In an isle where the sugarcane plantations lazily lead to emerald mountains and where the waves are kissing the coral-white beaches, another sort of rhythm is playing. The long-time hyped Mauritius as the land of relaxing beaches and rich culture is slowly and steadily making a niche of being one of the most entrancing golfing locations in the world. But it is not golf in a rush or the competitive tough guy. This is a intimate, sensual experience, in which each swing is caressed by the slow luxury of the island, and in which the game turns in to a meditiation of space, nature and self.
In Mauritius, golf does not just occur on fancy fairways. It happens in scenes that are nearly cinematic. Consider the Heritage Golf Club, where the golfers go between centuries-old banyan trees with an expansive view of the Indian Ocean. Or the breath taking course at Anahita, where six holes are located on the ocean front, with volcanic rocks and green vegetation surrounding them. They are not merely sporting grounds but landscapes that are maintained and designed where the golfers walk into a conversation between design and nature.
Maybe the key distinction of Mauritius is how its golf courses are integrated into the natural and cultural environment of the island. Instead of being constructed on the ground they appear to grow out of it. Most of the courses are surrounded by woods, rivers or coastlines and the sustainability of the environment is well considered. Wild life is also incorporated in the experience. It is not unusual to stop in the middle of the round when a family of deer is crossing the fairway, or to hear the rustling palms with the local birdsongs.
The atmosphere is nothing like the stiff competitive essence that may characterize golf in other destinations. There is time, there is grace, and there is place to breathe. Lovers walk together holding hands in the morning tee times. Parties of friends protract local sourced lunches on covered verandas. Even when travelling alone one discovers that Mauritius embraces a traveller with a gentleness that beckons more to thoughtfulness than to spectacle.
This tiescapes and the soul are what is attracting a new breed of intelligent travellers to the island. It is not the adrenaline they are after as they are seeking rejuvenation. In such a case, golf is a balancing ritual. And nowhere is such philosophy more observed than in the emergence of tailor-made golfgetaways that combine top-level sport with relaxation, gastronomic exploration and cultural experience.
One silent player in this arena is Chaka Travel whose understanding of the island runs so deep that they can create an itinerary that is as personalized as a custom-made suit. It could be organizing personal transfers to championship courses or booking hidden-gem stay in the coastal line, but their knowledge is discreet, but meaningful. The golfers who examine Mauritius golf holidays with Chaka Travel are not merely making a reservation at the tee time, they are taking part in the experience that respects the essence of the island.
It is not only the setting that makes a golfing vacation in Mauritius so intimate but attention to emotional detail. By the end of a round, one may decide to explore a spice market in Mahébourg, watch the sunset on a catamaran cruise, or embrace the depths of a hammam set somewhere in a rainforest retreat. The luxuriousness of it is tempered with a certain softness, a sort of lived-in luxuriousness that enables travellers to really relax.
The Mauritians add their own brand of warmness to it. The island is a melting pot of African, Indian, Chinese and European cultures and the diversity of the cultures is experienced at every encounter. People in hotels retain your name. There are tales told by locals which make the history of the island quite three-dimensional. Caddies are your friends that help you not only in the game, but also in the land.
For a true nature lover’s guide to the island, it should be mentioned that the most appropriate time to visit it is during the period between May and December when weather conditions are dry, breezy and just right to spend long days outside. The island is in full flower and peace at this time of the year and travellers enjoy an apparently never-ending season. The low season is rainier but may also be a more peaceful and reflective escape to those who want to get out of the grid.
To the readers of 1883 Magazine, who exist at the nexus of style, culture and well-being, Mauritius is a place of dream-like quality: somewhere it is possible to pace the beat of your own heart to the rhythmic lapping of the waves, and the relaxed flow of a well-played game. It is a destination, where golf is not only about the performance but presence. Where luxury is not overdone, but rather in the thoughtful elements of the voyage.
When one tees off in Mauritius, he is doing much more than playing sport. It is to be part of a living art form carved by the lines of the land, the hospitality of the people and the wisdom of leisurely time. It is to find out that the most valuable escapes are the ones that provide beauty and silence, strain and recovery.
And in Mauritius, to the knowledgeable guide, all this can be found in one swing.
