Postcards from…Mauritius

Having said au revoir to Reunion, we hopped on a short Air Austral flight to Mauritius and checked into the super luxurious, Lux* Belle Mare, on the east coast of the island. I should have known from my audible gasp when I walked into my room, which was a) big enough for a family of four, b) had a walk in cupboard and c) a built-in iPhone charger, that we were in for a treat.

Healing hands
As busy as we had been in Reunion, in Mauritius we were encouraged to slow things down and relax, and what better way to start than with a visit to the Lux Me spa? A 25 minute relaxation massage was scheduled and my therapist Nari (all the way from Bali) began with a foot cleansing treatment, and then offered me a choice of massage oils; energising mandarin and orange, anti-ageing island flower, relaxing juniper berry or an anti-orange peel geranium. I opted for de-stressing juniper berry. Nari quickly picked up on the stiffness in my back (clearly too much Crossfit) and changed to a Balinese-style massage instead. She used lots of long gliding strokes, which worked wonders on my back and left me in a heavenly blissed-out state.

I also chatted to Jeff Butterworth, Chief Spa and Wellness Officer at LUX* Island Resorts and as a result of growing interest in Chinese treatments, he’s developing a new two hour signature treatment that includes cupping, scraping, moxibustion (traditional Chinese medicine) and acupuncture. Apparently you’ll feel totally spaced out (in a good way) and after a few treatments, you’ll feel like a new person.

Hot weather skin tip: I’m not usually a fan of air conditioning; however my cool room was a refuge from the humidity and the mozzies in both Reunion and Mauritius. To counteract the dehydrating effects of the AC, I doubled up on hydrators and applied a moisture-boosting serum and a rich night cream.

Living it up
To continue the relaxation theme, the following morning we were treated to breakfast ‘avec les pieds dans la mer’ basically a table was set up for us on the beach and while we munched on a delish selection of fresh fruit, pastries and hot brekkie, the sea lapped at our feet. It’s the most novel way I’ve ever eaten breakfast and I highly recommend it. We were then whisked off to a small harbour to spend the day on Ile des Deux Cocos – a private island where we could swim, snorkel, drink cocktails (with local brewed rums) and eat ice cream ‘til we could stomach no more. It’s not every day you get to spend the day on a private island surrounded by azure water and serenaded by Rod Stewart-singing Creole singers.

Hot weather nail tip: During the week that we were away, my nails took a bit of a beating (sea, sand and snorkelling will do that). The quickest way for me to jazz them up? Layer a sparkly polish as a top coat. Thanks to Amy Scheepers for sharing!

Again, a big thank you to Piz Buin, Legacy Lifestyle, Travel by Lifestyle, Lux* Resorts, Air Austral and the Reunion Island Tourism Board for making the trip possible.
Plus, thanks to Sunglass Hut, Havaianas and Billabong for the island-friendly gear.

For more beauty snaps from exotic locations, follow Margaux on Instagram @margauxknuppe

P.S. If you haven’t checked out Legacy Lifestyle, one of Africa’s leading loyalty programmes, which has over 250 really cool partners (think Becca, Havaianas and Moyo) make sure you do.