Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa – the last resort
Our last trip to Africa three years ago seemed a distant memory. Triplet girls and work commitments left us pretty short of time but with the girls 18 months old last November, we decided we could, finally, snatch a week away. Since I needed a rest than a full on safari, we plumped for Mauritius which, although I might have mocked as unadventurous a few years ago, turned out to be an inspired choice. A direct flight, barely any time change, and we were driving through the gates of Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa into a palm tree paradise in no time at all.
Our room, a perfect oasis of air conditioning and drinks at the touch of a button, was all of 100 metres from the beach, and just over 12 hours after leaving the UK we were on a glass bottomed boat peering at the fish into the depths below. A flawless start! Only hours later we got a little closer, donning snorkel and mask, to watch beautiful fish of all shapes and sizes lazing in the currents, the coral covering the full spectrum of the rainbow acting as a playground for angel fish, banner fish and squirrel fish. Jim, not the best of swimmers got strange looks snorkelling in a lifejacket, so I decided to let him off the diving which would no doubt have led to further embarrassment. Our curiosity below the surface satisfied we started on the other watery activities.
We sailed Hobie Cats and lasers, water-skied from a floating platform and took kayaks for exploratory trips, all with the sun beating down, a light onshore breeze and the sand glistening a few feet beneath the surface. The food was fabulous – an enormous choice, with delicious seafood much in evidence. The occasional trip to the gym burnt some of it off as did a mountain bike trip around Le Morne peninsula on which the hotel sits. Exercise efforts were somewhat sabotaged when we discovered the spa with its wonderful range of treatments.
Jim played the 18 hole golf course which snakes its way around the peninsula. He claimed it was surprisingly challenging with plenty to test even the strongest golfer, including a lot of bunkers and water hazards. I’ve only heard Jim’s side of the story, but I did notice that Hardvick, a delightful German surgeon he was paired up with for the round, seemed to have more balls and a little more composure left by the time they finished. There was so much more that we planned to do. Saturday racing at the Mauritius Turf Club – the oldest race course in the southern hemisphere – exploring the national parks for wild boar and small antelope, and deep sea fishing. The fact was that we were so totally and utterly relaxed where we were that we just didn’t seem to get round to it.
Mauritius and Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa are far from being the last resort of the unadventurous. I can now completely understand the appeal of this idyllic tropical island with its gorgeous hotels and reputation for wonderful service. In fact it’s the sort of place you’d return to time and time again, as many of the couples and families we met had done. It is perfect for an ultra-relaxing break in the sun when temperatures have dropped at home and the nights have closed in. The only thing we would do differently next time is to take the girls with us. The kids’ club was first class – the perfect safe haven for little people to explore beach and ocean, no snakes or spiders, no mosquitos or flies.
Camel safari, Kenya, Laikipia, 
Luxury safari accommodation Waterberg, South Africa, 
Hippos on a walking safari, South Luangwa, Zambia,
Leave a Reply