography is varied. There are steep jagged peaks inland and deep gorges with plummeting waterfalls. At Black River Gorge National Park, the resident monkeys begged treats from visitors.
