Earlier this year, Brightwater Tour Manager Sue Pomeroy led one of our most memorable journeys – a tour to the captivating island of Mauritius. With its dramatic volcanic landscapes, rich cultural heritage and wonderfully diverse flora and fauna, Mauritius perfectly reflects the kind of thoughtful, rewarding travel Brightwater is known for. 

From tranquil gardens and colonial plantation houses to coral-fringed shores and exceptional local cuisine, this tour offered a relaxed yet enriching way to experience the island. It is a destination that engages all the senses and leaves a lasting impression on everyone who visits. 

Below, Sue shares her personal reflections from the tour in her own words, bringing to life the moments, places and experiences that made this journey so special. 

If Sue’s story inspires you, we are delighted to be offering the Gardens of Mauritius tour with Sue again in March 2026 or you can travel in November 2026 with the fantastic, Trevor Edwards. 

You can find full details here: 

Flying in from Gatwick to Mauritius defined the term of remote.- From the plane window a small verdant green Tropical island a drop in the Indian Ocean came into view.. Framed by bone white beaches and surrounded by  lacy coral reefs the Island  materialised into  swaying palms and lime green sugar cane as we landed at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport. Towering black caldera peaks greeted us edged with red soil , sugar cane  and a myrid of colour with frangipani trees Flame trees, Travlers trees and laden Lychee trees to name but a few. 

We checked into the very comfortable Anelia Hotel on the west coast which offered up at 6 pm stunning sunsets, a large infinity pool a natural sea swimming pool and an open sea view restaurant and a bar with the best view ever. The hotel is placed in a dazzling garden setting my accommodation was surrounded by blooms and birds with the sound of the breakers on the coral reef- Paradise!  

Apart from Gardens , Flora and Fauna in all its shapes and sizes being my favourite things in life- it may surprise a few of you who know me that I also very much like tea, vanilla and rum- not necessarily in that order- but luckily for me Mauritius supplies all of these in exceptionally good quality.  

The excellent itinerary afforded Rum tasting ,Tea tasting and the opportunity to explore the amazing Mauritian culinary delights often including all three-you can imagine my delight!  

The boat trip to the Ille aux Aigrettes was stunningly beautiful to be transported accross impossibly blue sea to a tiny coral nature reserve island full of tortoises, pink pidgeons and yes golden bats. It was an honour to see both the black ebony and beautiful white ebony trees with a fascinating ranger led talk that was inspiring. 

The cool Colonial wooden plantation houses were a delight- the rich smell of the wood, the rooms filled with a past way of living, lovely, shuttered windows- a conservatory for enjoying tea in. This never failed to surprise me -as we were looking out at exotic ferns, palms and flowering trees-as if we were the delicate blooms that needed protection. 

Our journey around this fascinating Island gave us a great insight to its history, culture, and beauty- every day was a joy- we seemed to learn so much, taste amazing delights in the most relaxed way always returning to our hotel in time for a swim! This is a small snapshot of this tour- – there is so much more- why not join me March 2026 to discover feel the warmth of place and people and taste the delights! 

Sue Pomeroy