I’ve shared my Travel Journal with you over the past 5/6 days and I really hope you have enjoyed it. I was so impressed with Long Beach, I had to share this with you. I hope you’ll all be able to enjoy Long Beach one day soon.

Long Beach, Mauritius, is one of those resorts where you feel like you’ve stepped into a movie, except that when you pinch yourself; you’re still there.

From the moment you enter up the curved driveway and view the understated, yet classy entrance area and foyer complete with its triple volume glass panorama windows, raw concrete pillars, pebbled pond & natural wooden accents accentuated by the free flowing ocean breeze; you can feel the relaxation seeping into your skin.

Long Beach is situated in Belle Mare on the East coast. It was originally the old Coco Beach, which they demolished and built the brand new resort with a unique difference. This resort is the first of it’s kind and I love that it’s Eco friendly too. It has certainly raised the bar for all resorts on Ile Maurice.

The unhindered ocean views, natural stone, bold use of natural wood & open layout borrowing from various architectural inputs from all around the world, makes this a new experience. Clever thinking & use of innovative materials & methods insulates all the living areas against the heat & humidity, which reduces the energy drawn on the air conditioning units, reducing emissions. All hot water is solar heated, energy is “harvested .“ To top it off, all of the +1 million plants that were originally on the property were carefully and expertly removed when building began, cared for and later returned, keeping all vegetation endemic to the area.

You are not left wanting for anything. The rooms are spacious, well laid out and decorated (in fact it’s inspired me in the design of my home I’m going to build… one day) and has the most wonderful views of the palm trees and ocean.I particularly loved the Espresso machine, the very spacious cupboards, the shower and the speakers for an mp3 player.

Once you have recovered from the amazing sights, you are swept away on a level of 5 star service that feels like you’re royalty! From the time you arrive, you are welcomed into the Long Beach family. The sincere helpfulness from every member of staff is what truly makes your holiday luxurious. They know how special Long Beach is and nothing is ever too much.

To give you an idea, once you have placed food on your plate from the impressive buffet, there is a waitron right there who takes the plate from you and escorts you back to your chair. At first I was overwhelmed, but they are so friendly and insisting, that it feels like you’re a Hollywood superstar.

Another example… When the bar tender brought our drinks to us, either on the beach or at the pool loungers, he offered to clean our sunglasses. Out came a glasses cleaner spray and soft cloth. I don’t think my glasses have ever been that clean.

It’s these little things that keep you impressed and create extra memories.

As for the food, well it is just outstanding and has a range to satisfy the most diverse palate. It has 5 restaurants.

• Le Marche, the impressive buffet.
• Tides, which is by the pool and has a tasty menu for lunch.
• The Italian restaurant, Sapori.
• Chopsticks is the Chinese restaurant (best noodles.)
• Hasu is the incredible Japanese restaurant (I had the most salivating sushi there.)

Local spirits spice up the cocktails and the cocktail snacks provided at The Shore Bar and at Tides is impressive.

I even loved the daily 5 o’clock tea and scones at Tides.

This also the best place to be entertained and the events Long Beach puts on is amazing … from the Mauritian dancers, to the various bands and Bombora Night Club. They are even launching Long Beach Music on Facebook. Click here.

If you love water sports then you will be in heaven. OK… Deep breath, here goes: Undersea walking, wind-surfing, snorkeling, para-sailing, wake boarding, sailing, kayaking and swimming, are just some of the water based activities! We ran out of time to do the land based versions (archery, rock climbing, tennis etc) as we HAD to do our fair share of sun tanning.

A fully integrated spa is available too, called The Sea Spa and we got to experience a Mauritian specialty, the “Hammam.” It was awesome… you have to try it.

All in all, Long Beach is a place you have to experience. Call World Leisure Holidays now on 0860 954 954 to book your trip. You can also book online www.wlh.co.za

1. Melanie Millen-Moore and Dawn Horwitz, thank you so much for everything – I can’t tell you how much we appreciate everything you have done for Greg and I.