I have recently returned home from a trip to Mauritius with my family including my 2 year old daughter. As any of you that have children will know choosing the right holiday, hotel and destination is quite a daunting prospect but I enjoyed my holiday so much I have just booked to go again this time next year.

I choose to stay at Shandrani Resort & Spa and working for Beachcomber Tours UK I was extremely lucky to have been able to visit all our hotels on the island. Although every single hotel caters for children Shandrani was the one that stood out for me and my family with their excellent hassle free approach to their all inclusive, the choice of bars and restaurants, children’s club, babysitting services and facilities for families I was absolutely amazed!

They welcome children in 4 out of their 5 restaurants and when I say welcome they really make them feel comfortable. For example my daughter was to big to fit into their high chairs but to small to sit on a chair by herself – big problem! But just when I started to panic the problem was solved – every time we went to any of the restaurants a chair with arms and a few cushions arrived without any fuss, they all spoke to her and treated her with as much importance as the adults at the table which was fantastic for me as there were lots of people to keep her entertained whilst I ate my food.

There were occasions when she was tired or I wanted to be able to relax and take my time eating my food so I organised a babysitter – I just had to give them 24 hours notice – it was only 100 Mauritian Rupees an hour which is about £3 at the moment, it can fluctuate anything between £3-£5 and if you require the babysitter later that 10:45 you would have to pay their taxi fare home but it really was worth it. On these occasions I ordered room service for my daughter, there is no set menu but I just called up and asked them for her favourite (spaghetti and tomato sauce) and they made it freshly for her – fantastic! On some other occasions she went to eat in the restaurant with some other children that were being babysat which was really sweet as it looked like a group of adults sitting round a table discussing the sand castle making skills!

Although my daughter was under 3 meaning that she was not able to attend the mini-club I was able to take her there accompanied which she absolutely loved….in fact she loved everything about Shandrani – as soon as we walked into the lobby she felt at home and comfortable, she felt so at home she ran straight to the pool area, took off all her clothes and got straight into the water – I mean lets face it – every adult after a 12 hour flight would love to jump into a swimming pool straightaway but we can’t!

By Gemma Haywood – Beachcomber Tours UK

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I have just returned from Mauritius where the sun is shining everyday, to the UK where well, the weather is not great. Whilst I was there I decided to try a spa treatment that everyone had been raving about. I stayed at Shandrani Resort & Spa which has recently opened a brand new wellness centre which I must say is the most relaxing place I have ever been.

The treatment sounds slightly odd and to be honest I was slightly dubious but I am so glad I tried it and I cannot wait until next year to get it done again! The massage is called the Chand Rani (pdf , it lasts for 90 minutes. When you enter the treatment room you will be asked to put on a pair of disposable knickers because of the amount of oil used in this treatment, then you have warm Sesame Seed oil poured all over you before they start a 1 hour full body massage which is very light and soft, once you are completely relaxed they will begin the Shirodhara, a deeply relaxing treatment which involves pouring a stream of warm oil over the forehead for around 30 minutes. This was what I was dubious about but after about 5 minutes I was so relaxed I was between sleep and awake – it was just amazing.

I guess for 3900 Mauritian Rupees (approx £78) some may say it is quite expensive but in reality everything about the treatment is worth it – I cannot wait to return to Shandrani next year and have this massage again.

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Now tour operators are on a drive to get tourists off their sun loungers and into the beautiful wilderness of the island, often hailed as the tiny stepping stone between Africa and Asia.

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You can now view the new Declor spa pricelist - (Download Adobe Reader) for the luxury Shandrani Resort & Spa. You’ll discover beauty secrets gleaned from ancient wisdom and expert knowledge. The spa is situated in the relaxing tropical garden. You’ll have twenty massage cabins, one pool, one hamman and one sauna at your disposal. So go on - treat yourself!