July 11, 2007

Africa & Mideast | Mauritius

More Mauritius

By Nicole Cotroneo

There's a new way to get around the jeweled archipelago — and a new way to get there, too.

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Reaching the sugar-white shores of Mauritius is about to get easier. Starting December 22, Italy-based Costa Cruises will be the first cruise line to set sail from the island, circumnavigating the Indian Ocean, with stops in the Seychelles, Kenya, Madagascar, Mayotte and Reunion. And come October 28, Virgin will begin jetting to Mauritius non-stop from London. While tourism honchos for this coral-encircled island are aiming to attract two million visitors by 2015, there’s still time to enjoy the place without bumping beach mats (2006 recorded 788,000 visitors). The pristine Mauritian seaside has long-attracted European royalty looking for ultimate privacy. On the island’s rustic southern shore, the new Shanti Ananda Maurice resort spa — sister to the acclaimed Himalayan haven Ananda — commands 35 acres of tropical gardens and 55 sumptuous guestrooms. Meantime, the Four Seasons will soon have its own “sanctuary.” In March 2008 it opens Anahita Mauritius, an ultra-luxe resort — with 46 private villas for sale — overlooking a blue lagoon.