La Pirogue – Mauritius

Offering a welcome as warm as the sun, La Pirogue typifies the Mauritian experience: deeply enigmatic, exquisitely tranquil, delightfully friendly and filled with endless fun.

La Pirogue is true Mauritius: blues and greens and golds and pale shades of white, splashed with tropical colour. It is open skies and flowing water, tall swaying palms and silky sand.

La Pirogue is beautiful nights and elaborate culture. It is smiles and dancing and joy and music and pleasure and star-filled skies, garnished with attentiveness and generosity.

La Pirogue is a harmonious combination of sun-drenched loungers, poolside decks, open areas and intimate spots. It is everything a family could wish for; everything a couple could dream of.

Accommodation:

La Pirogue is an ode to the island’s fishing culture, enhanced by the rustic charm of volcanic rock, warm wood, thatch, coral and vanilla. It is unique in its style, design and décor.

Opening onto an inviting palm grove of over 1 000 coconut trees and warmed by the breath of millions of white frangipani, La Pirogue’s range of ground-level standard rooms, superior rooms and royal suites are both spacious and deeply charming; both romantic and family-friendly.

With all of the authentic beauty of a genuine Mauritian pirogue; all of the luxury you’d expect; and all of the special touches you’d never anticipate, this is an exceptional resort.

All rooms have private bathrooms with showers, hairdryers, aircon, satellite TV, video players, direct-dial telephones, mini-bars, tea & coffee facilities, 24-hour in-room dining and electronic room safes.

Dinning:

At Thatches, the main restaurant, make your selection from an appetising breakfast or scrumptious lunch buffet, featuring English, Creole, Mauritian or Indian delicacies. And as the stars come out, look over the garden, the pool or one of several themed live cooking stations as you enjoy barbeque, salads, pasta, pizza, teppanyaki and dessert. Thatches seats 450 people.

Next to Thatches you’ll encounter The Blue Bar: a granite and electric blue island of tropical nightlife, contemporary cocktails and all-day refreshment. It seats 180.

Situated alongside the beach, the à la carte Paul & Virginie specialises in authentic island cuisine: fresh seafood, healthy meals and poolside snacks. Enjoy afternoon tea and delicate pastries or come down at night for a sophisticated dinner of scallops, oysters, mussels, giant prawns or lobster, smoked to order, grilled or steamed. Paul & Virginie seats 125 people.

The wood-and-thatch Beach Bar offers some of the resort’s finest views. This, the ultimate meeting place for punches, cocktails, fresh fruit juices, milkshakes or espressos, also offers a light menu of Mauritian favourites, pizza, burgers, sandwiches and exotic ice cream. It seats 75.

Citronella’s Café at Sugar Beach, which seats 120, allows guests to gaze over the water as they savour the delights of the Mediterranean’s sunny cuisines – from light tasty snacks to the best Italian dishes – in Citronella’s handsome dining room or in the shade of the café’s teak terrace.

Set in an aromatic spice garden, the unique La Badiane invites patrons to experience traditional Mauritian dinners, created using the finest, freshest local ingredients. La Badiane seats 40.

Facilities:

La Pirogue is an oasis of excitement: dedicated to the sea and its pleasures; to the land and its games. In the vast turquoise stretch between the beach and the barrier reef, make the most of complimentary sports and entertainment activities, including:

Land sports:

• Tennis
• Aerobics
• Yoga
• Jogging
• Mini football
• Mini golf
• Ping pong
• Billiards
• Mountain biking
• Golf
• Basketball
• Bocciball
• Volleyball
• Volley pollo

Water sports:

• Kayaking
• Laser-sailing
• Pedalos
• Paddle-boats,
• Glass-bottomed boat rides
• Snorkelling
• Water-skiing
• Windsurfing
• Aqua gym classes
• Use of the fitness centre at Sugar Beach Resort

Or, for a fee:

• Horse-riding
• Undersea walks
• Big game fishing
• Parasailing
• Banana boat and supertube rides
• Scuba diving
• Submarine dives
• Giant catamaran outings.

Golf:

Guests of La Pirogue and Sugar Beach Resort enjoy preferential green fees at Le Touessrok Golf Course and Tamarina Golf Club.

Le Touessrok Golf Course The 18-hole par 72 Le Touessrok Golf Course stretches over its own tropical island, Ile aux Cerfs, fringed by white sands and lapping water. Designed by pro golfer Bernard Langer, it features a naturally undulating topography of volcanic rock, lakes, gullies and tropical trees. This outstanding 6 476m course, its elegant clubhouse, clubhouse restaurant and David Leadbetter Golf Academy are accessible by boat from Le Touessrok, on the east coast of Mauritius.

The Tamarina Golf Club Located only 15 minutes from La Pirogue, Tamarina Golf Club features an 18-hole par 72 golf course, developed by international course designer, Rodney Wright. The course parallels and crosses the Rempart River, offering magnificent views of Mount Rempart and resembling a wide-open African savannah. Tamarina Golf Club has a comprehensively equipped clubhouse, delightful restaurant, practice range, putting green, chipping area and PGA Professional lessons.

Aura Spa:

On holiday, do you want to feel as glorious as the fragrant frangipani blossom; as free as the bobbing water lily; as relaxed as warm beach sand under ten eager toes?

A haven of beauty, wellbeing and indulgence treatments, both à la carte and customised, the Aura Spa at Sugar Beach Resort has singles and couples rooms and a dedicated Shiatsu massage area. Try the ultimate therapy: a deluxe Hammam treatment with an exotic black soap massage. Or take time out in the plunge pool as you sip on a delicious drink from the organic Spa Bar.

Kids club:

Young visitors to La Pirogue and Sugar Beach Resort are guaranteed an unforgettable vacation they’ll talk about for years, thanks to the award-winning Sun Kids for children aged two to 11 and Sun Generation for ages 12-17: the best places to make new friends and to try new things…

Sun Kids Open 12 hours a day to cater for the specific needs of kids on holiday, Sun Kids offers free fun activities, video games, arts ‘n crafts, special menus, golf, mini-golf, tennis, windsurfing, swimming and fishing, as well as extras like excursions, pony rides, waterskiing, snorkelling initiation, scuba diving initiation, undersea walks and parasailing – under the constant watchful eye of professionally trained staff. There is also a complimentary welcome pack and Club card.

Please note: Please note that children aged 2 to 4, if not toilet trained, must be accompanied by a parent. Alternatively, a babysitter is available at nominal extra charge.

Sun Generation Keep your teens stimulated and happy with Sun Generation, the ideal meeting place for guests aged 12 to 17. All counsellors have completed a leisure consultancy certification programme and have the skills to help teens settle in, while exclusive hang-out areas allow youngsters to interact, play the latest computer games and enjoy music in a safe and fun environment.

Membership includes a club card, funky T-shirt, water-skiing lessons, sailing, snorkelling, scuba diving initiation, soccer, beach volleyball, tennis, golf, beach parties, dance lessons, bicycle riding and rollerblading. This cool teens’ club also organises extra excursions, fun days and special events, like photo safaris, hikes, undersea walks, parasailing, teen BBQs, lagoon cruises, island picnics and much more. No more rolling of the eyes – they’ll be waving you goodbye.

Take a Magical Mystery Tour through the paradise that is Mauritius. From giant tortoises and lily-pads, which seem to immerge from the imagination of Jules Verne, to stunning vistas and enchanted dunes, Mauritius offers more than just pristine waters and scintillating beaches. Enquire at your resort about tours and adventures…

• Taste of Mauritius (half day)

  Wed & Fri.
  Visit Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens, Port Louis with shopping at Le Cauden Waterfront and Miraj. Optional visit to the Blue Penny Museum.

• Scenic South (with Casela)

  Tue & Fri.
  Visit the Mauritius Glass Gallery to see traditional methods applied to recycled glass. Enjoy a panoramic view from Trou aux Cerfs, the dormant volcanic crater. Visit The Sacred Lake of Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao), site of Lord Shiva’s Temple and Black River Gorges. Lunch at the exclusive private forest lodge, Domaine Saint Denis followed by a visit to The seven coloured earths of Chamarel and Casela Park.

• Adventure in Paradise (Ecotour)

  Fri & Sun.
  Briefing by qualified instructors. Explore by Quad Bike, L’Etoile & Ferney Reserve with it’s panoramic views of the East, South East and North of the island.Traditional Mauritian lunch buffet.

• The Tea Route (Ecotour)

  Tues.
  Visit Domaine des Aubineaux (1872), one of Mauritius’ remaining original colonial houses. Travel through some of the island’s most beautiful countryside, calling at vanilla and anthurium lily plantations and a traditional tea factory. Lunch at Saint Aubin, a fine 19th century plantation house lovingly restored to its former glory with the opportunity to buy unique Mauritian teas and traditionally distilled rum.

• Sugar Adventure

  Mon, Wed & Fri. Visit of Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens and the Sugar Museum – a great interactive experience. Shop for 12 varieties of exotic sugars and local rum then onto Miraj and Le Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis.

• Cable Rides (Ecotour)

  Tue & Wed.
  Based at the factory site of Saint Felix sugar estate, situated in the South of the island. Travel by swift ‘zip-line’ at heights of around 30 metres, explore the river, the forest, cane fields and banana plantation. Halfway rest stop including a cooling swim in a natural pool followed by a typical Mauritian lunch included • Shopping Tour (half day) Mon Shopping in Curepipe and Floreal at boutiques and duty-free shops. Visit the diamond cutting workshop, a model ship factory – making exact model replicas of historic sailing ships, the ‘Mille et Une Nuits’ oriental carpet shop and the Mauritius Glass Gallery for hand blown glass.

• Sail the Dolphin Coast

  Mon,Tue,Thur,Sat & Sun.
  Full day catamaran cruise along the West Coast aboard O’Plézir, a spacious and well-appointed catamaran. Spot dolphins, swim and snorkel. Barbecue lunch prepared and served on board by the crew.

• Sunset Cruise

  Tue & Thur. Sail from Black River on the West Coast of the island. Watch the sun set over the horizon whislt enjoying cocktails and snacks.

• Sailing Magic

  Daily.
  Full day catamaran cruise along the East Coast, the estuary of Grande Rivière Sud Est and its waterfall. Opportunity for swimming and snorkelling plus a visit to Ile aux Cerfs. Barbecue lunch prepared and served on board by the crew.

• Undersea Adventure and Grand Baie

  Wed & Thur.
  Walk on the seabed near the reef or explore it in a two-man motorised subscooter. Lunch in the north of the island at a selected venue and afternoon shopping in Grand Baie.

• Hire Your Own Catamaran

  Daily.
  Charter your own catamaran, with a choice of itineraries Be pampered and waited on all day while sunning on deck. Enjoy the best spots for swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing. Barbecue lunch prepared by the crew and served on board. Also available for overnight charters.

Mauritius Golf:

If you are a golfer looking for the perfect place to tee-up and swing then Mauritius has some serious treats in store for you. Here are some of the courses that you can expect to explore on your arrival in paradise.

• Constance Belle Mare Plage The Legend

  ‘The Legend’, designed by South African champion, Hugh Baiocchi, is the crowning achievement of Constance Belle Mare Plage. Each hole has its own distinctive characteristics, with many a surprise in store. Superb fairways are laid-out in the heart of an indigenous forest, culminating in perfect greens built to USPGA specifications. In an effort to provide the quintessential golfing location, all 18 greens were rebuilt using Tif Dwarf grasses to ensure a perfect surface. Time has also been taken to enhance the natural beauty of the site. Teeing off from the 17th hole (par 3) is a feast for the eyes and a test for the nerves.

• The Links

  The second Belle Mare Plage Championship Golf Course, designed by Rodney Wright and Peter Allis opened in November 2002. This 18-hole Links course was conceived as a result of the success and demands encountered by Hotels Constance’s first course, ‘The Legend’. Sitting beneath the clubhouse which faces the setting sun, the course measures 5,942 m and is a Par 71. Equipped with a practice fairway, this 18-hole course is set in a location which seems to have been naturally created for the purpose of an exciting days golfing.

• Golf du Château

  Attached to two hotels, the Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort and the Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort, the magnificent 18- hole “Golf du Château” golf course covers 100 hectares and is the masterpiece of architect Peter Matkovitch, of Peter Matkovich and Hayes, the world renowned South African architectural practice.

  Situated between the mountains and the sea in an undulating landscape interspersed with lakes, streams and tropical trees, this Par 72 championship course is both technically challenging and varied. The architects have elegantly integrated the two water courses that cross Golf du Château creating small lakes which enhance the demands made on technique, yet fully respecting the harmony and tranquillity of the surroundings. They have also integrated the magnificent Château of Bel Ombre and its gardens into the design of the golf course.

  “Golf du Château” consists of: two 9-hole courses.9 hole outside course 3,210m, 9 hole inside course is 3,297m, 3 by 3 vary from 140m to 200m, 4 by 4 from 320m to 430m, 4 by 5 from 490m to 520m. In addition, a mashie course has been created, a 9 hole par 3 course, ideal both for beginners as well as for more advanced golfers wanting to perfect their game.

• Four Seasons Golf Course at Anahita

  Mauritius has now joined the world’s list of premier golfing destinations, finally realising all golfers’ fantasies. This Ernie Els Championship golf course is managed by Four Seasons Mauritius and is built to USGA standards. With a 6,828 -meter course, it offers 5 tee positions and allows every handicap to enjoy an exhilarating tee-to-green experience from the pros and amateurs to children. To complete your golfing experience, the contemporary Mauritianstyled Golf Clubhouse has a Golf Pro shop that is fully-stocked with high end merchandise, as well as Le Club restaurant, bar, luxurious locker facilities, and friendly supportive staff.

• One&Only Le Saint Géran

  This 9-hole, Par 33 One&Only Golf Course is a Gary Player creation. The use of the course is complimentary to One&Only guests and for a nominal fee expert tuition is provided by the Academy’s Resident Pro. This 9-hole gem is unique to Mauritius as Le Saint Géran is the only course employing local grass on the fairways and greens. The local grass not only accentuates the exotic feel of the place but it also creates a challenge as it is thick and spongy, giving the ball some serious friction to overcome. Armies of coconut and palm trees frame the course with the shimmering azure of the Indian Ocean offering an eye-catching backdrop. There are a number of natural waterways strategically placed around the course creating a picturesque challenge for pros and beginners alike. Guests can also play 18 holes on Le Saint Géran with different departures.

• Tamarina

  This 18-hole Championship Golf Course was designed by international design company Wright Golf Design, headed by Rodney Wright himself. Tamarina has already received much acclaim for its uniquely pleasant and rewarding golfing experience. There are 5 different teeing options on every hole, offering possibilities for all handicaps. From the Professional tees the course measures 6886 metres making Tamarina a true championship test. Tamarina stretches alongside and crosses the Rempart River which plays a spectacular part in many holes, where you will be challenged to fly or swim. Many of the holes have been specially designed to give scenic views of Mount Rempart and the surrounding mountain ranges.

• The Mauritius Gymkhana Club

  The Mauritius Gymkhana Club is the oldest golf course in the southern Hemisphere and the fourth oldest golf course in the world (1844). Mauritius is the 3rd country to adopt golf as a sport after the UK and India (Royal Calcutta 1829, Royal Bombay 1842). Centrally located in the district of Plaines Wilhems and easily accessible the Mauritius Gymkhana Club offers an ideal setting for a round of golf. The climate is pleasant all year round except for the winter months when it is a bit wet. The golf course is a 5025 metre, 18-hole, Par 68 with challenging narrow fairways. Besides golf there are lawn tennis courts, a restaurant and a well equipped bar open throughout the day.

• Le Touessrok

  Set on its own beautiful island off the East coast of Mauritius, separated from Le Touessrok hotel by a shimmering turquoise lagoon. The course, designed by Bernard Langer, covers 38 hectares and is the second longest in Mauritius, with holes snaking up and down the length of the island. All 18 holes have views of the ocean – some with glimpses across clearings through the trees; others by coming close to the shore. Facilities such as the Club House, restaurant, on-course refreshments, caddies, golf carts, locker rooms, bag storage clubs and shoe rental are available. And for those who feel their game might need some fine-tuning, Le Touessrok Golf Academy and practice area offers appropriate courses.

• Paradis Golf Club Paradis

  This ranks among the most spectacular on the island. The 18-hole Par 72 stretches to the foot of Le Morne Mountain and curls back along the edge of a peaceful lagoon. The greens are planted with Seashore Paspalum, an ideal turf for the tropics. The last 9 holes spread along the coastline and 5 water obstacles offer a tranquil challenge to all.

• Shandrani

  Shandrani features a 768-metre golf course, which runs along the banks of the lagoon, ensconced by a beautiful 50-acre tropical garden. With a “tee-off” located 100 metres away from the beach, this course is both stimulating and fun. The difficulty resides in its small size, which best suits calculated and accurate swings. Perfect for beginners or those who wish to improve their short game.