Teetering above a secluded stretch of shoreline overlooking a placid coral reef, nestled within the raw and rugged beauty of Poste Lafayette, this hideaway answers to the call of the wild within the tropics. Its proximity to the perks and pleasures of the neighbouring luxury resorts, yet being immersed in the abounding nature that engulfs the North-East coastline of Mauritius, Villa de l’Océan is the idyllic family getaway destination, where you and your favourite people can retreat to, and allow your best beach adventures to unravel.
Its industrial, robust architecture set against the prevailing nature that surrounds, incites a modern adaptation to a Robinson Crusoe narrative. A remote, dreamy hideaway that encapsulates all of the makings of an escapist’s utopia. Where the boundless blue of the skies and the ocean, the warm, salty sea air and the lush green tones of the tropical terrain bounce off the neutral shades, textures and materials of the villa. Set on a series of levels of breezy open-plan living, dining, reclining and entertaining spaces, with a separate cottage tiered into the gardens that cascade into the ocean, Villa de l’Océan lends itself to large groups of friends and families that can gather together in their own exclusive sanctuary.
With its nine luxurious ensuite bedrooms – six of which are in the main house and an additional three in the separate cottage – a twenty-five-metre swimming pool that beckons a lazy lap or two, rolling green lawns and dancing palms shading the long verandahs that look all the way out to infinity and beyond, there’ll be very little that warrants leaving this pocket of paradise.
Depending on the wishes and wants of the travelling party, there’s an array of equally invigorating and pacifying activities to partake in during your stay in Poste Lafayette. You’ll spend your days barefoot and fancy-free, feasting at the tables, lazing around the swimming pool, sauntering down to your very own wild beach, wading about in the water for hours on end. A round of golf or a hike into the mountains. A boat trip out into the blue. The Constance Prince Maurice Resort is also on the doorstep, where you’ll have access to the use of their spa, tennis courts and communal entertainment areas. As the property is finely attuned to that of a five-star luxury retreat – with daily housekeeping, a house cook and concierge service, a nanny, a gardener and a handyman at the ready – you and your clan’s needs will be courteously catered to. All that’s required of you is to select the right kaftan, apply the suncream, answer to that decadent appetite and make way for the unravelling of the best beach adventures you and your family get to create.
Reviewed by Colleen Ogilvie