PRESSBOOK MCBT 2024

MAURITIUS

This is over and above the 2km-long beach with straw umbrellas, soft incliners and the warm 28°C Indian Ocean lapping at your toes. The cliché ‘it has something for everyone’ rings true at this resort. The flagship restaurant Blue Penny Cellar is known for its amazing fine dining and a wine cellar boasting over 1 300 wines from across the globe which is reputed to be the biggest in the Indian Ocean region. The spa and gym area is also a busy hub of the hotel with many guests choosing to use the gym, sauna and steam room before plunging into the cold bath. A great way to end off the day before heading off to one of the seven restaurants for dinner. The variety of food on offer can be somewhat overwhelming. The main restaurant, Le Citronelle, is a daily buffet which changes each evening with everything from starters through to pancakes and sorbet. Most importantly, there are the two golf courses on offer, free to residents,

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The Legend course has been made more player friendly with the widening of fairways and the removal of bush in many areas

and a few notches above what you would expect from a resort course. The more difficult of the two, and host to the MCB Tour Championship, is the Legend golf course only a short walk from the hotel. Through the years, the course has been made more player friendly with the widening of fairways and the removal of bush in many areas. That said, it is still a challenging layout with ample water on the course and a variety of holes requiring some quality shot-making to avoid danger. The greens, having also been upgraded recently, are receptive and true. The par 72, 6 018m Hugh Baiocchi design is at the mercy of the coastal winds. And when they are up, the narrow fairways surrounded by unforgiving bush and water means accuracy over length is required. The course was previously used for breeding deer, and up until Covid, it was wonderful to see them cantering through the course. The second golfing option, only a five minute shuttle away from the hotel, is the more open, playable Links course. Shorter in length with less water and wider fairways, this would be the better option for the casual golfer. Make no mistake, it is no pushover and still has plenty of danger with several blind shots and a nice mixture of shorter par fours bringing the elusive birdie into play. Take note of the par-three 18th, which must be one of the more difficult par threes on the island. And if sundowners are your thing, the bar area at the Links course is by

A variety of dining options can be expected at Constance Belle Mare Plage

Loungers, white sand and warm azure water is a daily affair at Constance Belle Mare Plage

MARK SAMPSON/MARE PLAGE

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