“Knowledge is power, Information is power, the secreting or hording of knowledge or Information may be an act of tyranny camouflaged  as humility” these are the words of Robin Morgan, a 73 years old American poet, author, political theorist, activist, journalist, lecturer and editor who has literally written her name in the ‘sands of time’.

 

I have taken several decisions in my life’s sojourn, some of them being very important decisions based on certain impulses that I didn’t thoroughly vet, which I regret; on the other hand, all of the times that I have allowed my decisions to be guided by well informed thoughts as well as words of wisdom that I have come across and imbibed, have really paid off. Therefore, I have since decided to be more cautious such that I take more informed decisions rather than ones based on mere intuition.

Robin is undoubtedly, like we say in Nigeria, my very ‘Big Oga’, and its only wise to heed her wise counsel, so rather than acting humble and pretending that I didn’t have a ‘swell time’ in Mauritius, I have decided to confess and ‘spill the beans’, so the truth be told, I experienced an unparalleled level of luxury, a level of refinement that is heads and shoulders above anything I have ever experienced. Just like I was told before embarking on the trip, Mauritius is truly one of the most beautiful and luxurious destinations in the world, I discovered the true meaning of ‘beauty’ and this realization is likely responsible for my becoming an overnight tour operator vigorously selling destination  Mauritius to everybody that I meet.

This experience was made possible because I had the privilege of being a member of the team that South African Airways (SAA) Nigeria took on a familiarization tour to Mauritius between Monday 30^th June and Saturday 5th July 2014. According to SAA country manager in Nigeria Ms. Thobi Duma who lead the team that included Michael Otubu, Managing Director of BCD Travels Nigeria; Saleh Rabo, MD of AllStates Travels; Chike Osuagwu, MD of CGSK; Bankole Bernard, MD of Finchglow Travels; Bolaji Mustapha, MD of TTL Tours, Dada Oluwayomi of Tour Brokers International, Feyi of World N’ Traveland; Mohammed Abdullahi of Topcomm – PR Integrated Marketing Communications/Events and my humble self from Inside Watch Africa, the trip was long overdue.

 

She said that SAA operates a daily flight to Mauritius from Johannesburg, and that the airline is determined to give Nigerians the additional option to explore and enjoy as well as also expose more Nigerians to this luxurious African route that seems more popular with Europeans than it is with Africans.  She said, in her opinion the destination is likely to be more interesting to Nigerians as it offers visa on arrival for all Nigerian passport holders and that some Nigerians are already showing  interest in holding their weddings, retreats, conferences and vacations there. Ms. Thobi said that the trip was made possible by SAA in conjunction with its preferred hotel partners for the trip and on whose properties the team was hosted, thus apart from experiencing the SAA network, the trip was also showcased  One&Only properties with Beachcomber.

From about 20: 45hrs on Monday 30^th June, 2014, South African Airways had started pampering us right from Lagos – Nigeria as we had our ‘correct’ first time out at their luxurious lounge in Terminal-1 of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport. After our first course at the lounge, we boarded flight SA 061 that took us to Terminal-A of the O R Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg. We then proceeded to Terminal B of the ORT International Airport where we boarded flight SA 190 that took us to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius where I got my first pleasant Mauritian baptism; a member of our team who was right behind me was not cleared by the immigration officer because he had not printed out his fight ticket and I thought in my mind that though he had a tablet on him, he would not be able to access it as it was most likely there wouldn’t be any internet access due to the remoteness of the Island. So since I had just being cleared by the same Immigration officer, I volunteered to speak on the guy’s behalf and said ‘Sir this gentleman is in our group but was unable to print out his ticket, although he could have shown it to you on his tablet, he can’t because there is no internet access here’. The officer was rather vehement in his reply as he told us that there was free Wi-Fi at the airport and at the first click we were on air, even though I was embarrassed, I must say that I was also pleasantly surprised.

Immediately after this episode came the very courteous and proficient guys from White Sand Tours who chaperoned us first to Beachcomber Trou aux Biches Resort & Spa where we spent what I consider our first night in paradise.

On Wednesday, 2^nd of July 2014, which happened to be our second day in Mauritius, we started it with a facility tour of the Trou aux Biches Hotel and we found the facility is simply exquisite. We then visited the Port-Louis, the capital city where we had the privilege of visiting Le Caudan Waterfront lined up with several shops made up of boutiques, cafes and restaurants which is a fantastic place to shop and has become a melting pot of sorts for local artistes as well as a favorite meeting place for gastronomes, tourists and locals looking for leisure and entertainment.

We then proceed to the eastern part of the island where we were lavishly spoilt for two solid days at the One & Only Le Saint Geran. At this juncture, let me confess again that I really would not mind to go back to Mauritius right now when I compare the condition under which I am now writing this article on my desk in my office devoid of the pampering and royal treatment that I got at One & Only Le Saint Geran; this is why my people will always say ‘Aiye dara je ju iya lo’, literarily meaning it is better to live in opulence than to suffer in this world.

Butch Kerzner, CEO of Kerzner International, the owners of this magnificent almost four decade old property that has remained in pristine condition and looking like it just started operating yesterday, said when asked what the most important characteristic of One & Only Le Saint Geran is for him, he said “the very soul of the One& Only group is to be found at the heart of the Mauritian paradise itself”.  According to him out of the eight resorts in the One & Only group ; Palmilla Los Carlos, Ocean Club Bahamas, Cape Town South Africa, The Palm  Dubai, Royal Mirage Dubai, Le Saint Geran Mauritius, Reethirah Maldives, Hayman Island Australia, Le Saint Géran Mauritius reflects the spirit in which the One & Only group was originally founded. He explains that this great atmosphere and spirit stems from the employees who welcome and respect clients as if they have been invited to their own very homes.

On our last night at Le Saint Géran, IWA had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Charles de Foucault, the General Manager of the resorts.  So find below some his front row views about the resorts:

IWA:                       Being sited on an Island in the Indian Ocean, far removed from the mainland, how do you source most of the materials you use for your cuisines?

CHARLES:               Luxury is all about consistency and it is important for all the things you see, touch, feel, smell and taste. Like clockwork, we have a system in place that makes sure that both the imported and local ingredients are always available as at when needed.  For instance in our bakery we use a mixture of imported as well as local Mauritian ingredients, to ensure that the texture and tastes always exceed the needs of our customers.

IWA:                       How has Le Saint Géran positively impacted the lives of Mauritians?

CHARLES:               Le Saint Géran is an institution that has been on for more than 39 years and has provided more than a livelihood for generation of Mauritians. It has provided a sense of pride, belonging and togetherness. When any member of staff retires it is always a very sad and nostalgic time for the Le Saint Géran family.

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IWA:                       How long have you been in the business of managing hotels and how does your experience here compare with the other places you have worked?

CHARLES:               I have been in this business for 38 years spent in different parts of the world, spread around four different continents. I have met and interacted with different kinds of personalities, business people at exotic locations, and although I have only spent two and a half years here, I love the spirit of the Mauritian people and must say that the hospitality business here is top class.

I suspect you know that I am now at the sad part of the story when I must say goodbyes; I just hate saying goodbyes particularly when all is well and rosy. Well, all dreams or fairy tales have to come to an end, so very early the following morning which was Friday 4^th of July 2014; I had to pack my luggage and headed back home to my reality.

Many people don’t take vacations often enough. In fact, there tonnes of empirical evidences that shows that at least half of those that we are likely to read this article don’t take annual vacations; in fact, many never take them! And now with increasing frequency, when we do take vacations, we often bring work along with us, keeping ourselves essentially still in the work mindset we’re trying to escape from. This is unfortunate for several reasons, I critical thing that am so glad I brought back from this trip is that no matter what I must always take time off every once in a while as this is simply the elixir of life that keeps one healthy and going strong.

STORY CREDIT: http://insidewatchafrica.com/