Merville Beach

In palm-dotted gardens by a picturesque beach, this good value hotel has a lively informal atmosphere with friendly service and good facilities.

Rooms

169

Airport transfer time

1¼ hours

Location

On Mauritius' popular north coast, ten minutes walk from lively Grand Baie and 1¼ hours from the airport.

Facilities

Facilities include a snack-bar near the beach, main restaurant serving French, Creole and Asian cuisine, beachfront swimming pool, free watersports including waterskiing, windsurfing, kayaks and glass bottom boat rides. There is also scuba diving (extra charge), tennis, football, volleyball, a fitness centre, a popular beachfront spa and regular entertainment.

Accommodation

169 rooms, each with airconditioning, television, telephone, minibar, bath or shower, balcony or terrace.

Standard rooms are in the main building, overlooking the pool or garden.
Superior rooms are slightly larger in the main building or Garden Court wing.
Deluxe palm rooms are the largest, set in the Garden Court wing with sea view, or in garden cottages.

Restaurants

Terrace

Swimming Pools

One including children's area

Beach description

White sandy beach

Weddings

In palm-dotted gardens by a picturesque beach, this good value hotel has a lively informal atmosphere with friendly service and good facilities - a firm favourite with Kuoni clients. Weddings at Merville Beach can be organised in wonderful lush tropical surroundings of the Garden Court or on the beautiful sandy beach, your wedding will be followed by a romantic candlelit dinner, either on the beach itself or at a special table in the restaurant.

WEDDING PACKAGE £360
→ Includes wedding cake, personalised bottle of sparkling wine, special wedding dinner for bride and groom, breakfast in room the following morning, fruit platter, his and hers t-shirt and Mauritian wrap.

Destination introduction

An idyll of white sand beaches, shallow lagoons, coral reefs, cane fields and forested mountains - Mauritius is paradise. Spend time on board a Magic Sails Catamaran Cruise, pamper yourself in a spa resort and play a round of golf on a championship course.

Shopping

Curepipe is the most reputed spot for tourist shopping but Port Louis is quite good as well.

Chinese and Indian merchants will dazzle you with sari lengths in shimmering silk or cotton. Hand-woven saris and blouses are the most attractive. Shirts, dresses and even knitwear are likely to be better bargains than back home.

Baskets, hats, fans, table napkins and tablemats provide inexpensive souvenirs of island handicrafts. Along with a whole range of shell jewellery and ornaments, there are objects in wood and jade. Straw figurines, dolls and macrame complete a particularly varied range of local handicrafts. Models of boats and old sailing ships are often beautifully made. Numerous excellent craftsmen in Curepipe compete for attention. Duty-free goods include

cameras, watches-and diamonds.

Bargaining is not going to get you very far, except possibly in markets and with beach hawkers. Each town will have its boutik, a little local shop stocking everything, but there are plenty of supermarkets, too.

Rum and rum-mixes will recall sunny memories of your Mauritian visit, or you can toast your return with locally grown tea.