Le Victoria Hotel is situated in the small village of Pointe Aux Piments which is halfway between the Port-Louis, the capital city, and Grand Baie, the most popular seaside resort on Mauritius. It is situated in the northern part of the island. When we landed at the airport we were greeted by a private transfer company and transferred to the hotel. The chauffeur was very courteous and he spoke to us throughout the journey and gave us some insight into the history of Mauritius.

When we arrived at the hotel we were greeted and shown to a comfortable seat in the foyer whilst the chauffeur saw to our bags. The view as we entered the hotel was  quite a sight. The hotel faces onto a large sparkling swimming pool which overlooks the stunning beaches below. As we marveled at the scenery in front of us we were offered a cooling towel and a fresh fruit smoothie to enjoy while we waited to be shown to our room.

After a short wait we were escorted to our room which was situated on the third floor and had a lovely big balcony looking onto the beach and sea below. The room was large and nicely set out and had been cooled by the air conditioner which felt like a treat from the hot humid air. The bathroom was also spacious and had a separate shower and bath. Our room was cleaned every day and the towels were changed at least once or twice a day too. Our room service attendant was excellent and always carried a smile. He always seemed to go that extra mile and we were very impressed.

The first day we ventured off to buy snorkeling equipment so we could spend time exploring the reefs and we spent most of our days in the water and going on boat trips to nearby reefs. The best area for snorkeling is Trou aux Biches which takes about 20 minutes by boat and is well worth visiting if you enjoy diving or snorkeling. The beaches are beautiful and many deck chairs are laid out under small thatch huts scattered all over the beach, so it was not a problem finding a good spot on the beach.