Tamassa Resort Bel Ombre

Tamassa Resort Bel Ombre sits on the south west coast of Mauritius, on a white beach with dramatic mountains and dense sugarcane fields behind it. The stay is all inclusive, and the mood is sociable, with the resort built around good times together. That suits couples, friends and families who want food, drinks, music and sea access in one place. The airport is about an hour away by road, along a coastal route.

Rooms are grouped in small clusters under distinctive red roofs, enveloped by greenery and cooled by sea breezes. The resort has 90 Tamassa Rooms, 64 Superior Rooms, 34 Beach Rooms and 8 Tamassa Family Rooms, alongside Ocean Superior Rooms and Family Suites of up to 86 square metres. Every category has a furnished balcony or terrace, with garden, pool or Indian Ocean views depending on the room you choose. Family Rooms add bunk beds and a miniature bathroom for children, while Family Suites offer two interconnecting bedrooms.

Daytime options on the water include glass bottom boat trips, snorkelling, windsurfing, kayaks, pedal boats and sailing boats, as weather and tide allow. On land you will find floodlit tennis courts, table tennis, bocce, beach volleyball and a game village with giant games for all ages. Evenings bring live music, DJ nights and themed entertainment. Joyful Experiences add excursions such as a private island day at Ile des Deux Cocos, nature walks and local cooking sessions.

There are four swimming pools fringed by palms and tropical gardens, with pool bars and loungers, plus towels whenever you need them. The spa is called Santosha, and its treatments draw on colour and crystal healing, with natural, responsibly sourced products. Yoga and stretching classes, a fitness centre, sauna, steam room, hydrojet and spa garden are also on offer, with the last few by reservation and subject to availability.

Eight venues share the dining and drinking. SHOW is the main restaurant, serving buffet breakfast and theatrical dinners with buffet themes from Middle Eastern to Mauritian. Playa offers a la carte lunch and dinner on the sand, with a Mediterranean menu and a Mauritian twist. The Burger Truck serves lunchtime burgers with homemade fries beside the main pool, then turns into the Rum Truck on set evenings, and Scoop handles ice cream and sorbets. B Bar, Sun Bar and Jalsa nightclub cover cocktails and late evenings, with bar service until 11pm.

The south coast is known for clear, protected waters, so snorkelling is a natural fit. Inland you can visit Bel Ombre Nature Reserve, Rochester Falls for a picnic and freshwater swim, the Maconde viewpoints, Black River Gorges for hiking and Chamarel, famous for its seven coloured earth. Bel Ombre Golf Club has an 18 hole course, and Domaine de Bel Ombre offers horse riding, quad biking and archery. Summer runs from November to April at 25 to 35 degrees Celsius, with a cooler winter from May to September.