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Honeymoon to United Arab Emirates & Mauritius
Joel Gray, 9th September 2025This was our first time leaving Europe and we honestly weren't sure what to expect. We had high hopes as we were travelling for our honeymoon and we were not disappointed. This was without a doubt the best holiday & adventure we've ever had! From seeing the booming metropolis of Dubai and mind-blowing skyscrapers, to relaxing in the beautiful nature and enjoying the local cuisine Mauritius provided, we were never short of something to do and had an absolute blast.
Accommodation Visited
Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort
“The Hilton JBR was mostly great, it's near the beach and pretty central to JBR so there was lots to explore locally. The food in the hotel was great, especially in Trader Vics (their tiki restaurant/bar), the iced coffee in the lobby cafe (Taliah's Cafe) was great when returning from the heat outside. The staff were extremely pleasant and attentive. The Pure Sky bar (rooftop bar) was great for a late night drink while overlooking Ain Dubai Ferris wheel all lit up.
The only downsides of this hotel were that at the time we travelled, there was ongoing construction to improve the hotel, which meant that there was a reduced pool area and no direct access to the beach via the pool, and there was a strong smell of construction adhesive or glue throughout the hotel, which was unsettling and disappointing. Additionally the Irish bar McGettigan's was a little expensive compared to the other bars, where a Guinness was approximately £13.”
Lakaz Chamarel Exclusive Lodge
“The Lakaz Chamarel was like a little slice of heaven nestled in the south Mauritian mountains, we were constantly in awe of our tropical surroundings. Sitting in the restaurant eating breakfast and listening to the birds chirping in the trees was a great way to wake up. I have to mention the food here, this was the best food we had on our entire trip, there was a different set menu every night and every single dish was delicious. We ate types of food we normally dislike but the care taken and complex flavours here made everything delicious - hats off to the chefs. We are still dreaming of the food we had there.
Within Lakaz there was the View Bar which was open during sunset hours and overlooked the sea. Sitting here with a fresh cocktail and watching the sunset was one of the highlights of our stay, we're so happy we stayed in Lakaz as we really were able to appreciate the beauty of the island. The staff here really made the stay special, they were super friendly and kind, nothing was too much trouble, Lakaz is a truly special place.
We also were able to borrow the bikes and cycle to the Chamarel Seven Colored Earth Geopark and were able to sample freshly squeezed sugarcane juice and see the Maurtian Giant Tortoises, we also climbed the Pinot Canot which is accessible from within Lakaz Chamarel it was very challenging but the views at the top were really rewarding!
The only issue we had in Lakaz which was quite off putting was our room had what I can only call an infestation of tiny black ants, they were harmless and more of a nuisance than anything but it wasn't something we wanted to deal with or think about on our honeymoon. They were living inside a wooden table that was beside the bed, meaning we had check the bed every night to make sure they hadn't crawled in. Obviously we understand that staying in nature you're likely to get things like this, but it was the sheer amount that put us off, management did let us know that rain was coming and that's why the ants began to gather and they did send staff to do a deep clean the next day. It didn't ruin our stay, it was just a bit of a nuisance.
We would happily return here.”
LUX* Grand Gaube
“The all inclusive package was amazing, we ate and drank from morning to night. The quality of the food available was fantastic, locally caught seafood, Asian stir-fry cooked right in front of you and plenty of delicious fruit. The coffee from the lobby cafe was delicious, and the ice cream from ICI was so tasty and refreshing and all included in the package. Also the cocktails were amazing and the staff were happy to make your anything not included on the menu.
The ground floor junior suite with direct access to the beach was perfect and made it super handy to run back to your room if you needed to. All the staff were extremely helpful and accommodating, they had fun with you and joked around. They even brought you a cooler box with ice to keep your drinks ice cold while you relaxed on the beach.
There was plenty of space, between the pool, the main beach and the adults area there was never any trouble getting somewhere to relax in the sun. When sitting on the beach becomes too much, there's plenty of other things to do at the resort. Between going to the cinema, the gym and or even a quick game of tennis, we always had something fun to keep us entertained.
The only downsides of this resort: was that the evening entertainment was a bit lacking, it would end at 10pm even on the weekends so if you're looking to stay up for a few late drinks there's not much atmosphere for it and the bar closes at 12pm. As part of our all inclusive package the mini fridge was meant to be refilled everyday but some items weren't refilled until our last day.
These were minor issues and we still had an absolutely amazing time here and would recommend it!”
Staff Review
“We had tried a few other travel agents before and no one seemed to understand or care what we were really looking for, but the whole team at Mahlatini were amazing, Scott especially. Scott really made an effort to understand what we were after and ultimately helped us find it. He was available any time we had questions, his friendly demeanour made him extremely approachable and he really showed his expertise by enhancing his responses to our questions with personal anecdotes and advice.”
