A Mauritian Escape

Your flight lands at the rather splendidly named Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in Mauritius at around midday, and you will be met for your private transfer to your hotel. Somewhat counter-intuitively, we suggest beginning your holiday with a few days up in the hills, where you'll enjoy a much more authentic Mauritian experience, as well as nature on an epic scale.

Spend the remainder of the day acclimatising and taking in the wonderful views with a cocktail in hand.

Wake up in the verdant hills to the sound of birdsong and then take part in the morning yoga class, or relieve any post-flight aches and pains with a massage in your hotel's lovely spa, before you spend today exploring your tropical surroundings. You might want to enjoy some of the many walks and treks into the nearby rainforest to spot exotic flora and fauna in this World Wildlife Society protected area, and enjoy sea views and dramatic mountainous terrain from up high.

Alternatively, simply stay at the lodge itself and spend your time dipping in and out of the pool and soothing your body in the sauna.

After breakfast this morning you'll be collected from your hotel for a full day of hiking and swimming in the Black River Gorges National Park and visiting neighbouring Chamarel village. With a private vehicle and guide for the day you can tailor the adventure to your personal preferences, but the rough outline will look something like the following. Start the morning in the Black River Gorges National Park to do some hiking through the colourful flora, enjoy views over the extinct volcano of Trou-Aux-Cerfs, then swim at the thundering Charmel waterfall before spending some time marvelling at the fantastically colourful (think ochre, orange, red and purple) soil here.

The day trip also includes lunch and the opportunity to do a tasting at Rhumerie de Chamarel Restaurant and Rum Distillery. After today you'll see what we mean when we say there's much more to Mauritius than the beach!

You've had your fix of adventure and now it's time to live up to expectations and hit the beach - after all, there's a reason Mauritius is known as a sun, sea and sand destination. You'll be collected from your hotel this morning and driven around an hour and a half north to the top of the island, where most of the best beach resorts are.

Once you've arrived and settled in, sink your toes into the sand and ease into beach life with an afternoon of R&R.

Over the next two days, slap on the sun cream and get working on that holiday glow. You'll have plenty of time to dip in and out of the pool or sea in between sunbathing sessions and we recommend keeping your minds (if not your bodies) active by getting stuck into good books. For those who want to stay physically active too, this is a great snorkelling destination and most hotels offer various other watersports on a complimentary basis too.

In the evenings, make sure to enjoy a sunset cocktail or two and then tuck into delicious local creole cuisine.

Your last full day calls for an adventure and that's exactly what we have planned for you today. A private guide will meet you at your hotel and take you to spend the day in places away from traditional tourist routes. You'll visit some of the most typical villages on the island where you'll meet talented craftsmen and residents enjoying traditional local delicacies such as gato piment (Mauritian chili cakes), samoussas (a local version of the Indian samosa) and dall pouri (fried bread). Your guide will also take you to visit a fruit farm plantation and the beautiful Tamarind Falls.

After your morning of exploring, a homemade family lunch will be served by one of the villagers. The rest of the afternoon is then dedicated to finding some of the island's most scenic viewpoints and landscapes, before you head back to your hotel for dinner.

Spend a last few hours in the sun this morning before checking out and indulging in a long, lazy pre-flight lunch. In the early evening you will be transferred to the airport, which is just over an hour away.

Once there, check in for your direct overnight flight to the UK, which takes 12-and-a-quarter-hours.