Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take you

I am not sure what word rhymes with Mauritius - I guess that is why the beach boys never used it in their song "Kokomo".

After a busy week in South Africa I was fortunate enough to spend a weekend in the flower of the Indian Ocean prior to a business conference. The hotel that was chosen for the event was Le Meridien - and very nice it is too. I had a chat with a holidaying couple who said that in the UK it was rated a four star plus - and I would have to agree that it is an accurate assessment.

The beach was clean and water clear and warm. There was a wide variety of activities on offer - but I went for the "lying on the beach" one.




There was a nice pool area to relax in as well - though over the five days there was quite a strong breeze making it feel fresh:



On the drive from the airport to the hotel - the scenery reminded me a lot of the Philippines - verdent green and lush with rugged mountains punctuating the horizon. Similar to that country there is a lot of garment manufacturing. In search of some cheap clothing we headed into the capital Port Louis. The center shopping district was very nice:



and the shopping area itself is situated along a very scenic port setting:



However despite its attractiveness we found no garment bargains. Even on the way back we stopped at a number of "outlet" stores and were disappointed to find expensive copies of brand clothes. After a discussion with the Taxi driver, he claimed that while they have the manufacturing rights local retailers had to pay for the right to sell these brands within Mauritius, hence a lack of bargains.

I think I will wait for the various sales and summer surprises shopping events in Duabi for purchase of such items where I can guarantee a low price, tax-free genuine article.