Thursday, December 2, 2010

Review of Movenpick Resort & Spa, Mauritius, Bel Ombre

As I have already described my holiday experience in Mauritius in " When Dreams come true", here I would like to talk about the most important part of our holiday which has made our trip memorable. And that is our stay at the Movenpick Resort & Spa.
Before selecting the resort I went through a lot of reviews and even asked a few people through email. Two resorts were running neck to neck, one was Movenpick and the other one was Jalsa Beach. I went through the websites of both these resorts and had a look at their gallery and finally we reached Movenpick on 22nd June,2010.

sugarcane field
The resort was located in the south-west coast in Bel Ombre. It took almost 2 hours to reach there in the minibus. On the way we passed through small localities, few local markets and lots of green field, mostly with sugarcane cultivation. And the more we were nearing our resort, we could feel the fresh air coming from the sea-side. There was a small bridge which was so narrow that two vehicles could not drive together, hence it was operated on the basis of an automatic signal.

on the way to Movenpick
When we were almost 20 minutes away from Movenpick, there was a spot where the Indian Ocean was at a stone's distance from us. I guess that place was a local picnic spot as later during our stay I had seen people gathering there on weekends and having fun with their family.

view from resort's lounge
We reached the resort premise at around 3:30 p.m. All our tiredness of traveling just vanished by the way the hotel stuff warmly welcomed us. They took all the luggage without even asking anyone which one belongs to whom!! We were directed to their waiting area where we had to finish some formalities like filling up forms with our details, duration of stay and choice of food etc etc. Meanwhile we were served a chilled welcome drink. They had two different flavors and I took the Orange juice one. It was a nice view from that waiting lounge as we could see the backyard of the resort with its volleyball court and beach.

resort entry
After half an hour of wait we were taken to our room. On the way there were a boutique, some other gift shops. Our deluxe room was on the first floor. The moment we entered the room we could feel a refreshing smell. The first thing my hubby told me that it was a very nice choice.... There was a king size bed, a TV, electronic safe, a minibar and a kettle. Also there was unlimited supply of milk, sugar and tea bags. It was just that you would have to ask the room service to fill in the new stock. We also got a complimentary fruit basket, a bottle of red wine, one pareo and t-shirt special add ons to honeymoon couples. Be careful before using their minibar as the alcohols were priced at much higher rate. Also you would not get water for free!! Two bottles of water were priced at 90 Mauritian currency (almost 140 Indian rupee)!!

deluxe room
view from our balcony









The view from our balcony was just awesome. Everyday at around 11 a.m. house keeping staff would come to clean the room and they even arranged our clothes sometimes!! The towels were clean but you have to make sure that all the towels are changed everyday. You can get beach towels from them and also the toiletries ( they provide very less toiletries at a time). You will also get hair dryer. It would be advisable to carry an appropriate adaptor to charge your mobile phone or your camera (as in our case we could not charge our mobile for this). The morning breakfast used to be open from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the main restaurant "Le Moulin" (serves buffet only). There were 2 other restaurants, La Grand Caze (mainly for dinner and specially the candle light dinners that the restaurant offer with the honeymoon package)  and Le Camaron (its for lunch) and the main bar, Flangourin, next to the main pool. We were on a half board package ( that includes breakfast and dinner buffet), hence we ate at Le Moulin only. You can sit inside or have your breakfast in the open area. But in the morning it used to be a little cold, so we chose to sit inside only. While having our food, we could see small birds chirping around, I even gave one bird a little piece of bread!! The breakfast menu was same for all the seven days: varieties of bread, fruits, sausages, pancakes, ham, yogurt and some other milk products. After breakfast we used to have a long walk along the beach. The beach was very quiet and clean. It was a little difficult to walk bare footed throughout as there were lots of small pebbles and few sea urchins!!


the beach
    Apart from the main swimming pool there were two more pools, one specially for the kids. There were a lot of  sunbathing chairs along the beach and the pools. The resort offered some complimentary activities like : snorkeling, kayak, glass bottom boat, paddle boat, wind surfing. But to avail most of the activities, one should have booked the slot at          
least a week ago!!
glass bottom boat ride
Which was not  possible in our case as we stayed there for a week only, so we could only use paddle boat and got our slot for glass bottom boat on the second last day of our stay. But it was a nice experience for an hour and half. We went close to the huge waves which were almost tossing our little boat with its 10 passengers.....at one point it became scary as the boat's engine stopped for 15 minutes and one of the passengers started screaming out of fear. We had a great view of the coral reefs, fishes. Also one can spend time in aqua gym or on table tennis  table or volleyball court. The Aldana Tropical Spa's timing was from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. We had a complimentary half a hour spa massage for both of us (we had taken our spa massage slot the day we reached there and we got it on the third day morning). After that we spent 2 hours in sauna, steam and jacuzzi, all free of cost for that day.
The night buffet used to start as early as from 7:00 p.m. and it was theme based. During our stay we had American, African, Italian, European, Indian themes and everyday they kept few Indian food items at one corner as the resort was a hot destination for Indians.The varieties of sauces, chicken, duck, deserts, rice, pasta, noodles, sea foods were countless. During dinner time they provided free drinking water, which was a nice thing I guess. For the first time I ate baby Octopus, squids and I liked them!! On the Sunday night dinner there was a surprise performance from the resort's side, there were 4 ladies wearing some extra colorful dresses, dancing and singing with the rhythm of the drums. On the second night of our stay we got an invitation for the candle light dinner (complimentary for honeymoon couples) at La Grand Caze where the dinner table was near the pool and there was a musician playing his guitar. There we had Indian dinner and a bottle of complimentary Champagne. It was very very romantic...
It was told not to tip everyone separately as the resort had a policy where one could pay the total amount of the tip directly to the resort and the resort would distribute it to all the staffs on special occasions. The resort had a very cozy atmosphere which I liked a lot and would like to return there again.

A suggestion : Once you will reach Mauritius buy at least 2 to 3 bottles of drinking water from the shops near the airport. Or you can buy it on the way to the resort if you find any super market or shop. It will be much cheaper (around 30 Mauritian rupee) than at the resort. And when you will go out for any tour the guide will take you to super market once. Hence you can get a new stock.

                                                                                                                                                                     

87 comments:

  1. hi.. i m too planning to go for my honeymoon trip to same location and hotel starting from 1st week of jan.. just wanted a quick update.. hope the hotel is actually good...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes it was very cozy n comforting. They offer u complete privacy and may surprise u by providing some complimentary services. Food, housekeeping service, room and other facilities are all good. Hope u too will enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi,

    I have already booked this hotel for my honeymoon via make my trip. Can you tell me how much USD should I keep with us while traveling.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 600 to 800 USD if you are interested in water sports otherwise 400 to 500 would be enough (depending on the price of lunch). You can also carry some food items from India. Keep some Mauritian currency which will be helpful during your excursions. Also keep smaller denominations of dollar with you as you might not get change every time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi!

    Thank you very much Khushi! Even i am confused between Jalsa and Movenpick. Your review really helped me :) Was there any cruise trip included in the package?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hope now you can make your choice between the two. Cruise trip wasn't included in the tour package but once you reach there, you can talk to the local agent who will arrange it for you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am going on my honeymoon trip. I would like to know which part of Mauritius (south or north) has more places to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Khushi,

    Thanks so much for all the info.. I almost lived the experience :)..Just one question.. Since Jalsa is situated on the NE coast, will it be closer to the more happening part of town? (Balaclava etc.) which I heard will be quite expensive by Cab (USD 80)? Also, how is the beach of Movenpick..some reviews said the beach is bad..and please also comment on the hospitality and indian veggie food. Too many questions, but your help at the earliest will be appreaciated

    Thanks
    Ashutosh

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Asmyaham,
    I guess cab wouldn't be so costly if you can bargain well (you can get a cheap deal with a cab which has just dropped a passenger near your resort or you can form a group and divide the fare).Movenpick beach was very clean and you can have a long walk along the stretch.Also some people say that the beach is full of urchins which was not true!!In our stay we could find only 2 small ones.The reception people,house cleaning staff and restaurant waiters were really polite and helpful.Every night there was an Indian veg food corner but it was quite ordinary.But the non-veg (specially sea food)and non-Indian foods were really good.

    ReplyDelete
  10. @ anonymous

    If you have to choose between two I would recommend south for its natural beauty but if you like to see the city side of Mauritius, go to north. If you are going for a package tour, you will go to both north and south part on two separate days for sight seeing. Apart from that, one day you will get to spend at an island where you can get different water activities. You can also contact your local tour operator if you want to go for underwater walk, submarine, catamaran cruise or safari (where you can walk with lion!!)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks a ton Khushi. Also wanted to know if you went through a tour operator and how much it worked out to. Second, we would be going in March 1st week. Any pointers/suggestions for the same?

    ReplyDelete
  12. March will be a little hot (temp around 30 degree) and humid (around 80 to 90 %). Also chances of rainfall and cyclone are there. But rainfall in Mauritius is very strange-there will be little spell in one part of the beach and the other part will remain sunny at the same time. Though we went in June (during winters which is considered the most pleasant time for touring Mauritius), we came across small spells twice and they lasted hardly for 2 to 3 minutes. Yes we had taken a package tour from Travelport which cost us close to INR 1 lakh.

    ReplyDelete
  13. hey khushi,

    i'm planning to go to mauritius in march 1st week for my honeymoon... n even after reading ur review still confused between jalsa , movenpick n pearle beach resort....its just dat pearle beach though being a 3star has got amazin reviews on trip advisor its not in da case of movenpick... can you help???

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Neha,
    I and my husband loved the stay at Movenpick for the 7 days and we would love to go there again. Hence I would recommend the resort to everyone. If you have any specific concern then you can ask, I hope I would be able to help you out.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Khushi,
    no major concerns as such but like every other honeymooner want it to b perfect...its always better to know about the hotel from someone who has stayed there...
    Nyways now i'm pretty confident about the hotel..there is no doubt left in my mind. Thanks so so much.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Neha,
    I understand your state of mind. Dont worry u'll love the stay there specially for its privacy and coziness which I am sure every honeymooner like us would love.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Khushi,

    I found ur feedback really useful. I'm also planning to visit Mauritius at the end of January. I am just concerned about the Indian veggie food as I'm a pure vegetarian. Also how are the amenities in a deluxe room. Do they have home theater/DVD player to enjoy music if we want to. Do you have any idea about Grand Mauritian Resort and if yes, how do you rate these two hotels.

    Thnx in advance!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Pankaj,
    There was an Indian veg food corner during dinner buffet at the main restaurant every day, but the choices were limited and not so impressive like the non-Indian foods. But this is more or less the same what you will get in every resort there. You can also try non-Indian veggy food there. In deluxe room you will get mini bar, TV, electronic safe, Hair dryer, tea/coffee amenities, private balcony and also a huge bath tub. There was no DVD player. I do not have any idea of Grand Mauritian resort.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Khushi,

    Thanks for sharing your fantastic experience here. I'm planning a trip with my daughter and wife there at same hotel next week.

    Can you please advice on whether veg fast food like pizza burger is available there at resort or nearby shop or not?

    And what is the typical cost per lunch, any surcharge or luxury tax that hotel charges and any ticket or sightseeing charges during full day tours?

    Thank again,
    Amit

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Amit,
    You would not get any shop nearby but when you will go on day 1 tour the guide will take you to a supermarket where you can buy stuff at reasonable rates. Also, there will be some but limited veg options in the resort restaurants which is definitely not too cheap. In our package we did not have to pay anything extra to the resort. In the botanical park you will have to pay 100 MUR per person as entry fee.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi Khushi,
    Thanks for your write up. I've booked @ movenpick during the last week of feb. I've the foll ques.
    1.Do you know the car/bike hiring rates @ movenpick
    2.How far are the shops, supermarket from the resort.
    3. Whats the lunch cost at the restaurants at movenpick as we have plan for 3 day tours and 3 days leisure
    4. What would you suggest we can do during our leisure time.
    5.Most importantly how much money need to carry

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Jothikumar,

    1. no idea about the rate but regarding car rental check my earlier comments
    2. the supermarket is around 20 mins drive from the resort (the tour operator will take you to the supermarket on the first tour day only) and on the way to your 3 days tour you will get several small markets and shops.
    3. lunch would depend on your choice of food but it would cost you around 1000 to 1500 INR for 2
    4. you can go for safari, walk with lion(that is a thrilling experience),water activities (provided by the resort), submarine or sub-scooter, catamaran cruise etc etc.
    5. apart from your package (if it is HB) you should carry at least 400 USD and if you are interested in water sports and other activities then carry around 800 USD for safe side. The more the better :)
    if you have any more question feel free to ask..have a happy holiday

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks Kushi for you replies, I appreciate that.
    Im planning to take around 500 euros. Can i keep in euro itself, or need to change them to MUR. and should i need to change them at airport itself or would i find forex offering good rates during our tours.

    ReplyDelete
  24. We took dollar only, though getting changes in dollar was not possible (we got MUR and euros as changes in airport cafes). You can change some Euros to MUR at airport itself because you will have to pay the entrance fee at botanical garden in MUR only.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Khushi,
    Just another question, how did you call back home. is it worth to buy a matrix sim for mauritius from India and use it there. I ve read about some bad reviews on matrix, so quite skeptical abt that.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I bought a matrix SIM at airport and it worked absolutely fine. Though I did not make any outgoing call, there was no problem in any incoming calls.

    ReplyDelete
  27. khushi me n my husband are leaving day after tomo for mauritius...
    we so so much wanted to stay in movenpick resort after u assured us dat it'll b great but unfortunately da dates we wanted , the resort was not available so we had to choose Ambre resort in stead...
    do u've any idea abut it???
    n also what all wud to suggest to carry along...
    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Neha,
    I am sure you will love your holiday at Mauritius. The country is sooo beautiful that it will be a memorable trip for you. I don't have any idea about Ambre. You must carry good quality of sunscreen lotion with you :). And keep some smaller denominations of dollar that will help you out in purchasing water bottles and food. Enjoy your trip :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Khushi

    Just another quick one... Do they have any discotheque or Casino there......?

    Lalit

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Kushi!

    Thank you very much for all the details!
    Are credit cards accepted generally ?
    or its better to carry US Dollars and then exchanges it in the airport.

    Thanks Again!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi Lalit,

    There was a casino (a small one) in the market where we went on our first day trip. For more information talk to your tour guide.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Venkatesh..credit cards are accepted everywhere but it will be better if you carry dollar and MUR with you.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Khushi,
    At the Mauritius airport, do they convert Indian Rupees cash to Mauritius rupee, or do I need to take dollars only to convert to Mauritius rupee?

    Thanks,
    Rahul

    ReplyDelete
  34. I am not sure if you can exchange INR at Mauritius airport. You should take either Dollar or Euro. There are some options to exchange them to MUR at the airport.

    ReplyDelete
  35. hi,
    Very well explained article. It clarifies many of my doubts. I suppose this is the best piece of detailed info I have come across to get acquainted with Mauritius and move n pick resort.

    Just wanted to know one little thing. How expensive are the restraunts (meal and drinks both) at move n pick resort??

    Thanks
    Ashish

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hi Ashish ,

    Thanks for the appreciation. As its an island where everything is imported, so everything costs a little expensive. The lunch would be something around 20 to 30 dollar at the minimal side , depending on your choice of food.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi KHushi,

    Really nice article.It really helped me out when I was planning my trip . Moreover when I was there I visualize ur article it exactly same that u explained.

    Thanks,
    Rashi

    ReplyDelete
  38. Glad to know that Rashi.....hope you had a great holiday.... if you have any special experience of Mauritius or Movenpick to share with us , that would be nice and helpful to others :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi ,
    I just want to share my most adventures experience of “Walk with Lion” in Casela park. It would be advisable to take the tickets of this park as earliest, as its very difficult to get. we booked a cab for that park and we got the slot for 10 am .Ticket cost around 4500 MUR plus cab charges 1900 MUR. we reached there I was so excited about it.We finally in between the park better to said jungle and lions were around us .We actually walk with them, touched them, interact with them. That 1 and half hour I can’t forget in my life, it’s my dream come true. We bought the CD of whole excursions that comprises of video and photographs with lion in 1000 MUR for the memories.

    Thanks,
    Rashi

    ReplyDelete
  40. wow.....that is an awesome experience I must say.....thanks a lot Rashi for sharing this :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi Khushi
    Thanks for such a detailed review of the resort. This really strengthened our choice for this resort as our holiday destination. I am looking for a confirmation from your side on a few points:
    1. How far is the beach from resort?
    2. Does the resort have a private beach? (everywhere it says "located NEAR the beach" instead of "ON the beach")
    3. There is a mention of beach front room on the website. Are these rooms really beach facing? Just wanted to confirm
    this as our tour operator is charging much higher for the beach front room as compared to the deluxe room.

    Please let us know if you have any specific requests that we can make while booking a beach front room (to kind of ensure we get the right room).
    Thanks once again for your suggestions!
    Aastha

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi Aastha,

    Sorry for the late reply. Yes the resort has a private beach, which is lovely. We were in a deluxe room, but it is just 2 minutes of walk to the beach through the resorts garden. Yes they have beach facing rooms....they are situated on the beach....and they are separated from other rooms....so you will get more privacy. But somewhere I had read that some people found ants and some small creatures in those rooms, may be because of the close proximity to the beach....but otherwise they are perfect. Just relax and enjoy your holiday :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hi Khushi
    Thanks a lot for your suggestions :)
    Aastha

    ReplyDelete
  44. Hi Khushi

    I am also a travel blogger like you. Please check arvind-kamath.blogspot.com
    I am planning a trip to Mauritius in the last week of Oct 2011 and am confused between Jalsa and Movenpick. Since we are a family we would prefer a Resort close to some restaurant joints which serve good lunch and also an opportunity for quick/small shopping. I see from your messages that Movenpick is a great Resort but is secluded from the township area. Any idea if Jalsa is also similarly placed ie. in a far secluded spot? Your response will certainly help me make my mind. Thanks
    Rgds,
    Arvind Kamath
    Bangalore-India

    ReplyDelete
  45. Hi Arvind ,

    I had the same confusion while choosing our resort. Jalsa was a new resort at that time , so offered a nice package (a cheap one) but we went for Movenpick after doing a lot of research. As far as I remember Jalsa is also located in a secluded place. If you have booked through any agent , you will be taken for a tour of the city where you can go for shopping.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hi Kushi...read your blog..its nice.We are leaving to Maritious in 3 days...n gonna stay in Movenpick...i hope will have a amazing experience... I have few questions
    1.Does Inidan airport allow to carry Dollors?2.complementary sports we need to communicate how early to hotel?
    3.Do we need to take any ready to eat as we are veggies...speacially for lunch?!!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hi,
    1. Yes you can carry dollars.
    2. For few you have to make reservation as early as 1 week before. They will guide you on this once you reach there.
    3. That will be better if you do....because veggie food is very limited.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Dear Khushi,
    thanks for the brilliant post!... My husband and I are travelling this month end and will be staying at Movenpick... What do you advice about the watersports and the food at ile aux cerf.(should we prebook through our travel agent or book it at the kiosk there)

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hi,
    If you have taken a package from any travel agent then they will guide you for the water sports and all. Once you reach there ,you will find many options , no need to pre book.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hi Khushi,
    I would like to congratulate you on a very well articulated your experience in Mauritius. It takes the reader across as a part of the journey.

    Me and my wife shall be travelling to Mauritius this December. I have have some queries.
    1. Movenpick - We shall be staying at Movenpick. Having read your blog it seems to be a good place. There are some complimentary activities listed. Are they free? How much does nominal fee mean in actual terms for some of the activities listed?
    2. Bicycling - They have listed that mountain bicycles are available. We plan to do some bicycling in and around Movenpick. How safe is it to do so?
    3. ile aux cerf - We have planned out a tour for ile aux cerf. What are the specifics we should keep in mind in terms of food, time taken to travel, fees out there etc.
    4. North Mauritius tour - We have planned out a tour to North Mauritius tour. What are the specifics we should keep in mind in terms of food, time taken to travel, fees out there etc.?
    5. Water - It seems to be the most crucial issue. You have mentioned that one can buy water at various places. Do we need to buy drinking water in Movenpick as well?

    It will be nice of you if you could help me with the queries and share your valuable experience on the same.

    Cheers!!!
    Atul

    ReplyDelete
  51. Hi Atul,
    Thanks for the encouraging words. I will be glad to help you as much as I can.
    1. If they have given some list of complimentary activities, they must be free of course. Like a couple spa treatment (a part of their honeymoon package) , a candle light dinner and few water sports. But you should contact their water sport center the day you will reach to check the availability of slots. I don't remeber exactly how much do the nominal charges mean, but I can assure you that whatever nominal they say , that will cost a lot in Indian money. From my recent experience in Maldives , I can say only snorkelling is the cheapest of them all , others cost more or less around 100 $.
    2. We have not done that , so I won't be of much help. But I guess it will be safe.
    3. & 4. For both the tours I will say carry your water and some dry food. Its very difficult to find a cheap option there. I guess pizza is a good option in these cases if you really have to eat something outside. And it will take approximately two hours to reach the destinations (as we took mini bus).
    5. Yes, you will have to buy drinking water there , its not free. Only in the main restaurant we got some free drinking water during our dinners. Its better to buy few bottles once you go to the local super markets , they will be cheap.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Hi Khushi,
    I am Nidhi, planning a 7days, 6 Night trip to Mauritius..
    It is lovely to see such depth discussion about a travel....I would be traveling for 1st week October to Mauritius this year and on reading your blog I have finalized Movenpick resort.. i am an Indian and I am booking it using make my trip..
    They are charging like 1 lakh indian Rs spproximately and breakfast and dinner are included along with return flights and hotels booking ..standard room is provided...We wanted to upgrade it to the sea View room, but it would be like additional Rs 35000 in Indian currency... So I see no point in doing that..I would rather go there and stay some bargaining after I check those room are available and are safe and have no ants/insects...

    ReplyDelete
  53. Hi Nidhi,
    Nice to hear that my post has helped you :)
    Wish you a happy holiday :)

    ReplyDelete
  54. Thanks for sharing your experience which made us to go there virtually. I have some queries
    1) Is there any dress code (swimsuit compulsory) for swimming pool in MovenPick resort?
    2)Is there any dress code for Dinner? (CLose shoes are required)?
    3)When we do complimentary water sports which are available at Hotel, life jacket is chargeable or free?

    ReplyDelete
  55. Thanks for sharing your experience which made us to go there virtually. I have some queries
    1) Is there any dress code (swimsuit compulsory) for swimming pool in MovenPick resort?
    2)Is there any dress code for Dinner? (CLose shoes are required)?
    3)When we do complimentary water sports which are available at Hotel, life jacket is chargeable or free?

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hi Khushi,
    Thank you for sharing your experience which made us to dream of our trip ahead. I have some queries to ask for,
    1) Is there any dress code (compulsory swimsuit) for Swimming pool at MovenPick resort?
    2) Is there any dress code for Dinner time at Restaurant - close shoes, trousers required?
    3) Life jacket given during complimentary sports activities at hotel is free or chargeable?

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hi Chitra,
    Sorry for the late reply....
    1./2. there is no mandatory dress code for the restaurant or pool. But everyone goes in swimsuit.
    3.we went for the glass bottom boat ride where they did not provide us any life jacket. But for other activities they might provide you,you have to ask them well before as they have limited options.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Hi Khushi,

    These reviews really helped me a lot. Great job!
    I am planning for my honeymoon in Movenpick resort for September. I hope its a good time to visit Mauritius.

    Just wanted to know below things :
    1. Is there any local bus transport available near to Movenpick ? The reason m askin is I want to visit Casela Park in 1 of my leisure days and Cab will be too costly i believe.

    2. Any idea whats the cost for Catamaran Cruise?

    Thanks,
    Manish.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Hi Khushi,

    These reviews really helped me. Great Job!
    I am planning for my honeymoon in Movenpick resort in September. I hope its a good time to visit Mauritius.

    Just wanted to know below things :
    1. Is there any local bus transport available near Movenpick ? The reason is i want to visit Casela park in 1 of the leisure days and cabs will be a costly affair.

    2. Do you know what is the cost for the Catamaran cruise?

    Thanks,
    Manish

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Manish,

      1. I have no idea about the bus transport there, Movenpick is situated at the corner of the island on the beach,hence you will not get any public transport close by. Cab will not be too costly, you can share a cab with any other willing tourists, that will reduce your cost.

      2. As far as I remember it was around INR 10,000 for two people. It might have changed now.

      Delete
  60. Holidays to Mauritius can be very cozy and comfort. One can go there for their honeymoon or family vacations. Hotels of Mauritius will give you luxury services with complete privacy. So enjoy stay at Mauritius hotels.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Hi Khushi,

    Thank you for being so meticulous. This was really helpful :-)

    In your opinion and with your interactions with the travel agents (I'm planning it with MakeMyTrip), what is right time to do a booking for my Honeymoon trip to Mauritius? I ask this question as I want to avail the best honeymoon offer/package... I'll travel from Bangalore and the dates are 11Dec-17December 2012 (6N 7D)...

    I'm looking for Movenpick, Laguna and Tarisa (in that order) along with flight, sight seeing accompaniments and honeymoon freebies in the trip..

    Any advice, suggestion, tip will be greatly appreciated... Thank you once again :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is no such right time to book through the agents, they will charge you the same all the time. The only thing that matters is the dollar to rupee conversion rate. The higher the rate,the costlier the package would be for you. So keep an eye on the rate and book accordingly.
      Do go for Lion walk.....that is a great experience.Enjoy your trip.

      Delete
  62. 1. How far in ilu aux cerf from movenpick ? On the map it says 80 kms . But I m nor sure how much time that ll take ?

    2. Aren't most of the activities in north and this hotel in south west ? The travel time will be considerable .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1. it will take around an hour or more.
      2. If you are going through some agents,they will provide you three trips on three separate days. Each day they cover separate parts (north,south etc). Yes these hotels are at the corner of the south west ,hence, they lack any other activities,transport. Its better for couples who will look for some peace.

      Delete
  63. Hi Khushi,
    As you mentioned that travel agent provide three tours. But are these tours really good or its better to do something else than going on in these tours? Also I want to check whether it will be a good idea to book everything by ourselves instead of going through the travel agent?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you have enough knowledge about the place you going, you can arrange everything without an agent. Those tours were nice specially the south island tour....you can go to some other places which they do not cover...like the lion walk,casino etc.

      Delete
  64. Hi Khushi,
    I am planning a 7days, 6 Night honeymoon trip to Mauritius in Jan.
    It is very nice to see such depth discussion about this travel.it helped me a lot in planning. can u tell me if u know anything about skydiving activity in Mauritius? it is rated as the no 1 activity in trip advisor and i am interested in that.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Is there a disc in this hotel???

    ReplyDelete
  66. HI Khushi

    Your blog is awesome and it has come at the time when I am actually planning for honeymoon at Mauritius. Thanks a ton for sharing and point noted. I am bit worried about the Veg Indian food available...the rest should be manageable. Anyways thanks again

    ReplyDelete
  67. Hi Khushi,

    i havent read any post on the net except yours as all of the questions got answered without asking. I sincerely appreciate!!!!
    At the same time wanted to know alcoholic drinks prices in the resort. Can i carry from duty free? ( as i did in dubai).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the appreciation. I do not remember the alcohol price since it has been a long time, but they are on the higher side in the resort (as obvious). You can purchase from the supermarkets or you can bring some with you (duty free).

      Delete
  68. Well, khushi.YOu have bring heaven on earth. I wanted to celebrate my honeymoon in Mauritius or Malaysia as i found these places are quite good.

    ReplyDelete
  69. HI Khushi....i have planned to go Mauritius in feb. can you tell the necessary stuff to carry except clothes and money? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Check the weather and pack accordingly. If you are interested in snorkeling carry your own snorkeling stuff.

      Delete
  70. Hi Khushi,
    I would like to know whether they took any security deposit if USD 300 from you as I have booked Move N Pick through Cox and Kings and after making the payment they told me that USD 300 is taken as security deposit.Kindly confirm?

    Regards
    Ashish

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, there was no security deposit.....but you should check it with the travel agent and the hotel.

      Delete
  71. Hi Khushi,

    Me and my would-be are planning to go to Mauritius for honeymoon in the mid of June. We are a lil specific about Movenpick Hotel. In the deal we have got from our trip organiser, they say water sports are complimentary. So does that mean we do not have to pay a single pie to do all the water sports they have listed or is there any extra cahrges we need to be paying?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. there are few water sports available at the resort like boating, kayaking for which you won't have to pay but make sure you book for those sports in advance or else you might not get a slot.

      Delete
  72. hi khushi,

    me n my hubby r going to mauritius in april 2nd week....have booked movenpick through make my trip.
    would like to know do these people offer scuba diving on their beach and for snorkelling, do they provide you with the equipments as well for free of cost??
    we have booked the beachfront room, after reading reviews on tripadvisor but now are a little scared since the time have read about the ants thing u had mentioned....
    also, do they have any cultural progs in d resort..
    n they hav mentioned a night club as well...how is it??
    looking forward to ur response...
    thanks,
    puja

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Puja,

      There is some charge for the equipments. There was no scuba diving at the resort at that time. The cultural program was minimal and I am not sure if they meant the bar as the night club. Don't be scared .....you will like it a lot.

      Delete
  73. Hi Khushi,
    Thanks for the excellent and very informative write up on the resort . We are a couple with a 5 yr old boy and have booked here in April.We have some queries and will request your comments :-
    1.Whats the dress code in the restaurants for breakfast and dinner?
    2.Read that a la carte is quite an expensive affair . On the days when tour is not arranged , where do u suggest for lunch?
    3.Can you suggest some activity or attractions for my kid?
    4.My wife is fond of shopping ; is there anything special that we can shop in Mauritius?

    Thanks a lot.

    Rgds,
    Abhishek

    ReplyDelete
  74. Hi Sbhishek sorry for the late reply. Hope this will answer to your queries:

    1. No dress code. Wear whatever you want.

    2. Since there is no close market or restaurant for lunch/dinner, I would suggest you can buy some food from the local market when you go for a tour. That will help you save some extra bucks. The a la carte can be tried, I guess if you like pizza or something, that will be cheaper.

    3. Glass bottom boat, paddle boat. Both are complementary activities provided by the resort. Book well in advance!

    4. Nothing much!! When they will take you to the tours, you will go to some market.....try to buy something there if you like it.


    Good luck!!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...