Mauritius: Trou aux Biches beach and three days of excursions

Arrival at Mauritius airport, in the south-east of the island. Meeting with the local staff and transfer to Veranda Trou aux Biches, a 4-star hotel on the north-west coast: about an hour and a half by road across the island. Check-in to a comfort double room, half board. The rest of the day is for a first swim in the lagoon, among white sand and casuarina trees giving shade right down to the shore. The beach faces west: in the evening, the sun sets over the sea.

A full-day excursion to the north, with lunch included. It starts at the Pamplemousses botanical garden, one of the oldest in the southern hemisphere, with giant water lilies on the pond and the talipot palm, which flowers only once in its life. Then the sugar museum, on the history of the cane that for a long time drove the island's economy. Last stop at Cap Malheureux, the northern tip, with its red-roofed church on the lagoon and the view of the islet of Coin de Mire.

A full-day excursion to the west coast, with lunch included. Early in the morning a boat goes out to sea, at the time when dolphins most often come close to the coast: the ones you usually meet are spinner and bottlenose dolphins. Then on inland to Casela nature park, at the foot of the hills, where you see giraffes, zebras, ostriches and giant tortoises up close. In the late afternoon, back to the hotel, half board.

A free day, half board. The lagoon in front of the hotel is calm and shallow, good for snorkelling close to shore. Just to the north begins Mont Choisy beach, one of the longest on the coast, backed by a row of casuarina trees, for a long walk on the sand. About fifteen minutes away by car is Grand Baie, with shops and bars along the seafront; a little further on, Pereybère is a small, lively bay with food stalls and restaurants, good for a swim too.

A full-day excursion to the south-east, with lunch included. First stop in Curepipe, on the plateau, at the extinct Trou aux Cerfs crater, about 85 metres deep, with views over the interior. Then Mahébourg: the naval museum, with relics of the 1810 Battle of Grand Port between the French and the British, and the Rault biscuit factory, which has been making cassava biscuits since 1870. From the waterfront, a glass-bottom boat trip around Île aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve in the bay.

A free day, half board. Two ideas, optional and booked separately. On the east coast, Île aux Cerfs is reached by speedboat or catamaran: white beaches, a lagoon of shallow water and an 18-hole golf course. In the south-west, Black River Gorges National Park protects much of the island's remaining native forest, with trails and viewpoints over the valleys. To end the day, a swim at Flic en Flac, the long beach on the west coast.

A last full day on the north coast, half board. The Trou aux Biches lagoon is good for snorkelling, and along the coast there are diving and water-sports centres (optional activities). For a last outing at sea, a boat trip to the Grande Rivière Sud-Est, on the east coast, can be booked separately. In the evening, in several places around the island, you can hear séga, the music and dance born among the slaves, recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage.

Last breakfast at the hotel and, depending on the flight time, time for a last swim or some final shopping. Transfer to the airport and flight home.

Arrival in Italy and end of the trip.