Heritage Awali Day 7 Part 2

When we came here the plan was to hire a car for a few days so I could show Clive this wonderful island, and I had also planned a helicopter trip, because if you think Mauritius is beautiful on land, you should see it from the sky!....but sadly due to the adverse weather conditions, neither has been possible...so this afternoon we took a taxi to the nearby town of Chemin-Grenier. It's just a typical Mauritian small town, with lots of small independent shops selling a plethora of diverse items, all competing for the limited business. We tried hard to find something to buy, but there really was nothing 'of value' although I was tempted by the fabulous array of saris and materials in one shop. We found the local supermarket, 'Winners'...and thought that some of the prices though reasonable to us, would challenge the income of the 'regular working family.' School had just finished for the day so there were children everywhere, all neatly uniformed in their various school colours. (Education here is free and compulsory from the age of 3) We were invited into the home of a man, who had no English, he was very insistent and I was very reluctant, but I did take it peek and it was sparsely furnished and lacking comfort...I think he wanted us to take some refreshments with him, which we declined...in hindsight maybe we should have stayed, I hope we didn't appear rude. He seemed a nice man. And so we came to our final evening meal, and what a sensational treat it was to be! We were honoured to be hosted by the Heritage Awali's charismatic manager, Christophe Ramdiane, who had arranged for us to have a special menu at our favourite Zafarani restaurant. Christophe has been with Heritage for quite some time and has come up 'through the ranks'. He is much loved and respected by his 300 + team of staff who understand his work ethic and share his desire for high standards of quality and service. We had a magnificent evening! Tomorrow will be a day of packing and saying our goodbyes, though thankfully, because our flight isn't until the evening, we will have a full day to enjoy...and maybe even a little more sunshine. ...so this has been our holiday in Mauritius, at the Heritage Awali. I cannot recommend it highly enough..it is truly a very special place, and along with it's neighbouring resort, Le Telfair, it offers a great choice for a holiday destination. It's fantastic for families, for weddings, for honeymoons, for golfers...all co-exist harmoniously here. Please contact me with any questions, or queries, and I will be delighted to help you plan your own trip to the paradise which is Mauritius!